Projects in Alliance with La Colmena Cimarrona
La Colmena Cimarrona (Maroon Hive) practices community based agroecology and beekeeping growing food sovereignty in the archipelago of Puerto Rico. Producing food in a healthy and accessible way for all; with the intention of eliminating existing inequities developing a local solidarity economy that promotes mutual support and equity.
HASER and La Colmena Cimarrona have partnered to practice solidarity economy, agroecology and beekeeping with the intention to sow collective strategies towards food sovereignty in the Antilles. HASER is the 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor of four charitable projects.
HASER is a non-profit organization with tax exemption under sections 501(c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code and Section 1101.01(a)(2)(B) of the “Internal Revenue Code for a New Puerto Rico”. If you prefer to donate by check, please make it payable to HASER, Inc. and write “Colmena Cimarrona” in the memo line.
La Semillera
A farm guided by agroecological principles for equity and justice; developing educational and training programs in agroecology that promote economically and culturally viable agricultural production on our Island.
El Panal
Creates communal coexistence spaces through popular education for the advancement of integral health.
La Sambumbia
La Sambumbia develops markets to strengthen the bond between consumer and producer, especially in communities with little access to healthy food.
La Colectiva Agrícola Viequense
A network of support and resources among farmers through agro-ecological activities in Vieques that promote agricultural production and education on the island municipality food desert.
More about Colmena Cimarrona
Founded in 2015 to develop a course to train agroecology ‘promotores’ (educators) in Vieques and support the work of Finca Conciencia, established around 10 years ago in Monte Carmelo.
La Colmena has been restoring soils and replenishing the island with freshly produced food, organizing farmer-to-farmer trainings, worker education, farm stands, a mobile market (La Sambumbia), Caribbean beekeeping exchanges and trainings, health clinics incorporating traditional knowledge of natural and popular Caribbean medicine as a means of prevention and access to alternative healing methods; securing and storing creolized seeds for agroecological projects, developing classes at the local health center. As a result, La Colmena has been developing a network of small farmers and beekeepers working towards food sovereignty, racial and economic justice, strengthening networks of solidarity between poor and landless Viequenses, and other folks throughout the Antilles.
Vieques is an island municipality of Puerto Rico, long forgotten by the central government, bombed for more than sixty years by the US Navy, but with a long history of organized resistance that managed to stop the bombing fifteen years ago. Furthermore, Vieques is dependent on an already precarious ferry system for fuel, food and construction materials. Food insecurity is intensified and building prices tripled on the island, cancer rates are at least 20% higher than mainland Puerto Rico, and there are few resources for fresh food.
La Colmena Cimarrona strengthened its network after hurricane Maria, supporting the creation of El Panal a group of women working in the production of food, established a comedor (community kitchen), community gardens, workshops and courses on food justice and health.
La Colmena Cimarrona is the non-profit that supports the development of a local solidarity economy based in autonomous agroecological projects; Finca Conciencia is supported by La Colmena as a local cooperative farm enterprise in Vieques.
Learn more about how making a donation for Colmena Cimarrona works with HASER’s fiscal sponsorship.
