Food Producer Network: Grantees Stories
WCK’s Food Producer Network partners with and supports smallholder farmers, fishers, and food-related businesses. By providing funding, training, and networking opportunities, WCK encourages local food production and stronger economies as well as resilience in the face of future natural disasters. We launched the program in Puerto Rico after Hurricane María in 2017 and expanded it to The Bahamas, the US Virgin Islands, and Guatemala in the last year – welcoming more farmers, beekeepers, deep sea fishers, and even cheesemongers! In 2020, we disbursed nearly $1.4 million to 91 grantees and we’d love to share a few of their incredible stories.
In Puerto Rico, Jorge Cruz and Nitza Ventura started their fishery Pescadería Zoé to solve a marketing problem that they and other local fishers faced. After long days out on the water, fishers on the small island of Vieques did not have a way to sell their catch to customers, as they did not have experience with sales and did not have the contacts for local restaurants and markets. Pescadería Zoé now fills the role of purchasing fish from over ten local fishers and reselling it, along with their own catch, both to restaurants and directly to consumers.
To expand their operation of catching, buying, and reselling fish, Jorge and Nitza need to purchase two new engines for their boat with the combined goals of catching and distributing more fish themselves, as well as increasing their ability to distribute others’ catch throughout Puerto Rico, not just on Vieques. The WCK grant they received will enable them to buy the engines and focus on their long-term goals of establishing a commercial fishing school for local fishers. Jorge and Nitza will also start producing specialty foods and working to expand their market to the US Virgin Islands.
Related News
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WCK’s team in Puerto Rico arrived on the island of Culebra the day after Tropical Storm Ernesto made landfall. While assessing needs, we delivered food to a family who’s roof was destroyed by the storm. This week, we are providing dozens of meals daily to people on the island who remain without electricity.
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WCK teams engage closely with communities while assessing needs following a disaster. In Vieques—one of the two small islands east of Puerto Rico—residents informed us that the roof of a neighbor’s house was destroyed by Tropical Storm Ernesto. We immediately headed over with sandwiches, fruit, and water for the family.
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WCK’s Yareli is on Culebra, one of the two small islands east of Puerto Rico that were hit by Tropical Storm Ernesto. Many residents are without utilities so our team will be providing water and food as we assess needs. Yareli joined our #ChefsForPuertoRico team in 2017 when she jumped to action to cook for neighbors impacted by Hurricane María.