Buffalo Mountain Co-op has established a Sister Co-op relationship with the Cooperativa Orgánica Madre Tierra in Hato Rey, Puerto Rico, a cooperative of growers and producers. A working group of Buffalo Mountain Coop Member-Owners, Board, and Collective Staff has formed to plan future projects, fundraising events, and many volunteer opportunities. Find out more about Cooperativa Orgánica Madre Tierra, visit their website and their Facebook page. To learn more about the context and background for this sister coop relationship, click here read this article by Manuel Francisco O’Neill. For more information about the project, please email Myrna Miranda-O’Neill.
At the end of February 2018, a delegation from Buffalo Mountain traveled to Puerto Rico to meet and assist members of Cooperativa Madre Tierra. The delegation included Annie Gaillard, Loui Pulver, Frank Sauer, Manuel O’Neill, and Sulien O’Neill. You can read a report on the delegation’s visit and reflections in the Spring issue of Buffalo Mountain Co-op’s quarterly newsletter – The Bullsheet. A PDF version of the presentation made at Buffalo Mountain’s 2018 Annual Meeting can be viewed and downloaded here.
For those who would like to support this project there is a donation jar on the front counter at the Coop. The Coop is also able to “round-up” your purchases with the change going into a Sister Coop account. Donations by check should be addressed to Wheelock Mountain Farm/ Sister Co-op Project at 91 West Wheelock Road, Greensboro Bend, VT 05842.
Madre Tierra is connected to growers and producers who come to participate in an open market from different towns all over the Island. It serves a membership of 142, some producers, farmers and supporting members.
Madre Tierra was founded in 2001 with a mission to foster the re-connection with our planet through cultivation and promotion of organic products in a loving, respectful and sustainable way. The coop educates through workshops and presentations on different topics that promote health, biodiversity, and cooperative and respectful relationships to ensure a better world for future generations.
In the aftermath of Tropical Storm Irma and Hurricane Maria, Cooperativa Orgánica Madre Tierra has had to intensify its work to support farmers and producers. As the entire island continues to face the priorities of finding potable water, food, and regaining electricity, the coop is also having serious difficulty keeping its doors and the markets open. If we look at our effort as a means to help sustain this coop’s mission of food sovereignty and dignity, we should understand that it will be a long-term process and a partnership of solidarity and enrichment to all involved.
