Project Background

When community gardener Luis "Pajú" Aponte looked around a beautiful 4 acre stretch of land adjacent the Connecticut River, he said to fellow community gardener Jaime Iglesias, "This is Puerto Rico!"

Pajú and Jaime believed that this land should be used so they could farm, and that local children could play and learn. They wanted to share this land with the entire community so they could feel and pass on a connection with their heritage in a space reminiscent of the fields in Puerto Rico in which they grew up. The same fields they played in and learned from their parents how to plant and harvest bananas, coffee, cilantro, and many more fruits, herbs, and vegetables.

A summer-long strategic planning process, led by the youth and adult members of Nuestras Raíces, with input from the entire community, culminated in the vision of Pajú and Jaime. With the help of the Trust for Public Land, the Ford Foundation and the Jane's Trust, we have purchased the 4.1 acres of land and the Tierra de Oportunidades Project is underway!