Audiovisuals, Agriculture, and Educommunication: The Case of AgroInnova

By Mariely Rivera-Hernández

Audiovisual media are considered to be extremely valuable communication tools used to illustrate, project, and draw attention to images and information or to study artifacts and phenomena. One of the features that makes them so valuable is their capability to be shared and distributed once finished. Nowadays, access to such documentation is increasing as content is being published on social media and digital platforms. The audiovisual medium is tied to the senses of sight and hearing; nonetheless, these two also stimulate taste and smell. In this manner, educommunication presents itself as a discipline that combines the use of technology with the action of educating.

Since this is a broad field, we would like to focus on an agricultural project aimed at developing emerging farming leaders who have been cultivating business initiatives within the socio-agricultural sector. Its name is AgroInnova. During the course of two years, we have worked alongside the organization by filming audiovisual content about the experiences of several participants who have their own agricultural endeavors. We have met emerging farmers who work with ruminants; who cultivate aromatic plants, tubers, cacao, coffee, and other fruits; who breed laying hens; who work with derived products, etc.

Certainly, documenting the raw materials, foods, or production of foods through photography or film becomes a gateway to consume or share the items. Advertisements and digital media intended to sell goods ensure that. However, as we delve deeper into the matter, we notice that there is so much more to discover. They also tell stories and describe diverse settings and human behaviors.

Captivating Stories of Farmers Documented in Audiovisuals

These individuals interested in agriculture met through AgroInnova, a nonprofit organization founded in 2012 that develops, advises, and acts as an incubator for farmers, emerging farmers, and cattle breeders who desire to work in different areas of agriculture in rural or urban zones. The organization supports the ideas of entrepreneurs who wish to start a sustainable business and, therefore, contributes to the socioeconomical and community development of Puerto Rico. In the organization’s 13-year journey, they have touched the lives of more than 6,000 farmers and emerging farmers, who have received free specialized education. A diverse and intergenerational public, eager to learn, has approached AgroInnova. People from all ages have become part of the group in the hopes of learning and sharing their knowledge and have shown a willingness to listen to the lessons that others have learned and to what have become the better practices. There is no doubt that hurricanes Irma, María, and Fiona; the earthquakes that took place on the south-western part of the island; and the unexpected arrival of the coronavirus pandemic put to the test all agricultural initiatives and projects, whether existing or still in development. However, the participants’ commitment to AgroInnova strengthened the organization and ensured that it did not lose its way.

Although the members of the group have been motivated by different reasons, they all exhibit one thing in common: the passion of cultivating, step by step, their own dream. We learned that some began their journey because they lost their job and wished to reinvent themselves financially. Others wanted to take care of their health in harmony with a job or inherited a business or land with the potential for farming. Some simply became interested in the practice. Their passion is clearly shown in the audiovisual materials uploaded to AgroInnova’s Youtube channel and in the hundreds of photographs taken of their initiatives and endeavors.

Finca Calichi, Lago Garzas, Adjuntas.

We would like to mention two audiovisuals that highlight the diverse agricultural interests, leaderships, and geographical places in which these projects take place. The first is Finca Calichi near the Garzas lake in Adjuntas, and the other, Hacienda Cuatro Puertas in Caimito, San Juan. The filming experience in Finca Calichi took us through imposing mountains up to the highest point of the Garzas barrio, where we could appreciate a majestic view of the Garzas lake. We met with Nathaniel Ortíz, who, alongside his wife, cultivates various fruits, tubers, and other foods. They also grow coffee and have their own renowned and prize-winning brand, Café de Reyes. In the audiovisual, the viewer can see the duo in action and hear their story, expectations, and about the struggles they have faced in recent years due to environmental and public health threats. The video goes beyond the showing of shapes, symbols, narratives, and images meant to encourage the viewer to consume the product. Instead, it tells the story of a family and of a community of small agricultural business owners who are firm in their desires and goals.

Hacienda Cuatro Puertas, Caimito, San Juan.

The second initiative we would like to talk about is led by a woman, Carmen Vázquez, who, along with her husband, has decided to breed laying hens at their farm in San Juan, the capitol of Puerto Rico. Hacienda Cuatro Puertas has developed their own brand of eggs, called ClaraMente Natural, and has become an extremely sought-after product by consumers. The filming process allowed us to connect with the birds’ ecosystem and to become familiar with their feeding process and the ways in which they are cared for and protected. The final product, in this manner, is filled with pure and sensitive energy.

Both cases feature a leader and their team, composed of a significant other. In the first instance, a male leader is accompanied by his wife; in the second, a female leader assisted by her husband. While these constitute family projects, the members have also become coworkers who support one another. The common denominator between both agricultural teams is the passion they exhibit. The audiovisual materials confirm this sentiment, and AgroInnova—as a digital and in-person platform—is the means through which these businesses, along with their respective products, are able to flourish.

As we watch the videos, we are invited to not only get to know these emerging farming leaders and consume their products but also support the social value of the responsibilities and efforts that these workers have and make every day.

The author is currently finishing her doctoral thesis on the political economy of communications, cultural consumption, mediatization, and virtual communities. The videographer Joel Cruz (mr.dwella@yahoo.com) is the creator of the audiovisual materials shared.