FirstBank, Siembra Vida to build agrotourism project
During the groundbreaking ceremony, from left in the first row: Dayahana Tamayo, Siembra Vida, Josiah Hernández and Jorge Ibañez, of Siembra Vida. Standing: Jeremy Rivera, of Siembra Vida, and FirstBank’s Michelle Bengoa, assistant vice president and sales manager of foreclosed properties, Catherine Ríos, and Sheila Ocasio, director of special assets group.
FirstBank announced Monday its recent partnership with nonprofit organization Siembra Vida, through its property donations program to develop and build a community agrotourism project in the Calvache sector of Rincón.
“As we celebrate our 67th anniversary, it pleases us to disclose this agreement with Siembra Vida, as testimony of our commitment to entrepreneurship, for the economic and social development of the communities we serve,” said Catherine Ríos, community reinvestment officer at FirstBank.
“From the beginning we have supported Siembra Vida, which last year won the environment award from EnterPRize/Guayacán, sponsored by FirstBank,” she said.
Through the agreement, FirstBank will lease Siembra Vida a plt of land at an undisclosed nominal annual rate for the next two years, during which the nonprofit will build a coffee shop to sell artisan roasted coffee, alongside a mini farmers’ market with fresh and organic crops and an education center, Ríos said.
Once the facilities are constructed, ownership of the land will be transferred to Siembra Vida, Ríos added.
Siembra Vida’s mission is to educate and provide treatment and rehabilitation to young addicts through agriculture, the creation of agro-ecological organic gardens and hydroponic systems.
