Farmstay

A Farm Stay Adventure in the Mountains of Puerto Rico

Scottie Jones — Tue, 25 Mar 2025 21:40:02 +0000

There’s something special about visiting a place through the lens of its farms, the people, the land, and the traditions that sustain them. I recently had the joy of traveling to Puerto Rico with a group of agritourism specialists from across the U.S. While our main goal was to collaborate on agritourism initiatives and resources, we were fortunate to spend time touring local farms and experiencing firsthand what agritourism looks like on the island.

Puerto Rico is often associated with its beautiful beaches, but venture inland, and you’ll discover a rich farming heritage that has withstood the test of time—and hurricanes. This American Territory has always been known for its farm exports: primarily coffee (once sought after by kings and queens in Europe), but also cacaos, plantains, and citrus. We wanted to see and experience farming in the interior, farms carved into steep hillsides that would seemingly defy commercial planting.

Looking down a hillside of plantains at Finca Destellos de Luz

Everywhere we stopped, we were welcomed with hot meals and met farmers who were generous with their time and eager to share their knowledge. We discovered in our visits that Hurricane Maria (2017) had wiped out most of the crops and meant many had to start from scratch with replanting. Despite this devastation, these farmers are embracing innovation—experimenting with new crops like vanilla, focusing on sustainable farming, and adding agritourism in the form of farm stays to their operations.

Want to experience farming firsthand? These four farm stays offer a variety of accommodations—camping, cottages, and off-grid huts—all with breathtaking views.

Coffee card at Hacienda La Tradicion

Hacienda La Tradicion in Utuado is a coffee farm owned by Carlos Casanos. He returned to Puerto Rico after Maria, having lived in the States for over 30 years, and wanting to come home to the land where he was born. He bought a farm and has been in the process of planting over 12,000 coffee trees, as well as growing chilies and bananas. We saw the drawings for the Hacienda he plans to build for guests. Currently he offers camping (on a flat grassy area!) and hikes throughout the farm to ponds and waterfalls.

View from deck at Casa Limani, Finca Las Puertas de San Pedro

Finca La Puertas de San Pedro in Utuado is a farm growing coffee, cacaos, plantains and citrus. It is owned by Madelyn Heredia and Jesus Alcaraz Suyas. Most of the crops were destroyed during Maria so much of the planting is new. There are two accommodations at this farm, both with incredible views over the valley and the farm below. One is a one-bedroom cottage (Casita Limani) with a full bath, living room, kitchen, and covered deck. The other cottage (Casita Marsellesa) can sleep up to four and has a kitchen; also with incredible views. Additionally, there are three campsites laid out.

Off-grid hut at Hacienda La Guadeloupe

Hacienda La Guadeloupe in Jayuya is owned by Vidal Irizarry and Lisandra Pabon. This is also a coffee, cacaos, plantain and citrus farm, just beginning to experiment with growing vanilla as well. We were given a tour of the greenhouses, helped to plant some cilantro, and got a lesson on drying coffee beans. The couple offer lodging in an apartment above the roasting area and in a private off-grid cabin down a steep track that also takes you by the pond where the farmers grow tilapia (fish). Three more cabins are coming online and camping is available. Besides farm and coffee tours, the farm offers a workshop on harvesting, processing, brewing, and roasting specialty and eco-friendly coffees.

Two off-grid huts at Finca Destellos de Luz

Finca Destellos de Luz in Aguas Buena (Utuado), owned by Evelyn Ortiz and Max Perez, is better known as the Permaculture Institute of Puerto Rico. Max led us on a tour to demonstrate the incredible planting of his farm, on the hillsides where he grows plantains and pineapple and in the areas around the buildings where one finds medicinal plants, flowers, herbs, and a fish pond (again for tilapia). There are two off-grid cabins to stay in with the most incredible views over a valley with a river below and a bath house with running water just steps away. There is also an on-grid cabin with its own bathroom and campsites on ground leveled for the purpose.

Marisol of Amasar demonstrating bread fruit

While not offering any lodging, we were fascinated to tour Amasar, an award-winning bread fruit flour factory in Jayuya. Breadfruit is considered a super food and grows throughout the Caribbean. Usually eaten as a fruit, the founders, a chemist and a biologist, were aware of its distinctive properties and realized they could mill it into a more stable flour to be used in baking (including a pancake/waffle mix). If you get to meet them, Marisol Villalobos and Jesus Martes are as enthusiastic as they are warm when recounting their business journey and their plans for the future of breadfruit.

If you are looking for some tasty local food, stop at the Buren Cafe in Arecibo on the way up to the farms. Owned by Casanos (Hacienda La Tradicion) and friends Jessika Tanner and her husband Mike, the cafe offers fresh pastries and sandwiches, along with coffee from Hacienda La Tradicion and honey from Jessika’s bees at Dulce Jibara.

Flowers beside the road in the mountains of Puerto Rico

Most vacations leave you with great memories, but few experiences are as deeply inspiring and perspective-shifting as stepping onto a farm, where culture and livelihood are intertwined. This trip was one of those moments, and I couldn’t wait to share it with the farm stay community.

A heartfelt thank you to our hosts for an unforgettable experience of Puerto Rican farm life—their generosity, resilience, and passion made this journey truly special.

Vidal and Lisandra, Hacienda La Guadeloupe

Jesus Suyas, Finca Las Puertas de San Pedro

Carlos talking about farm production, Hacienda La Tradicion

Max and Evelyn, Finca La Luz Permaculture Institute of PR

(Banner and farmers photo credit to: West Virginia University Extension. Thank you.)

Side note: The roads to these farms are narrow and winding, but the journey is as breathtaking as the destination, with lush greenery and stunning mountain views at every turn. Spanish is the primary language but all of these farmers spoke enough English for those of us who spoke no Spanish to get by. The best communication is over a meal anyway – no words necessary.

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More Farms Offering Farm Stays Identify as Regenerative. What Does That Mean?

Scottie Jones — Wed, 15 Jun 2022 18:28:08 +0000

What does it mean to be regenerative and why is this word popping up in everything from travel to lifestyles to farming?

Sheep seen from the sky at White Oak Pastures

Well, it seems we have started to acknowledge that we have lost something of value. Regenerative means “able to or tending to regenerate—to regrow or be renewed or restored, especially after being damaged or lost”.

As regards farming, U.S. agriculture took a trajectory in the 20th century toward commercialization, use of chemicals, and monoculture, with an eye towards efficient mass production of commodities. The long-term, detrimental effects on the land (and the people) were not measured or challenged.

The effects began to show up in the last quarter of the 20th century and, in some ag circles, incremental changes started to be made. Today, there are a growing number of family farms focused on regenerative practices as they renew, regrow, and restore the land and a new (old) food production model.

This is what we now know. Regenerative farming can:

Sequester carbon into the soil and help fight climate change
Improve the nutritional quality of veggies, fruits, and even meats & dairy
Create higher yields to grow more food on smaller areas
Create biodiverse, resilient landscapes
And so much more!

Chickens on pasture at The Blue Horn Farm

Which leads us to farm stays on regenerative farms. There are educational and developmental benefits of taking your child (or inner child!) to stay on a farm. What can you expect to see on regenerative farms?

Passionate Farmers!
Trees, cover crops, and biodiverse landscapes
Animals grazing in pastures rather than confined in one area
Innovative ways to work WITH nature rather than against it (actually closer to the farming methods of the native Americans and early settlers…we just think of it now as innovative because it was lost generations ago)

Because regenerative farms adapt to the natural systems of their location, each is special and unique, and there are many from which to choose! Experience the wide variety of ways these farmers work with nature to create abundant, nutrient-dense and world-saving foods. Ask questions. Learn about the natural world of which you are a part. Relax and eat well, knowing someone is paying attention.

Lauren Lovejoy of The Blue Horn Farm in Virginia, is so passionate about supporting grassroots farmers practicing regenerative agriculture, she started the website Regenerative Farmers of America. The site features a searchable map of regenerative farms all over the U.S., making it easy to support them at home and even on vacation.

In the end, spread the word. Regenerative farming is back!

Graphics courtesy of Regenerative Farmers of America

Greenhouse at Belle Meade Farm

Arial view of rotational grazing at The Blue Horn Farm

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Radically Traditional Farming at White Oak Pastures in Bluffton, GA

Scottie Jones — Thu, 18 Mar 2021 20:25:03 +0000

For five generations, the Harris family has been raising cattle on their farm in Bluffton, Georgia. Read our Q&A with the farmers at White Oak Pastures and learn the history behind their radically traditional farming!

Q: What is the history of your farm?

A: Captain James Edward Harris (Cavalry – CSA) founded our family farm soon after the Civil War. He and the sharecroppers who worked this land butchered a cow, several hogs, and a few chickens every Saturday. This was the staple food of the 100 or so people who lived on this farm during the late 1800’s.

In the early part of the 20th century, James’ son, Will Carter Harris, ran the place. During this time they butchered a cow, several hogs, and a few chickens every morning before sunup six days a week. The meat was loaded on a mule-drawn wagon and hauled three miles up a dirt road to the town of Bluffton. There it was delivered to four general stores, a hotel, and a boarding house. Later a commissary was built on our farm, which grew the business even further.

After World War II, Will Bell Harris ran the farm. It was during his watch that the traditional system of producing and distributing beef, lamb, and poultry eroded. Science introduced a bevy of new chemical tools to the farm, and the slaughtering process became more and more centralized and distant from our pastures. During the latter half of the 20th century, our farm only produced calves for the industrial beef production system that furnishes most of the food we eat in this country.

Our farm and family have now come full circle. Today, we raise 10 species of livestock. We process the animals on the farm, and market the beef, lamb, poultry, rabbits, eggs, vegetables, leather products, tallow goods, and pet chews directly to consumers who appreciate our artisan, small-batch products.

The transition started in 1995 when Will Harris III made the conscious decision to return to a production system that is better for the environment, for our animals, and for the people who eat these meats. He reinstituted the multi-species rotational grazing practices of his forefathers, and he built abattoirs on the farm to slaughter our animals. We are fiercely proud of our zero-waste radically traditional farming practices. We have been blessed with good hard work to do and the strength to do it.

Q: What brought you to offer a farm stay?

A: Consumers were interested in what we were doing. Inviting guests to our farm happened organically!

Q: What do you raise and produce on your farm?

A: Beef, Pork, Rabbit, Lamb, Goat, Geese, Guineas, Ducks, Turkeys and Chickens. We also raise pastured eggs and organic vegetables.

Q: What is the setting of your farm like? Tell us a little about the area you live in?

A: White Oak Pastures is located in rural SW Georgia. Bluffton has less than 100 people in our town. We manage about 4,000 acres.

Q: What can guests do during their farm stay, either on or off the property?

A: Guests like to tour the farm, fish and ride horses. We also offer educational workshops monthly. We have a couple of state parks in our area that guests like to visit.

Q: Tell us about your lodgings. Where do guests stay and what amenities do you offer?

A: We have 7 units that guests can lodge in. These range from small cabins nestled in the woods to a quaint house in historic Bluffton. Our Pond House sits on a 15-acre pond on a peninsula, complete with a boat dock and scenic views. You can enjoy the soft sounds of water and a South Georgia country evening from a screened-in porch, or watch the sunrise over nearby pastures across the water. With the Pond House’s countryside charm, along with modern amenities including AC/heat, this house is perfect for a getaway staycation.

Start planning your getaway to White Oak Pastures! Check out their listing here at Farm Stay USA to see all lodging options.

(Photos provided by White Oak Pastures)

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