At Mayani Farms, we’ve been practicing sustainable, eco-organic farming in the mountains of Puerto Rico for 15 years. Our mission is simple: to grow food and trees in harmony with nature while helping others build thriving, resilient farms and homesteads. It’s from this foundation we created our one-day, two-day and week long workshops.
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In 2007, after two decades in the corporate world, we found ourselves craving something different. The pressure and grind had taken a toll—on our health, our spirits, and our connection to nature. In 2008, we took a leap of faith, left it all behind, and moved to Puerto Rico.
By 2009, we were on our farm in Utuado, where we discovered our true passion: sustainable agriculture. When we bought the land, it had 8,000 GMO coffee trees. We ripped them out and started from scratch—no formal training, just a desire to work with the land, not against it. We hired a consultant, read every book we could find, and learned by doing.
First came the chickens. Then the goats. Eventually, fruit trees and bamboo. We learned how to build soil, prune for productivity, propagate new trees, and time our planting by the moon. We named our finca Mayani Farms, after one of our “starter goats.” Today, it’s home to over 100 mature fruit trees, dozens of bamboo varieties, and a growing community of people—like you—who want something deeper.
We didn’t grow up farming. We didn’t inherit land or knowledge. We just knew we wanted something more real, more grounded, and more in alignment with the Earth. Now, after 15+ years of mistakes, wins, and dirt under our fingernails, we’re opening up our farm to share what we’ve learned—so you don’t have to figure it all out the hard way.
In this 7-day course, we’ll guide you through:
Paul will lead the instruction out in the field, guiding you through the hands-on work. Sarah will be behind the scenes preparing your welcome pack, daily binder pages, and nourishing food and support along the way.
This isn’t a retreat.
It’s a reset. Come get real with us. And make sure to wear clothes you won’t mind sweating in and getting dirty in. It’s best to wear hiking boots or botas de goma.
We’re Sarah and Paul Ratliff, co-founders of Mayani Farms. In 2008, we left behind corporate life in Southern California and set out to build something radically different—something real. We bought a 15-acre coffee farm in the mountains of Utuado, Puerto Rico, not knowing it had been saturated with pesticides, herbicides, and synthetic fertilizer for decades.
What followed was a 15-year journey of regeneration. We replaced extractive practices with living systems—planting tropical fruit trees, introducing goats, chickens, ducks, and sustainable bamboo, and rebuilding the soil with compost, manure, and moon-based planting rhythms. We’ve made mistakes, learned from the land, and turned our homestead into a thriving, closed-loop ecosystem.
Today, we help others do the same. As sustainability consultants, we guide individuals, families, and intentional communities in designing edible, resilient landscapes—whether you’re starting with raw land or reclaiming a tired property. We specialize in tropical food forests, erosion control, bamboo integration, animal systems, and planting by nature’s cycles.
If you’re ready to reconnect with your land and live more sustainably, we’re here to help you grow—intentionally.
Theme: Orientation, goals, ethics, and your “why”
Lunch: 12:30 – 1:30
Theme: Grounding your system
Lunch: 12:30 – 1:30
Theme: Animal impact, fertility, and rotation
Lunch: 12:30 – 1:30
Theme: Long-term abundance & care
Lunch: 12:30 – 1:30
Theme: Animal impact, fertility, and rotation
Lunch: 12:30 – 1:30
Theme: Connecting the dots + personal project
Morning:
Lunch: 12:30 – 1:30
Afternoon:
Theme: Integration + Departure
Morning:
Snack break at 10:15
Lunch: 12:30 – 1:30
Afternoon:
