Since Paul and I moved to Puerto Rico in 2008, we have visited probably 70 of the 78 municipalities. We don’t particularly care for the metro area. We both grew up in cities and we aren’t into hustle and bustle. Yesterday we visited Maricao for the first time and OMG! More on Maricao in a minute. Since it’s been a long time since I have written a blog, I feel like I need to share our backstory first.
The view from our patio every morning.
How We Landed in Utuado
We prefer the mountains, and moreover, the interior of the island, where it’s more sparsely populated. Plus we love the coquĂ frog. While they’re loud in our country setting, they can’t compete with cars, sirens and such of city life.
We’ve lived on our farm since New Year’s Eve 2009, which is in the mountain town of Utuado. After moving to the farm, we divided and conquered. I made the money to fund the projects while Paul took care of the land and our ability to feed ourselves.
First we got some chickens, then bought lots of fruit trees, then sustainable bamboo and finally in 2012, we got some starter goats.
When Paul and I left behind our biotech careers in early 2008, in California, we weren’t exactly sure what we were running toward—only what we were leaving behind. The stress, long hours, and mounting health concerns had taken their toll. We knew we wanted a simpler, more meaningful life, and after some searching, we landed in Puerto Rico the following September.
We chose Utuado, in the mountainous heart of the island, for its rich soil, cooler climate, and potential for sustainable farming. We didn’t have a farming background, but we had drive, curiosity, the good fortune of meeting a local mentor who guided us as we learned the rhythms of the land and a ton of books on farming in the tropics. Since 2009, I have worked as a writer, editor and book publisher to make the money to fund this lifestyle.
Mayani Farms was born from that journey—our commitment to building a life in tune with nature. We’ve faced our share of challenges: language barriers, rural infrastructure, back-to-back deaths during labor of two goats with the same rare genetic disease, and the devastation of Hurricane Maria in 2017, which nearly wiped out all we had built. But we rebuilt—stronger and more focused than ever.
We’ve traded corporate perks for muddy boots, boardroom meetings for fruit tree grafting, and office deadlines for the steady pulse of nature. It hasn’t always been easy, but it’s been real, rooted, and rewarding. At one point, I had a content marketing agency that shuttered during the pandemic. We had to reinvent ourselves.
After 15 years of trial, error, and growth on our farm, we realized we had gained a depth of experience worth sharing. We’d learned what thrives in Puerto Rico’s microclimates, how hard work can make our trees and animals thrive, and how to build resilience in the face of storms, erosion, pests, and everything else Mother Earth has to offer. We talked with our mentor who agreed we were more than ready to share what we know with clients.
With a lot of marketing on social media, people started reaching out—mostly newcomers to the island—asking for help to design their own edible food forests that were both sustainable and beautiful. That’s how our consulting business began: organically, through community and need.
Through Mayani Farms, we now guide others in building sustainable systems of their own. Whether they’re starting a garden, planning a homestead, or simply trying to grow a few fruit trees the right way, we offer hands-on support rooted in experience, not ego. Indeed, we also sell seedlings of our unique fruit tree varieties, our sustainable bamboo and non-fruit bearing trees.
Mayani Farms Consulting is Born
Our consulting has taken us all over the island to meet very cool people, all with interesting backstories and lots of enthusiasm to do more to rid themselves of the dependence of the so-called food and health systems.
Yesterday we spent the day with a client in a town we’d never been to. My goodness was it beautiful: both the town and the farm
As we drove down the panoramic route from the client’s farm through the Maricao State Forest, I was struck by something.
Consulting with people who have never grown sustainably in the tropics is incredibly rewarding. We get to meet people who are full of wonder and excitement as they begin their journey. So far we’ve remained friends with all of our clients, so we get to see their journeys unfold and flourish.
Most people doing eco-organic growing (whether in an urbanization, living on one acre, more than one acre or living on a farm) are incredibly nice because they’ve learned to shed the ugliness that goes along with the material world.
And lastly, more often than not, we see some incredible properties, regardless of size. From the one-acre property of our first clients and (now) dear friends in Lares all the way to our newest client and friend in Maricao, we’ve been inspired by the beauty and uniqueness of all these properties and of the homes.
Yesterday’s client visit will not likely leave our memories for a long time. With two houses on the property, they’re the most unique houses we’ve seen on the island. They reminded us of everything we love about the South of France, Mexico and Puerto Rico combined.
Here’s a little about Maricao:
- Location: Situated in the western region of Puerto Rico, Maricao is part of the Cordillera Central mountain range.
- Founded: April 10, 1874.
- Area: Approximately 37.0 square miles (96.2 km²).
- Elevation: The town center sits at about 1,417 feet (432 meters) above sea level.
- Population: As of the 2020 Census, Maricao had a population of 4,455, making it the second least populous municipality in Puerto Rico.
- Population Density: Approximately 174.2 people per square mile (67.0/km²).
- Economy: Historically reliant on agriculture, particularly coffee plantations. The town is renowned for producing high-quality coffee.
- Climate: The area experiences a subtropical wet forest climate, with warm, humid summers and cooler, drier winters.
- Maricao is home to the State Forest (Bosque Estatal de Maricao): Established in 1919, this forest spans approximately 10,803 acres (43.7 km²) and is known for its biodiversity, including numerous endemic plant species.
No photos because that would be an invasion of privacy, and she’s not quite ready to show things off yet, but know we were mesmerized by the uniqueness of the property, the houses and the down-to-earth nature of the client. But I will share some photos of Maricao. 🙂
Reinventing Ourselves Later in Life
We are led to believe that while still in high school, we’re supposed to know exactly what we should do for the rest of our lives. I have lived many lifetimes in my young 58 years.
I went to school for journalism. And while I loved the writing aspects of it, I hated the environment once I got to radio and television. I went into marketing and ended my “career” in biotech in medical affairs, looking at health outcomes of their drugs (clearly, I couldn’t have done more of a 180-degree turn). I was so burnt out and stressed out in corporate that my doctor told me on my 42nd birthday that if I kept going the way I was going, I wouldn’t see my 45th birthday. I have been writing, editing and book publishing since 2009, initially to fund our projects, but I also love it, so long as I am working with clients who are nice to work with and don’t remind me of the stress of the corporate world.
But now, I have to say I finally, at 58 years old, have meaning to my life. Doing eco-organic farming and now consulting those who want to grow sustainably, the irony is that I am not much different today from who I was as a child. When someone would ask me at five, 10 or 15 years old what I wanted to do with myself, I always said the same, “not be in an office, confined to a chair but surrounded by nature.”
Today I am surrounded by nature and get to live vicariously through other people’s dreams, which provide inspiration for blogs like this one. I am thinking of making it a series.