If you’re looking for a true farm-to-table experience, Lisa’s is the place! She grows a variety of fruits and vegetables, from passion fruit to yams, that you will see somewhere in the three meals provided per day. The vast majority of the food is vegan (aside from a few special cheese occasions here and there). Breakfast is typically a cold bar
… read more with soy milk and seeds and nuts, whereas lunch and dinner feature a variety of Lisa’s creations that often include a salad starter and a base (rice, breadfruit, or quinoa) with a mix of roasted vegetables from the farm, such as sweet peppers and plantains. If you’re not already vegetarian or vegan, I advise limiting your animal product consumption before you arrive so you do not experience any cravings or buy a bunch of processed snacks that Lisa will tell you are essentially poison. Similarly, if you are a person who craves salt, ease back before arriving so your body is prepared for less salt than in traditional Western foods.
As for the work, it is hard just like everyone else says; however, the long lunch break allows for adequate rest between the morning and evening shifts. You will learn how to do a variety of planting, harvesting, and deweeding. While there, I planted small seeds like tomato and larger seeds like yautia, which is a tropical root vegetable. If you’re lucky, you might be able to harvest pineapple and other fruits that you twist or pull right off the mother plant, and other root vegetables that require careful digging and extraction. Lastly, deweeding is an important part of farm maintenance that you will do by hand, with manual tools, and motor string trimmers. You may also do the more physically demanding work of making a bed with a hoe if needed.
As for the accommodation, you live in Lisa’s house with the other volunteers (two volunteers per bedroom, with a maximum of 4 volunteers total across the two rooms). You share a bathroom, which is plenty large and has enough storage space and all the necessities to keep it clean. There is also adequate closet space. The beds are twin-size and comfortable, but it is wise to bring earplugs if you are sensitive to sound, as the night in Puerto Rico is full of crickets, frogs, the neighbors’ roosters, and other neighborhood dogs. By and large, my favorite part about the house was watching the sunrise over the green hills before breakfast on the porch. Additionally, since you are living in Lisa’s house, you must abide by Lisa’s rules. She is very tidy and organized and has a set method for almost everything in the house. Remember to shut doors behind you and use the correct towel for drying the dishes. You will also help with household chores, such as doing the dishes after meals and helping put laundry up and take it down from the outdoor drying racks.
Lisa herself is a wonderful conversationalist and brings a lot of lived experience across cultures and languages to the table, literally! One of my favorite parts of the experience was sitting at the table and talking for hours after lunch and dinner. In addition, she is incredibly responsive when it comes to organizing arrival and departure from the farm. She is also a fantastic musician and jams out from time to time, inviting volunteers to join in on the music. She also occasionally provides rides to cool spots nearby for exploring the island and swimming, but if you’d like to do any additional traveling, you will have to rely on Uber, which can take a long time considering the farm is relatively remote. From my experience, it seemed Lisa prefers volunteers who will be happy to relax on the farm during the weekends. If you do choose to stick around the farm, she has plenty of books in both English and Spanish to keep you occupied.
Overall, I learned so much about the land and history of Puerto Rico and would recommend staying on Lisa’s farm if you’re passionate about sustainability, organic farming, and generally living green. Thank you so much, Lisa, for allowing me to be a part of the experience!