Yabucoa Permacultura (Finca La Familia)

Desde 2020 tengo un proyecto de permacultura en las montañas del Sec. Jagüeyes, Bo. Aguacate, Yabucoa (Puerto Rico). [Since 2020 I run a permaculture project in Puerto Rico.] Trato de crear un bosque de alimentos sintrópico. [I try to grow a syntropic food forest.]

Con la ayuda de voluntarios sembré más de 100 diferentes plantas en un terreno de más de una cuerda (4,000+ m2). [With the help of volunteers I have planted more than 100 different plants on roughly one and a half acres of hillside land.]

Aplica para ayudar/Apply to volunteer: WorkAway | WorldPackers | WWOOF USA | Contacto directo

Desde 2025 formamos parte de la Brigada Autónoma Azucarera (colaboración entre varias fincas en el área). [Since 2025 we are part of the Brigada Autónoma Azucarera, a colaboration between small local farms.]

Aquí unas impresiones del campo y de la comida. / Some images from the farm and the food.

Para REGLAS DE LA CASA favor de continuar abajo. [For HOUSE RULES scroll down.]

HOUSE RULES (as listed under WorkAway/Worldpackers, also applicable for WWOOFers):

• All meals are taken together, even if you don’t want to eat, as we have conversations and plan our day/week during meals.
  – Breakfast around 6:30am in Summer, so we can be out by 7am, around 7am in Winter, so we can be out by 7:30am
  – Lunch around 12:30md
  – Dinner around 6:30pm
  No phones during meals.
• The requested min. 25-30 hours per week are broken up into a morning shift of 3 to 4 hours, and an afternoon shift of 2 to 3 hours, in order to avoid the hottest hours between 11am and 3pm. Nature knows no weekends or holidays, but we normally take a break on weekends, and might go a bit easy on a holiday. I appreciate if you show flexibility with the days and hours, as we have to respond to weather, crop, and emergencies.
• While we often work together in the fields I appreciate volunteers who don’t mind being out alone and taking care of a section of a farm by themselves. The farm is a place of work and appreciation of nature and it’s sounds. The chatting takes place at the meal table, for music use earplugs.
• Gender equal household: Everybody cleans, washes clothes and dishes, helps according to their abilities. Same goes for field work.
• 100% drug and smoke free environment. No alcohol, except when provided by host on special occasions.
• Three (3) simple plant-based whole food meals are provided. When host is absent, volunteers cook.
• If you want to bring snacks you must keep in mind that there is no refridgerator space for volunteers. Absolutely no food, snacks or sweets in the bedrooms, as the ants will find it!
• Please keep your music and (phone) conversations low or find an outdoors spot for them. Bring your headphones, if you like to listen to music or watch movies on your laptops. Enjoy quietness and peace and nature’s sounds – especially when out in the fields.
• Bring your instrument for occasional jam sessions or to practice during off hours. Respect other people’s need for silence.
• Please don’t spend all off your free time in or on the bed as we don’t want it to get moldy. Humidity is an issue in the Caribbean. There are outdoors seating areas, a living room etc.
• Please be considerate of the ressources (water, electricity, gas, …). Turn off lights and fans when not in use, keep the gas flame low when boiling tea water, keep your showers short. We make sure the machine is well loaded before washing clothes. We wash early on sunny days so the clothes can dry in the sun.
• Respect the environment by avoiding bringing packages into the house that end up in the garbage. Composte organic material, don’t generate food waste.
• Use the proper tools for all tasks and keep them clean and stored after work. Same goes for shoes and gloves.
• Hang wet and damp stuff out in the sun before putting it in the hamper. Laundry hamper is for dry dirty farm clothes, room hampers for dry dirty non-farm clothes.
  
  Additional information:
• We are off the beaten tracks. No public transportation. Limited/expensive Uber/taxi (no guaranteed service).
• Weekends are for relaxing, mending gloves and clothes, washing, playing games, reading, peeling beans and split peas, hybiscus flowers etc. If you plan to leave the farm on the weekends inform me ahead of time.
• Whenever possible – realistically every third week – I will take you to see a natural reserve or another nearby attraction. The longer you stay, the more likely you’ll get to enjoy a little tour. But I suggest you take your Puerto Rican holiday before or after your farmstay.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR INTERNATIONAL VOLUNTEERS