Saludos! I’m Maria, the mother half of the mother-daughter duo of Finca Nueva Creacion. My daughter, Nicole, and I are starting a regenerative farm (finca) on 13 acres in Humacao, Puerto Rico.
How did you come to be here?
Since I’m not fluent in Spanish, people ask me how I got here. It’s a long story that I’m going to try to condense. I was born in the states and adopted as a newborn by my mom and dad who suffered with infertility and miscarriages. I’m so thankful that they chose to open their hearts and adopt me. However, like many adoptees, I was always curious about my biological background.
When I was in my 30s, I discovered that my bio-mom was Puerto Rican. I didn’t even know exactly where Puerto Rico was located or anything about it. In 2008, I was able to travel to Puerto Rico for the first time. It’s hard to describe what I felt. I felt like I had returned home after many years away, but to a place I had never been. After that trip, I knew one day I would live here. My dream was 5 acres on a hill with a regenerative farm and lots of fruit trees.
A Divine Detour
Then, in 2019, Pedro and I had the opportunity to buy a multi-unit, commercial short-term rental property on the island of Culebra, Puerto Rico. We closed on that property in December 2019. Yep, a few months before the world shut down. I was teaching school in Texas when we traveled to Culebra in March 2020 on my spring break to take inventory and schedule some repairs. The next few years are a blur and kind of surreal.
Culebra has beautiful beaches and nice snorkeling. Nevertheless, owning and running a vacation rental business was never part of my dream. We kind of stumbled upon it. After major remodeling of all 5 units, starting the business from scratch, and teaching school in Culebra, I was ready for my regenerative farm. We located a beautiful parcel of raw land on a hill (God gave me 13 acres instead of 5), and I knew I was finally home. So we sold the property in Culebra and purchased the land and a really rough HUD repo house a few miles away.
I am so thankful for my time in Culebra. I learned a lot about myself, taught some amazing kids, and learned to appreciate what I have. Living in Culebra first makes the challenges of living in Humacao seem very minor. For example, it no longer takes me 12 hours to make a trip to a couple of stores.
My Regenerative Farm Vision
I envision the regenerative farm of Finca Nueva Creacion as a healthy place of peace and beauty. My dream is to grow and nurture a beautiful environment where healthy food grows out of healthy soil alongside healthy animals managed by healthy people. I also want to be a part of inspiring and empowering others to take chances on their dreams. I have been blessed and I hope to be able to bless others.