looking for small finca...

Jessica,

Depending what area you're looking at. Maybe that info will help narrow your help. Have you checked clasificadosonline? Also land in the island is measured in cuerdas. Another way is to ask the local people around the area you are interested. A lot of locals will sell by world of mouth instead of advertising. That's how we found our rental property last month.

50,000 to work with can get you a nice farm. Location is a big part of the search and what you plan to grow. Too much rain is not good for fruit trees and too little would involve water storage. The best way is to find the location you like, go to some of the local colmados and start asking around. Most farms are not listed but sold by word of mouth. Invite some folks to a beer or two at the local watering hole and you will have your foot in the door. Most grow standard crops but most local people know the land and what it is best for. I am growing crops that are not conventional and the land is perfect. The department of agriculture fiances small farms and they do have foreclosed properties.

Is this for yourself or for agriculture on a larger scale?  I am asking because there are programs for the latter. If you are interested in those links, let me know and I will hunt them down for you.

Thank you guys.  No not big just for self- sustaining. The ultimate goal is an eco bnb.

Hmm.  OK, I'm getting a better picture here, but it's still incomplete.  There are a handful of helpful folks on this forum, living in PR and keeping their hands dirty who doubtlessly can provide specific advice about specific crops.  I too am looking for a patch of land to cultivate.  I grew up on a farm, and look forward to some significant agriculture, though almost entirely for personal consumption. Raised beds for vegetables, vines and flowers, with a variety of fruit trees.  Plan to build on the lot, and will probably make rooms available as well.

Anyway, it strikes me that there are some as yet unanswered questions.  Others might identify more questions.

1) Does the land need a farmhouse, or can it be "raw land"?  It's not too tough to find 3 acres for $50K, as long as it is unimproved land.  Add a farmhouse, particularly one suitable as a B&B, and you'll likely need a good bit more.

2) What do you hope to grow?
      OR
Where do you want to be?
The issue here is climate changes, across the island and across elevations, will dramatically affect the average temperatures, soil conditions and average rainfall.  Where you are will make it easier to grow some crops and harder to grow others.  So, you might either choose a location based on what you want to grow, or choose what to grow based on your location.  Additionally, if you build on the land, you may want to build in such a way that you can increase the likelihood of successful crops.  A cistern for watering is an example.  Situating the house to provide structures for climbing vines, or shade to cool otherwise hot spots is another.

3) Is the B&B component a necessity?  The more "touristy" areas likely to make the B&B successful are also more likely to have higher prices per cuerda, if land is available at all.  Cheaper land is likely to be found off the beaten path, but this may make the B&B a riskier venture.  Or, for instance, if you are not looking for something close to a beach, you might want to consider a place along La Ruta Panoramica.

Lastly, while you mention clasificados as a source for listings, there are at least two others that you might consult.  The first is Point2Homes.  Fewer listings there, but worth a look.  I'd also recommend that you look at bank foreclosures.  Most of the island banks that you could name off the top of your head have websites listing their properties.

Yes and yes. No home just land planning on building. And rt66 I have been looking into as well. Thank you I will check out point2point again.

An off the beaten path location may say Eco better as it would be back to nature and away from noise and light polution, there is risk but you can not put an eco b&b in Santurce souranded by all the concrete. Off the beaten path is the way to go in my opinion and also cheaper. You may get lucky and find it for 10K an acre. My brother has 8 acres and his sisters in law have like 10 each, but they don't want to sell, it is in Las Piedras next to a Milk farm and some sugar cane growers, very pretty area behind the south west of EL Yunque.
But they wont sell not even to me, before his father in law died, the farm was like 100 acres, they are just sitting there and rented to the milk farm for their cows to grace.

Here is an article that may interest would be farmers. http://flip.it/NMOHx3

Rey, Thanks for sharing this article.

Carlos told me there are 18 cuerdas (.93 acres each)  in Naguabo, for about 4,200 each (asking, you can offer less). Sell later extra land or setup other businesses on that land. Maybe get a loan if more than you can afford or get together with a partner for the rest of the money.  Rent the extra land to other farmers. Build eco homes to rent, build one or two at a time, take profits and build more eco places.
Don't let it get away.

http://mayanifarms.com/representing-pue … ccurately/
This is more what I am into. This move here was not to be done in 10 years with a profit.

While I agree with some of the article, maybe I am stupid, but to me sustainable does not necessarily mean free of chemicals or pesticides. The author seems to go  toward being totally disgusted with the practices. While I understand you all want pure fruits and vegetables without any of those poisons, that type of agriculture is being practiced in the states and many countries and represent (number out of the air) 90% of what is cultured around the world.

Maybe she just has a very strong opinion, but she turned me off as she was criticizing the previous article as false or misrepresenting the facts. The original article never said organic was alive and well and richly practiced throat the island.

I get it, just did not liked the tone.

While it is true that large corporations in the US and the world are driven by greed (example the drug companies and their bloated prices), a lot of small farmers are driven by necessity. Their farms will go under and they will loose their farm and family would be homeless unless they can compete. If that means poisons in our food supply, that is what they have to do a lot of times.

I would love to have organically grown products and well treated animals, but I will not buy a tv for my chickens or instruct them on the dangers of being promiscuous or provide them with massages. They exist because I want them as food not as pets or family members.

The yields of organic farms tends to be much lower which means more effort and more land is needed to produce sufficient to stay in business and products are produced at a higher cost. If one can do it, more power to them!!!!!!!!

But to disdain the effort of other farmers just because they do what they need to do to survive in my personal opinion is wrong.

Not everyone is able to buy organic products, just like not everyone can afford a Ferrari, in PR and many other places, people are aware of the danger of all the poisons and GMO, but can not afford to feed their family unless they buy the offending products.

My hat to those that can raise organic food with no GMOs and sell it at a price that the population can afford.

This is exactly what we are dreaming of doing too!

Thanks Rey,
catching up on here just now, I had to go to Philadelphia.
first I agree with your replies to the article I posted. second who is Carlos? and how can I contact him?

Also I wanted to thank you for all the information you have posted. I have found it to extremely helpful on my journey. keep it up.

jess

Glad I was able to help. Carlos, also known by some as "Good Carlos" is a Buyer agent, I pm you his phone. Let him know what you are looking for.

Anyone interested in purchasing agricultural property on the western side of PR should talk to a guy named Sadhu.

He helped me immensely in finding the small 5 acre farm I am in process of acquiring. I drove from Bayamon to Mayaguez about 5-6 times, and climbed up and down several possibilities, but in the end he found me the perfect one.

He knows about what makes good farmland and has a nursery in Mayaguez as well. An amazing place to visit. He has over 100 types of bamboo on the property, and hundreds of other exotics.

The process of dealing with banks down here has been painful.

Hi, Rey. Please PM me with Carlos's contact information also (xxx). Thank you.
Nan

I send it thru PM check for it. It is against the rules to post your email or phone in the public forum for your protection.

Thank you, Rey.