Mornings begin quietly on a small communal farm called OtraCosa in Caguas, Puerto Rico. Steep mountains delay the sunrise, providing an extra hour of peace before the day begins. There’s coffee and conversation, then work: tending farm animals, planting, building and repairing structures, foraging and harvesting. Fresh herbs, such as culantro, and field peas, such as gandules, are collected for the communal kitchen, where resident chef Verónica Quiles Maldonado works wonders. The effort required to support themselves from the land is substantial—they live off the grid, using solar power and collecting rainwater—but the farm residents remain deeply connected to the broader needs of their island home.
Tara Rodríguez Besosa started the farm OtraCosa to provide for the members of their queer chosen family.Mara Corsino
Rodríguez Besosa’s forward-thinking work began in 2010 when they co-founded El Depa as a CSA collective that connected local farmers to those wishing to support them. Slowly, it evolved into a restaurant and local produce market, and, in 2019, into a nonprofit that supports local farmers with resources and education.
The collective house at OtraCosa.Mara Corsino
Tara Rodríguez Besosa sits in front of the collective house at OtraCosa. Chef Verónica Quiles Maldonado sits in the background.Mara Corsino
Today, a small team of volunteers and staff at El Depa are working to weather that storm. They distribute heirloom seeds free of charge, loan out farm equipment, share farming skills and hold workshops. Their vision is to support a resilient, decentralized network of small-scale farms that can supply the island’s residents with an array of nutritious, sustainable foods, even in the most challenging times. To Rodríguez Besosa, the future looks like “many crops, many colors and nutrients, from different small-scale projects, grown from seeds given to us with stories from our ancestors.”
Seed saving and distribution is critical to this vision. “There is no food sovereignty without seed sovereignty,” says Rodríguez Besosa. “After Hurricane Maria, when many farmers lost most if not all of their crops and trees, seeds became essential for rebuilding our food system. They also carry knowledge: as seeds are being shared, planted and saved, so is our culture of these crops.”
Chef Verónica Quiles Maldonado relies almost entirely on ingredients grown and foraged on the island. Even the salt used is local—it comes from the Cabo Rojo salt flats in southwest Puerto Rico.Chef Verónica Quiles Maldonado relies almost entirely on ingredients grown and foraged on the island. Even the salt used is local—it comes from the Cabo Rojo salt flats in southwest Puerto Rico.PHOTO: Mara CorsinoPHOTO: Mara Corsino
Chef Verónica Quiles Maldonado relies almost entirely on ingredients grown and foraged on the island. Even the salt used is local—it comes from the Cabo Rojo salt flats in southwest Puerto Rico.
Chef Verónica Quiles Maldonado relies almost entirely on ingredients grown and foraged on the island. Even the salt used is local—it comes from the Cabo Rojo salt flats in southwest Puerto Rico.PHOTO: Mara CorsinoPHOTO: Mara Corsino
“No project is too small. But some are too big,” says Rodríguez Besosa, explaining that this is one of the collective’s core values. “We are not trying to feed a whole island. We’re trying to support the island to feed itself.”
Key Ingredients in the OtraCosa Kitchen
Mara Corsino
Aji dulce (Capsicum chinense)These small peppers resemble habaneros but are sweet, not hot. They grow well in Puerto Rico’s climate and are used in many dishes.2. Amaranth (celosia)Is a leafy plant that is cultivated for both its leaves and seeds. You can use the leaves as you would spinach, while the protein-packed seeds are often sold dried and can be cooked and prepared as a grain.3. Caribbean pumpkin (calabaza taina dorada)This squash variety grows well in tropical climates. It has a sweet taste similar to butternut squash and is often used in soups and stews.4. Culantro (recao)Is a leafy green herb with an intense flavor similar to cilantro. It is a key ingredient in sofrito, a blend of aromatics that forms the base of many dishes in Puerto Rico.5. Fresh pigeon peas (gandules verdes)Are a staple in Puerto Rico, when they are often cooked with rice or stewed. The small, round legume is similar in size to an English pea.6. PapayaThis large tropical fruit can be eaten in both its unripe and ripe state. Unripe papaya, called green papaya, has a mild flavor and a denser flesh that can be sliced or shredded.7. Malanga & yautia rootsAre starchy root vegetables similar to potatoes but with an even starchier texture and a nutty taste. They can be roasted, boiled, fried or steamed. Both must be cook before eating.Recipes to Try01of 05Asopao de Gandules (Pigeon Pea Stew)Jenny HuangView Recipe02of 05Guanimes con Berenjena Guisada (Guanimes with Stewed Eggplant)Jenny HuangView Recipe03of 05Ensalada de la Huerta con Vinagreta de Guayaba (Harvest Salad with Guava Vinaigrette)Jenny HuangView Recipe04of 05Sopa de Calabaza Rostizada (Roasted Pumpkin Soup)Jenny HuangView Recipe05of 05Raíces Isleñas con Pesto de Cilantrillo y Aguacate (Island Roots with Cilantro Pesto & Avocado)Jenny HuangView RecipeVON DIAZis a writer, documentary producer and author ofCoconuts & Collards: Recipes and Stories from Puerto Rico to the Deep South. Born in Puerto Rico and raised in Atlanta, she focuses on food, culture and identity in her work. She teaches Food Studies at UNC-Chapel Hill and her forthcoming book explores the foodways of islands around the globe.Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!Tell us why!OtherSubmit
Aji dulce (Capsicum chinense)These small peppers resemble habaneros but are sweet, not hot. They grow well in Puerto Rico’s climate and are used in many dishes.2. Amaranth (celosia)Is a leafy plant that is cultivated for both its leaves and seeds. You can use the leaves as you would spinach, while the protein-packed seeds are often sold dried and can be cooked and prepared as a grain.3. Caribbean pumpkin (calabaza taina dorada)This squash variety grows well in tropical climates. It has a sweet taste similar to butternut squash and is often used in soups and stews.4. Culantro (recao)Is a leafy green herb with an intense flavor similar to cilantro. It is a key ingredient in sofrito, a blend of aromatics that forms the base of many dishes in Puerto Rico.5. Fresh pigeon peas (gandules verdes)Are a staple in Puerto Rico, when they are often cooked with rice or stewed. The small, round legume is similar in size to an English pea.6. PapayaThis large tropical fruit can be eaten in both its unripe and ripe state. Unripe papaya, called green papaya, has a mild flavor and a denser flesh that can be sliced or shredded.7. Malanga & yautia rootsAre starchy root vegetables similar to potatoes but with an even starchier texture and a nutty taste. They can be roasted, boiled, fried or steamed. Both must be cook before eating.Recipes to Try
Recipes to Try
01of 05Asopao de Gandules (Pigeon Pea Stew)Jenny HuangView Recipe02of 05Guanimes con Berenjena Guisada (Guanimes with Stewed Eggplant)Jenny HuangView Recipe03of 05Ensalada de la Huerta con Vinagreta de Guayaba (Harvest Salad with Guava Vinaigrette)Jenny HuangView Recipe04of 05Sopa de Calabaza Rostizada (Roasted Pumpkin Soup)Jenny HuangView Recipe05of 05Raíces Isleñas con Pesto de Cilantrillo y Aguacate (Island Roots with Cilantro Pesto & Avocado)Jenny HuangView Recipe
01of 05Asopao de Gandules (Pigeon Pea Stew)Jenny HuangView Recipe
01of 05
Asopao de Gandules (Pigeon Pea Stew)
Jenny Huang
View Recipe
02of 05Guanimes con Berenjena Guisada (Guanimes with Stewed Eggplant)Jenny HuangView Recipe
02of 05
Guanimes con Berenjena Guisada (Guanimes with Stewed Eggplant)
03of 05Ensalada de la Huerta con Vinagreta de Guayaba (Harvest Salad with Guava Vinaigrette)Jenny HuangView Recipe
03of 05
Ensalada de la Huerta con Vinagreta de Guayaba (Harvest Salad with Guava Vinaigrette)
04of 05Sopa de Calabaza Rostizada (Roasted Pumpkin Soup)Jenny HuangView Recipe
04of 05
Sopa de Calabaza Rostizada (Roasted Pumpkin Soup)
05of 05Raíces Isleñas con Pesto de Cilantrillo y Aguacate (Island Roots with Cilantro Pesto & Avocado)Jenny HuangView Recipe
05of 05
Raíces Isleñas con Pesto de Cilantrillo y Aguacate (Island Roots with Cilantro Pesto & Avocado)
VON DIAZis a writer, documentary producer and author ofCoconuts & Collards: Recipes and Stories from Puerto Rico to the Deep South. Born in Puerto Rico and raised in Atlanta, she focuses on food, culture and identity in her work. She teaches Food Studies at UNC-Chapel Hill and her forthcoming book explores the foodways of islands around the globe.
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!Tell us why!OtherSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Tell us why!OtherSubmit
Tell us why!
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