FARM | Finca Pinguino

Our Farm

Finca Pinguino Yoga Farm is an eco-tropical paradise nestled in the coastal hills of Manabi, Ecuador. Filled with papaya trees, medicinal plants, learning and teaching opportunities, and smiling faces. Our farm and food forest is the perfect space to disconnect, reset, and ground yourself in nature.

As an important part of Ecuador’s dry tropical forest, Finca Pinguino is working tirelessly to protect, preserve and reforest this biodiverse region. The hard work and love we have weaved into our little paradise have allowed us to host educational community events, weekly potlucks with our volunteers and guests, yoga and meditation classes. Our home is open to all like-minded individuals who hope to embark on a sustainable future with us.

Aside from all the activities on the farm, we love to think of our farm as a starting point for change-makers. Our volunteers get to enter not only in their asana practice but also their karma yoga practice with intention and purpose. We hope that through engaging with nature our volunteers and guests can extend their yoga practice beyond just the physical into mindfulness that will guide them through life long after they leave our farm.

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Pinguino Team

Simon Bédard,

Co-Founder / Permaculture Designer Consultant / Farm Dad

Simon is passionately driven by the larger-than-life mission to which he and Soa set out when they moved here from their homeland Canada. He sees himself as a citizen of the world, living life with intention and purpose. He is passionate about learning and teaching on the subjects of biodiversity, wild edible plants, and soil. His beautiful chaotic mind is always mapping out the next project and is evidently so in the food forest. In addition to taking care of his two young daughters, Simon also takes care of all the volunteers like his own.

Yadira

Agroforester / Master Gardener / Plant Whisperer

With a university degree in ecotourism engineering, Yadira dedicates her craft to agroforestry in the dry tropical forest region in Ecuador. She does her rounds all over the farm every day, attending to the needs of all plants and trees. A true plant whisperer, she transforms the farm into a fertile food forest filled with edible plants and plant medicines. Additionally, she studies and researches new plants and educates others on biodiversity.

Omar

Assistant Project Manager / Farm Helper / Muscle

Patricio's right arm. Omar often starts his day with a few local-grown sweet bananas, then off he goes about all the heavy lifting projects around the farm with his bashful smile. Besides managing all the compost systems, Omar also masters the arts of the machete, he is the true Ecuadorian food forest warrior.

Nei

Creative Director / Remote Web Support / Nomadic Sorcerer

Nei is the brand developer of Finca Pinguino. She sees herself as a student of the world, and also a master of none. Her passion doesn't lie in one particular subject, but rather in learning itself. Nei is on a giveback journey, living a nomadic lifestyle while helping communities all around the world. She has been called many things, from a swiss army knife to a sorcerer, bug whisperer to a witch all with an endearing sentiment.

Soa Rajaona

Co-Founder / Yoga & School Teacher / Farm Mom

Soa is the farm yoga manager who oversees all yoga events and teachers. She is also the brain behind the operation of the farm. Besides the farm operation, she works full-time as an online school teacher in order to support the larger-than-life mission. Most important of all, Soa is the emotional support to all beings on the farm, and she does it with tremendous passion with that signature big smile of her every single day.

Patricio

Farm Project Manager / Cacao Business Owner / Bamboo Artist

Apart from being one of the pillars of the farm since day one when the 2016 earthquake struck, Patricio manages all of the big picture farm projects. With his bright cheerful yellow farm boots, Patricio goes about his workday planting trees, doing erosion control, building water systems, and constructing almost anything out of bamboo. An everyday man with extraordinary skills.

Rocio

Operation Manager / Community Liaison / Farm Aunt

Rocio instigates the intercommunity agroforestry tourism and manages a local product shop, which Finca Pinguino proudly hosts on the farm occasionally. Apart from being a business owner, Rocio takes care of all the behind-the-scene needs and helps the family with never-ending chores with love and grace.

Mira

Communication Manager / Journalist / Yellow Crocs Lover

Mira manages most of the farm's external communication and promotes farm products through various social media and other online platforms. With the adorable dimples accompanying her sweet smile, Mira makes a great first impression on our guests and volunteers when they first come in contact with the farm. Even though she is away from the farm at the moment, her dedication to all things she does is much admired by everyone around the Finca.

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