Native San Jose resident Stephanie Rocha moved to bucolic San Martin in February 2018 to pursue her childhood dream of owning a farm. The dream began a few decades earlier when, as a little girl, Stephanie leaped with her friends from one heaping dirt pile to the next behind an old rustic barn tucked in the east hills of San Jose. Horses grazed in the distance. It was quiet. Open. Fresh. Everything about the setting felt right. Smelled right. A feeling of pure joy overcame her. This was her essence, and where she wanted to be.
That feeling of pure joy would repeat itself on various occasions throughout her life. The common thread was always the farm. Today, the dream has manifested into The Nest Box, where the peaceful country setting and Stephanie's love for animals and gardening intersect.
Born and raised in Oakland, Sara Palomino was raised in a vibrant Mexican American household with her parents, two siblings, and large extended family. Although living in the middle of urban America, her family home was filled with plants, including an extensive herb garden which her mother cultivated with great love and affection. Growing up, Sara enjoyed helping her mother in the garden and spent many afternoons watching her mother do what looked like magic - turning their garden in a variety of herbal concoctions. Her mother loved to experiment with old herbal remedies passed down through the generations meant to heal things like joint pain, insomnia, or the common cold.
Like her mother, Sara, loves to be around nature and has a passion for experimenting with all the ways that the earth nourishes and heals the body and mind. With 20 plus years in the healthcare industry, and training in Reiki energy healing, Sara is grateful to have found The Nest Box, a place where she feels grounded and is free to return to her love for animals and herbs. Sara found herself inspired by all the ways the farm can be a source of healing, the way her mother’s garden was. She hopes that one day she can live her bliss full-time on the farm.