About

Casa Portal is a on a 100 acres Maine homestead that we live on and care for, with a small flock of sheep on a working farm. We host and program private groups, retreats, farm-to-table food evenings, and simple farm stays for people who want to step away from their day-to-day and spend time on the land, together.

People come when something is shifting, or when they just need a few days that feel different from normal life. Days follow the rhythm of the farm—animals, meals, weather, the forest, gardens, and time outside. You settle in, and usually leave feeling a bit clearer and more steady than when you arrived.

community

A sprouting plant with green leaves against a white background.

Most people are missing time like this—unstructured, shared, and real.

Here, community forms through being together for a few days: cooking, eating, walking, sitting, talking. There’s space for people to show up as they are, without needing to perform or fit into anything.

Three women sitting on an orange blanket in a grassy outdoor area, with their backs facing the camera, showing their colorful and styled hair.

THE LAND

A simple illustration of a green sprout with two leaves emerging from the ground.
A scenic landscape of a green forest with various trees, a grassy pathway, and distant hills under a partly cloudy sky.

the land at Casa Portal Retreats is central to the experience.
set in Maine’s northern woods on private, working land, the property offers forests, fields, gardens, and the presence of animals — all of which support a slower pace and a sense of grounding. the land is not curated or themed. It is allowed to be what it is.

A scenic landscape with a grassy trail, surrounded by lush green trees and bushes, under a partly cloudy sky.
A peaceful river surrounded by lush green trees with their reflection visible in the water on a bright, sunny day.
A sheep jumping in the air on a grassy field with other sheep nearby.
Sunset over a field of tall grass and wildflowers with trees in the background and a partly cloudy sky.
A woman walking towards a small house on a lush green grassy field, carrying a basket, with trees and a blue sky in the background.
A field of pink and white flowers with yellow centers, some in focus and others blurred, during sunset or sunrise with a clear sky in the background.
Red and green tomatoes growing on a vine with green leaves and sunlight.
A man in casual clothing herding sheep and goats on a grassy field surrounded by trees and mountains.
Person holding a small bouquet of wildflowers including yellow, pink, and white flowers against a blurred outdoor background at sunset
Sunlit forest trail with lush green trees and grass on a clear day.
A woman wearing a black cap, blue plaid shirt, and jeans is feeding a flock of sheep on a grassy hillside in front of a house under construction. The woman is smiling and holding a bowl, while the sheep are gathered around her.
Three sheep grazing in a green field with trees and bushes in the background.
Aerial view of a lush green forest with a narrow dirt trail running through it, extending into the distance with rolling hills and a partly cloudy sky.

Featured In

Five people standing outdoors in a garden or park, engaged in conversation, with trees and a white fence in the background.

From Scratch. The Epic Way

Epic Gardening Renovation YouTube Series‍ ‍- Watch the Transformation of the Farm Space

A woman with long blonde hair, wearing a red baseball cap with a B emblem, white long sleeve shirt, and gray pants, is squatting on grass and looking at her phone. An older man with gray hair, beard, light-colored hat, wearing a dark jacket and jeans, stands nearby with his hands behind his back. They are outdoors in front of a barn with hay, surrounded by green grass and trees. Several sheep with woolly fur are lying on a white blanket on the grass in front of the woman.

Modern Farmer Article

On a Maine Farm, Regeneration Starts With the Sheep.

Year of the Female Farmer Spotlight

A scenic view of a winding river flowing through a lush green forest with mountains in the distance under a cloudy sky during sunset.

Down East Magazine Article

The origin of Silent Meditation in Maine at Rolling Meadows now Casa Portal

programming

Meet the facilitators whose work we are honored to host this season.
Our retreats are intentionally designed to bring small groups together for a few days of shared experience—on the land, around meals, and in real conversation—supported by thoughtful programming and teachers.

  • An older man with curly gray hair stands outdoors in a wooded area, wearing a white shirt.

    Surya-Chandra Das

    Surya is a meditation teacher with over 30 years of experience guiding silent retreats and contemplative practice. Founder of Rolling Meadows Retreats, his work draws from decades of training and long-term retreat practice across multiple traditions, offering silence as a relational, accessible, and deeply held experience.

  • A young boy with short brown hair, wearing a colorful plaid shirt, is hugging a large tree trunk outdoors and smiling at the camera.

    Tam Willey

    Tam Willey is an ANFT-certified forest therapy guide and founder of Toadstool Walks. Their work blends guided forest bathing, sensory awareness, and storytelling to help people slow down, listen deeply, and cultivate meaningful relationships with the natural world. Tam leads walks rooted in presence, curiosity, and care for the land.

  • A woman with short gray hair, glasses, and a blue scarf around her neck, smiling outdoors in front of a scenic landscape of a river, green hills, and mountains under a partly cloudy sky.

    Natalie Davis

    Natalie Davis is an intuitive coach and creative facilitator with a background in design and embodied creative practice. Her work invites people to reconnect with their creative instincts, inner rhythm, and sense of meaning through curiosity, presence, and hands-on exploration.

  • A woman with short brown hair and blue eyes wearing a white shirt sitting at a wooden table in a cozy room with sunlight streaming through the windows.

    Maura Ambrose

    Maura Ambrose’s work returns to the slower wisdom of traditional craft. Rooted in natural dyeing and fiber art practices passed down through generations, her teaching centers care for process, material awareness, and connection to place. Through workshops at her home studio and beyond, she offers a thoughtful balance of technique and creative exploration.

  • A woman with shoulder-length hair, smiling, sitting on grass next to a tree in a park or forest, wearing a dark lace top and jeans.

    michelle walker

    Michelle Walker guides participants in embodied awareness and subtle energy cultivation. Drawing from a background in counseling psychology and decades of contemplative and natural healing practice, she blends meditation, qigong, heart coherence, yoga, and The Energy Codes® to support self-regulation, freedom of expression and authentic presence. Her sessions invite a gentle return to inner alignment, vitality, and the wholeness that has always been here.

A woman with long blonde hair, wearing a gray and tan cap with a green and red logo, and a green and black checkered shirt, taking a selfie outdoors with a smiling expression.

Your Hosts

Melissa

Melissa is the steward of Casa Portal Retreats and the shepherd of its sheep. She is a traveler, a seeker, and — like many guests — a lifelong beginner.

Her own retreat journey began without a roadmap, and she continues to learn how to slow down, listen to the land, and follow what feels honest. A certified forest therapy guide, Melissa cares for Casa Portal Retreats as a retreat homestead — a place held with curiosity, care, and love, passed on from the previous owners.

She hopes to welcome you here wherever you are on your journey.
Her dog, Shari, will be here too.

your host
A man smiling at the camera while wearing a straw hat, white t-shirt with a small crown graphic and the word "DÔ" on it, and striped pants.

Pete is the chef at Casa Portal Retreats and Melissa’s life partner. He cooks intuitively, guided by the land, the season, and the people gathered at the table.

Hungarian by heritage, Pete learned to cook from his grandmother and through time on his grandparents’ farm. He has lived and cooked in India and Bali, shaping a quiet, nourishing approach to food rooted in patience and care. At Casa Portal Retreats, he tends the gardens and keeps bees, letting what is grown guide the kitchen.

Here, food is the heart of the home — a way people feel cared for, settle in, and share life together.

your chef

Pete

  • Casa Portal is a portal of peace. There are so many magical places in these meadows and mossy forests. From the ancient orchards to the fruit trees and vegetable garden, to the incredibly thoughtful touches of charm.

    —Tam - Forest Bathing Facilitator

  • What a haven of peace and joy! The grounds are stunning, the beds are comfy, the food (gasp!)... the operators have big hearts and create a welcoming vibe that feels that it is tapping into something really important.

    —LaManda - Guest

  • I felt very taken care of, nourished and slept so well. The food prepared was incredible, and everything was local and picked fresh. The grounds and trails are incredible.

    —Shari - Guest

  • I was so deeply energized by Casa Portal and its stewards, Melissa and Pete (and Shari dog of course)! Melissa makes you feel so comfortable, like maybe you’ve been to casa portal before.

    —Molly - Guest

Retreat with us! A weekend in analog. If you’re new here, Casa Portal is a farmstay retreat center in midcoast Maine. Each retreat is lead by someone different, artists, guides, teachers, all experienced facilitators we truely trust. All wi
We are featured in Modern Farmer this week, sharing more about the sheep, the farm, and how I somehow ended up a shepherdess. Read the article for full story and come out to a retreat to experience it for yourself. Link in bio! Our creative arts