Rancho Spa-Statal: Finding Balance and Pleasure in a Life on the Farm
By Abbey Cmiel, apprentice 2021
Over the last few weeks, we’ve coined the term “Rancho Spa-statal” for any time we find a beauty hack while working on the farm.
The phrase is a bit of an oxymoron, as the Rancho team has a reputation of being the “hard-working, sports-playing,” hippie type. A day here can be very physically demanding: cutting bamboo, hauling bananas, and moving piles of sand and clay. I have learned that building a community and living in alignment with the Earth require sweat and persistence. But the Ranch has also taught me that finding healthy ways to relax and have fun is equally important for finding balance. If a community is going to last, you have to find ways to laugh and spark joy in any situation.
Forever looking for ways to “stack functions”, here are some of our top tips and tricks for turning any activity into a spa day.
The Cob and Daub Pedicure
Every Monday and Thursday, the apprentices have Natural Building work parties where they learn about Wattle and Daub, Cob, Adobe, and Bamboo building skills. These days consist primarily of sifting clay, hauling materials, tamping down gravel, laying bricks, learning to plaster and work with natural materials, and, most excitingly, mixing up earthen mixes with our feet.
Making these mixes resembles a combination between jumping on a moon-bounce and doing “the twist” as we dance around each other on a spread out tarp. There’s no better feeling than squishing clay between your toes, and I’d be willing to bet the health benefits are multi-fold.
Unlike modern construction techniques, building with locally sourced materials such as clay, sand and straw ensure your spa day, and your life in general, will have far fewer toxins. One part clay, one part sand, one part straw: the most effective way to buff your heels and leave your nails shining in no time.
You can read more about natural building at Rancho HERE.
Stompin that earth mix
Bananager’s Conditioner
Each month, we apprentices rotate “Community Contribution Skills” (aka chores) which help keep the Ranch running smoothly. For my first month and a half, I served as the highly esteemed “bananger”, which includes the rigorous task of making sure the immense bunches of bananas are consumed. Sometimes, even after banana smoothies, beer, bread, and dried snacks are made, a surplus remains- and that is when we get creative.
Learn some interesting banana facts from Moanna’s blog 10 Things You Didn’t Know About the Banana
Consti brings in a mega harvest of bananas
Ali, a member of the Core Team and Spa-statal Extraordinaire, invented this banana deep-conditioning treatment for guaranteed more shiny, luxurious hair, with no chemicals or waste involved.
Banana Hair Mask Recipe:
4 bananas
1 egg
½ cup of dairy kefir (learn how to make your own probiotic dairy kefir here)
A splash of vinegar (for bonus banana points, learn how to make banana vinegar here)
Blend until nice and smooth and lather in your hair (hair should be wet). Leave the conditioner in for about 30 minutes and while you’re at it, consider reading your favorite permaculture book (here are a few of our recommendations) or putting on a natural face mask (continue reading!)
SCOBY Facemask
Wednesdays at the Ranch are all things food preparation. We’ve learned about the importance of eating a diverse diet of fresh and fermented fruits and vegetables for maintaining healthy gut flora and work with many cultures of microbiota to preserve our food. Our gut microbiomes twirl with delight as they see us preparing kimchi, sauerkraut, pickles, natural beers, water kefir sodas, vinegar, and more. These fermentations often produce an abundance of SCOBYs (Symbiotic Colonies of Bacteria and Yeast), otherwise known as “mothers” or “that-thick-alien-looking-layer-on-top-of-your-kombucha”). Turns out, those cultures also have detoxifying and toning properties to make your face glow.
You can find a recipe for homemade vinegar HERE and when your SCOBY outgrows its container, you can try it out as a face mask. Peel off a few of the oldest layers while brewing a new batch, sit back, relax, and plop it on your face. The vinegar can be a bit intense on sensitive skin, so be sure to test on your arm first and leave the SCOBY on your face for no more than 10 minutes.
While you’re at it, grab a glass of your homemade hooch or balm (recipes found HERE) and enjoy.
SCOBY facemask
Rancho Spastatal: A way of life
For anyone interested in living in or creating a community, do not underestimate the importance of self care. Taking moments to relax, play, and be silly allows everyone involved to show up for the most challenging conversations, decisions, or work days. When we invest in our individual and collective health, we are also more able to care for the environment around us and for one another. So find your version of Rancho Spa-statal wherever you call home and use the ingredients you find in abundance to turn the mundane into the magical.