The Wizard and The Prophet — A Book Review that Resolves the Duel

By 2022 apprentice Lucas Babinec

Imagine two completely opposed ways of seeing the world and today’s environmental issues. The first represents the Wizards and sees humans as large-scale problem solvers, able to create massive top-down fixes with cutting edge technology and innovations, perhaps outside the bounds of nature. The second features the Prophets and sees humans as needing to consume less, becoming more efficient, less wasteful, adhering to the biological limits all other species live within. These two paradigms became two of the most significant movements within environmentalism over the last 150 years and in The Wizard and The Prophet, Charles Mann dives deep into the lives of the two men who most embodied the two distinct views: William Vogt and Norman Borlaug. Mann also brings a magnifying glass up to their impact on initiatives to modern day dilemmas regarding food, water, energy, and climate change.

The book’s successes

The read was often captivating, really humanizing two prominent people who dedicated their lives to the environmental challenges we face as a species. I feel environmentalism can get quite unapproachable and unrelatable for the typical person. People talking about problems that are far away from one’s own backyard, not only physically, but timescale too (decades in the future). Mann impressively paints the story arc of the lives of these two men, weaving the philosophies and figures that influenced them smoothly into a cohesive narrative. Here’s some essential info about them:

William Vogt ~ aka the Prophet

·       Born in “pre-suburban” Long Island in 1902 and dealt with polio and serious family drama

·       Saw the degradation of the surrounding natural habitat during his early adulthood as a bird watching enthusiast

·       Headed to the guano islands off the coast of Peru in 1939; hired to conduct research about the birds there

·       Published The Road to Survival in 1948

·       National director of Planned Parenthood from 1951 until 1961

Norman Borlaug ~ aka the Wizard

·       Born in rural Iowa in 1914 and watched his family struggle to make ends meet year after year farming the land

·       Had ambitions to get out of his small town and studied forestry at the University of Minnesota

·       Researched wheat rust in Mexico beginning in 1944; new cultivars of disease resistant wheat discovered in the late 1950s

·       Methods applied to wheat in other countries plus rice and other staple crops throughout 1960s, “Green Revolution” coined in 1968

·       Won a Nobel prize in 1970

The way Mann structures the middle portion of the book into sections (food production, freshwater supply, energy usage, and climate change) is intuitive. To see the two different approaches directly applied to real life challenges made the whole premise of the book way more relevant.

Mann skillfully explains the process farmers use to create new breeds of a plant as well as the process of photosynthesis as it relates to attempts to create adaptations in new varieties of food plants. There are a couple of helpful graphics to accompany these detailed explanations too (pp140 & pp195).

In the water section it was fascinating to learn about mega-projects and the pitfalls that come up, like lack of funding, ecosystem degradation, and poor efficiency.

The stories in the energy section about the demise of oil boom towns and the machines of the initial solar power movement like the Pyrheliophoro, were particularly interesting.

In the climate change section Mann nimbly bounces between reforestation of deserts in Burkina Faso, a debris mountain named Fridgelandia in post-Katrina NOLA, the burning Jharia coal field, US senate testimonies about change in carbon dioxide levels, and much much more.

The deluge of information would be overwhelming if it weren’t for Mann’s deft ability to sow the threads in the overarching narrative.

Constructive criticisms

While being quite exhaustive in regard to history, the book’s breadth of scope looking at how the ideologies look in modern day solutions is disappointing. For example, the word ‘permaculture’ is not mentioned a single time in the book. One reason that alternative solutions are marginalized is because best-selling authors such as Charles Mann don’t devote awareness to them. Thousands of readers could have been exposed to key words such as permaculture, holistic management, or regenerative agriculture and are instead left to wonder if big technological fixes are our only way out. To his credit, Mann does say in the prologue that the book is not “a blueprint for tomorrow.” However, this contradicts the text on the cover flap that claims “The Wizard and The Prophet is essential reading on the future of our species.”

Another critique is the subtle sensationalization of opposition in the two views. Though they did have their differences, Vogt and Borlaug shared many similarities, most importantly being english speaking white men who grew up in the United States in the early 20th century. Both were immersed in the cultural soup of the times and it follows that they were subject to the same biases as anyone with close proximity to power. Vogt walked in the footsteps of racist elitist conservationists (pp81-82) and Borlaug was influenced by the heads of the big money groups who funded his projects (pp119-120). The inherited intellectual imperialism seeps out insidiously in both the Wizard and Prophet views portrayed in this book. A caption on a photo captures it perfectly:

 “According to its architect, Ralph Walker, the modernist IRRI [International Rice Research Institute — An institute based in the Philippines funded by the Rockefeller and Ford Foundations] campus, constructed entirely of imported materials, symbolized ‘a new type of imperialism’ of ‘specialized knowledge generously given to backwards peoples,’” (190).

The passages that compare the two ideologies are rift with divisive language such as: ‘hostilities’, ‘conflict’, and ‘radically different’. Mann even writes, “indeed, the dispute between Wizards and Prophets has, if anything, become more vehement” (7).

It’s 2022 and there’s enough tribalism and opposition going on, at least in my home country of the US. We don’t need another book that pits two groups against each other. Maybe that is what’s needed for some people to build awareness of our species’ ecological situation.

Personally, I would have been much more interested if Mann also focused a bit on the similarities between the two men and their philosophies and how we can integrate both approaches to find the best, most appropriate solutions.

In the end of the prologue Mann asserts that “I wrote this book to satisfy my own curiosity, and to see if I could learn something about the roads my children could take,” and I hope his curiosity has led him into researching more holistic, healing, and regenerative solutions (such as permaculture) in the next book he publishes.

The Bottom Line

The Wizard and The Prophet is exceptional as a history and at the same time, lacking as a source of knowledge for the future. If you want a detailed account of two major establishment approaches to environmental challenges, this is a book for you. If you are more interested in reading about holistic solutions to our global ecological crisis, seeking a source of inspiration, or want to read about ways of bridging different ways of thinking, I highly recommend these books:

All We Can Save

Braiding Sweetgrass

Climate: A New Story

Permaculture: A Designer’s Handbook

Check out these Past Blog Articles

Book Recommendations

Ranch Reading Recommendations

Permaculture Design & The Importance of Recreation and Team-Oriented Thinking

By 2022 Apprentice AJ Nolan

Playing volleyball down at the local field. All ages welcome!

Permaculture thinking moves us towards finding solutions that can serve multiple functions. This can be known as stacking functions with the goal to develop more “free time”.  Simply put and maybe more traditionally put, “killing two birds with one stone”.  How you spend that free time is something that really gets very little attention in the permaculture community and one that I am particularly interested in.  Once you begin to think about it, the way we spend our “free time” will define the sustainability of the entire system.  If we choose to pack in more projects and more tasks, in the short term we may benefit from our added productivity, but is this sustainable in the long term?  In this article I am going to talk about how we design our lives using permaculture based thinking to create sustainable patterns for not just our farm but for our lives.  Bill Mollinson once asked, “How can we maximize hammock time?”. Whilst I agree with the sentiment, I prefer to run around in my free time!

We aim to create balance between the needs of the farm (which has endless lists of projects that could be done) and the needs of us as individuals to relax, recreate, unwind and decompress.  The benefit of playing team sports together helps build team morale, a sense of togetherness and comradery that is vitally important to the fluid functioning of our community.

Think back to your childhood days. What were you spending most of your time doing? If you said playing video games, I can’t relate, but if you responded with getting dirty and running around outside, I recommend you keep reading.

The first day I arrived at the Ranch for my year-long apprenticeship, everyone was involved in a heated game of volleyball. I joined in and after brief introductions, I shared the field with myriad new faces, and we worked together toward a common goal for the next hour. I couldn’t have asked for a better initiation into Ranch life than that first volleyball game.

As a child, playing outside is instinctive and it’s how we begin to understand the physics of the natural world. In school there are scheduled times to play outside. Where I’m from, it’s called recess. When I was growing up, we were given three different times throughout the day to release our pent-up energy and run rampant through the school yard. As I got older and school years passed, the allotted recess time slowly disappeared and was replaced with longer class times.

Many community members take daily trips to our waterfall

Recreation is an important aspect of life that we begin to lose as we age. It’s the hardest part of life to hold onto because it’s no longer allotted for us. Western society has deemed it unimportant and prioritizes work and time spent at a desk. Here at the Ranch, we have designed in ample opportunities to recreate. Pitching in to clean up brunch, taking a trip to the waterfall, practicing yoga, and reading a good book are all forms of recreation. We have scheduled in plenty of downtime and we have made a conscious decision to start the work day early in order to end our work day earlier to allow more time for afternoon team recreation.  The inspiration for this blog post comes from what I like to call 16:00 Mass (a.k.a sports time).

Here at the Ranch we schedule our free time. That’s how serious we are about it. We are currently in the dry season, so the “cancha” (sports field) gets a lot of use by the Mastatal community this time of year. Every town in Costa Rica is given a church, an elementary school, a community center, and a sports field. Our main forms of team recreation are frisbee and volleyball. Every day I trot down to the field at 15:50, tired from a full workday at the Ranch. I’ve got a frisbee, volleyball, and a bunch of bright orange cones in my hand. As I step out onto the field, I look at everyone’s tired eyes and I smile because I know that it’s all about to change. We split up into teams and the game begins. I begin to move into my body and out of my head. Before I’m aware of my actions, I stop to catch my breath and realize how much energy I have. I sweat not only from running around but from the intensity of the game. Coupled with teamwork, this form of exercise alters my thought pattern and I find myself in a state of euphoria and limitless energy. For the next hour I’m on Cloud 9 and I don’t want the excitement to end. When the game does end, my bare feet thank me for stopping and I find myself in high spirits with an overwhelming feeling of accomplishment and grit. Everyone is talking of food now and my stomach rumbles in anticipation for a Ranch dinner.

I’ve always placed great importance on exercise in my life, but I mainly participated in individual sports like swimming or tennis. Working in teams at the Ranch is paramount to our success here and it’s no different on the field. Playing a team sport changes my mood and puts me in a flow state. No longer am I thinking of the past or the future. I am right there on the field in the present moment. If my mind strays away, my teammates are sure to let me know. I can no longer only think of myself - I must take other people’s needs and wants into account. Playing a team sport necessitates quick thinking and sound decision making. These qualities allow for a dynamic community and encourages the development of well-rounded individuals. Whenever I’m having an off day, I feel a sense of balance and grounding after running around on the field with my peers.

Enjoying the refreshing swims in the river

I am extremely lucky to be living in a community that prioritizes recreation and down-time. The world would be a much happier place if a higher value was placed on these activities. It’s a privilege to have free-time and I encourage others to do the same. Play outside with your kids, join a local soccer league, take a yoga class, or pick up that book you’ve been wanting to read forever. Whatever your preferred form of recreation is, it will dramatically alter your mental state and contribute to your happiness and overall well-being.

One thing that has been learnt over the years at the Ranch though, is that recreation time must be planned in. If we leave it to chance it becomes difficult for us to find space for it with all the other tasks and activities going on.  Although Permaculture Design tends to focus on the design of your land based project, food forest or garden systems, I think it is also very important to place a large emphasis on planning our social lives, activities and recreation times.  Collectively we have found that just like planning a garden and selecting the best place to plant your favourite perennial salad crop, it is vitally important to plan your daily activities and make sure to plan in recreation time.

How you choose to spend your recreation time is up to you but if you need me, I’ll be down at the “cancha”.

Other Community and Permaculture Related Blogs

How to Run a Permaculture Internship

Enriching Community Soil: 5 Simple Strategies that Support Sustainable Relationships

View of the sports field and La Cangreja National Park

Permaculture-Based Alcohol Production as an Energy Source — “The Proof is in your Buzz”

By 2022 apprentice Lucas Babinec

With a refractometer we determine the brix of various fruits

Bring to mind a world where energy is cheap, plentiful, AND environmentally friendly. What’s powering that world? Wind? Biogas? Hydroelectric? Solar?

Pause.

Take this question seriously.

Our current track record with energy has us in a planetary ecological crisis, not to mention indirectly causing inequity and oppression all over the world. Now, what if we could grow our own fuel, in a way that increases soil fertility, ecosystem health, biodiversity and without any pollution or additional extraction of our planet’s precious resources. In a decentralized, community supporting, and resilient system. Caring for each other (people), the earth, and sharing the abundance fairly. Crazy. Nonsense. Not possible.

Enter Permaculture-Based Alcohol Production as an energy source

Please, if you’re here reading this and are unfamiliar with permaculture, check out these essential blog posts: Why Permaculture and Applied Permaculture Principles. Also, *shameless plug warning* look into taking one of our yearly Permaculture Design Courses.

In my first blog article I reviewed a book, ‘The Wizard and the Prophet’, about two different mindsets when working through our ecological challenges as a species. Permaculture-based alcohol fuel production harmonizes both perspectives, bring the best tech magic from the wizard and the most essential wisdom from the prophet together. At this point you probably are asking the question:

How?

Simple. Regenerative agriculture. Fermentation. Distillation. And then cycling all yields back into the system, aided by stacking functions and honoring the principle of zero-waste. This can be done on a household level or on a community level. Both would work within the design framework of permaculture and both are probably needed to gain true energy sovereignty. Primary fuel crop and overall polyculture selection would be specific to each biosphere and personal/regional culture preference.

A productive banana grey water circle

For example, here in Mastatal that might look like a great diversity of fruit trees: Sapote, pitanga, starfruit, jackfruit, mango, papaya, and many others that offer both food and the chance to ferment whatever can’t be eaten. Then, you’d have your staple fuel crops such as bananas, cassava (yuca), bamboo, and sugar cane. These would all be supported by other plants that fix nutrients in the soil (making them more bio-available), attract pollinators, and provide biomass for mulching. With skillful agroforestry methods in place, such as those implemented at Rancho Mastatal, anyone or any community could grow their own fuel. In a temperate climate like North Carolina, the fruit trees might be pawpaws, apples, and mulberries, with staple crops like potatoes, corn, soy beans, and hemp (grown in a polyculture/plant guilds with regenerative practices; no monocultures, no GMOs, no pesticides and other toxic chemicals).

Okay, now you might be wondering why this isn’t already the case. How come we don’t already have alcohol (aka ethanol) as an abundant, environmentally friendly fuel source?

100 years ago

What was going on in the United States back in 1922? Any guesses? Alright, well, many things actually, but what was a major one relevant to this topic? One word. Begins with a ‘P’.

PROHIBITION.

Our homemade alcohol station

The US Congress passed the 18th amendment in 1919, outlawing all production and distribution of alcohol. This destroyed the alcohol fuel industry and all farmer led cooperative distilleries, which had been booming since Pres. Teddy Roosevelt championed some liberating legislation in 1906. At the time, even Henry Ford preferred alcohol as a fuel source. The Model T was a dual fuel vehicle, able to run on ethanol or gasoline. Then an oil man with a last name beginning with ‘R’ ruined the party. When prohibition was reversed in 1933, gasoline was firmly positioned as America’s favorite fuel. Great for Big Oil. Bad for the people. Bad for the planet.

If this surprises you or leaves you feeling skeptical, I totally understand. Dive in, investigate and decide for yourself.

My curiosity has been sparked. I picked up the book ‘Alcohol Can Be a Gas’ by David Blume and now I want to prove that these possibilities are real. With more than six months left in my apprenticeship at the time of this writing, I reckon some experimentation and hands-on learning is in the cards. I didn’t even get into explaining the whole fermentation and distillation steps in this post or the various co-products that can be harvested from it. There’s a lot more to learn, stay tuned for the next installment of Permaculture-Based Alcohol Production. To be continued…

Read Other Permaculture Related Blogs

La Importancia de la Permacultura

6 Reasons to Use a Biodigester

Endeavors to End Propane: Local Fuel Sources and Efficient Cooking Technologies

Anti-Inflammatory Herbs – Medicinal Plants

By 2022 apprentice Connor Gilmartin

“Watching gardeners label their plants, I vow with all beings to practice the old horticulture, and let the plants identify me” Robert Aitken

This article seeks to bring attention to two plants that possess anti-inflammatory properties, commonly grown in Mastatal, Costa Rica. My goal is to discuss their medicinal properties and suggest simple preparation methods to maximize their efficacy. The plants I will go on to discuss have been shown to bolster your immune system’s response to inflammatory antigens that one is exposed to in urban environments.

Inflammation is a complex physiological and pathological process. It is typically an adaptive response caused by harmful stimuli and conditions to keep the body in homeostasis. When inflammation persists for a long time, “it becomes chronic and can contribute to a variety of chronic diseases, such as obesity, diabetes, arthritis, pancreatitis, cardiovascular, neurodegenerative, metabolic diseases, and some types of cancer” (Peng, et al, 2021). While some diseases are not preventable, many are. We exist in a physiologically, emotionally, and spiritually inflamed world. I firmly believe that we can begin to reduce the effects of this inflammation by utilizing the mosaic of plant medicines revered by our ancestors.

The two plant species I will provide a brief overview of are as follows:

Turmeric (Curcuma longa)

-          (Polyphenol, curcumin, anti-inflammation)

Pau d’arco (Tabebuia rosea)

-          (Immune stimulant, anti-tumor properties, anti-parasitic)

There are a handful of books that are frequently referenced by Rancho Mastatal’s core team. One of these books is Ed Bernhardt’s, “Medicinal Plants of Costa Rica”. If you live in Costa Rica, and you know what’s best for you, you’ll get a copy – and a backup copy – of this amazing, easy to read book.

Freshly harvested turmeric

Bernhardt introduces turmeric as, “An herbaceous perennial plant of the ginger family with a bright orange rhizome”. It is prolific around Rancho Mastatal – walking along the paths of the Ranch will lead you to encounter turmeric everywhere. Turmeric has a long history of being used for both food and medicine. It has been the primary anti-inflammatory herb of ayurvedic medicine for over 6,000 years. Its principle chemical component, curcumin, has anti-cancer effects and is useful for arthritis through its potent antioxidant action. Capsules of dried, ground turmeric powder have been used to relieve stomach problems, liver and gallbladder diseases, arthritis, colds and flus. In Phyllis Balch’s text, “Prescription for Herbal Healing”, she notes, “… Laboratory studies have confirmed that curcumin has anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic activity… It has been shown to be effective in reducing pain in patients with osteoarthritis… When used at the equivalent of 200mg of curcumin per day, patients with osteoarthritis were able to use 63% less NSAID medications and still obtain relief from pain”. Turmeric is a gorgeous plant with such massive potential. Pulling its fiery orange rhizomes out of the soft jungle soil is a beautiful experience that I consider a privilege.

The branch of a pau d’arco tree ready to be made into a tincture

Another prolific plant species found around Mastatal is the pink trumpet tree – locally referred to as roble de sabana or pau d’arco. During the transition months of March and May, this tree puts on a dazzling display of soft, silken pink flowers that provide a striking contrast against the bright blue skies. When talking botany with elders and herbalists in the community of Mastatal, pau d’arco is never forgotten. It is revered as highly medicinal across Meso and South America. Ed Bernhart writes, “for centuries, people in the neotropics have used the inner bark of pau d’arco to make powerful botanical medicine that restores the immune system”. It has been cited traditionally to treat anemia, arthritis, asthma, bronchitis, boils, cancer, colitis, colds, coughs, diabetes, dysentery, eczema, fevers, liver infections, leukemia, parasites and wounds. There has been a great deal of research on the medicinal properties of the cambium layer of Tabebuia rosea. Researchers have demonstrated that eighteen of the bark’s many organic compounds have medicinal properties. Some of these organic compounds include quinines; compounds that help cleanse the human body of parasites and harmful protozoa. Another well-documented compound contained in the bark of the pau d’arco is lapachol – an organic alcohol that is responsible for the bark’s anti-cancer and tumor-reducing properties. Ed Bernhardt recommends reading, “Pau d’Arco: Immune Power from the Rainforest” by Kenneth Jones to learn more about the complex organic chemistry of the tree’s medicinal compounds. Pau d’Arco’s cambium layer can be prepared as a tea, or as a tincture. Mature branches must be used in the preparation of this medicine. I recommend further reading about the specifics of pau d’arco preparation as it does require some processing prior to drying the bark for tea, or making the tincture.

A student in our PDC with her homemade tincture

Both of these plants can be dried, powdered, and taken as a supplement in capsule form. Their medicinal properties can also be utilized when prepared in a concentrated tea. In my opinion, the most powerful of all preparations is to utilize ethanoyl as a solvent to extract their alcohol-soluble compounds. This concentrated, plant-based liquid is commonly referred to as a tincture. The precursor to distilled ethyl alcohol could be an herbal wine prepared at-home. You can read about how to prepare a simple, tea, sugar and yeast wine (hooch), at this article, written by an apprentice from 2017.

Realizing that plants can serve as medicine fosters a deeper appreciation of our natural environment and increases one’s sense of place. Looking into a forest and seeing it as a nutrient-rich, sentient ecosystem is something that our not-so-distant ancestors did out of necessity. I believe that if more folks started listening to what our plant teachers had to say, we’d live in a healthier, more reverent, less-inflamed world. As Terence McKenna once said, “Avoid gurus, follow plants”.

Holy Basil

Green Hibiscus

Life Everlasting

Gotu Kola

Check out these past related blogs

Jungle Apothecary

Tropical Fruits

Also join us for our yearly Plants as Medicine Workshop

Learn More

Join us for one of our educational workshops. Learn more here.

Salak: A Productive Understory Crop

By 2022 apprentice AJ Nolan

Salak palm is a great option for an understory species for a permaculture tropical agroforestry system. The risks of cultivating this species are beautifully contrasted by the enjoyment and health benefits of the fruit it produces. You truly get what you pay for. The fruit can be eaten right off the palm and makes for a great snack after working in the orchards.

Salak palm is native to Indonesia and is often cultivated in analogous climates. Here at the Ranch, we have around 40 palms both male and female.

A bowl of freshly picked salak

How to Start Growing Salak

Propagation

In order to establish salak in your agroforestry spaces you’ll need to start with propagation. Salak can be started from seed and should be placed sideways and half buried in a well-drained potting mix.

Both males and females are needed for successful fruit production. There is no way to determine the gender of the palm until 3 years after planting, when they begin to flower. Having 3 female plants for every male plant has proved to be optimal for our orchard space of roughly 4000m2. Once the plants reach maturity and begin to flower you can then identify any excess males you may have.  Replace them as needed to reach your ideal ratio (3 female : 1 male)

Planting

• The best time to plant is at the start of the rainy season.

• The soil around the palm should be heavily top-dressed with compost.

• Each plant should be planted 2-3 meters apart and are best planted in the same area for safety reasons and pollination needs (more on pollination below).

Keeping in mind the spiked nature of salak, it is good practice to avoid planting where any fruit or nuts may fall from overstory species. The palm is best planted under a low-maintenance canopy of fruit and nut trees. The individuals that have done the best in our orchard spaces have been ones that receive about 50% shade.

Maintenance 

Using the macana to help remove dead material

Maintenance of the salak palm is where your patience and physical fitness will be put to the test.

Once the plant reaches maturity, it is time to start pruning. Remove any dead material and any leaves that are blocking easy access and visibility to the flowers. It is recommended to remove any hijos that are growing on the mother plant. Hijos are competing with the mother plant for sunlight and nutrients so it is best to use them as mulch seeing as they inhibit fruit production. The mother plant can be identified by following the roots. The roots lead into the mother plant which is curved and looked to be in an upward dog position. Any other segment not attached to the roots, but are instead attached to the mother plant are known as hijos.

After pruning, we make donuts around the palm, using mulch from around the orchard space. Read this blog “5 Grow-Your-Own Mulch Plants for the Tropics”. We have moved away from using the salak prunings to mulch the trees with, as it makes for further maintenance and pollinating challenging. We pile the cuttings and let them decompose in a pile or burn them and add to the trees.

Helpful pruning tools

When it comes to pruning, always have both of your hands occupied so you don’t accidentally reach out and grab the spiky palm. For optimum pruning our tools are: a macana, machete, garrabato, loppers, and a pruning saw with a long blade or handle. Using a macana and a pruning saw is an effective way to pry the hijos off of the mother plant. This takes practice and it is best to have at least two people to pry the hijos away. Then, using a garrabato to move the fronds around, I use my machete to move the cuttings to the pile.

Unlike most tree species, salak’s growth pattern is not one of vertical extension. As salak continues to grow, it will shuffle along the ground (much like a snake) and will begin to hover, the roots acting as it’s foundation on the forest floor.

Pollinate

In addition to the efforts of pruning, you should also pollinate the female flowers with the male flower. The native pollinator can only be found in Indonesia so whilst native pollinators will give very low levels of production, if high yields are desired it is necessary to hand-pollinate (learn more about pollination here).

Female flower

Male flower

Salak flowers all year round, so we have found it very useful to mark the females with red flags for easier management. This is because you only need to check to see if the female plants have any receptive flowers and then go and find a male flower if needed.  The female flowers are cone-shaped and covered with a dense outer layer. The outer layer is shed over the course of a couple of months and the pink flower is revealed. The male flowers should be removed and brought to the female plant to dust the open flower. Within a few days the flower should harden up, which indicates a successful pollination.

Harvesting 

Now comes the best part....harvesting! To determine if the fruit is ripe, take one off towards the base of the clump of fruits, after eating the flesh, see if the seed inside has changed from white to a brown color. If the seed is brownish and the taste is sweet and satisfying, you’ll know the time is right! If the seed is light brown or white and the fruit is astringent then you will know to leave the clump of fruits on the palm to mature further.  Harvest when you can to avoid competition from pests but don’t be too indulgent because the fruit does not ripen off of the plant. After repeated successful harvests you will begin to be able to identify when the clumps are ready for harvest without needing to taste one first.

The different colors of the seeds to determine ripeness

Overview 

Salak is a valuable companion in your agroforestry spaces, able to be planted underneath mature fruit trees. Like anything worth doing it involves work and dedication, but the rewards are well worth the effort and the work will not be in vain. The fruit is delicious and nutritious and maintenance is a great way to truly earn the fruits of your labor.

References :

El Arbol “Al servicio de Agricultor” Vol 2. Guia de Especies

Check Out These Other Blogs About Salak & Permaculture

Salak Pollination

Salak Palm: A Guide for Tropical Permaculture

Ameding Calium-Deficient Soils - A Tropical Permaculturists Approach

LEARN MORE

Join us for one of our educational workshops about permaculture design, natural bulding, fermentation, and more. Check out our yearly workshops here.

Making Compost 101

By 2022 apprentice Joshua Wright

Smelly, sticky, messy.

Perhaps these are some words to describe your experience with food waste. But it doesn't have to be! Enter the world of composting!

In permaculture we love composting and would never think about just throwing away our food scraps into the trash, because they aren’t waste, they are resources that will benefit our garden and our planet.

Composting is a great way of dealing with your kitchen scraps, autumn leaf litter and/or lawn trimmings, along with any other organic matter that may be in your garden. Dealing with a “waste” product and turning it into something beneficial. In permaculture we also call this stacking functions.

An apprentice flipping our compost pile

What is compost?

Compost is broken down, decomposed organic matter. It occurs naturally in the environment around us as living things decay. Through human interaction this natural process can be sped up.

Why should you be making compost?

Composting has several great benefits:

• It improves soil health. Adding organic matter into soils allows them to better retain moisture leading to reduced irrigation costs. It lends itself to better aerated soils reducing the need to till and it provides habitat for beneficial fungi and micro-organisms to continue the work of decomposition and nutrient cycling. 

• It provides plants with nutrients essential for their growth. The main elements plants need are Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P) and Potassium (K), all of which are present in compost, along with a number of other elements in trace amounts such as Calcium (Ca), Magnesium (Mg), Iron (Fe) and Zinc (Zn).

• Composting diverts waste from ending up in landfills and the incinerator. Both of these require lots of energy and resources to maintain and manage, so by composting you are freeing up time, money, and energy for better utilization elsewhere (building an abundant, regenerative future we can be proud of).

• When in landfills food waste doesn’t have access to oxygen, becoming anaerobic. When decomposing in this airless environment it produces methane and carbon dioxide. When not in balance with natural cycles these gasses contributes to greenhouse gas overload in our atmosphere adding to our global climate crises.

In summary by composting not only are you doing less bad (by producing less pollution) you are actively doing good (building soil which is essential for a healthy planet)! Win, win!

So how do we go about getting started?

Our little wigglers that we use for our vermicompost!

1. First, let’s identify the best location: Ideally you will have a spot in your garden that is out of direct sun and protected from the rain. You will need something to contain the compost in. A wire cage or recycled wood pallet box will both work great. But you can use any containment method that is roughly 1m^3 and allows air to circulate. If you are limited in space or don’t have a yard, there are many great DIY options, such as a plastic bin with holes drilled out. Or check out vermicompost, which uses worms to help you out! Check out this blog article from Mother Jones to learn more about using worms to compost in a small space.

2. Next let’s look at what goes into your compost: We can break this down into two basic categories: "greens" and "browns". "Greens" are materials that contain higher quantities of nitrogen and "browns" contain higher quantities of carbon. Balancing this ratio of greens to browns is what will define the success of your compost operation.

3. This ideal ratio being 25-30 parts carbon to 1 part nitrogen.

   Examples of “greens” are kitchen scraps or fresh lawn clippings. “Browns” can be dried leaves, wood chips, saw dust, etc.

   Remembering that there is carbon in ALL organic material including materials that we classify as “green”, we can achieve our ideal ratio (25-30:1) by adding roughly 2 parts “brown” material to 1 part “green” material.

4. If your compost pile starts to smell, attract flies or is excessively wet add more browns, if it is too dry reduce that amount of brown material you add.

5. Your compost should have the same moisture content as that of a damp sponge. When squeezed firmly no more than a few drops should come out.

Excellent!

Armed with these basics outlined above you are ready to begin your journey into the underworld (soil).

Keep in mind that there is no teacher out there as good as direct experience so get your hands dirty and have fun with it.

One day, we too, shall be compost. And so closes the circle of life.

Emptying out one of our compost toilets

Other Related Blog Articles

Transforming Human Waste into Fertilizer: Compost Toilets

5 “Grow Your Own” Mulch Plants

Learn More

Join us for one of our educational workshops about permaculture design, natural bulding, fermentation, and more. Check out our yearly workshops here.

Beyond Cacao: The Fruit(s) of the Gods

By 2021 Apprentice Cameron Conklin

Various forms of theobroma processing

You may have heard the term Theobroma (“theo” meaning “God” and “broma” meaning “fruit”) in reference to the genus of the cacao tree (Theobroma cacao) the incredible fruit that creates what we call chocolate. Here at the Ranch we love our cacao, but we also grow two other members of the Theobroma genus - cupuacu (Theobroma grandiflorum) and pataxte (Theobroma bicolor) who have stolen our hearts this year. Like cacao, these trees produce a fruit filled with delicious pulp and seeds and have proven to be amazing additions to our culinary experiments. These pre-Colombian species are still grown on a relatively small scale and have retained significant genetic diversity. They provide hope for a more diverse tropical forest system and chocolate industry.

A Short Description and History

The Cupuacu (Theobroma grandiflorum)

A cupuacu fruit

The cupuacu tree grows to an average height of 6-10 meters, maturing in 4 years. It has a large, brown, smooth oblong fruit (15-35 cm long), that falls to the ground when it is ready to be harvested. There are about 25 seeds per fruit protected by sweet, tangy pulp. Cupuacu is native to the Brazilian Amazon. Today it is still cultivated primarily in Brazil, but can be grown anywhere from southern Mexico to Peru. Right now, the cupuacu pulp is the most commonly used product from the fruit. The pulp is used for drinks, ice creams, pastries and other sweet treats common across Brazil. There is significantly more pulp in the cupuacu than cacao. To my surprise, the seeds are not as commonly commercialized, but there is a growing market. The seed is high in fat, about 48% (similar to 45% in cacao), which has created a budding market for industrialized cupuacu butter being used in cosmetics for skin care. Cupuacu butter has higher yields per fruit than cacao and its price is attractive for farmers. Processing accessibility seems to be the current limitation in production increase.

Yet the seed also makes for a creamy and delicious cupuacu chocolate or “cupulate” that creates light mocha-colored bars or drinks. From what I can see, there is an untapped market for an alternative chocolate product made from the cupuacu bean. The taste is tantalizing - fruity, earthy, and bright. It also has lower levels of alkaloids, theobromine, and caffeine than cacao but still retains high levels of vitamin C and anti-oxidants. The fat content makes for an extra creamy consistency. However it’s high oleic fat content is also one of its logistical downsides. It has a low melting point of 30 degrees Celsius (compared to 35 degrees for cacao) which can make transport difficult. Yet combining cacao and cupuacu together makes for a winning combination!

Here at the Ranch, we have used cupuacu for everything from making vinegars and wines, to bonbons and coconut cupuacu hot chocolate! It is truly a magical tropical fruit that I could see becoming much more popular across Central America soon.

The Pataxte

A pataxte fruit

The pataxte tree grows to an average height of 8-12 meters, maturing in 5 years. It has a large, yellow, round to oblong fruit with distinct ribs (12-30 cm long). Its pulp is tangy, and can sometimes give off the aroma of gasoline, but generally has a sweet taste. Here at the Ranch, the pataxte pulp flavor is defnintely more polarizing than cacao or cupuacu. There are about 40 seeds per fruit and the pods fall to the ground when ready to be harvested.

Similar to the history of cacao, the pataxte was developed into chocolate during the Aztec period and likely originates from the Amazon. Mesoamerican civilizations used pataxte in beverages similar to cacao. Pataxte is grown from Peru to Mexico, but today it is most commercially available in Mexico. Its seeds are used in combination with cacao to make chocolate bars or fried/roasted for savory dishes. In Oaxaca, there is a traditional beverage called the “popo” made of pataxte. Pataxte is also often used to create buttery foams on the top of traditional cacao and maize beverages in Maya culture.

Pataxte already has a history of being combined with cacao to make chocolate, but this relationship is still underutilized and certainly not pervasive in Costa Rica. Pataxte provides an incredible nutty, buttery, and sweet flavor to cacao. However, its fat content is much lower coming in at around 20%. This gives us the opposite problem of the cupuacu, making it difficult to create a creamy bar with just pataxte.

Sounds like a combination situation just might be the ticket! Here at the Ranch, we have combined pataxte with cacao and cupuacu to make bon bons, chocolate drinks and delicious chocolate sauce!

Seeing Chocolate in a New Light

A small harvest of cacao fruits

A beautiful and important lesson I’ve learned this year is that chocolate is more than just dark, hard and bitter. Experimenting with cupuasu and pataxte has showed me that chocolate can be soft, creamy, nutty, floral, and taste like red wine. Expanding my interpretation of chocolate to encompass these other Theobroma varieties has inspired me to learn more about how to grow cacao, cupuacu, and pataxte in combination. This could create a more ecologically and economically diverse and stable chocolate farm for growers across Central America. It could also create more complex and unique chocolate products for everyone to enjoy!

The Fermentation Process

These Theobromas taste best when the seeds have been fermented, letting the sugars in the pulp seep into the seeds and enhance the flavor of the beans. A typical ferment needs a fairly large number of fruits (30+) to reach the desired temperature to initiate fermentation. Due to the somewhat sporadic and limited harvest of cacao, cupuacu, and pataxte we get from our agroforestry systems, we often find ourselves needing to ferment a small number of fruits at a time (under 10). To tackle this problem, we have done everything from warming jars of seeds in hot water baths to heating them in our compost piles!

The recipe below has wound up being one of our favorite ways to “ferment” the beans. It is a two for one process creating both tasty vinegar and beans with a rich flavor profile. As sometimes happens, we actually never intended to use this recipe to ferment beans, we just decided to give the beans a try after making the vinegar. Lucky for us (and for you!) we loved the way the beans tasted after going through this process.

A mixture of Theobroma seeds that have been fermented and are drying in the sun

Recipe: Theobroma Vinegar Fermentation

Every so often, magic is created from a forgotten experiment. This recipe is just that, an experiment that was left on the back of the shelf only to be found again and turned into something delicious! This process actually produces two unique products, vinegar with notes of chocolate, red wine and nuts along with beans ready to be dried, roasted, and turned into chocolate!

When beginning with fresh pods:

1. Place seeds and pulp of cacao, cupuacu, and pataxte into a bucket. We have used as little as 4 fruits to as many as about 10 fruits for this process.

2. Fill with water, enough to cover all of the seeds and pulp sufficiently. Add more water if you would like to yield more vinegar. This is up to you!

3. Add 1/3 cup tapa dulce (our source of raw sugar) for every fruit in the ferment.

4. Leave open to oxygen but covered for bugs (we use a cheesecloth and string).

5. Stir once a day for 3 days.

6. On the third day, check the flavor of the ferment, adding more sugar if the solution has already lost significant sweetness.

7. Check the vinegar once a week for 3 more weeks, testing the solution to see how well the pulp has soaked off of the beans. Add more sugar if the vinegar flavor is weakening.

8. After about a month, check to taste - If the vinegar is tangy and the beans are relatively free of pulp (the cupuacu and pataxte will have more pulp than the cacao) then the vinegar ferment is ready.

9. Strain the vinegar and bottle, storing in an anaerobic environment for 6 months to age.

10. Wash the beans, removing any extra pulp you can, and lay out to dry in the sun.

These beans can then be used to make homemade chocolate bonbons, ground up and put in smoothies, or in the chocolate sauce recipe below.

recipe: Theobroma Chocolate Sauce

This creation is a delicacy here at the Ranch, made with three different members of the Theobroma family we grow: cacao, cupuacu, and pataxte. This sauce is a great accompaniment to almost anything sweet, but we particularly like it for drizzling over coconut macaroons (stay tuned for our upcoming recipe book). If you only have access to 1 or 2 of these beans, you can follow this same recipe and it will no doubt be delicious. The flavor profile will change as you change the ratios of the beans, so experiment as you have access to different quantities of each!

1/4 cup cacao beans

3/4 cup cupuacu beans

3/4 cup pataxte beans

1/4 cup tapa dulce

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Water to taste

If beginning with fresh pods:

1. Ferment the beans following the “theobroma vinegar fermentation” recipe above.

2. Sun-dry or dry beans in a dehydrator (the skins should feel dry and no longer sticky).

3. Roast beans in a cast iron skillet on low for 15-20 minutes until flavors are released and shells look easy to peel.

4. Peel shells, separating beans out.

5. Grind beans all together using a heavy duty hand crank in order to release the fats, creating a paste.

6. On low heat, melt 1/4 cup tapa dulce (our local sugarcane), stirring in the paste. Slowly add water to create the consistency you are looking for. You can make this sauce as thick or thin as you’d like!

7. If you already have roasted nibs, you can skip steps 1-4 and continue with the recipe!

A cacao overlooking La Cangreja National Park

These magical and delicious fruits have some serious potential in the chocolate making market. We look forward to getting larger harvests and experimenting more with these incredible fruits.

Check out these past blogs

Farm to Table Chocolate Bonbons

Life of Spice: Farm to Table Cinnamon

How to Design, Plant, Maintain, and Feast from your Food Forest

Amending Calcium-Deficient Soils – A Tropical Permaculturist’s Approach

By 2022 apprentice Connor Gilmartin

A walk through our orchard systems

Wade Davis once wrote that the Kogi people of Columbia believe “The surface of the Earth itself is an immense loom upon which the sun weaves the fabric of existence”. The garden and orchards of Rancho Mastatal are proof of this eloquent observation. While walking through the orchard spaces of the Ranch, your field of vision is overtaken by a mosaic of emerald green foliage, and gem-like, plump tropical fruits. This intentionally designed agroforest is abundant - however, a productive tropical orchard or garden does not come without hard work. Without mindful intervention, these orchards and gardens would not reach their fullest potential. It is our goal to listen to Madre Tierra, and help her achieve her most resilient, healthiest form.

Tropical Soils

While the jungle soils of Mastatal are abundant in in biodiversity, they are lacking in potential hydrogen (pH), which results in acidic soil. This low-pH, high acidity soil presents a bit of a problem for a gardener like myself, who is keen on optimizing a plant’s growing medium, in search of nutrient-dense, boast-worthy fruits and vegetables. Simply put, acidic soil results in low levels of available calcium. It is a known fact that calcium plays a crucial role in plant health and development. So… how can we remedy this issue? I’m glad you wondered.

A tropical permaculturist in this predicament is faced with two options; purchase bulk calcium carbonate in the form of ground limestone to apply as a top dress, OR use all those eggshells sitting on the top of the compost bucket to make Water-Soluble Calcium (WCA). WCA is one of the five inputs developed by Master Han Kyu Cho, the prolific South Korean gardener responsible for what is known globally as Korean Natural Farming (KNF). I’ll note that topdressing with limestone (CaCO3) does play a role in our agroforested zones - foliar feeding 12 acres of orchards would be unrealistic, to say the least. Foliar feeding a quarter acre of raised garden beds is a different story. Preparing WCA is fulfilling and presents a phenomenal opportunity to help close the loop between your garden and kitchen, while also providing your plants a calcium-rich tonic they’ll thank you for. When you see your pepper’s shiny leaves praying towards the morning sun, you’ll see what I mean.

How to Make Water-Soluble Calcium

I’ll begin by listing the materials you’ll need to make a batch of Water-Soluble Calcium (WCA). They are as follows;

1.)    Two clean glass jars (I am personally Ball Brand loyal, but any clean glass jars will do)

2.)    Eggshells (Rinsed after cracking to remove organic matter)

3.)    Brown Rice Vinegar (3% acetic acid is what you’re shooting for if you make your own vinegar like we do here at the Ranch)

4.)    A cast iron skillet

5.)    A breathable cloth to act as a “lid” (cheesecloth or nut milk bags work quite well)

Washed egg shells and homemade bottles of vinegar

One of our alternative wood fired cooking stoves

I chose not to list specific quantities of eggshells and vinegar because the amount of WCA you might want or need is variable, depending on the size of your garden space or application schedule.  By weight, the solution will be prepared using a ratio of 1:10 (eggshells to brown rice vinegar).

To prepare the WCA solution:

1.)    Collect eggshells, gently wash with water after cracking.

2.)    Lightly roast the cleaned, dried eggshells in a cast iron skillet for approximately 30-45 minutes. This removes any potential leftover organic matter stuck to the shell. Shells should be dry and toasted golden but not charred.

3.)    Add toasted shells to a glass jar filled with brown rice vinegar. You will see carbon dioxide being released as the eggshells float up and down the vinegar. This is good. This is a sign the calcium is being dissolved into the solution.

4.)    Cover your jar with a breathable cloth. This prevents pests or large organic matter from entering your prized water-soluble calcium solution.

5.)    Place jar in a cool, dry location for 7 to 10 days.

6.)    After this time has passed, check to see if the solution is still bubbling. If it’s not, that means your solution is saturated and all set for the final step.

7.)    Strain your solution into a clean glass jar to remove eggshells. Cover with airtight lid, label, and store at room temperature out of direct sunlight.

Toasted egg shells

Egg shells sitting in vinegar

Voila! A week has passed and now you have a jar of homemade water-soluble calcium. You must be excited to go give your plants a taste. I’d recommend doing so in the early morning. Greet the sun, sing to your plants, and remember, your mind is a garden, your thoughts are the seeds, you can grow flowers, or you can grow weeds. Happy gardening!

Want to learn More?

We have been applying permaculture principles to our agriculture systems for the past two decades. Join us for our yearly Permaculture Design Certification to learn more about designing and implementing sustainable tropical systems.

Check out these past blogs on Tropical Agriculture

Tips for Working with Tropical Soils

Using Mountain Microorganism to Create Organic Fertilizer

Making Microbes: Fungal vs Bacterial Soil Life

Nitrogen Fixing Plants at Rancho Mastatal

How to Run A Permaculture Internship

By 2021 Apprentice Abbey Cmiel

Every year, Rancho Mastatal offers a year long apprenticeship and a 2 month long internship for people interested in taking a deep dive into agroforestry, natural building, and farm to table food preparation while living in community. In the Rancho Mastatal model, all apprentices arrive in January and have 7 months of varied and ongoing learning in all the Ranch has to offer. Then, the apprentices fully organize and run the two month internship in August and September. As an apprentice, this means I had the opportunity to first study and absorb an immense amount of knowledge, and then share it with 4-5 other individuals interested in learning as interns.

When I first learned about this aspect of the apprenticeship I felt quite intimidated. Who was I to run an internship at a center that was not my own on subjects I had not yet learned? But now having completed running the internship, I am extremely proud of our collective ability to offer an educational and entertaining program, as well as grateful for the chance to deepen my knowledge through the leadership role.

My intention in writing this blog is to support others who are interested in starting or developing an internship program at their farm or educational center. Though my experience is somewhat limited, I hope to offer some of the challenges we faced, the successes we found, and my own experience as both a participant and teacher in permaculture immersion programs. Also, I would love to learn about other similar programs and your experiences, so please feel free to reach out!

First, a bit about myself and my experiences of permaculture-based internships. My name is Abbey and I am a 24 year from North Carolina and California. Following college, I signed up for a 10 week permaculture immersion at the Eco Institute in Chapel Hill, NC and fell in love with the integrated lifestyle of a farm and justice based community. Following this path, I then moved to The Occidental Arts & Ecology Center in Northern California where as a year long intern, I helped run the nursery, host activist groups, work in the garden, and organize a permaculture design course. These experiences each brought me to Rancho Mastatal, where I recently finished organizing and running the two month internship alongside my six fellow apprentices.

These combined experiences of living in community, participating in, and running permaculture-based internships have allowed me to see common challenges and successes between them. So, without further ado, here are some of the tips and tricks I’ve gathered over the years.

1. Create a schedule or structure

Most people enjoy having routine or some basic structure to return to, especially when in an unfamiliar location and social setting. Even if what you’re doing changes every day, it’s helpful to have a standing schedule so interns can create expectations. At the Ranch we have two “work parties” a day from 7:30-10 am and 11:30 am-2 pm. We eat our meals at 10 am and 6 pm, and also have set times for sports, meetings, and rest. This makes it easier for everyone to take care of other needs, such as self care, laundry, tool maintenance, phone communication etc. because they know when they’ll have time.

2. Have Established Meeting Times

At the Ranch, we have four types of meetings: square, circle, app/intern/core team meetings, and 1-on-1s. Square meetings happen every morning after brunch around 10:30 am. During this time, one person volunteers to facilitate “reading the board” and we review what we did in the morning, briefly discuss the upcoming day, delegate projects, and go over any simple announcements. This meeting takes no longer than 15 minutes. Any longer form questions or decisions are reserved for “circle” meetings.

Our earthen structure that we hold our meetings in

Circle meetings happen every Friday afternoon and last 1-2 hours. We begin by going around the circle and sharing a 3 minute-ish update on how we’re doing mentally, physically, emotionally, etc. After completing the circle, the space is opened for agenda items that require more in-depth discussion. We use consent-based decision making in which, after discussion, a person will make a proposal. That proposal is then voted on by everyone who chooses to participate with a thumbs up or thumbs down. Thumbs up agreeing to the proposal or willing to live with it, thumbs down having “paramount objection”, something they absolutely cannot agree to otherwise they will leave. This is an abbreviated account of the decision making protocol, read here for a more in depth explanation. Finally, we end by going around the circle and stating an intention or hope for the upcoming week.

Every week on Thursdays, we meet amongst our intern, apprentice, and core team cohorts to discuss any agenda items that pertain directly to that group. This meeting typically lasts an hour.

Lastly, about once a month, we have 1-on-1s in which a “core team” (long term staff or residents) member pairs off with an apprentice to discuss their experiences and how each party can be better supported. While running the internship, each apprentice would pair off with an intern. This is a good time to talk over any challenges, feedback or affirmations each party has. It’s important that time is set aside for a longer conversation so both people feel they are being heard and the person with less authority is comfortable expressing discomforts.

3. Make sure people have enough food

A typical dinner plate

Ah, the near-impossible task of feeding many people with different food needs! Especially if you are hosting a permaculture or sustainability related internship, expect people who are very intentional about their eating habits. Always ask for food restrictions. Be sure to outline what a typical meal schedule looks like so people who are vegan, vegetarian, gluten free, dairy free, and those with other allergies can decide if the program aligns with their needs.

As someone with an allergy to gluten, I am quite used to preparing additional food or being flexible with what I eat. You will find most people with alternative diets are quite good at meeting their needs with little additional input. It is important, however, that they have access to kitchen time or a grocery store. If neither of these are accessible, be sure to outline these limitations.

At the Ranch, we eat two meals a day at 10 am and 6:30 pm. Additionally, hard boiled eggs, leftovers, and bananas always available. We find this two meal a day schedule means much less cooking and cleaning and more time to do what we love!

Create clear guidelines about what food can be eaten for snacks and what is reserved for communal meals. Check in to see people are feeling fed and energized.

4. Distribute cooking and dishes equitably

Cooking up some bamboo shoots for condiments

I’ve heard it said before that communities are made or broken by their dish washing systems. At the Eco Institute we had 3 “cook teams” and “dish teams”. The group on cooking would cook all meals for a week. The team on washing washed all serving and eating dishes (dishes other than those used to prepare food) that week. The third group has a rest week. At OAEC, the person on dinner cooking duty also washes the dishes after dinner. Otherwise people wash their own dishes throughout the day. Finally, at the Ranch we rotate cooking and cleaning duties so people have an equal number of cooking and cleaning shifts throughout the week.

If hosting an internship, decide how much of their experience you want to be dedicated to cooking and cleaning. These are formative times for group bonding, but can also be quite time consuming and draining. At both OAEC and the Ranch, we were lucky to have cooking support from local chefs to take on some of the cooking shifts. Especially if interns are paying to be there, it may be worth hiring a cook to help with at least a few meals a week.

5. Don’t underestimate the time and energy needed to have interns

A common fallacy is that internships will be an easy way to make money and have extra labor. Be sure to make a thorough budget to make sure this is actually the case. If interns pay to attend your program, they will likely expect an educational experience as much as a work experience. This requires significant time and energy from staff or a program manager. If they do not pay, they are likely unskilled labor who will require significant training to do the work you might be able to pay someone to do or do yourself much faster. If you decide to take on interns, be sure there are enough tasks that are educational, fitting for their skill level, and meaningful.

6. To charge or not to charge?

That is the question. It’s time for some deep soul searching. Why do you want to have interns? What are the added benefits to your community?

At the Ranch, the core team decided to run the internship program to provide a shorter educational program to the year long apprenticeship, as well as a learning opportunity for the apprentices. Their model is learn, practice, teach, manage. The internships falls in the “teach” section, providing a great opportuniy to hone in their new skills.

Now that you’re clear on the why, what input do you need to make it happen? Is your program designed to be educational or does it require significant labor from the interns? How much will it cost to feed, house, and take care of the miscellaneous expenses for each intern? How much of your labor will go into planning for, instructing, feeding, and managing the group? What is your target market?

Once you factor in the time necessary to teach interns, you may realize it is quite “expensive” to have them there. How might you be able to offset some of the costs? Can you apply for grants or host a fundraising dinner and silent auction for a scholarship fund, particularly to support marginalized groups in attending your program? Can you create a set up where longer term apprentices run the internship?

7. Get out there!

Going on field trips to our local farmers

One of my favorite parts of our internship was planning field trips to connect with nearby farms and neighbors. During the two months, we organized a trip to the “trapiche” where our sugar cane is milled, to our neighbor who keeps cows and supplies us with milk and cheese, and went on day hikes to the waterfalls and mountains nearby. All of these trips, combined with playing sports in town and cooking with locals, help paint a larger picture of the community we’re a part of and mix up group dynamics.

8. Give Interns a sense of autonomy

More and more, highly educated and motivated people are seeking out farming and permaculture immersions. As a result, you may attract very intelligent and independent individuals to your program. Make sure there are ways for people to take on individual responsibility and challenge. At the Ranch, we each have morning community contribution skills such as chopping wood, preparing salads, tending the garden, etc. Additionally, we have the opportunity to submit project proposals to take on larger independent projects on our own. This allows people to express themselves individually and find pride in their work.

Personally, I have taught weekly yoga classes for the community, led vermicompost workshops, and led many gardening and permaculture sessions for our interns. These individual tasks allowed me to deepen my knowledge and share it with others.

9. Practice nonviolent communication or otherwise encourage open communication between participants

At the beginning of the apprenticeship and internship at Rancho Mastatal, we create a collective community cultural agreement for how we will interact with one another and then sign it. Additionally, we taught nonviolent communication modules (based on Marshall B. Rosenberg’s Nonviolent Communication) to encourage open communication around the conflicts that naturally arise when living in community.

10. Create a comprehensive document with expectations and packing list before arrival

The more you can set expectations coming in the better! Send pictures or thorough descriptions of the housing, food, work expectations, visitor policy, phone policy, the larger community, etc. Supply a thorough packing list with any items that will be helpful during the internship. If you are able, set up a text, email or WhatsApp group with the interns in advance so they meet one another and ask questions.

11. Make sure everyone has enough rest and alone time

At the Ranch, we have free time every day from 2 pm - 6:30 pm. This is a great time to work on independent projects in the orchards, woodshop, food smithery, and kitchen. Additionally, we have a large library with fiction, nonfiction, and educational books to deepen our learning experience. Most days, a group meets at 4 pm to play sports or do yoga. The key is that people have a choice whether to interact with others or take time for themselves.

12. Organize special events & find time to celebrate!!

Woohoo! You have done the hard work of bringing together a group of amazing people and creating a super special intern program. Now find the time to celebrate! We have made a practice of gathering for new and full moons, the equinoxes and solstices, birthdays, and other special days. Something as simple as playing music, having a small party, making a fire, watching a movie with popcorn, or baking a cake with local ingredients can allow people to feel socially and emotionally fulfilled. Isn’t that why we all want to live in community anyways? Support any ideas your interns have for fun and creative gatherings. A field day, trivia night, or tea party are all great ways to bond and be silly together.

The yearly talent show

I am infinitely grateful to the centers and people who have opened their doors and arms to me as an intern or apprentice. I hope this article empowers you to do the same so we can continue to build purposeful, skilled, and joyful communities together!

Check out these past blogs on Community Living

Enriching Community Soil: 5 Simple Strategies That Support Sustainable Relationships

#Pura Vida: The Art of Living and Letting Go in Community

Jungle Apothecary: Lemon Balm and Holy Basil

By 2021 apprentice Dewey

“It’s balancing, it’s a panacea, a good nervine. Good for the heart, for the soul, for babies, for the elderly, and everyone in between.”

— Cascade Geller

Medicinal Herbs

A selection of dried herbs for tea making

An effective way to begin to more easily incorporate herbs into your life is by making herbal teas. For many, herbal tea is a ritual. Others, however, may just enjoy the warmth and taste of a freshly brewed cup following a meal. Some use tea as a way to prevent and heal disease, while others think it is a tasty and refreshing way to begin their day. Regardless of what role tea has (or has not) played in your life, when we begin to look more reverently into the cup, we can start to understand the deeper workings of the leaves within.

If you have been fortunate enough to have visited Rancho on-site, chances are you were able to take a peek at the incredible tea station we have set up at the main house. Herbal teas are truly an invaluable resource out here in the jungle. They help keep us well... and we mean that in every sense of the word—mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually. Two of the most loved here at Rancho are Lemon Balm and Holy Basil (also known as Tulsi).

Cup of tea anyone?

When beginning to look at herbs and the impressive impact they can have on our being, it is common for many to see and approach herbs in the same context we tend to approach pharmaceuticals. This makes sense, as we often have the ability to use them to replace or supplement the pharmaceutical industry’s role in our healing journey. However, if you are able to start to restructure your thoughts around this concept, you might be begin to reach into an entirely new depth of herbs. In many other systems of healing around the world, a variety of herbs are used mildly and habitually to ensure a lifetime of health and longevity.

The usage and recommendations of herbs in this blog are intended to inspire deeper love and further independent research into the role herbs can play in your own individual journey. It is important to note that we are all unique. In the same way that everyone can have different reactions to foods, allergens, medications, etc., herbs can and will have different impacts on different people. Something that might work wonders for me, might have a completely different impact on someone else.

Many herbal teas are safe for all to consume in moderation, but it is important to pay attention to your body. If you introduce a new herb or plant into your life and you notice any negative side effects, listen to what your body is telling you and stop consuming it. Make sure to do your own thorough research and check with your local herbalist, naturopath, or doctor about any long term or high volume consumption of an herb to ensure safe use.

LEMON BALM

Lemon balm, with its sweet-lemony aroma and delicious taste, is an incredible plant to have and grow in your medicinal garden. This member of the mint family is relatively easy to grow and can even thrive in containers if you are without your own land or space to cultivate herbs. Although it is hard to put it’s far reaching abilities and potential into a box, lemon balm is typically classified as a nervine. Nervines are herbs that soothe, relax, and support the nervous system. Interestingly, it’s high volatile oil concentration, most significantly of citronellal and citral, has been proven in modern studies to confirm the plant’s ability to calm both the digestive and the nervous systems.

The versatility of this herb cannot be understated. Lemon balm is incredibly calming and is used to mitigate feelings of stress, anxiety, and nervousness. It is also used as an antiviral to ward off a variety of viral infections (even ones as aggressive as the herpes simplex), as well as anxiety, stress, fevers, coughs, and so much more. For example, the plant can be used topically as a powerful agent in your herbal first aid kit for insect bites and stings, but also used internally as a powerful relaxant. Due to its high antioxidant levels, studies have shown that lemon balm is even capable of markedly improving oxidative stress levels and plasma DNA damage.

Lemon balm is a very safe herb to incorporate into you and your loved ones lives. Cascade Geller, an herbalist and activist is quoted as saying, “It’s balancing, it’s a panacea, a good nervine. Good for the heart, for the soul, for babies, for the elderly, and everyone in between” in regards to lemon balm. Here at Rancho we love brewing a nice cup of lemon balm to help us relax after a busy day of working hard. To make a simple, nourishing cup of lemon balm tea, use one teaspoon of fresh or dried leaves per cup of hot water. To make a stronger brew this amount can be increased to desired taste up to one ounce of leaves.

HOLY BASIL (TULSI)

Holy basil has a loooong history. It has been used in India for over 3,000 years! It is used widely and often around the world. Ayurveda (one of the oldest systems of medicine) reveres holy basil as a powerful tool for optimal health. When seeking to utilize the health benefits of this powerful herb, it is important to make sure you are working with the correct species. Holy basil is not the same species as the common culinary plant we are all familiar with. Out of the (over) 60 different species of Ocimum genus, there are three that are considered Holy Basil and can be used somewhat interchangeably: Rama tulsi, Krishna tulsi, and Vana tulsi.

Holy Basil is one of many powerful adaptogens that have been identified to help reverse chronic damage and bolster overall health. Adaptogens are a classification of herbs that are building and nourishing. When used consistently, they help the body adapt to stress and move it toward overall wellness. David Winston and Steve Maimes are co-authors of an incredible book on adaptogens, and speak highly of holy basil, “Holy basil is classified as a Ramayana, an herb that nourishes a person’s growth to perfect health and promotes long life.” The adaptogenic nature of holy basil can even aid in the mediation of stress related damage and subsequently improve the overall cardiovascular health of an individual.

Some major health benefits holy basil is also known for providing are: reducing stress and anxiety, supporting a healthy heart, and strengthening the immune system. When it comes to stress and anxiety, holy basil has also been shown to reduce peripheral symptoms such as forgetfulness and lethargy. Researchers have even proven it to act as an effective treatment of generalized anxiety disorder. Due to its ability to slightly thin our blood, it also promotes good circulation. In regards to overall health, holy basil modulates and supports our immune system. It is also an antimicrobial herb and therefore can be utilized in the treatment of bacterial, fungal, and viral infections.

Fresh holy basil is ideal, but the dried leaves can also be used to make a tea. Begin with about a teaspoon of leaves to each cup of hot water and increase from there to desired taste and potency. One thing to consider is the high volatile oil content of this herb- for ideal results to not steep covered for more than ten minutes.

Keep drinking your herbs! Keep eating your herbs! Keep learning your herbs!

Want to Learn More

Join us for one of our permaculture related workshops, including Plants as Medicine.

Sign up for our monthly blog updates if you want to keep learning with us!

Read some of our past food related blog articles!

Water Kefir- The New Kombucha!

What is Lacto-Fermentation

Farm to Table Banana Vinegar

Visit our website and blog to learn more!

Make Black Garlic in Your Compost

By 2021 apprentice Consti

Getting busy in the compost pile

Finding an article on compost piles on a permaculture blog is far from uncommon. In fact we have plenty of them on our own website, ranging from our waste management systems (read about our biodigester system) to how we squeeze every bit of energy out of everything we produce. The question you may be asking is why a compost article ended up in the food section. Isn't compost supposed to be the place for the food we didn't eat?

And yes, all these questions are justified and are part of the experiment I want to share with you today. This experiment started in the end of February 2021, when I read through Nomas Guide for Fermentation, the sacred manuscript of food experiments. When I saw a recipe for Black Garlic, I could almost taste its particular flavour from my travels to Japan and was determined to give it a shot.

Ok, now everyone is confused. But please hang on a second and I will show you how compost piles, often considered to be smelly mosquito havens and high cuisine flavour profiles can live alongside each other.

What is Black Garlic?

Black Garlic, for those who haven’t yet tried it, is the most magical flavour. The garlic loses its spiciness and develops a deep, sweet and mellow flavour paired with a creamy soft texture. Its color varies from an intense rich caramel to almost entirely black. Black Garlic and other blackened vegetables and fruit are relatively new to Western cuisine but are a staple in lots of Asian cooking.

The final product smells amazing!

So what happens to black garlic that changes its appearance so considerably? The answer is the good ol’ Maillard reaction, the flavor we all crave when we want our fried green beans a little dark or tortilla a bit burned on the top. It is essentially a redox reaction that takes place while cooking at high temperature. But I do not want to spend too much time on the chemistry because first, I hated chemistry in school, and second, cooking is an art not a science (I am looking forward to the comments).

When we make Black Garlic, we basically recreate the same reaction, but we decrease the temperature and increase the time. The goal is to cook the garlic at very low heat for a very long time. Time, no problem! Heat, ironically while living in the tropics, more of a problem. At Noma, they use heating mats and insulated rooms or chambers. Two things I don’t have and don’t miss. But luckily, alternative energy is being produced everywhere around us, all the time. We just lost connection to these sources and think of energy only as electrical and a product of relentless burning of fossil fuels.

how I made Black Garlic in a Compost Pile

I started thinking about how I could slow-roast my garlic and brainstorming the hottest places on the Ranch. One day, while piling on some food scraps and noticing the heat of our compost pile, a light bulb went off- the heat from decomposition was the perfect solution. As so often in the experimental culinary world, bacteria are our closest friends. Besides many other helpers, bacteria and fungi are the most important forces in the breakdown of our food. A well-aerated and maintained compost pile can heat up to around 77°C/170°F, and thanks to the many hungry guests and residents at Rancho, we fill up at least one five gallon bucket of compost every day. This means our compost piles fill up quickly and produce lots of heat.

Once I realized the slow and steady temperature of the compost pile was the solution for my Black Garlic experiment, all I needed was an air-tight container that would protect my garlic from any creepy crawly visitors. I started off with two buckets. I just put a small bucket in a big bucket and it worked! I didn’t get any mold or funny smells. There was only one problem. The heat transfer through two buckets wasn’t quite good enough. The pile itself reached a temperature of 54°C/130°F, but the bucket only heated up to 38°C/100°F. Version two is much smaller, but potentially more inviting for the living world. It consists of a 4" PVC pipe with a sealed lid. Additionally, the garlic is in a zip lock bag that hopefully keeps it dry. And yes, I said hopefully, because as I write this, Maillard is doing his job outside in the piles.

Garlic into an airtight bag

Place the bag into the PVC

Place PVC into middle of active compost pile

Did it work?

Fast forward three months in the compost pile… and yes it worked! We got some beautiful, smooth, creamy, black garlic. Made it into a paste and served with homemade tortillas, it was beyond delicious!

Final black garlic experiment complete

want to learn more?

Stay tuned for more food blog articles and always keep up to date on our workshops that often include fermentation, permaculture design and more.

Homemade Hoisin Sauce and Other Recipes with Fermented Black Bean Paste

By 2021 apprentice Cameron Conklin

We Love Beans!

Don Chepo winnowing his yearly harvest of beans

Beans are an important staple in our diet and a traditional food here in Costa Rica. Beans are a great way to provide vegetarian, balanced nutrition to large groups of people - full of complex carbohydrates, fiber, and protein. We consume beans in many forms at the Ranch, often as as pinto (a traditional Costa Rican rice and bean dish served at breakfast), as frijoles molidos con queso (refried beans with cheese), or frijoles baja (baked with tomatoes and onions).

Although we love our traditional uses, we also like to get creative. A few weeks ago we decided to start experimenting with fermented black beans, inspired by our love of fermentation and quest for a homemade hoisin sauce. Yumm!

But they are even better fermented!

Beans are packed full of nutrients, but can be difficult on the body, potentially causing flatulence and indigestion. So what is there to do? The answer is fermentation!

Beans fermenting for bean paste

By fermenting your black beans (or any bean), you are essentially letting lactic acid bacteria pre-digest the beans, breaking down the complex proteins into amino acids that the body can more easily absorb. The fermentation process also increases the lactic acid bacteria in the body, improving gut health and the microbiome.

We don’t ferment all of our beans, but this method is super easy and a great way to include delicious, extra nutritious bean paste into your condiments. We particularly like this as an addition to our asian style dishes.

Below are a few recipes that we have been adding to our meal rotations lately. I have to say this hoisin sauce is one of the best sauces I have ever had. Whip up some fermented black bean paste and start experimenting in your own kitchen!

Recipes

Homemade Fermented Black Bean Paste

8 cups of black beans (cooked)

8 tablespoons brine from previous ferment

1. Smash beans with a fork, breaking the skins, until about half have become a paste consistency

2. Fill the jar(s) with the beans

3. Add 8 tablespoons (1 tablespoon per cup) of brine from a previous lactobacillus ferment (homemade kimchi) or whey ferment (how to make dairy kefir)

4. Make sure to not fill your jar more than 3/4 full

5. Note: because the beans are already cooked, they will not have the lactobacillus bacteria naturally occurring on their skins. This requires the previously inoculated brine

6. Screw lids on the jars and let sit for 3 days to 1 week. Testing for taste. The beans will be sweet and sour and have become more paste like in consistency

7. Once the beans have reached your desired taste, you have your paste that can be added to all kinds of dishes, some examples below. Store in the fridge for months

Don’t be afraid of a little white mold that will form on your fermenting bean paste

Homemade Hoisin Sauce

1 cup tapa dulce (or your local sugar source)

6 tablespoons water

9 tablespoons homemade fermented black bean paste (see recipe above)

6 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons homemade vinegar

12 pieces of dried mamey sapote (any local dried fruit such as prunes)

1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil

1 1/2 teaspoons homemade Chinese 5 spice (see recipe below) powder

1. Combine all the ingredients together and blend well

2. Can store in the fridge for months

Chinese 5 Spice

10 Star Anise

2 1/2 teaspoons whole fennel

1 small cinnamon stick

6 whole cloves

2 teaspoons black peppercorns

Blend all together super fine

Homemade “Ketchup”

1/4 cup homemade vinegar

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

5 whole cloves

1 star anise

1 cinnamon stick

2 tablespoons peanuts

1 teaspoon oil (lard or vegetable)

1 small onion diced

2 garlic cloves

4 small ripe bananas

4 tablespoons homemade fermented black bean paste (see recipe above)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoons powdered turmeric

Homemade Chinese 5 spice (see recipe above) powder to taste at the end

(Adapted from “Miso, Tempeh, Natto And Other Tasty Ferments” by Kristen K. Shockey and Christopher Shockey)

1. Combine the vinegar, peppercorns, cloves, anise, and cinnamon stick in a small sauce pan. Bring to boil and simmer low for 15 minutes

2. Sauté the onion, garlic, and peanuts in the oil until slightly caramelized about 5 minutes

3. Combine the bananas, onion mixture, salt, black bean paste and turmeric

4. Once the the vinegar mixture is cooled, strain and add to the other ingredients

5. Blend everything together in a food processor

6. Your sauce is ready to be used immediately or you can put it in a jar to ferment for a few days. Remember to burp your jar daily as carbon dioxide builds up.

7. Your ketchup is ready when you like the taste! Store in fridge for months.

Homemade “Mustard”

To create this mustard, simply let your homemade “ketchup” ferment for about a week or more! This recipe was actually a beautiful accident. We went to the beach for a week, and I forgot I had left the ketchup to ferment while we were gone. When I got back, I expected it would be completely ruined, especially in the tropical heat. This condiment ended up being delicious, tasting and looking just like mustard. That is the beauty of fermentation! It will often turn your mistakes into delicacies.

Pro Tip: Don’t be afraid of a little white mold on the top layer. That’s just fine! Just scoop it off and enjoy what is underneath.

Experimenting to create your own sauces, condiments, etc is fun and exciting!

Want to Learn More

Check out our past blog articles about food creations. Also join us for a day workshop on fermentation.

Stay tuned for more interesting experiments happening here!

Greywater: What Is It And How We Use It

by 2021 apprentice Matthew Raybon

One of our compost toilets where the sink greywater flows onto our orchards

What is Greywater

Greywater is the “waste” water that comes from all household plumbing that is not a toilet. This includes, the shower, bathtub, sinks, and hoses. In most of the contemporary world, greywater is seen as wastewater and is combined with sewage to be chemically treated and dumped into the nearest waterway. In the average household, non-toilet uses make up around 2/3 of water used. This adds up to about 30-50 gallons per person each day. Greywater’s cousin, blackwater, which is the water used by the toilet, makes up the rest of the water used in the typical household. This amounts to around 15-30 gallons of water per person each day (Van Der Ryn, 81). Read about our compost toilets or our biodigester and how these are a more sustainable solution for toilets.

All of our shower grey water is directed to orchard spaces

Woah! That is a whole lot of water. Now, imagine a world where that thing that we currently refer to as “waste” is highly revered as a RESOURCE! A precious thing worthy of a second life where it can aid in enriching the soil and fueling our journey towards a more holistic life. As it turns out, this is more than possible for the average household to pursue and achieve with a little bit of research, design, implementation and maintenance. Using our greywater as a resource hits many principles in permaculture.

Designing your greywater system

To many people the idea of using something that we typically think of as waste to help grow food or water our plants seems unsafe. While greywater is unsafe to drink, if handled and used properly, it is perfectly safe for certain applications. In order to begin designing the appropriate greywater system its necessary to ask a few simple questions:

• What is the volume of greywater being produced?

• What is the source of the greywater? Is it a kitchen sink or a washing machine?

• What is the intended application for the greywater? Are you irrigating an orchard or a vegetable garden?

Once we have answered these questions we can move on to designing and testing a system. At Rancho Mastatal we use a series of very simple low maintenance systems to distribute our greywater as irrigation for our ourchard spaces and ornamental beds. Most of our greywater is coming from our four kitchen sinks and two washing machines. As the water leaves the sink or appliance, it enters into a simple system of surface level PVC piping which utilizes the natural slope in the landscape to direct the greywater to various orchard spaces and ornamental beds. Once the water arrives at the intended zone it is important to distribute the water within the field or garden in a way that does not contribute to erosion or oversaturate one particular plant or tree. Think of a greywater system as a gravity fed, all natural fertilizer delivery system. We want it to feed our trees, but in moderation. In most cases this can be easily accomplished with a combination of branch drains, swales, and detention ponds which will slow spread and sink the water into the different areas.

Branch Drain System

Since our kitchen is particularly active (serving anywhere between 14-30+ people at a time) we use a simple branch drain which splits the grey water into three different pipes. Then these pipes each drain into separate swales. These swales allow the greywater to infiltrate the soil, feeding an orchard space full of bananas, breadfruit trees, and chaya.

Banana Circle

In another application, three less active sinks combine with the rainwater runoff from the roof of the food smithy and main house. This water collects in two small nearby ponds. Around the ponds, in the berm, we have planted a few varietals of banana as well as some Katuk for easy salad access. The greywater that collects in those ponds is diluted with the rainwater from the roof. As it slows and sinks into the earth it helps break down the mulch creating rich and active soil. These are often refered to as banana circles, but you can plant anything on the berms besides bananas.

Things to Consider

When designing your own system its important to consider the different sources of greywater. Kitchen sinks typically contribute the majority of the organic material of your greywater production. In nearly all situations this includes some volume of oils or grease. It’s important for the maintenance of your system to have some sort of grease trap installed in order to prevent the plumbing from clogging. Here at Rancho, we have a greywater and grease trap maintenance check scheduled on our calendar every month. This ensures that the system is maintained.

When utilizing greywater from your washing machine, it is important to consider what sort of soap or detergent is being used and what the environment is that the water will be entering into. Fortunate for us in the tropics, our ecosystem is extremely resilient. This makes it able to mitigate many of the chemicals that go into typical detergents. That said, it is best to avoid boron based detergents and detergents that tout their “softening” abilities.

When it comes to managing the human or synthetic inputs going into the greywater, the strategy that always wins is twofold. First- be conscious of the quantities that are being used. Second- be sure to dilute the greywater with fresh water! In our case at Rancho Mastatal, we experience high levels of rainfall throughout the larger part of the year. Thankfully, this heavily assists in diluting of our greywater inputs.

Applying Greywater

While greywater has the potential to be an incredible resource, it is important to manage and use it properly. As a general rule, its best when directly applied to the soil particularly in orchard type spaces. Here is a brief list of guidelines for applying greywater in food producing spaces:

Guidelines for applying greywater in the garden:

• Apply directly to soil; avoid overhead sprinkling

• Deliver greywater to relatively flat areas or an earthwork designed to slow and spread the greywater

• Use branch drains and swales to disperse the greywater

• Apply mulch and compost to areas receiving greywater to facilitate decomposition (stack functions)

• Greywater is typically alkaline, so avoid using it on acid loving plants

• Mix freshwater in with greywater irrigation - Dillution is key!

• When selecting soaps and cleaning agents be conscious of what those things are made of

• Try to avoid boron based detergents and detergents that tout their softening powers

• Be conscious about your usage of chemical inputs

• Dilution is key! Through the use of a mixture of freshwater (rainwater or otherwise) and grey water, the rich micro biome in your garden or orchards soil will be able to effectively process and integrate the greywater inputs.

Want to Learn More

Join us for our annual Permaculture Design Course to get inspired and hands on education in subjects such as greywater, natural building, agroforestry, and general good practices to designing a more sustainable home and environment.

Swale digging: Water management on the farm is key. Many hands make for much lighter work!

#Pura Vida: The Art of Living and Letting Go in Community

By 2021 apprentice Abbey Cmiel

“Pura Vida, Pura Vida!” we all shouted as we backed away from our clay plastered walls. Many of us perfectionist-types begrudgingly set down our plastering tools and glanced side to side to compare our practice panels to our neighbors. I itched to go back in with my trowel and get all those micro-cracks or indentations just right, but lunch would not wait.

Apprentices practicing the art of plastering

If you’ve spent any time in Costa Rica, you’ve probably become accustomed to the common refrain of “Pura Vida”. A phrase that simultaneously means hello, goodbye, what’s up, “thank you”, “sorry”, and “how are you?”, it’s extremely useful for novice Spanish speakers and members of large communities. When you live amongst 20 or so people, finding the right words for in-passing greetings and remarks can be challenging. I’m one to reply, “you too” when someone says “Happy Birthday” or “Thanks” when someone asks how I am. Having this catch-all phrase, if nothing else, is a handy device the Ticos have perfected.

At first, I was confused by the term which I had mentally translated directly to “Pure Life.” Costa Rica is certainly known for being one of the healthiest places to live on Earth with high environmental protections and standard of living. But although Pura Vida certainly alludes to living a healthy, and “pure” life, I soon learned of a more nuanced translation, something closer to “that’s pure life” or “it is what it is”.

About a month ago, my phone was stolen while on a beach trip with friends from Rancho. We scoured the beach before finally giving up, at which point my friend shrugged and said, “Pura Vida” with a wink. After tempering my immediate impulse to smack him, I laughed and realized this was indeed part of the Pura Vida. Pure, unadulterated life- with it’s crazy roller coaster of frustrations, fears, excitements, and successes.

In just a few short months at the Ranch, I have personally experienced a myriad of life challenges: losing my grandpa, sustaining a back injury that had me down for a few weeks, homesickness, questioning my purpose, and interpersonal relationship struggles. Simultaneously, I have felt more forms of joy than I knew existed: from running on the soccer field, to carving a beautiful clay plaster, to cooking an excellent meal with friends, to watching a seedling I had planted grow. Every moment here feels so rich with wisdom to be gleaned, relationships to be deepened, and love to be shared.

Abbey cooking the crew a delcious farm to table dinner

It seems many cultures have a version of “Pura Vida”: in France “c’est la vie”, in Spain, “que será, será”, and in Japan “Wabi-Sabi”. In each of these concepts there’s a sense of “well, that’s just how it is”, but more importantly, that there’s a joy that comes from embracing what appear to be life’s imperfections. I have learned here at Rancho Mastatal that the immense range of life experiences, particularly the rough spots, not only make us better people, but make life worth living at all. If I had it my way, my plastered walls would look smooth as silk, my rice would be perfectly cooked, I would never get sick and I would never be so silly as to leave my phone out on the beach unattended. However, it’s these challenges that force us to lean on one another. They’re the backbone of community.

When I lost my phone, another apprentice offered me his old one. When my grandpa passed away, the group made a gorgeous bouquet and held me in countless hugs. My complete incompetence at making the perfectly plump and oily Costa Rican rice gives me the chance to hover around the amazing Tica chefs we work with and learn their ways. It’s in the moments of supposed shortcomings, incompetence, and sadness that allow us to step up for one another and remember our interdependence.

Pura Vida, above all else, are the reminders that we are “Pure Life”. We are all a part of the intricately woven and beautifully imperfect tapestry of life, death, food, decay, sharing and giving.  By offering my skills and abilities, whether doing a few extra dishes or translating for visitors, I support this web of wellbeing. We do our best, step up fully to the challenges, and then put down the plastering trowel when we can do no more. And in embracing my imperfections as opportunities for others to love and support me, we collectively build a more connected and whole culture.

Having fun and making local chocolate bon bons

Stay tuned for more stories of life at the Rancho and the daily life of communal living.

Pura vida!

Living Without Walls - A Year of Jungle Community Living

By 2021 apprentice Hanita Knudson

Many of our buildings have fewer and unique “walls”

Being an Arizona native, much of my life is defined by walls. As a border state our boundaries are clearly defined by the massive border wall that separates us from our neighbors.

I also come from the opposite landscape of the tropical jungles of Costa Rica- at home we rarely receive rain and have extreme temperature shifts in the summer. Walls can provide us with essential insulation from the elements, and also create the structure for me to decorate and form a sense of comfort.

However, my relationship with walls is complex. As someone who has lived, studied, and worked in border communities for most of my adult life, it is an overarching theme I think of often. Before I arrived at Rancho, I was working with children mostly from Central and South America coming to the states to reunify with their families. Every day was a very present reminder that this physical barrier has created a deep division in how we perceive and interact with each other. For years I have seen how one wall can have continual detrimental effects both on our natural landscapes and our relationships between countries.

One of the first things I noticed and continue to observe at the Ranch is the absence of walls. Here, we live in open air structures and are constantly connected to each other and nature. All of our spaces meld together, which means we share just about everything. This has made my understanding of walls, or lack thereof, even more complex. Nature is always around us and it feels as if we are naturalized citizens of the jungle rather than the owners of the land. We are in constant shared space with the jungles plants and creatures. From ants building nests in my bed, to spiders laying eggs on my mosquito net, to toads hopping about the floor of the main house, to boa constrictors slithering around the ceiling of the food prep kitchen, I could go on and on about my daily interactions with my animal land-mates. To say it has been easy would be a far stretch from the truth. However, I have also seen the immense benefits, both personally and in community, of living without walls.

An example of our natural building with earthen walls

Walls obviously serve various functions, and we spend a decent amount of time at the Ranch building earthen walls for safety and shelter. But often, in other contexts, their function of separation is more harmful than helpful. It is easy to disconnect yourself from something if you never have direct interactions with it. We often consume resources without a second thought as how those resources made it to us or how the Earth was affected to obtain them. Now that I can see the farm where much of my food is grown, and hear my neighbors who provide what we cannot produce ourselves, I am continually reminded of every life that provides for my own. I am a witness to all the pollinators, plants, and people who I depend on, and as a result and I continue to learn to care on a deeper level about their wellbeing.

Community spaces being shared

It is also easy to make assumptions and judge others when you stay separated from them. When you share a bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, and all other living spaces with a group of people, you end up learning quite a bit about them. The other apprentices and I talk and interact just about all the time- whether doing dishes, building adobe bricks, or even brushing our teeth. During these times, we share almost too many details about our day to day lives, but in the end, understand each other so much more deeply than if we had our own spaces. This makes it much easier for us to support one another or just let the little annoyances go.

In permaculture, one of the most essential concepts is “edges”. While dominant Western society tends to value centralization, efficiency, and consistency, permaculture places immense value on the interaction between people, places, and biomas. Here, at the edge of the jungle, Mother Nature is my consistent teacher and friend. I am constantly living at the edges - talking, learning, growing, and adapting with all the other beings around me. Without separation, I can observe how nature functions and deepen my understanding on a daily basis. Without borders, I deepen my relationships with all my neighbors, from cicadas who sing into the night to the many other jungle sounds. Though it’s not always easy, we form a more interconnected and resilient community as a result.

Our earthen meeting structure where we hold classes, community meetings, talent shows and more

Read Past Blogs about Community Living

Enriching Community Soil

Invisible Infrastructure: How we Create Our Lives Together

Living With Limited Communications

Harnessing Wild Yeast: How to make your own Fruit Alcohol (Hooch)

By Adriaan Van Duuren, apprentice 2021

Fruit alcohol, or what we like to call hooch, is a great way to use an abundance of seasonal fruit and transform it into a tasty alcoholic treat. With a community of 15 plus people here, we can drink a fair amount of alcohol, and being able to make it ourselves allows us to know the ingredients, process, who is benefiting from it, and save a lot of money!

This blog is going to explain how to make a fast and simple hooch with basic/cheap accessories that everyone normally has or can buy. I will use my banana hooch that I made here at the Ranch as an example, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t use different or multiple kinds of fruit that are local to your place.

Equipment

·       Cutting board

·       Knife

·       Kettle

·       Air tight food grade container

·       Bubbler

·       Strainer

·       Siphon (optional)

·       Airtight bottles

Ingredients (makes 5 liters)

·       1000 ml fruit

·       4500 ml  water

·       500 ml sugar (we use locally sourced sugar known as tapa dulce)

Instructions

Making a Batch of Wild Yeast

First, we need to create a small batch of wild yeast to be able to make  sure our hooch will have a good taste and smell. You can use store bought alcohol yeast, but making your own is more fun, creative, and can bring different flavors to your beverages! Yeast live where there is sugar!  Yeast will convert the sugars into alcohol. Different ingredients will create different flavors and aromas in your yeast and your batch of alcohol, which is why it is important to try out different yeasts in a small quantity. Take a small container and put chopped fruit, water and some sugar in it. Here are three different examples of the wild yeasts I made in order to test what would give me the best flavor.

1.      Dried banana with water and sugar syrup

2.      Ripe banana with water and sugar syrup

3.      Ripe banana, lemon juice, water and sugar syrup

After three days of daily stirring, I tasted the mixes and decided to use the first mix with the dried banana to cultivate my big batch of banana hooch. The sweet smell and honey like taste was what I wanted.

To know your wild yeast is ready, things you're looking for are: the pieces of fruit are floating to the top, you can see the liquid is starting to get bubbly and active, and it's still sweet but not as much as the beginning.

Brewing

Before we can start brewing a big batch of hooch we need to chop the fruit into smaller pieces and put them in the fridge for two days. I'm doing this to give the fruit some more time to ripen and create more natural sugars.

We  then begin the brewing process by putting our fruit in the big airtight container that we want to make our hooch in.

Pour 1000 ml of hot water from the kettle on to the fruit. Make sure that all the fruit is surrounded by water to kill the non cultivated yeasts. Seal the container and let the mixture cool down until you can comfortably put your finger in it.

Add the rest of the 3500ml of water, the liquid sugar, and your batch of wild yeast (be sure the overall liquid temperature is not above 110 degrees Fahrenheit or it will kill your yeast). If you only have crystalized sugar available, boil it in a little bit of water to liquify it. Stir this mixture and seal the container air tight. Put the bubbler in a hole on the lid and make sure that no air can escape from the container except through the bubbler. Let your brew ferment for 4 days while stirring gently everyday.  After four days strain the pulp and store the liquid in the airtight bottles. Let the hooch carbonate for one day in the closed bottles and then put them in the fridge for two more days. Now you should have a fruity and sweet carbonated hooch to drink and show off to your friends!

Tips and Tricks 

If you forgot about some stored bottles of hooch or just made too many of them, don't  panic! After one to two weeks your alcohol will turn into vinegar and you can use it to cook with. Store your hooch in the fridge if you want to keep them for longer, but with enough time the hooch will turn to vinegar in the fridge. You can store in the freezer for a longer lifespan.  ATTENTION!!! Make sure there is enough air in your bottles when you store them in a freezer or your bottles will explode from the pressure.

Thank you for reading this blog and I hope you enjoy drinking your hooch!

Other Blogs on Fermentation

How to Make a Simple Hooch

Tropical Brewing

Happy brewing, happy microbes, enjoy!

TROPICAL FRUITS: knowin’ em, eatin’ em, and pickin’ em

By Dewey, apprentice 2021

CONSIDERING THE EVOLUTION OF PRODUCE

Fruits and vegetables have not always existed in the way we know them today. Farmers, the agriculture industry, and plant scientists have taken native plants and reshaped them into the crops we now consume in our daily diets. This has happened over time for a variety of reasons. In some cases it was to improve their palatability, in others to make them easier to grow, harvest, or eat. For better or for worse, the produce we grow in our home gardens or purchase at farmer’s markets, grocery stores, and CSA boxes have developed alongside us for centuries.

Although we have had a strong hand in their evolution, some of these changes have happened through random genetic mutations— nature’s way of ensuring diversity, adapting to conditions, and creating new varieties. One good example of this is corn. Although we have, in recent times, bred and mutated the corn to appear the way we see it on our plates today, it originally underwent a series of four or five key mutations, each involving a single gene. These mutations created a taller plant with larger ears that had more kernels per cob and only one or two stalks. Our farming ancestors ran with nature’s changes and began further breeding and developing the corn to its current state. This has happened over the course of time, to varying degrees, with pretty much all of the food we consume today.

The tropics are known for producing sweet, juicy, colorful fruits that top people’s favorites list across the globe. Living at Rancho Mastatal, we are surrounded by an abundance of fresh, vibrant farm to table, tropical fruits that keep us fueled and energized for all of our various projects. Some of the most commonly loved and consumed being bananas, pineapples, and papayas. If you’ve ever been fortunate enough to experience a Rancho Mastatal brunch, you know it consists of gallo pinto, eggs, a pan of delicious hash made of various tubers and vegetables, and a bunch of fruit bowls filled to the brim with delicious tropical fruits. Oh, and you can’t forget a glass of our refreshing, homemade water kefir (recipe here) AKA balm to us and some famous chili jam (recipe here) to top it off.

So! How did these tropical fruits we get to enjoy every day come to look, taste, and be the fruits they are? Why should we eat them? What are their nutritional benefits? How do we know which ones to choose? And how do we properly store them to maximize their quality and shelf life? Let’s get into it!

BANANAS- A (very) BRIEF HISTORY

Bananas, they come in all shapes, sizes, flavors and colors!

Bananas are one of the first fruits humans began domesticating. As early as 6000 BC people in Southeast Asia began planting and propagating the banana. Although in many supermarkets you will commonly only find the Cavendish, there are thousands of varieties of bananas that exist in the world. They range in color from pink to purple to red to black to green and, of course, yellow. They grow in all different sizes and historically had big seeds throughout their flesh.

At some point in our banana cultivating history, a different banana bush appeared. This bush bore a fruit whose seeds were reduced to a column of soft, dark flecks running down the center of the fruit. This new variety with its novel, easy to consume seeds was a hit. This new “seedless” banana was propagated by cuttings and quickly spread throughout the tropics and subtropics. It was this one banana that led us down the path to the seedless bananas we all know today.

Read our other banana blog “10 Things you Didn’t Know About the Banana”

SWEET OR STARCHY

Experts estimate that there are around twelve thousand seedless banana varieties grown throughout the world. These bananas can mostly be categorized into two different types: sweet bananas and starchy bananas. Although there are very few genetic differences between these two groups, they are remarkably different in texture and taste. Generally speaking, we consume more sweet bananas than starchy ones, however, starchy bananas are an excellent source of carbohydrates and many people around the globe rely on them as a sufficient source of carbohydrates. Most starchy banana recipes call for the fruit to be skinned before being steamed, baked, or fried. At the Ranch we love coming in from our morning work parties to a crispy plate of hash loaded with green bananas. Patacones, a delicious dish of pressed and fried green bananas, is another lunch or dinner favorite all around.

VARIETY IS THE SPICE OF LIFE

The aforementioned Cavendish is the most widely available banana (especially in US stores). It has around 3.5 grams of soluble fiber per serving and a good amount of potassium. It is lower in beta-carotene and its general overall antioxidant value is lower than many other types of banana, so be sure to keep your eye out for less common banana varieties. As with a lot of produce, the deeper and more potent the color of the flesh the higher the nutrient content so many of the varieties you might find at farmer’s markets or growing in the wild are worth trying out.

When you visit Rancho you will see a wide range of banana varieties, colors, shapes and sizes all around the property. We harvest these when ready and then hang them in our banana snack station behind our cob oven (read about our “Endevors to End Propane”) at the main house for all to snack on between meals. Without a doubt, they give us the energy we need to keep going throughout the day.

PROPER BANANA STORAGE

Bananas are a fruit that will continue to ripen after harvesting as long as they aren’t exposed to the cold. If you buy your bananas green and then keep them at room temperature they will typically be ready to eat within a week. Unripe bananas should never be placed in the refrigerator. As a tropical fruit the banana does not like being exposed to the cold. Placing green bananas in your refrigerator will halt the ripening process. If you want to get your green bananas ripe faster, you can place them in a closed paper bag with any natural producer of ethylene gas (like an apple) which will get the ripening process on its way. On the other hand, if your bananas are getting a bit too ripe you can place them in the refrigerator to slow their ripening process. This will often times cause the skin to brown, but the inside will be edible for a little longer than if you kept them at room temperature. Here at Rancho when we have an abundance (which we often do) we love to freeze our superfluous bananas in the freezer to make delicious, creamy smoothies. Be sure to peel the bananas before you freeze them, as they can be hard to peel once frozen.

Cinnamon Chia Banana Smoothie recipe:

4 frozen bananas- cut/broken in half or into thirds

1 cup milk or dairy kefir (recipe here) of your choice

1/2 cup water

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Chia seeds (desired amount)

Pinch of salt

*sub water for cold coffee if you are looking for a little caffeine boost!

FOODOMETER

If you are buying bananas at the grocery store, take a minute to acknowledge the miles that banana has traveled to get on the shelf in front of you. The US consumes more bananas than any other fruit, resulting in the importation of twenty million tons each year and an increasingly high carbon footprint. One way you can go the extra mile to ensure none of these imported bananas go to waste is by consuming them consciously. Don’t let them go to waste! If your bananas start to over-ripen consider turning them into a delicious banana bread or cake. Like my grandma always says, “Three overripe bananas in hand, mashed and baked into a delicious bread is better than a whole bunch on the bush.”

Banana vinegar is a great way to transform excess bananas into something that will preserve for a long time

Here at the Ranch, managing our bananas (or as we call it, bananaging) is a big job. To make sure we don’t let our precious harvests go to waste, we freeze hundreds of bananas to make delicious smoothies or to use in recipes at a later date. Other ways we like to transform the banana is:

Banana Vinegar

Dairy Kefir Banana Creme Fraiche

Banana Hooch

Another way to ensure bananas aren’t being wasted as a supermarket consumer is to purchase the single bananas that get left behind by other customers who picked them off their bunch. These left behind, bunchless bananas are the ones most likely to be thrown away at the end of the day by the grocer, so your actions will ensure their carbon footprint was not wasted! And if you live in an area where growing bananas is possible, try it out! One thing I have learned here at Rancho is that there is nothing quite like enjoying a fresh fruit from your home harvest on a hot day.

PINEAPPLES- A (very) BRIEF HISTORY

The wild pineapples that were the ancestors of our beloved pineapples were not something we would welcome onto our plate today. Originally found in South America, they were bitter and full of pesky seeds, not to mention had ridiculously spiky leaves to keep predators away. The primary pollinator of wild pineapples is the hummingbird, but in cultivation they are pollinated by hand. We do not know much about the domestication of the fruit, but pineapple’s story begins between Brazil and Paraguay. The crop spread throughout South America eventually making its way through the Caribbean, Central America, and Mexico where the Mayas and the Aztecs welcomed it with open arms.

Through colonialist travels, the pineapple was eventually brought to India, the Philippines (where it was surprisingly grown for its fibers which were used in textile production) and Spain. Historically, pineapples were considered a symbol of wealth across Europe. This was because they had to be imported or grown in greenhouses using expensive technologies in the temperate climate. Today, the top producers of pineapples are Costa Rica, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Brazil.

A fresh picked pineapple from the Ranch

The variety by the name of Cayenne was the first pineapple to dominate global markets. Its skin is a mixed green-gold and its flesh is yellow. This variety has a high sugar but also high acid content. Throughout the 1900s Hawaiian pineapple growers began working to breed pineapples that had been collected from the jungles of South America as well as Africa. For decades they crossed and recrossed the plants eventually producing a hybrid that came to be known as MD-2. The skin of this new pineapple was completely golden and the flesh of it was an even deeper hue of gold. It was less acidic and sweeter than the Cayenne, making it even more desirable to consumers. In the 1980s Del Monte brought MD-2 down to its plantations in Costa Rica where it flourished, and the rest is pura vida. Other similar varieties that come from the same genetic stock have appeared on the market, such as Maui Gold and Hawaii Gold.

RECOGNIZING RED FLAGS

As with most industrialized fruit/food production, there exist many ethical and environmental concerns when it comes to large scale pineapple cultivation. Use of toxic pesticides threaten the soil of our earth as well as our global water supply- buy organic if and whenever possible. Labor rights are another issue at hand. Field workers are often overworked and underpaid. Any amount of food you can produce for yourself will allow you to break free of being complicit in these systems. If you live somewhere with the right conditions, consider trying to grow your own pineapple! Although it will take some patience (a pineapple generally takes between nine to fourteen months to grow), you can regrow your pineapples directly from their tops!

Once grown, the momma pineapple plant will send out “suckers” or baby pineapple plants that can also be planted and regrown. This is how most commercial pineapples are produced. Plan ahead and plant early to enjoy your homegrown treat as soon as possible. Like my grandma always says, “The best time to plant a pineapple is nine months ago. The second best time is today.”

NUTRIENT VALUE OF THE PINEAPPLE AND A SWEET SURPRISE

Pineapples are high in manganese (which is beneficial for your bone health) as well as being high in vitamin C (which helps to bolster your immune system). They have a diverse phytochemistry containing many different types of polyphenols. Polyphenols are family of over 8,000 naturally occurring micronutrients that we obtain through eating plant foods. They are packed with antioxidants which, like vitamins, are best when obtained through consuming them naturally in our food. These polyphenols offer many health benefits such as protecting against disease, promoting digestion, reducing inflammation and boosting brain health.

One particularly interesting enzyme found in abundance throughout the entire pineapple plant is bromelain. In folk medicine bromelain is used for pain, muscle soreness, burns, and a variety of conditions associated with chronic inflammation. It is also said to improve heart health, protect against certain forms of cancer, and stimulate digestion. Although there is not yet any solid scientific research to support these claims, bromelain is currently under preliminary research to aid in the treatment of various clinical disorders as we speak.

Interestingly, the new super sweet, cross-bred varieties are higher in sugar- however, they are also higher in antioxidants and phytonutrients. They have 350% more vitamin C and 135% more beta-carotene than their traditional counterpart. Even with their higher sugar content, their glycemic index rating is the same as the Cayenne, making them an overall more healthful choice.

HOW TO BUY EM, HOW TO STORE EM

Pineapples will continue to rippen once harvested. Like most tropical fruits that are exported, they are picked green for transport, allowing time for them to arrive at their destination and hopefully make it to the shelves at a time when they are close to ripe. To choose a great pineapple, examine the crown. You want one that has leaves that are a deep green color and limited or no signs of brown or fading. A good trick is to give the leaves a little tug. If you can pull too many of the leaves right off, it may be a sign that that pineapple is reaching over-ripe. Pineapples can spoil quickly, so store them in the refrigerator and eat them up fast.

SAVE THOSE SCRAPS!

I once watched a man peel, de-core, and cut a pineapple in under 30 seconds flat on an old wooden boat in the middle of the Indian Ocean off the coast of Zanzibar with a machete. Now, impressive as that is, most of our pineapple carving skills are not quite at that level. I am willing to admit that I am guilty for wasting more pineapple than I should when carving due to my still-developing pineapple cutting skills.

There are many things you can do with those pineapple scraps before they head to the compost. One delicious way to maximize the benefits of the bromelain and polyphenols (many of which are found in the skin and crown) is to make a refreshing pineapple skin sun tea. Although keep in mind that pineapples are one of the most chemically sprayed fruit, to prevent insect damages primarily, so either wash your pineapple skins well and/or buy organically grown pineapples. Here at the Ranch we only use our farm grown pineapples for teas and vinegar making.

PINEAPPLE SCRAP TEA

The start of a pineapple

1.        To make the tea, first secure a container or jar (preferably glass) that has a tight fitting lid.

2.        Collect all of your pineapple scraps (crown, skins, core and all) and put them into your chosen vessel.

3.        Fill the vessel with water until the scraps are completely submerged.

4.        Tightly cover the vessel and leave in the sun for 4-6 hours (or until the water becomes infused with the pineapple as indicated by a yellowing color).

5.        Strain, chill, and enjoy! If you have a sweet tooth you can add a little sweetener of your choice, which here at Rancho is, of course, TAPA DULCE!

Another option with those spare pineapple parts is to make a pineapple vinegar. We are currently doing this at the Ranch with all of our homegrown pineapples. Check out Hanita’s pineapple vinegar article for step by step instructions on how to do this!

PAPAYA - A (very) BRIEF HISTORY

A papaya tree at the Ranch

Originating in the tropical forests of the Americas, the papaya is believed to have been first domesticated and cultivated by our farming ancestors in southern Mexico and Central America. It was brought over into the Caribbean before making its way to Europe and the Pacific Islands eventually landing in Hawaii in the 1800s.

The papaya plant is considered a tree, though it’s trunk is not woody. It is a resilient plant with about a five year lifespan that can often be seen popping up unprompted, wherever the seeds may land throughout the tropics. Fruit from these trees comes quickly, sometimes even within the first year of life. This makes it a great fruit to try growing at home, given you live in the right conditions.

Since the papaya Ring Spot Virus outbreak in the late 1990s almost wiped out the papaya, plant scientists have been working to create new varieties and cross breeds that are resistant to the virus. Because of this, many of the papayas imported from Hawaii and Mexico are genetically modified.

TO RIPEN OR NOT TO RIPEN

Ripe papayas are a delicious and nutritious sweet treat, however people around the world also consume un-ripe papaya. Commonly referred to as “green papayas” these are not another variation, but simply papayas in an unripe state. Green papayas have a pale green or white, firm flesh that is almost tasteless. At Rancho we shred and prepare green papayas into our famous Ranch kimchi (recipe here) every other week to add some fermented, healthful deliciousness to our plates at each meal. Green papayas will keep for up to two weeks, but the sooner you use them the better. Be sure to peel before using!

VARIETY AND NUTRITION

There are many different varieties, but typically you will find a smaller variety named Solo or a larger variety that goes by one of these four names: Sunrise, Caribbean Red, Maradol or Mexican. The pear shaped Solo usually weighs in at just over a pound (2.2 kilos) and has a golden colored pulp. The larger rounded football shaped varieties can weigh in between two and five pounds and have a rosy red-orange flesh. These larger papayas are often cheaper per pound than their smaller relatives and their red flesh has twice the amount of carotenoids, making them the more healthful choice.

Carotenoids are a vast group of over 600 different naturally occurring pigments that are responsible for the bright red, orange, and yellows found in many of our plant foods. These carotenoids are essential to a healthy life. Within the human body they act as antioxidants, neutralizing free radicals and reducing oxidative stress. Some are converted into vitamins while others reduce inflammation, decreasing our risk for diseases like cancer, heart disease, and degenerative eye disease. One of the most prominent carotenoids in papaya is lycopene which has anti-cancer properties. Another being beta-carotene. As a child I remember my grandma, always saying, “A carrot a day keeps the premature blindness away!” Turns out there was more science to that than I understood then— and it applied to more than just carrots! These antioxidants that are crucial to maintaining our prolonged health are not synthesized by the human body so they must be obtained by plant foods in our diet. Eat up!

Papaya is truly a nutritious treat. It contains a good amount of beta-carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin, vitamin C, folate and potassium. In case you weren’t already convinced, papaya is not just good for you internally, you can also use its wide range of antioxidants and nutrients to nourish your skin and hair. Check out this year’s apprentice Abbey’s blog on our spastatal practices to learn more about how to incorporate tropical fruits into your natural beauty routine!

KNOW HOW TO PICK EM

Green papayas ready for our kimchi

Good, ripe papayas are still on the firm side but feel soft when pressed with gentle pressure using the palms of your hands. They are yellow in color. Papayas that are still ripening often have a mixture of yellow and green on their skins. A perfect papaya will have no blemishes, but as these fruits are often shipped from Hawaii, Mexico, or Costa Rica your papaya might have a soft spot or two. These are still totally okay to eat, just cut out the bad spots and enjoy.

Once your papaya is ripe, storing it in the refrigerator will help slow down its ripening process. If your papaya is nearing overripe, it can be peeled, de-seeded, cubed, and stored in the freezer for a delicious addition to smoothies or whatever you are cooking up. One of this year’s kitchen masters, Constantin, LOVES adding papaya into our tomato sauces and salsas for a sweet, local way to bulk them up. Personally, I love papaya best when chilled. Be sure to try some fresh out of the refrigerator for a refreshing experience.

CONSIDERATIONS

If you have a severe latex allergy, consume papayas with caution as they may cause itchiness, swelling, hives, or other signs of allergic reaction. Also note that consuming papaya during pregnancy may cause contractions or early labor.

IN CONCLUSION

These fruits and vegetables that have evolved alongside us help supply our bodies with the antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals we need to stay healthy. Living in the tropics, tropical fruits are an important food group here at Rancho. They ensure we have what we need to keep going and keep moving piles. Although everyone enjoys these tropical fruits, for obvious reasons of that they taste so yummy! We are strong believers of local food and supporting local farmers, therfore if you live somewhere where these fruits are shipped from far away and aren’t local to you, consider looking for fruit and vegetable alternatives that are local. There are plenty of temperate options that hold as high of health benefits and taste just as good! And like my grandma always says, “The more radiant colors on your plate, the more radiant energy in your heart- eat up!”

Tips on how to put together a plastering practice board

By Felipe Ortiz,

Have you ever heard of natural plasters? If not, check Rancho Mastatal Natural Building course. Maybe you attended a course somewhere or had an enjoyable experience with some friends helping them at their natural home project or maybe you have seen some videos online.

fun with natural building

No matter what has been your experience being introduced to the art of plastering, it seems it is a constant that people get exposed to or hear of natural building systems and then they have trouble keeping up with their learning and further execution of their knowledge.

At least that happened to me when I was first introduced to these concepts about 8 years ago. If I had the following information and kept practicing on a regular basis I would be way more advanced these days, since practice makes the master, as the phrase says.

So in the following bullet points the goal is to be able to transmit the knowledge, how to create and prepare a suitable plastering practice board, so you can practice your skills on the art of plastering.

What's a natural plaster?

A natural plaster (in North America), Natural Render (in Europe) or Repello Natural/Revoke natural (in Spanish speaking countries) is the technique and system that is used to finish a wall of any type using natural materials like: Clay, Lime, Gypsum and others.

Yes you can finish any kind of wall with a natural plaster. Like any other technique the key is to practice.

What is a plaster practice board and why?

Basically it is a board to practice finishes of any kind, though natural finishes are the healthiest and nicer ones (in my opinion).

Having a plaster practice board is key to being able to practice different techniques, experiment with different recipes and materials, practice your hawk and trowel movements, make mistakes and learn from them, and keep further advancing your skills in the art of plastering.

So here it goes, what you need, and how to prepare it! Take notes!

Practice panels being used at the ranch for plastering

Making a plaster practice board

• Plan it to the detail so the process goes smooth, as my friend says: "Set yourself up for success."

• An ideal practice plastering board is attached to an existing wall, it's easy to repair, takes little space, it can be re-used again and again.

• A good choice for the substrate of the panel is plywood or laminated wood. Its cheap, very flat, easy to find and work with. You can also make an earthen “board” out of a variety of natural building techniques (cob, adobe, wattle and daub, strawbale).

  **Pro Tip: wherever you buy this board ask if they provide the service to cut it to your preferred dimensions, sometimes they do it for free or for as little as 25 cents the cut.

• A good dimension practice panel is 1 meter by 2 meters. This allows you a decent and realistic size.

• The panel needs to be framed so you will need 6 linear meters of 1 inch x 2 inch boards.

  **Pro Tip: ask for cutting service at the hardware store or wherever you buy it.

• The practice panel will be screwed into an existing wall and framed. So you will need screws of at least 2 1/2 inches and a drill of course.

• You will need an acrylic paint and some cement. This is for creating the transition coat on your practice panel from plywood to your natural plaster base coat.

• Make sure the spot you're choosing for the installation of the panel is appropriate, remember you will be working with mud, lime and other ingredients, sometimes it gets messy, especially if you are a beginner. The garage seems an ideal space.

Now that you have all your materials ready, the rest of the process is pretty straight forward.

• With help from a friend or a family member hold the piece of plywood to the desired height on the wall. With the drill and the screws secure the plywood to the wall, making sure to use a sufficient amount to hold the weight of the plasters you will put on.

• With the 1 inch x 2 inch boards create a frame over the plywood board. If you planned it right, your boards are cut to the perfect length.

At this point you should have a properly secure board to the wall in a suitable spot for working with your mixes and applications.

• Make a mix of acrylic paint and water (50/50) and add cement to this until it reaches a paint like consistency. Paint this onto your panel, this will help with the transition from plywood to plaster.

• Apply a thin plaster layer, this will be a permanent layer on your board, to help with absorption of your next layers. This can be a cement or lime plaster. Add a horizontal key onto this layer to help with bonding of the next layers.

Now the board is ready to use to start practicing your natural plasters, from base coat, leveling coat to finish coat, or with whatever system you decide to experiment, that is what the board is meant for; practice, experiment, learn and do it all again.

Once you have finished a plastering system whether it is just a base coat or all the way to a finish coat you will chisel it down, if the transition coat is damaged just repair it and the practice panel is ready to go again!

Trust me you will get tired of plastering before this panel is useless.

From now on you have your own plastering practice board. This space is your experimental area and personal plastering learning center. A space that has no consequences and allows you to freely play and practice your plaster skills.

learn more about natural building

Join us for one of our natural building related workshops.

or looking for a natural building contractor in Costa Rica, check out Madre Tierra

Happy building!

Tadelakt - Water Resistant Lime Plaster

by Nic, Core Team

What is Tadelakt?

Simply defined Tadelakt is a type of polished lime plaster.  Many cultures around the world have polished lime plaster, but none have captured the imagination in the way that Tadelakt has.  At the Ranch we offer a variety of day workshops and our Tadelakt day workshop is by far one of the most popular natural building options.

One of our showers at the Ranch using tadelakt

Tadelakt is often used in wet places as it has excellent properties for resisting the penetration of water.  Traditionally this plaster was used in Morocco in the public baths and now more commonly around the world in sinks, kitchens, countertops etc…  We frequently use Tadelakt plaster in wet areas like shower walls and sink areas. Read here for how we built this Tadelakt Shower.

Before talking more about Tadelakt it is important to understand the lime cycle and how it works so we can understand what different products we are looking for and how they are used in our plasters.

This basic Lime cycle shows you how Limestone is taken from the ground and heated at kilns to around 1500°F.  This heating process burns the lime and the Carbon Dioxide is released into the air.  This creates quicklime which is highly reactive.  When water is added to this a lot of heat is given off during the reaction and the quick lime becomes calcium hydroxide.  This is also known as hydrated lime or lime putty and is typically the product that you buy for building; it can come in a powder (if minimal water is added) or in a putty (if it is slaked in excess water).  The putty can be aged for periods of time creating a more workable higher quality product, it is often more expensive and higher quality the longer it has been aged.  It is highly caustic at this stage and gloves and goggles should be used when handling it.  When the calcium hydroxide is exposed to the air, for instance when it is applied to a wall in a plaster, it then begins to react with the carbon dioxide in a process called carbonation.  As it carbonates it turns back into limestone.  This is known as the lime cycle.

Teaching students how to apply tadelakt in our Natural Building Workshop

What Makes Tadelakt unique? 

As I said Tadelakt is a polished lime plaster, in order to polish a lime plaster you need to work the plaster with the appropriate tool at the exact time in its drying cycle, too early and you will damage the surface and too late and you can “burn” the plaster.  The timing of polishing is true of any polished lime plaster and can be universally applied to a variety of lime mixes to achieve a somewhat similar finish (polished).

There are specific characteristics of our lime plaster mix and finishing technique though which are “required” to call it Tadelakt.  Although I don’t believe there are any international laws that are associated with calling a product or a finish Tadelakt, we can start to think of it a bit like that.  Just like when you buy rum you would expect it to be made from sugar cane, distilled and aged in barrels, in my opinion it is the same with Tadelakt.  Well not exactly the same as there are no laws associated with the name Tadelakt whereas there are with calling it rum, but you get the idea!  Whilst I am going to outline some of the things which I believe set a Tadelakt plaster apart from other polished lime plasters, there will also be some overlap.  Some people may also say that if the plaster is not made and applied by a traditional specialist from Morroco, in Morroco then it is not Tadelakt, but personally I think that is taking it a bit far and the key theme is the ingredients and the methodology rather than the location and the applicant.

In my opinion there are three fundamental properties that define Tadelakt as a unique polished plaster.

The Aggregate

In the majority of lime plasters, although there are definitely exceptions, (especially in Japan) you are combining Lime (Calcium Hydroxide) with an aggregate.  Typically this aggregate is silica based as the most common form of sand around the world is usually silicon dioxide in the form of quartz.  What makes Tadelakt unique is the fact that the aggregate is not silica based it is a crushed limestone (CaCO3).  Traditionally this was composed of the limestone that had not been heated sufficiently in order to create quick lime (Calcium Oxide).  We source our crushed limestone from agricultural supply stores.  It is commonly sold as a soil amendment for acidic soils.  The fact that a limestone based aggregate is used is important as it means there is no chemical reaction between the aggregate and the binder and it means you can make your Tadelakt mix and store in indefinitely as long as it is not exposed to air (specifically carbon dioxide).  We do this by just covering the mixture with a layer of water.  If we make a mix of silica based aggregate and lime over time they will begin to react with one another forming calcium silicates which mean that the lime and the aggregate have become hard and unusable as a plaster.  I have heard different opinions about whether this is true, I have heard people say that the silica is not reactive and shouldn’t react with the lime however, in my personal experience I have had silica based aggregates and lime mixed and left in buckets with water on top and have come back to them and they are solid and unusable.

Stoning the tadelakt surface using a precious stone

Polishing tool

What makes Tadelakt unique is the tool that is used to polish the drying lime plaster.  A precious stone that is higher than 7 on the Mohs hardness scale is typically used.  It has to be hard enough to successfully burnish the surface hence the requirement of certain hardness of stone.

Soaping

Traditionally this soap would have been an olive oil based soap, and some may say that it is not Tadelakt unless you use olive oil soap, but we have been using our homemade soap using our local oils, (lard for example) and our Tadelakt works great!  Once you understand the chemistry of the reaction you realize what else can be used.  Stearic Acid in soap reacts with the calcium hydroxide in the Tadelakt to create Calcium Stearate.  Calcium stearate is very hydrophobic (repels water) making it an excellent (essential!) additive to your Tadelakt.  Stearic acid is found in the majority of oils which can then be used to make soap.  It is not at particularly high levels in olive oil soap and is actually at much higher concentrations in hard oils like cocoa butter, shea butter and animal fats.

Our home made soap, typically using local oils like lard and coconut oil

Application of soap with a brush

How to apply Tadelakt

One of our close friends Benito of the The Nito Project on YouTube made a fantastic instructional video of how to apply tadelakt. Check it out here.

We typically use a 50/50 mix of lime aggregate and lime putty.  We get our lime aggregate from agricultural supply stores and it does vary in its grading.  Sometimes it is super fine and the texture of wheat flour and other times it is grittier and has larger sized aggregates.  You want the grittier variety to give some substance to your plaster.  If you use too fine of an aggregate you will not be able to build much thickness.  We always sift our lime aggregate through window screen to make sure there are no large chunks that will really mess up your finish. 

Mixing of the tadelakt mixture with a drill and paddle

I guess at this point it is important to mention that like with all plasters controlling the drying time of your plaster is going to be very important.  If it dries too fast you will not have time to polish and burnish the surface and may even burn it. If it dries too slowly you may be hanging around for hours waiting for it to dry enough to finish.  We have had both scenarios!  The problem is each scenario will be different so judgment and experience will be your greatest ally.  Some of the site conditions to consider which can drastically affect the drying time will be;

1. Humidity levels at the site

2. How windy it is

3. The substrate you are plastering on

4. How wet the mix is

5. How much you wet the wall down

6. Size of area to be plastered

Some of these you can’t really control, like the humidity at your site. On the other hand you could try and compensate for this with the amount you wet the walls down. Success will in part be dictated by how well you are able to account for the above factors.  We therefore always recommend doing samples both on some absorbent surface like the back of a clay tile and on something that is the same substrate you are planning on applying your Tadelakt to give you an idea of how it will go. 

Before you start applying any mixture on your finished wall you should put test patches on it as you wet the wall down to see how quickly it is drying.

Finishing the tadelakt

The majority of the time we are applying Tadelakt onto an earthen wall, although we have got some walls which are lathe and plaster (no earth) with a Tadelakt finish.  Typically on an earthen wall we apply a lime base coat around ¼” (6mm) thick.  This is applied to a well keyed, flat earthen wall.  It is important that it is flat as this keeps the lime an even thickness which means that it absorbs water from your Tadelakt at an even rate. 

We wait around 30 days for our Lime base coat to carbonate and harden up as much as possible before sealing it in with another layer.   As you might be able to imagine as lime carbonates it actually seals off the outer surface to the inner parts, not allowing as much carbon dioxide through and consequentially slowing down the carbonation of the full thickness of plaster applied.

After 30 days we apply the finish coat.  As it has a very dry lime base coat it needs a lot of wetting down in order to give you enough time to work the Tadelakt, by also applying multiple layers of Tadelakt, the base coat absorbs the water from the Tadelakt mixture and that also helps slows the suction down.  Originally we did multiple layers of Tadelakt now we typically do 2 layers of Tadelakt and build about 1/8th (3mm) thickness.  It is important that you test the thickness you can apply first, if your aggregate is very fine you may have to do thinner layers.

As the Tadelakt dries you are able to smooth the plaster and move the cream around to create a smooth uniform surface, when it is dry enough you can begin to burnish it with the stone, the easiest way for a novice is to just keep testing the wall with the stone.  By using small circular motions you should be able to compress the surface, if you find that your stone is picking up the lime off the surface it is too early.

Finished tadelakt shower

By checking regularly you make sure you don’t miss the window either, and when you get the sweet spot you will begin to see that you are starting to polish and burnish your surface.  The next step is going to be to apply your soapy water. This is made by grating some soap into hot water to dissolve it.  We aim for a dilution ratio of 1 part soap to 20 parts water.  When applying the soapy water you don’t want it to remove your lime so if you notice it is damaging the surface, it is too early, the soap should absorb into the wall without damaging the finish, as you apply your soapy water you should also be able to continue working the plaster with your stone.  You will be able to get it even shinier now that you have added the soap!

Good luck with you next Tadelakt project!!  If you would like to join us for a natural building workshop check out our workshop page to see when the next one is scheduled for.  We also offer a day workshops on a whole host of subjects incuding Tadelakt.

Past Blogs About Natural Building

Building an Adobe Shower with Tadelakt Plaster

Design Ideas for a Sustainable Home in the Tropics

How to Make an Earthen Floor

Want to Learn More?

Join us for one of our annual building workshops to get hands on experience in different natural building techniques.

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.