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Natural Building, Farm to Table & Permaculture

Rancho Mastatal is an education center, working permaculture farm, ecolodge and community rooted in environmental sustainability, meaningful, place-based livelihoods, and caring relationships.

We offer profound, innovative and authentic apprenticeships, residential workshops and guest experiences. We practice, promote and teach about natural building, fermentation, permaculture design, renewable energy, agroforestry, wilderness medicine, homesteading in the tropics and more.

Our campus encompasses more than 300-acres of wildlife refuge with beautiful waterfalls, pristine rivers, idyllic swimming holes, impressive trees, extraordinary wilderness views, and intact habitat for the area's rich flora and fauna. Visitors and participants have access to over 10 kilometers of trails, an extensive library, our working permaculture farm, and the tireless team who make the Ranch such a unique place to learn.

We are located in the rural farming town of Mastatal, situated on the edge of the last remaining virgin rainforest of Costa Rica’s picturesque Puriscal County. It is a wonderful place to take in Costa Rica culture, practice your Spanish, visit other permaculture projects, or catch a pickup game of fútbol.

Come on out to pay us a visit and please don't hesitate to contact us with any questions or suggestions regarding our work.

INSTAGRAM

Work parties are at the heart of our apprentice experience. Learning through practice, developing synergistic teamwork, and enjoying beautiful sunny days!

Agroforestry systems produce so much biomass during the rainy season of the tropics that org

What is it that produces that magical experience when bringing together a bunch of people from disparate places and plopping them into the Ranch container?

Even though it’s been one of the rainiest 7-day periods in memory, robust conversation

Land based projects have some challenges and many gifts! ✨

We just arrived from our time away and many productive areas show a lack of management and crazy biomass growth that happens in the tropical rainforest during the rainy season 🌧️

We are al

Family can be defined in many ways; biological, acquired, adopted, tribe, clan, blood.

We are fortunate to have our nuclear families visit us here in Mastatal as often as we can convince them to spend a few days in the jungle.

These visits reinfo

We have a few more spots available for our next Permaculture Design Course, November 24th to December 7th! ✨Don't miss out!

This educational experience is great if:

🌿You what to live in a more sustainable way

🌿You wish to connect with like-mind

We pulled into Rancho Mastatal during a torrential downpour on November 1, 2001 after a 5-week roadtrip that started in Seattle and ended in Mastatal.

The nearby waterfall that many of you know and love was a raging chocolaty torrent.

The US had

If there’s any singular theme to our work, it might be connection.

Connection to our food. Connection to our shelter. Connection to the land. Connection to Mother Nature. Connection to one another. Connection to our gut biome. Connection to t

READ THE BLOG

Featured

Sep 10, 2024

Permaculture Entrepreneurship: Navigating the Path from Student to Professional

Sep 10, 2024

Aug 9, 2024

Los beneficios y los tipos de fermentación

Aug 9, 2024

Invisible Structures

Aug 9, 2024

Upcoming Workshops and Learning Opportunities

Full workshop and course listings →

PERMACULTURE DESIGN CERTIFICATION COURSE

NOVEMBER 24 - DECEMBER 7, 2024

Join us for our annual, transformational 2-week class on permaculture design and get your PDC from the leading permaculture education center in Central America.

Payment Options:

Put Down A Deposit ($400) Full Payment ($1500) Pago Entero-Costarricense ($950)

Quantity: