Welcome Monica!
My name is Monica Ravizza and I’m from Los Angeles, CA. I received my bachelors in Psychology and my Masters in Social Work from UCLA (Go Bruins!). Before coming to Rancho Delicioso I was working as a grant writer for a non profit hospital, and while I was helping to fund programs that supported health […]
Welcome Lisa!
I’m so pleased to be staying on this beautiful farm, learning everything I can in the short time I’m here! I came here from San Francisco, where I spent the last three years making jewelry and crafts in my spare time, and working in accounting for a primary healthcare start-up. I recently quit my job […]
Papaya Leaf Cure for Dengue Fever
With the number of people catching dengue fever seemingly on the rise every year in Costa Rica, especially during this rainy season, the demand for a simple and inexpensive remedy has never been higher, and as with so many common ailments, the modern medical system is not very helpful. The good news is that researchers […]
Tarta de Coliflor y Queso
Here at Rancho Delicioso, the volunteers take turns preparing lunch for each other on workdays. When my turn came up in the rotation this week, I decided to try to recreate a favorite of mine from an internship that I did on another farm in Costa Rica last year – Cauliflower Cheese Pie, or Tarta […]
Giant Mushrooms
We found some mushrooms growing in the corner of the shade structure, seemingly connected somehow to the roots of a large Melina tree. We thought they were gigantic to begin with, but they just keep growing larger and large and now are much larger than the original huge size. They’re by far the largest […]
Artificial Wasp Nest for Caterpillar Control
There are hundreds of species of wasps in the jungles of Costa Rica. Many or most are predators of other insects, and we’ve learned that they’re already being used in other parts of Costa Rica to control flies. A Plague of Caterpillars that Eat Spinach and Arugula We have several types of small caterpillars that […]
Natural Predators as Allies on the Farm
Here I’m creating an ongoing article exploring the symbiotic relationship between our farm, and the natural creatures that live in the jungle around us. How can we help each other? What can we do to encourage the right type of critters to come to dine on the bugs and beasts that bother us? The following […]
Rhinoceros Beetle Larvae
Friendly Transparent Underground Monsters We discovered these large, transparent grubs living in the earth near the roots of our bananas. They look thoroughly vile, and with their large sharp mandibles, they seem to be able to deliver a painful bite. They are about the length and thickness of a man’s thumb. No one knew what […]
Using Tarantulas for Pest Control
We are Using Tarantulas to Help Us Control Unwanted Insects The downside of having an enclosed space for growing plants is that not many birds can get inside to help us control the bugs that inevitably do get in there. We need nature’s helpful predators on our side, and since we’ve created a protective bubble, […]
Frog Versus Cat
Every night now, these cute green tree frogs gather at the swimming pool and make an incredible amount of noise. We’ve had a lot of rain, and the salinity of the pool has dropped considerably. So much so that the frogs are now swimming around in it freely, laying their eggs, and we even see […]
