2023 Program Overview

Participants in Rancho Mastatal's Apprenticeship in Sustainable Living live and work with amazing people at the Ranch and in the small community Mastatal. Apprentices make lifelong friends, participating in a style of living that oftentimes changes them forever. This experience offers the unique opportunity to become a part of the magic and beauty of a remote area of Costa Rica, while simultaneously learning tangible skills to take back home.

Our goals for this program are to:

• empower individuals who are genuinely interested in creating a more sustainable world.

• Use experiential and progressive learning techniques combined with daily practice to build a variety of skills.

• Inspire and enable individuals to continue to develop creative solutions and generate positive social change and sustainable practices in their own lives and communities after they leave.

• Prepare a group of capable individuals to help manage and caretake the Ranch during our Core Team’s absence (two to three months of the year).

• Provide post-apprenticeship support through our networks.

We currently offer 5-7 positions for our year-long apprenticeship.  The cost of our 2022 program was $6,600 and included all meals, lodging, a Wilderness First Responder certification, the Agro-Forestry Skills Inspired by the Forest: Orchard Planning, Propagation, Planting, and Production or the Plants as Medicine: Reclaiming the Art of the Home Apothecary class, and extensive training in Permaculture, Natural Building and Homesteading as outlined in the Apprenticeship description links above. The price for the 2023 program may change. We will be making updates soon.

Dates and Instruction

2023 Start Date: January 16 (arrival date January 14 with January 15 as a rest day)
2023 End Date: December 15 (departure date December 16)

We strongly encourage applicants who are serious about our work and are motivated to be part of our industrious team, working towards solutions for current environmental and social challenges.  We offer a unique and focused program based on experiential education and practical skill-building. Our apprenticeship offers specific instruction, course work, and/or project-based learning opportunities in the fields of permaculture, natural building, and homesteading skills.

For much more information please go to the full apprenticeship description at the three links that follow :

Educational Curriculum and Values

Life as an Apprentice

Living in Mastatal