Learn about sustainable agriculture on a farm and join a small and friendly community in Belize

We had a great time in this little jungle garden. Mr Rod is an inspiring person, but we were a little bit sad not to spend more time with him. To get to the farm we took the bus with him, he gave us a tour of his farm with interesting informations about the different trees, fruits and vegetables that grow in it. And then we waited Cynthia, the… read more person who lives there and takes care of the farm. When she arrived Mr Rod left, and we had not seen him anymore after that.
Anyway Cynthia is a very talkative women, she has some good stories to tell ! She was nice to us and cooked some delicious dishes. She introduced us to her friends, and we spent the night at her friend’s ranch, nice experience. Her dog was in a pretty bad shape so we helped her to heal its skin. Beside that we watered the plants each morning and evening, we cleaned some areas, weeding. But unfortunately nothing to harvest and eat in the garden except two bunch of bananas and coconuts. Little advice : be prepared to drink rain water.
Good luck in your projects Cynthia, we have not doubt it’s going to work !
Thank you Mr Rod for giving us the opportunity to give a little help.

I enjoyed my time staying at this farm; Mr. Rod was very welcoming and I learned a great deal about the local medicinal herbs. The boat house where Mr. Rod lives has been moved to the farm. I enjoyed working on the land with Mr. Rod and I had the opportunity to interact with a portion of the local community. I learned about gardening in the… read more tropics; things grow quickly year round rather than seasonally and this means more continuous tending of the land. The fresh food was simple and very enjoyable. Coconut water fresh from the nut was a new experience, as was allspice leaf tea and ripe plantains mashed with peanut butter and sprinkled with cinnamon. I enjoy tent camping, so I found the accommodations comfortable, running water for washing is a luxury I do not usually have when camping.

My stay at Mr. Rods Diversity Farm was great! During my stay I was able to see and learn a lot about self sufficiency in the tropical climate. The tasks of work were interesting and diverse.
Rod has a big life experience and he was willing to share a lot of it!
I got to know the surroundings as well some of the nice village people around.
Thanks… read more for everything!

I spent around 2 weeks on Mr Rod's farm and it's been a great experience. Rod is a very knowledgeable man and I enjoyed the long conversations we had about permaculture, cultural diversity and much more.
Unfortunately I visit this place in the middle of a long dry period so the farm wasn't that productive since we had not enough water for watering… read more the plants but that's nature.
During my stay we're mostly working on his house boat which we transformed into a cabin with roof top terrace, beside that I repaired some other things that had to be fixed.
The life in the village is very laidback and local people are friendly. The surrounding area is full of interesting flora and wildlife.
Thank you for your hospitality and good luck with your project!

Mr. Rod allowed me to volunteer for him over many, many, months of my six month visa in belize. Of which I deeply appreciate. If you do not come with any pre-conceived notions then you should be just fine. I volunteered as a handyman MacGyver; so to speak. From plumbing to electrical to gardening. I attempted to increase my skills and learning so… read more I could better
understand/comprehend the world. If you have ever done camping for an extended
period of time then you won't have any problems. Mr. Rod provides
running water, electricity, an electric fan, and a place to store your personal property under lock
and key conditions if you have any concerns. You can purchase items at the local
village store, which has quite a bit to offer, and is just around the corner.
Orange Walk is the closest large town and is approximately half an hour bus
ride one way. It costs presently $1.50 belize or 0.75 cents USDollar one way.
There is always plenty of volunteering that can be accomplished at this location
so ask Mr. Rod and more than likely he will be more than happy to invite you.
By the way in closing Mr. Rod is quite knowledgeable in many, many, things so you
will have quite stimulating conversations with him in many different areas during your stay.
I sure did.

Larry

I think my expectations may have been too high for this exchange having read the glowing reviews. I went to Diversity farm specifically to learn about self sufficiency, permaculture and organic farming. Whilst it has great potential it seems to be very early days and feels more experimental than anything else. I expected to be harvesting produce… read more from the farm given the amount of planting described but there seems to be some problems and not very much is edible at the moment. I think my timing was out as there was already long standing volunteer tending the garden and Rod's focus was on transforming a boat into accommodation, preparing for his birthday celebrations and preparing for his trip back to the states. It was a pretty stressful time for him and there was not much time to learn or talk about farming as he left in my second week. I struggled with the lack of hygiene and sanitary provision in the project as well as the condition of the current accommodation. It was like a furnace in the end of the bus and I couldn't stay in there during the heat of the day. It should be great in the boat though. I also had a lot to do online in my spare time but contrary to the website there was no internet access. It was arranged that I could go to a neighbour's home to use his wifi but this felt intrusive and uncomfortable for me so I had to go into Orange Walk which is a 30min bus ride away. San Antonio is a great village full of character. The people were welcoming and like having visitors. Me and another volunteer were able to work with the construction team who live in the village and help renovate the boat. They loved it that a woman can roll up her sleeves and do "man's work"!

Rod has a lot of great projects going on that everyone can led their knowledge and help to. His outreach and involvement in the community is very special and he will happily share it with you. I look forward to seeing how the place continues to develop.

It's been only 3 weeks that I've spent on the farm, but it's been a great experience. Rod is a amazing host and his knowledge is huge in all fields, so I loved the long conversations we had about all possible topics. During my stay we made few patches where we planted corn, beans, sunflowers...
Repairing of a roof above nursery.
Other project was… read more to build a small earthship house, have I stayed longer I might see its completion.
Anyone who's willing and creative will find something to do here, whether it's gardening, building or art project.
The life in the village is very laidback and local people are friendly. The surrounding area is full of interesting flora a and fauna. You can go canoeing on the river or jump in for a refreshing swimm.
Mr. Rod keep up the spirit and thank you for your hospitality and good luck with future volunteers and projects.

I stayed with Rod for a bit more than a week but was able in that time to get a decent feel of what the situation in the village was. Had I stayed longer I think the experience might have grown into something "excellent" :)

Me and Rod spoke extensively about ideology and methods of change and for me it was good to hear a perspective from… read more someone who has a lot of experience with helping people in developing countries.

There's also a lot that can be done. In my limited time I did some gardening, taught some music and started a solar oven (Please someone finish it!) If you have enthusiasm and like the idea of working on your own project I think you can find a lot of worthwhile projects to start. Rod has done a lot for the community and to have someone bring new energy to the place might see rise to new, interesting avenues of action.

Thanks for having me Rod, I wish you all the best.

Rod is a great host who wants everyone to get the best from the Workaway experience. He is very open minded and accommodating. San Antonio is a great little village to spend time in and get to know people. I spent a month volunteering with Rod and then an extra 2 weeks stayin in the village. If you get the opportunity to volunteer with Rod in San… read more Antonio, don't miss it :)

I had a great expierence working in here with Rod. I spent about one month volunteering. The place was incredibly beautiful and there are so many things to see. Be sure to bring a good book and clothes for rain. I will never forget it.
Thanks for all Rod.
Wladyslaw

Rod is a very good person, he helps a lot the community of San Antonio in many different ways. Unfortunately cause the rainy season and river flooding there wasn't too much things to do during my 10 days staying, only basic helping on the garden and cooking.
It was a positive experience and thanks again to Rod for all his help!
wish him and… read more community all best!
Stefano

Rod was an amazing host and San Antonio was a welcoming warm community! It was wonderful to experience a different aspect of Belize. I was able to use my skills of sewing and working with children, enjoy the beautiful river, check out Lamani, and hang with some goats! This is only a few of the treats in store. Great place to get connected with… read more what really matters in life: good people, good food, good times! Thanks Rod!

Meeting Rod and being in San Antonio gave us the great opportunity to share and enjoy the authentic, original and warm-hearted life in this very romantic, little village. The villagers are super-friendly and we learned a lot about the Belizean culture, nature and the way of sustainable living. We met a plenty of friendly and interesting people.… read more We had great dinners, conversations and a lot of fun. Rod is a very special, interesting and generous personality and we learned a lot from him as well as about us. San Antonio is off from touristic paths but it offers originality, easiness and adventure.

It was hard to leave, thank you Rod - we still keep in touch!

We stayed in San Antonio for one week and had an amazing time. Rod is a great host and you can learn a lot from him. It was an adventure to live in his bus. We planted some vegetables, feeded the geese and helped Rod with his webpage. We enjoyed the time with him and hope to see him and San Antonio again one day. .
Thanks Rod for a great time!

Rod is an excellent host, and the environment he has created in Belize is a great thing to be a part of. San Antonio is off the beaten path and its residents are very friendly and welcoming. We spent our time maintaining the library, and taking care of the farm, as well as painting a mural in the library and teaching some of the village women how… read more to sew. We highly recommend this experience-- you will enjoy delicious meals, good company and a fascinating cultural environment, guaranteed. Thank you Rod!

Being in the village of San Antonio with Rod is a one of a kind experience. He facilitates an excellent immersion expereince, allowing you to take a look into villagers lives. He is kind , generous, hospititable and loving; always willing to go out of his way. We taught the village women how to sew, we helped with his livestock and planted some… read more new items - citrus trees, banana trees, ginger. Rod Rylander is a gracious host, and makes great Nutty Nana's ! Thanks for a life changing experience Rod!

Rod is an AMAZING host! I had so much fun here that I stayed much longer than I planned. He has a great little set up for volunteers to stay, the villagers are friendly and it's nice to have the river for a bit of a refresher when it gets hot. And it does get hot.
I helped out on the "mini farm" with the goats, pigs and geese. Now he has more… read more animals but they are so fun! He has established a library in the bus and the kids love it! I will be back when I can. Thanks a million Rod!