By Amanda Schoenberg Tico Times Staff

Rows of vanilla vines, musky all-spice, sweet cinnamon trees, medicinal plants and brightly-colored bromeliads dot the expansive Villa Vanilla property in tiny Villanueva, 17 kilometers east of Quepos in the Central Pacific region, where owner Henry Karczynski is intent on starting a one-man farming revolution.

Karczynski, who has lived and worked in Costa Rica for the last 26 years, started his farm 15 years ago with what he calls "tunnel vision:" planting row upon row of vanilla plants. After several mid-1990 years of wetter-than-usual weather, hurricanes and finally a spate of fusarium (fungal disease), many local vanilla farmers, including Karczynski, lost it all.

It was at that moment the German-born, Chicago-bred former Peace Corps member decided he had to begin studying. He had always been a certified organic farmer, simply because he didn't like chemicals, but as he began to expand his "esoteric knowledge" he learned about entirely new farming methods that have helped his farm recover slowly.

He now boasts the only Demeter-Certified Biodynamic farm in Costa Rica. Biodynamic agriculture emphasizes holistic concepts, going beyond organic agriculture for maximum sustainability, including adding medicinal plants to compost heaps and harnessing the earth's and the moon's energy to make plants healthier. For example, Karczynski plants when the new moon begins, and chops wood only in the waning moon.

"Certain people have always had this knowledge, we're just trying to repeat it," he said. "Rich ancient cultures focused on these rhythms, based on mathematics and astronomy."

There are three sheep, two goats, two cows and several chickens and roosters on the large property, which has 11 hectares of farm land and 50 hectares of primary and secondary forest. According to Karczynski, animals are very important to biodynamic agriculture, especially smaller ones, which have less of an impact on fragile soil.

He is now putting the finishing touches on a compost heap that adds air, much like a fish tank, to a mixture of molasses, kelp, humic acids (earthworm castings, which he says are essential to the mix), fish emulsion, manure and other materials. He then sprays the mixture onto plants.

Karczynski also adds a mix of organic materials to the base of plants as mulch (fertilizer), which increase microbes beneficial to plants.

Karczynski is now thrilled to show his farm to visitors, slowly expanding his agriculture project to include an element of ecotourism. He loves to play "show and tell" with his products, offering visitors samples of vanilla, cinnamon, allspice and pointing out the many fruit trees, including mangos, guanabana, avocado and pineapple plants.

Vanilla is the star of the farm, and Karczynski is quick to extol its benefits, pointing out that it is the only edible orchid among 35,000 species, and is native to Central America. He also offers guests ideas about using vanilla in coffee or adding vanilla beans to sugar for added flavor. Karczynski recommends www.vanilla.com, with excellent recipes from "Vanilla Queen" Patricia Rain, to expand the traditional use of vanillas in dessert recipes. (See also Creative Cook: Capturing the Elusive Essence of Vanilla).

Visitors to the farm stay in either a small cabin with one bedroom ($35 per night) or a larger cabin with three bedrooms ($45 per night for up to 4 people, $5 each additional guest), with two double beds and one single. The larger cabin is especially inviting, offering incredible views of the surrounding hillside. Both cabins, rustically decorated in mostly fallen wood from the farm, come with fully-equipped kitchens.

Cabins are perfect for nature-loving families or couples in search of a few relaxing days on the farm. Villa Vanilla not only offers a window into the workings of a small farm, but guests can take advantage of nearby trails and animal-spotting opportunities. Villa Vanilla is also close to Quepos and Manuel Antonio by bus, which stops in front of the farm, or by car.

There are three kilometers of trails on the property in addition to walks around the farm. One steep, rather difficult trail extends down to a waterfall and small swimming hole and circles around an enormous ceiba tree, about 30 feet in diameter. Karczynski can guide guests around the property or organize other tours.

He also invites student volunteers, who pay $25 a week, to stay in a very basic cabin with a kitchen, which accommodates five people. Volunteers work from 6 a.m. to noon, five days a week and help with mulching, composting, greenhouse work or special skilled-labor projects, such as woodworking.

For more information, call 232-8552 (Saturday-Tuesday) or 779-1155 (Wed nesday-Friday) or see www.rainforestspices.com, with useful information on area activities, sustainable and biodynamic agriculture and more photos of the farm and cabins. Reservations are necessary.

To purchase products, try the Bio Salud health food in the Plaza del Sol mall in Curridabat and in Multiplaza; Grand Gourmet in Multiplaza, Comercio Alternativo in Escazú or gift shops in Quepos. For more information on the biodynamic agriculture movement, see www.demeter-usa.org.

Getting there:

By car: From San José, take the Inter-American Highway north. From Alajuela, continue toward Atenas and San Mateo. From San Mateo, head south toward Jacó and Quepos. Just before Quepos, is a fork-like intersection. Turn left toward Playa Dominical. At the first intersection, take a left (there is a gas station is on the right). Drive 6.2 kilometers to another fork in the road through the small town of Naranjito. Turn left at the fork and continue for another 3.9 kms. Villa Vanilla is on the left.

By bus: Take the Quepos-bound bus from the Coca-Cola bus station in San José. Once in Quepos, take the bus that says Villanueva for about 40 minutes, until you reach the town. Villa Vanilla is on the left.