Blog - A Home in the Amazon

Black Soldier Fly with efficient self-harvesting brick bin inside chicken run

Raise Black Soldier Flies and Larvae as Chicken Feed. Getting Started Insect Farming.

Written with William. Raising Black Soldier Flies on a homestead has quickly become a favorite way to raise quality high-protein feed for chickens. As an extra added bonus, they quickly turn organic waste into usable compost. At the Yachana, our goal is to raise 80% of our own food- for our family and for the Lodge, […]

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Graphic, Best way to teach kids about culture and the world in your homeschool

A Glimpse into our Life: Learning from Guest Visitors from Around the World

How to teach kids about cultures and the world? A really fun part of living at the Yachana in Ecuador’s Amazon Jungle, is getting to visit with the guests and volunteers that come to help at the Lodge. The volunteers especially are often here for several weeks. We’ve had people visit from Denmark, Germany, England,

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Araza Jam. What is Araza and How to Use it?

What is Arazá? Tropical and Exotic Fruits in the Amazon Jungle

What is Arazá? Arazá, or Guayaba Amazonica, is a soft yellow fruit that grows on small trees right here at the Yachana as well as throughout much of the Amazon of South America. It’s season “peaks” 3-4 times each year. They have an extraordinarily beautiful smell- somewhere between a citrusy pineapple, melon and passionfruit. They

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That Same God, a study in remembering who He is and all He’s done

“When Lehi started reading the brass plates, one thing he was excited to learn was that he was a descendant of Joseph. You know, Joseph of Egypt, the one who also left his home and family and went through a bunch of hard things, all so he would be able to save his family from

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What are Cacao Nibs? How do you use Cacao Nibs?

Cacao nibs are nutty and earthy with a hint of really dark, unsweetened chocolatey flavor. It may have a slight bitterness to it. It’s easy to add to recipes and so delicious! Here are a few favorite ways to incorporate cacao nibs. A Single-Ingredient Food Cacao nibs or cacao paste takes the rich superfood of

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How is Chocolate Made? From Cacao Pod on the Tree to World’s Favorite Treat

History of Chocolate. How was Chocolate first made? It’s mind-boggling to consider just how the process was discovered that takes the seeds of the cacao fruit through such a process as to create the beloved treat we all know and love, as chocolate. Some say it was all accidental and just “happened” to ferment, then

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Deal with Political Unrest while living or traveling abroad

How to deal with Political Unrest when Living (or Traveling) Abroad

Specifically, What’s going on in Ecuador and are you guys okay? Is Ecuador safe? There often seems to be a protest or news of violent crimes or something happening. Earlier this month the new Ecuadorian president, Daniel Naboa, declared war on the gangs and drug lords. A series of violent crimes, an established curfew, schools

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