Experiences and reviews of former visitors and guests at the Organic Art Ranch
Welcome to our guestbook! Thank you for spending time at the Organic Art Ranch with us. Feel free to share your experiences!
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Artist residency 2023
Artist residency 2023
The Organic Art Ranch 
from the moment i arrived the mountains and the surrounding forest brought a really peacefull feeling over me.
it’s nice to live this close to nature together with these really nice and special people.
it made me verry happy to wake up with he sound of the koekoe birds.
i really enjoyed planting the vegetables and the herbes.
we laughed a lot and i felt really welcome.
it was really nice that there was space for own ideas.
i hope to come back to this inspiring place onetime.
merci rogersito en szuzita
laila, belgium, 2012 may-june
casa mexicano is settled in the beautiful apuseni region
pure nature and friendly locals
the farm is on its way to a selfsufficient lifestyle
and it was very nice to be a part of it
thanx to roger and szuszi for having me,making food,
make us and our dogs feel welcome
and give me a chance to try out some ideas i had
and let me free to develop…
greets
christopher from belgium
romania here i come – the farm, is situated in a smale little town called rachitele,… from downtown you go up the mountainroad… passby by various farmers, woodmakers, cows and sheeps – till almost at the end of the road, a huge pyramid (pizzaoven!) and to houses show up – its the farm… I stayed there 6 weeks, working, learning-teaching, finding peace and hard-work in nature ,-) – its hard to survive on a mountain in a sustainable way, … but also a great challenge to experience, … thanks roger and szuszi for hosting (6 weeks) and keeping things on track… you gave me a wellcoming feeling of beeing part of a wonderful project/way of living – best greetings Matthias from Vienna, Austria PS: the veggie cooking realy made a diverence on my own way of cooking, just made three different jelly’s from blackbarry/apricot/raspberry in my own garden in vienna…
When I decided to come to Romania for a few weeks I could never have expected to have the fortune of staying in ‘Casa Mexicanul’! The place is really pristine clean: the water and the air are the purest, so everything growing in this land is immaculate, beautiful and delicious.
Zsuzsi is the sweetest girl I’ve ever met, she’s artistically unique, spontaneus, natural and graceful, and a perfect cook, and Roger is her match being generous, funny, inventive and very well blend in the Romanian culture.
I’m really thankful for having had the opportunity of staying with you and Tamito in this piece of Heaven, meeting the lovely locals and exploring the sourrounding mountains to the waterfall, eating tons of raspberries from the forest and contemplate the beauty of nature.
I came with Lars to the Ranch in October. I had just met Roger and Szuszi at a Permaculture workshop at Provision. We drove past the gypsy winter camps, along the river, stopped for a pastry at the village general store and finally arrived. BEAUTIFUL! The air was clear; we could see across several ranges. After a tour of the houses and gardens we started to work on the converted barn, Lars on the roof, me on the foundation. Christopher (above) did everything! I built an Triangle for plotting contour lines on the ground. Meanwhile Szuszi and a volunteer from Belgium (I forgot her name!) prepared a delicious meal. Someday I’ll return, maybe the fall of 2014. It’s a wonderful place, full of adventure, good will, creativity and happiness and I enjoyed myself very much.
Thanks for the nice atmosphere and interesting work! It was pleasure to meet like minded people and have some common goal!
Staying with Roger, Zsusi and their neighbors on the mountain was one of the best decisions I made in my trip across Europe. I spent a week working with them on projects, eating great food, learning about Romanian culture, seeing beautiful nature, getting to know each other, relaxing. . . A very special place that gave me an amazing, energizing chance of pace from hostels and ‘the road.’
I had such a great time during my 2 week stay with Roger and Zsuzsi! From helping prepare for a future workshop to plaster the barn, to hiking up and down the mountains and through the gorgeous surrounds, and to learning about ways to be self sufficient and still eat great, I enjoyed myself completely. I learned a few phrases in Romanian, met a number of amazing people, got a chance to lend my expertise to the farm, and had the chance to experience the beautiful mountains and landscape there. I hope to come back very soon!!!
I felt very good and welcomed at this place. It has been very nice how Roger an Zsuzsi made the house and the garden, it is very calming to stay there. During the work I learned a lot about gardening and the village life and Roger was never tired to explain all the projects which happend at the farm or are ongoing. It was inspiring, motivating and beautiful to live at this place.
Thank you very much Roger and Zsuzsi for your hospility and to make this experience happen for me, I hope to come back very soon, too!
Thanks a lot, Roger!
I remember an incredible experience, the countryside and the mountains gave me incredible power into my mind to think.
Roger is a very nice, peaceful and organized man. The work is not so hard, and if it is, afterwards there are nice dishes who are waiting for you!
“Drum bun sa aveti”, hehe.
Thanks a lot for all because it was amazing time. Work physically mixed with philosophy and friends : what else? Your place is really paradise and healthy (for brain too!). For me it was a very good opportunity to stop running, breathe and meet beautiful people. I ll not forget you. See you.
I’m a little late… I was working on Zsuzsies and Rogers farm in June! I just wanted to say, me and my friend, we enjoyed it very much! Thanks for all the things we learned, thanks for all the nice people we met, thanks for simply everything. I hope you’re doing well!
Inspiration pur, einfach wunderbar… ! 😉
Roger and Zsuzsi are wonderful people living permaculture from their hearts, nurturing and growing wonderful organic foods with passion, using homegrown and neighbour-farmed produce. Beautiful views and surroundings with thought through authentic buildings, equipment and materials on their grounds. They are an awesome example of how to live life as close to nature as possible without compromising today’s ‘necessities’, there is wifi :-).
The organic art ranch offers the possibility to truly find your inner self and rediscover what matters in life. It is a wonderful impression of how life is lived by the Romanian country folks even though the hosts are respectively from Mexico and Hungary.
Live the dream and keep up the good heart (hard) work. You are making an impact guest by guest!!
With inspiration, gratitude and love a big thank you and hopefully till a next time.
Best regards
Gijs from Holland
Thank you for your beautiful words! You are always welcome to the home of eternal green, where the clouds are born.
I stayed at the Organic Art Ranch for one month and I recommend it to anyone who is interessted in learning abount gardening, art or eco construction. Up there in the mountains are many things to do and see, locals to meet and insights to win. Thank you for creating this nice place on earth, I wish you good luck! Jona
My week at Organic Art ranch could not have been more perfect. A great place to write and enjoy the simple pleasures of clean air, fresh vegetables and nature. I’ll always remember how gorgeous the mountains look in the vibrant hues of autumn. Zsuzsi and Roger are adorable people and I really enjoyed their hospitality. Hope to visit again sometime.
xx Bronnie
After three month traveling through Romania, I can still say, that my three weeks with Zsuzsi and Roger were (one of?) my most inspiring stay/s!
Having been able to try every kind of work, like helping in the garden, building walls, chopping wood, flipping the neighbour’s hay and searching for potatoes, gave me many ideas what I can possibly do with my own hands. I’ll definitely take some of those skills home with me.
Getting to know the neighbours without a good knowledge of Romanian, and tasting all kinds of traditional food and drinks, was unique. In the same time I enjoyed getting to know this wonderful couple a little. They’re full of (not only cultural) contrasts and still very cute together, you gave me hope! 😀
Last but not least, the surrounding is beautiful and relaxing, it slowed me down! I recommend it to everyone, who misses the roots! But you have to plan a hike further into the Apuseni Mountains 🙂
Thanks a lot and take care of each other!! Hopefully see you again some time,
September 2014, Germany, Dorothea
I have been at Organic Art twice and can only say, that I loved the atmosphere and hospitality really much. It is a really great place to relax and enjoy beautiful nature. I am looking forward to get back there.
I had an incredible time volunteering at the Organic Art Ranch this past summer. From the moment I was picked up by a bus full of enthusiastic, singing volunteers from various different countries, I knew I was in for a very unique and awesome experience.
Roger and Zsuzsi have created an incredible community in a beautiful setting. I felt incredibly welcome from day one, and they really value communication and communal-living in a way that made me feel like I was a part of their community. I liked how varied the work was, that I got to work on many different projects- from hay-stacking to Blueberry picking to demolishing an old barn! I especially enjoyed meeting their neighbors, and getting to help them and experience local life in Rachitele (as well as taste some amazing home cooking!)
Thank you again Roger and Zsuzsi. I still think about the ranch a lot- about all the other awesome volunteers I met there, the fun times at work and around the campfire, Zsuzsi’s amazing cooking, and everything else that made it so special. I learned so much from you guys and I feel very lucky for having had the opportunity to live in your world for 3 weeks.
Hope you had a wonderful autumn and stay warm!
Last April we went for a second visit with a group of dutch entrepreneurs. Again it was an incredible experience to be welcomed by Roger and Zsuzsi in their own loving and warm way. Enjoying the simple live and yet very delicate and precize way they ‘run’ their organic ranch.
All the people we toke where overwelmed by the inspiration they got just by being there. By seeing how dreams can come true a different way. All our guests left with a bigger dream and more energy then they came. From distress to trust, from lack of oppertunities to seeing all kind of possibilities. From stress to relaxation.
I thank you and hope to see you very soon!
Warm regards,
Jelle
I’m thankful for my time at the Organic Art Ranch artist residency. It was a pleasure to have a full month to work on writing where my main interruptions were picking a salad, pausing to eat delicious food, and occasionally chasing a stray cow off the ranch.
A few Ranch highlights:
1. Watching Zsuzi and Roger take something that needed to be eaten from the garden or pantry and turning it into a feast.
2. Being ironically called “salad master” only to be later addressed by a new comer as “salad master.” Surely the last time anyone will refer to me as salad master with any seriousness.
3. Knowing where all the food we ate came from.
4. Strolling along dirt roads overlooking the valley and stopping to pick raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, and cherries when I got hungry.
5. Walking down to the village to buy a warm loaf of delicious (and cheap) bread.
6. Watching Roger orchestrate helping the neighbors with the hay season.
7. Quiet nights seeing the moon rise while sitting around a crackling fire.
8. Having the simple farm life occasionally be pleasantly interrupted by a vintage Star Trek night with popcorn.
9. Going into the big city of Huedin once a week after all the calm industrious days of the Ranch and being swept up in the frenzy of market day, buying what’s in season, visiting a restaurant. (For the record, I wasn’t a part of pig-ankle Tuesday though I saw the toll it took on my fellow ranchers :).)
10. Hearing thunder on the other side of the mountain and trying to gauge if it would sweep over the ranch or pass us by and if I should take my laundry down from the line.
11. Watching Gremlin the cat creep through the grass in full predator mode.
12. Polenta Cake—I didn’t know it existed and I won’t quickly forget it
13. Windows and doors open, the young Frenchman calling us to dinner by trumpet, an unexpected rain shower and rainbow.
14. Waking up in the middle of the night and going outside in the pitch black to see stars and hearing nothing but the wind in the valley below us.
15. People playing music around the camp fire and trying to remember the punch lines to old jokes.
As beautiful and picturesque as the Ranch was, it was the people who set the tone, each coming for their own reason, but all earnest in their reasons and open to the experience. Sharing the ranch with whomever arrived, whether it was a neighbor coming to talk about hay, a chess master lumberjack, or a newly arrived ranch hand. I enjoyed the company of the people (whom I perhaps wouldn’t have normally met): an enthusiastic teenage French programmer, a Slovakian barefoot-hiking-herbal wiz, the traveling “New Americans,” the German carpenters, an English artist/sculptor and her surprising found art objects (some recently deceased), and, of course, our gracious and welcoming hosts, Roger and Zsuszi. It was refreshing to enjoy all the things that aren’t on-line and virtual: spending time with people, cooking food together, working on art projects, and, of course, watching the weather. Being reminded of a simpler time when people’s entertainment was each other, the food is what they grew, and the news was what the people passing on the road told you.
Thank you for everything Organic Art Ranch!
It’s been over a year since I was in Organic Art Ranch but the memories are still vivid like yesterday. Being tired of urban life I was desperately looking for a quite place where I could live close to nature for few days. To my utter surprise, the ranch not only provided a place to sleep in the lap of nature but also the best it has to offer. I spent best peaceful 10 days after a long time in the ranch which is not so far from a majestic water fall, laying in the valleys of Apuseni mountain.
The stay turned to be much more fun than I expected thanks to all the volunteering activities like gardening, helping the neighbors with hay work, daily evening ritual of getting milk from a neighbor and drinking palinka etc. A special thanks to Zsuzsi for her warm welcome and all those delicious meals. Too bad I couldn’t meet Roger while I was there (we met in Amsterdam later though).
I hope to come back sometime. All the best Zsuzsi and Roger.
Cheers//Nawshad
I spent a little over two weeks with Zsuzsi and Roger in November and had an amazing time. Răchitele is a beautiful place in Romania and somehow Zsuzsi and Roger managed to create a place even more beautiful within these Transylvanian mountains. Although it was the end of the season and there wasn’t a lot of work to do on the farm anymore, I was still busy everyday with different, exciting things, from mashing apples for palincă to preparing a chicken for chicken soup and getting milk from the neighbour.
Thank you Zsuzsi and Roger for the hospitality, the conversations, the laughs, the lazy tv nights, the food and everything else!
I hope to see you soon 🙂
I spent 3 weeks in this ranch with Zsuzsi and Roger in April. It was a super nice experience because of this funny and nice couple, because of the farm and the garden (i knew nothing about farming and i learnt basics things very useful), because of the weather (sun and snow, snow and sun… sun and snow again), because of the neighbour’s hospitality (from the farmers, from the bar’s owner), because of the landscapes, because of the pastas, the salads, the palinka and the tortillas.
I could say that i saw a little bit of Romania because of this farm.
Thank you very much!!
I only stayed four short nights on the mountain side with Roger and Zsuzsi, but what I got to take away way so much more than I ever expected. I feel like not only did I get a really unique experience and lesson in organic gardening and living, but also in the Romanian way of life. The work was hard, but really enjoyable, and it was always made with it by Zsuzsi’s next meal.
I left the ranch with a real appreciation for simplicity.
I learned a lot, and had a lot of fun, and I wish I could’ve stayed longer.
Roger and Zsuzsi are some of the most beautiful people i ever met and their farm is one of the best places i ever stayed.
I learnt so many things during my stay and enjoyed so much their way of living.
Roger and Zsuzsi you are life, love and everything that goes with it, i will always remember you, and Răchițele.
I miss a lot your universe whene i’m here in the big grey city.
Surely one of the best trips ever.
Roger and Zsuzsi are some of the most beautiful people i ever met and their farm is one of the best places i ever stayed.
I learnt so many things during my stay and enjoyed so much their way of living.
Roger and Zsuzsi you are life, love and everything that goes with it, i will always remember you, and Răchițele.
I miss a lot your universe whene i’m here in the big grey city.
Surely one of the best trips ever.
Roger and Zsuzsi, Thank you!
Wonderful time in the Art Ranch:
Very very very tasty food
Throwing mud
Milking cow (:D)
Making cheese
Drinking Palinka with neighbors
Talking something special
Cold weather-hot tea
Zeppelinisss
…
Beautiful.
Very perfect holidays being with you!
Hope to see you soon in Lithuania!
mua:*
Indre and Audrius
I was at the Organic Art Ranch, taking part in the artist residency throughout July 2015. Having only ever lived in cities, where instant gratification and excess are the norm, I was refreshed by my stay in Răchițele. The pace of life is slower, yet efficient. Everyday life became more thoughtful. Wherever possible the ranch is self sufficient, Zsuzsi and Roger grow their own vegetables and build and make repairs by hand. This is an ethos that has stayed with me since my time at the Organic Art Ranch, and I can truly say that it has had a huge impact on the ways I approach my every day life and my art practice (though I haven’t yet managed to live anywhere near as sustainably!).
I had a lot of interest and encouragement regarding my work from Zsuzsi and Roger and other visitors at the art ranch, and felt fully supported. Roger even went so far as to build me a case to carry my mirror (which I was making work with) in, and to drive me to the waterfall so I could make work there! During my time, I used whatever materials I could find lying around the village to create temporary sculptures on mirrors.
I met so many fantastic people during my stay, both at the Art Ranch and in the village. One of the most valuable aspects was living communally. I really enjoyed helping out with the cooking and eating (very good food!) with so many interesting people from all over the world, often talking into the night around a bonfire.
I thoroughly recommend visiting the Organic Art Ranch! Whether you are taking part in the artist residency, or are helping out around the ranch and in the village, you will gain so much from being in this beautiful part of the world and around wonderful and interesting people.
we stayed 4 nights with a 1,5 year old kid and HIGHLY recommend this very special place. mountain view, good enery, great food, beautiful people. a very healthy place to relax, come down and find inner peace. big thank you to roger and Zsuzsi, who organised a private pick up and took care of our wellbeing all time. thank you guys.
I stayed for ten days at Roger and Zsuzsi’s art ranch in August. It was tranquil and beautiful – the perfect mix of society and solitude. I finished writing three short stories there, as well as enjoying Zsuzsi’s wonderful cooking, the fresh air, campfire, conversation and friendship. I stayed in the garden room, which was delightful – Roger set up a desk for me to write on, with a view of the garden and the hills. It’s also a perfect place to disconnect from the mad world and reconnect with the real world around you.
My time here was really well spent. It was peaceful and beautiful and natural. Roger and Zsuzsi are fantastic company in addition to being great cooks. My time spent here is a time that i won’t forget.
This little farm in the heart of the mountains is for me a small piece of heaven. I went there several times and i’m always happy to return there. This place is very close to the nature and to the community of Rachitele. There is a lot of fun activities to do, like gardening, building, cooking, drinking, small party and chat around the fire. Roger and Zsuzsi are just amazing, it’s hard not to love them. They are fun, interesting, happy, organized and very good hosts, really makes you feel welcome. Living a simple and happy life while stiil being well conected to the world and knowledge through the volunteers that they welcome at the farm.
Such an amazing place, the surrounding, the food, the hosts. Everything was perfect from the moment I got there.
Highly recommend!
Our visit to the ranch was wonderful. We all felt at home and the area is breathtaking. Our oldest daughter was (trying) to catch the crickets and frogs, while our youngest was helping Roger with gathering the eggs for the chickens and helping in the garden. Marijn loved the herbal workshop and gathered a ton of info from Zuszsi and I felt completely relaxed after meeting all those deadlines just before our trip started. We enjoyed the campfires, food and your company. Thank you Roger and Zsuzsi. Hope to see you again soon. Bob, Marijn, Lilly and Flore (The Netherlands).
It’s interesting to notice how superficial, ignorant and unemphatetic the “internationalistic, multinational” liberals are: they claim to care for the minorities of the world, but none of them cared to notice that the Organic Art Ranch is actually in a (stolen, but still) Hungarian territory, the culture, the folk customs, the language spoken by many of the people there are Hungarian and the actual name of the places is Havasrekettye, in the West-Carpathians, in Transylvania (Erdély). Also, the host’s name is Zsuzsi, not Szuszi! 😛