Teaching at Rancho La Puerta

During the week of December 2 - 9, 2017, I had the great pleasure to present four history and culture of food and cuisine programs at Rancho La Puerta in Tecate, Baja California, Mexico. Together with experts in fitness, nutrition, healthy activities, and music, we educated and entertained 160 attendees from the States and several foreign countries.

For me, the highlight was dinner with Deborah Szekely, who with her late husband, Edmond Szekely, established the Rancho in 1940, as a campsite for visitors. Today, a world-renown spa, Rancho La Puerta offers guests opportunities to escape their hectic world and immerse themselves in vigorous activities, while enjoying delicious, healthy, organic food. From its founding, the Rancho engaged its surrounding community and today, with four hundred employees from Tecate, the spa contributes to the local economy and follows a variety of sustainable practices, including its own organic vegetable garden. Its foundation, Fundación La Puerta supports "environmental, social and educational projects in the Tecate and border area, including the preservation of endangered native plant and wildlife habitat within this region."

After dinner, Deborah spoke to guests about the Rancho and urged us to embrace our physical, mental and emotional health, organic food, and human goodness as we confront our world.

Deborah Szekely seated in red sweater. December 2017