Volunteering on a Thai Farm

Representin the Graviti

Our first night on the farm, there were so many volunteers that all of the accomodations were taken, so we opted to pitch our new Graviti tent (weighs only 1.3 kg!) in the garden. Its a temporary solution..the garden that is. The upside being that it is a flat area with a clear path, the downsides being that its a little far from things and its in the direct sunlight, plus there are suspicious snake-hole looking things around the tent that make me a little nervous, especially since we were told stories abour snakes roaming through the garden on our first night! But really what can you expect right? Its Thailand. So mai pen rai..

Wakin up! Layered like no tomorrow,
 it gets cold in the mountains at night!

The farm is 100% organic.

The farm produces lettuces, mizuna, mustard, onions, tomatoes, kale, coriander, sweet potatoes, bananas, cabbage, peanuts and more. The irrigation water is supplied from a well with a pump and is hooked up to manual sprinklers. The rest of the crops are hand-watered with well-water and a mixture of liquid compost made from cabbage, water and sugar.  Thai-whisky diluted with water is the farmers #1 organic pesticide option. He suggests that 1 cup whisky, 20 Liters of water will do the trick.

Scott in front of the (outdoor) kitchen

 After pouring ourselves some fresh ginger tea into our bamboo cups, we all walk down the dirt road towards a hill facing the sunrise. We practice walking meditation, and sometimes meditate on the hill. When we return back to the farm we make breakfast together before starting work. Then we split up into different jobs, like building mud bricks, cooking, building bamboo huts, farming, hunting for food, etc.

Walking Meditation and Stretches

Sitting around the table @ Breakfast, under the PawPaw tree!
 From left to right: Me (Canada), Natalie (Germany), Daniello (Holland), Jim (Sweden)