The Regenerative Farmers Cooperative: support to local farmers
The Regenerative Farmers Cooperative Project was born from a desire to explore how the lessons we had learned at the Seedlings Farm could benefit our community. And how the local community could help Pai Seedlings grow outside of Damien’s and Lyse’s family.
In early 2022, just as Damien finished writing his book on Inner Ecology and Ecocentric Lifestyles, 2 events collided which would give birth to this amazing adventure. First Sarah, a karen friend from a nearby village, came to visit the farm with a dozen of her extended family, all farmers struggling to make ends meet. She had just lost her father to cancer and knew most people in her village were suffering from similar disease because of the use of chemicals in the fileds. Then, a week later, Carol from the Ecca Family Foundation reached out to visit us: inspired by our work before and during COVID she was looking for ambitious projects to support.
And this is how, after nealry 10 months of community outreach, research, and design, we started the Regen Coop Project with 17 locals families and a 5 years mission to create a regenerative model for local natural agriculture.
Objectives
- Ecological objective: showcase how a natural approach to agriculture based on natural resources management can improve soil’s health and production;
- Social objective: develop skills (land management, financial litteracy, technical skills, etc), encourage growth mindset, provide income and debt reduction schemes for the duration of the project;
- Economical objective: provide material individual support to develop production capacity (water management, seeds, trees, tools and material) and develop a cooperative business model to make farmers independent;
The regeneration strategy
Regeneration work is challenging because it is adresses multi-faceted problems. Which also makes it such a fascinating and enriching collective enterprise! Modern practices of farming and doing economy has not only degraded our soils (upon which relies the farmers’ capacity to grow crops) but also people’s economic agency and sense of cultural pride. This is what has inspired the complexe and holistic structure of this project.
Ecologic Regeneration
- Stop chemicals (herbicides, pesticides and fertilizers)
- Stop tilling
- Stop burning
- Produce organic intrants: composts, pest-control
- Redesign land: agroforestry and syntropic landscaping for large biomass production
- Redesign water management and irrigation to control erosion
- Diversify production with annual and perennial crops
- Introduce crops rotation
Social Empowerment
- Moratorium on agricultural debt and debt payback scheme supported by Pai Seedlings Foundation
- Monthly income guaranteed during the 5 years project
- Training and education on technical skills related to land management (compost, biochar, wood vinegar, organic farming, seed saving, food processing, etc.), financial litteracy
- Develop cooperative practices and collaboration rather than competition
- Visits to other organic farms and regenerative projects in northern thailand to breed inspiration and foster networking
- Food for school initiative: supply the village school with organic produce from our project
Economic Development
- Creation of a network in the region to connect farmers to buyers and government agencies
- Stand at local markets to sell fresh produce
- Direct sales to partner restaurants network
- Build and operate a processing facility in the village, develop finished products to increase their market value and market accessibility
- Invest in a cooperative to share machines, tools, knowledge and marketing efforts
- Support entrepreneurial initiatives with a comprehensive framework to grow ideas into viable projects
This is not only about farmers, here are ways you can be part of the regenerative model:
As a business: supply your restaurant with our products
Please contact us to learn how you can join our network of partners and supply your restaurant/hotel with the best products only: link to Offers & Products / Partnerships
As an individual or family: join our CSA & Food Box program
Do you want to be part of this adventure and enjoy the best food available in town? Join our CSA & Foodbox program: link to CSA & Foodbox page
As a grower: join our regenerative cooperative
Are you an organic farmer looking for your peers? Join our cooperative, together we are stronger!