Sustainable agricultural and organic farming is an alternative way to live life, preserve a culture, and protect nature in Northern Thailand.
Ek-ii-aek-aekkk…the Thai language call of the roosters aroused me from my warm, comfortable mattress. I can glimpse the sun beams seeping through the walls and under the wooden door. I can sense chilly, white fog of the Thailand winter while walking downstairs to help my host mother prepare vegetables to sell at market.
“You seem sleepy. Why don’t you go back to your bed and sleep longer?” Mae Ratri asked gently. Mae in this instance means ‘mother’ and is the way to address ones host mother; for about 2 weeks I was very blessed to have Mae Ratri Kruengngern’s as my surrogate mother.
Mae Ratri and her family are a rural farming family in Mae Tha, an idyllic green village in Northern Thailand. I was part of a group of university students studying sustainable agriculture and as inviting as the offer of extra sleep sounded, I was much more excited to continue with another day of learning.
Mae Tha is a small community of Mae-On sub-district in Chiang Mai, located amidst the mountains on the boundary of Lamphun province. Most of the population speaks the “Yong” dialect or the Thai language.
Mae Tha villagers earn a living by farming rice and cultivating indigenous vegetables using organic and sustainable practices…
This article is written by Som
