The Three Generation Cooking and Farming Academy provides an on-campus organic farm and a kitchen classroom.

This hands-on experience fosters a better understanding of how the natural world sustains us, while conveying the essential belief and philosophy of the Thai people, that nature’s way exudes pleasure, provides health and wellbeing, stimulates the senses, and promotes self-sustainability. 

In the kitchen participants will:

• Use Nature’s Way as a unifying concept, learn how to identify and gather produce and prepare nutritious, seasonal Thai recipes in the traditional manner
• Incorporate the concept of the "garden kitchen" into day-to-day living
• Combine cultural notes, medicinal antidotes and cooking lore throughout the lesson in an innovative learning experience
• Rekindle the experience of good health and joy of living

On the Organic Farm participants will:

• Discover where their food comes from
• Understand the natural rhythms of flood cycles and growing seasons
• Engage in holistic experiential education
• Realize sustainable organic farming practices
• Incorporate classroom knowledge with real life experiences on the farm
• Learn about composting, transplanting seedlings and harvesting ripe produce
• Witness local Thai wisdom at work, and His Majesty the King’s model of Sufficiency Economy

What are the benefits to a hands-on experience on the farm or in the kitchen classroom?

• Academic achievement
• Fostering a healthy lifestyle and eating habits
• Environmental stewardship
• Community and social development
• The value of preserving traditions and customs
• Understand His Majesty the King of Thailand’s concept of Sufficiency Economy
• An experiential education experience in which they will begin to understand where their food comes from

In the kitchen

• 11 cooking stations for 22 students
• Open-air pavilion
• Teaching station with viewing mirrors
• Dining area
• Grilling area
• Organic farm produce

On the farm

• Sala classroom
• Grilling area
• Earthen oven
• Propagation table
• Ten rai of vegetable, fruit, flower and herb beds
• Tool shed
• Fish Ponds
• Farm animals: goats, rabbits, water buffalo, cows, wild boars

It is our highest priority to ensure the safety of guests and students at the Three Generation Cooking and Farming Academy at all times.

Preventative steps are taken by students and staff to avoid any incidents. A First Aid kit is always on hand and all staff members are qualified in basic first aid care. We have complete risk assessments of our programs and facilities available to read.

The safety of all participants is our foremost concern throughout the farm and cooking activities.

In the kitchen
Read the complete risk assessment of our  cooking programs.

On the farm
Read the complete risk assessment of our  farm programs.

Staff are trained in CPR, First Aid and fire safety techniques. Medical kits are close at hand at the Cooking Sala and Farm. Cleanliness and hygiene is reinforced throughout the cooking program. Students are assisted or guided with food preparation by Cooking Academy staff, Visiting School staff and volunteers.

Please be advised of safety measures for the following risks:

Sun Exposure

Wear a hat (either personal or a farm hat)

Heat

The temperature in Thailand can be very hot. Drink plenty of water, wear a hat and sit in the shade if needed

Dehydration

Carry a water bottle and drink water consistently throughout the day. Our first aid boxes have electrolytes if needed

Large Bodies of water on the farm

Stay away from the ponds and the edges of the water especially in the morning as dew makes the ground slippery

Equipment

Students should not go in the storage rooms and should use equipment only after being shown what each thing is and how to use it properly in the kitchen and or on the farm.

Damage to camera or electronics

Students should be aware that goats love to chew on anything!

Cuts

We have a first aid kit if any cuts, scrapes or allergic reactions occur on-site

Dogs

Our farm dogs aren’t strays but are unfamiliar with new students who should keep their keep fingers away from dogs and don’t pet them

Farm animals

Students must be careful of all animals on the farm as any of them can kick, bite, push, head-butt or snarl.

Bee stings

Watch out for the bee hive which is located at the farmer’s sala opposite the classroom sala

Snakes

Students should be careful around the water at the back of the farm (as there is less traffic there and it is closer to the rice paddies). Students must also be careful at the giant pile of rice straw behind the netted area. Snakes that are known in the area include Cobra’s, Malaysian Pit Vipers, Rat snakes, Krate, Keel backs (all the nasty ones!)

Scorpions

Students should be aware when collecting rice straw and wood that this is a good place for scorpions. There are the big black ones (up to 20cm) and also smaller brown one (up to 10cm)

Plants

Students should always have the permission of the instructor before tasting any plants on the farm.

Garbage disposal/ recycling

There is a 3-way garbage separation system on the farm for recyclables, junk and biodegradable trash

Other

Students should keep to the paths when walking at the farm. Walking on the raised vegetable beds compacts the soil making it difficult for plants to grow
Walking on plants (like squash and cucumbers vines) makes the fruit taste bitter, or that vine section will not produce a fruit

Our Jungle Cooking program has been designed for students nine to seventeen years of age who have a fondness of adventure. Although we do not venture into the wilds of the surrounding jungle or learn actual survival skills, we have created a program that has the feel of life in the wilderness!


Jungle Cooking takes place at the Farm’s shady and rustic Sala, surrounded by abundant herbs and vegetables, banana trees and bamboo groves. These versatile plants or parts of them will be featured again and again in various forms throughout the day.

During the class, students will discover how to prepare a meal over an open fire, charcoal braziers and a variety of methods used in the jungle without pots, pans or a gas tank.

They will also learn about sustainability by creating utensils out of natural materials and preparing food with items foraged from the farm.

What you should know:

• Allow 3 hours for a full jungle cooking experience
• Classes are divided into three groups working as a team
• The menu will vary according to season, the students’ age and the time available

What you need to bring:

• Comfortable clothes suitable for hot weather
• Hat (straw hats are available, if needed)
• Water bottle (water cooler is available for refill)

• Students will meet the goats, buffalo, pigs and rabbits and learn how to look after them
• Students will learn how these animals help local people and how in turn we should care for them. They will be able to feed the animals


• The session will end with related songs and a story promoting positive attitudes to these animals

• Students will feel and smell different types of soil and learn how soil is made on the farm
• Students will investigate the worms and other animals that live in the soil and talk about the job that these animals do


• The session will include a snack and story

• Students will be introduced to seeds and plants, as well as the compost on the farm which returns the goodness back to the soil
• Students will meet the animals on the farm and discuss how they change and grow
• Students will plant seeds to take back to school


• The session will include a snack and story

• Students will participate in a colour hunt around the farm
• Students will observe animals that use camouflage as well as plants and animals that want to get notice
• Students will use natural dye from the farm plants and other local goods to dye cloth to take back to school


• The session will include a snack and story

  I hear … I forget, I see …I remember, I do… I understand.  

- Lao Tse

• Students will participate in a mini-beast hunt around the farm and discuss the role of these creatures in the farm
• Students will discuss ideas of camouflage and mimicry, lifecycles and the harmful effect of some mini-beasts
• Students will be introduced to environmentally safe ways of dealing with the farm pests
• Students will consider the helpful mini-beasts who have helped the crops to grow and will harvest produce to make vegetable or fruit shakes for snack time

• Students will learn about local wisdom concerning herbs, fruits and leaves
• This program includes a snack and local stories
• Students will participate in a sensory trail and will taste different fruits as they learn how they are helpful
• Students will use plants to make soap to take back to school

• Students will help to make compost and will consider the role of decomposers in breaking down dead matter to enrich the soil
• Students will investigate the lifecycles of plants and observe plants at different stages on the farm
• Older students will respond creatively (poems, art work) to the theme in the butterfly garden

• Students will map the different areas of the farm (stream, canals, ponds, pathways, animal areas and crops)
• Students will work co-operatively to show how all of these areas connect together and have positive and negative influences on each other
• Students will explore the production of compost and will examine plants that have received different amounts of water / compost/ etc
• Students will study the soil and water in different areas of the farm

• Students will meet the water buffalo and learn about how it can help the farmer
• Students will explore how to plough with the buffalo and to plant rice (seasonal)
• Students will assist with on-going weeding and harvesting
• Students will make fruit or vegetable shakes as part of their snack
• Students will investigate how local farmers fish and catch food in the farmland areas
• Students will learn about other uses of plants and dye cloth using natural dyes to take back to school

This program allows primary students to look closely at plants, birds and animals on the farm, noting their behavior and characteristics whilst participating in three workshops.

• Students will learn about the parts of a bird and be introduced to basic bird watching techniques. They will spend time observing the birds around the farm and consider the relationship between the birds and the different areas of the farm
• Students will study a tree or other plant on the farm, raising questions about it, making observations and drawing it. Students will learn about its value in everyday life
• Students will observe and find out about one of the farm animals and consider how this animal connects to other areas of the farm
• Students will make and eat a snack during their visit

Why not follow up your farm visit with primary students with a vegetable packaging and sale activity within the Campus?

This teacher-directed extension to the farm activity would allow students to set up a mini enterprise combining maths and design and language skills, with students creating packaging, advertisements, and collecting and redistributing funds accrued from the sale of farm produce.

  There is sufficiency in the world for man’s need but not for man’s greed.  

- Mohandas Gandhi

• Students will learn about organic farming and the importance of sustainable practices through soil and compost studies, investigating the production and use of EM and looking at companion planting and biological pest control
• Students will learn about local wisdom and consider how to manage a plot of land in a sustainable way
• Students will participate in on-going planting, weeding and harvesting, discussing the importance of each task
• Students will create their own fruit or vegetable shake from harvested produce

• Students will learn about the local water management system of fai and the role of check dams and water management in northern Thailand
• Students will measure stream flow and test water quality in different areas of the farm, considering the impact of run off and the use of and alternatives to fertilizers
• Students will participate in on-going planting, weeding and harvesting, discussing the importance of each task
• Students will create their own fruit/ vegetable shake from harvested produce
• Students will investigate local practices to hold the moisture in the soil

• Students will taste different fruits and vegetables while learning about their contribution to health and well being
• Students will produce tie-dye made from natural dyes using plants and bark from around the farm
• Students will map the different areas of the farmland and consider how all parts of the farm are connected and the importance of biodiversity in the ecosystem
• Students will participate in on-going planting, weeding, harvesting and compost making discussing the importance of each task

  An object seen in isolation from the whole is not the real thing.  

- Masanobu Fukuoka

Chemistry students will have a chance to visit the farm and to carry out water, compost and soil chemistry analysis. We will also collect all this data so the farm will have a record so future student groups can use past data.

Biology students will be able to see an active ecosystem in a finite space which will allow them to study and calculate biodiversity, ecosystem interconnections, plant structures and adaptations as well as plant lifecycles.

Geography students can map the garden to see how the land is being used. This map can be annotated to show how local wisdom has been incorporated into the farm design. They will also collect soil, compost and water quality analysis. How do you collect water analysis?


Design Technology students will have the opportunity to design and build water turbines, wind turbines, bridges, water management techniques and make recommendations to improve existing equipment and structures.

History students can interview the local community members to see how traditional local wisdom has been passed down to create sustainable agriculture systems.

Math students can do a statistical analysis on plant growth patterns between species and within individuals of one species.


Art students can visit the farm to learn about mixed companion planting and to make an artistic response to the farm visit. We can also offer art students natural plants for dyes for tie dyeing fabrics.

All students Work together on a Bio-diesel project. This will be a model for sustainable alternative technologies in action.

Take part in bird watching activities around the farm, as well as insect biodiversity counts.

Contact us if you would like to use the farm for other areas of the curriculum.

  We abuse the land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see the land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.  

- Aldo Leoplod

In connection with the Three Generation Camps program, Thai school English classes or mini-English programs.

Traidhos Three Generation Community for Learning believes that students need a purpose to become confident users of English.

A visit to the Three Generation Farm allows students to feel, touch, taste and smell a range of herbs and vegetables giving them a reason to communicate in a safe and stimulating environment.

Speaking and listening is supported by a workbook to reinforce vocabulary while language games, songs and stories complete the ESL play on the farm.

  He who dares to teach must never cease to learn.  

- Richard Henry Dann

Student groups also use the farm sala for our jungle cooking classes.