Panya Project

Hope all is right in the world from your vantage point, as it appears here at the Panya Project permaculture organic farm in sunny-warm northern Thailand. I ain't gonna work on Maggie's farm no more, but a collectively run experiment in sustainable living, which extend to food, buildings and modes of communication & communal living, sounds pretty good.

Our first day here we got to learn about natural building techniques, using mud and straw to put doors on the compost toilets, previously donning curtains. We employed a bit of the scientific method to determine the precisely perfect porportions: throwing clay and water into a pit and stompin' around in it! The feeling of fresh mud squishing up between my toes really makes me wonder why one would want to ever grow up. Then Christian, a kind and tall fellow from Seattle who started the Panya Project w/ 11 other people 6 years ago, told us to take a bundle of straw and mix mud into it ''until it's like a muddy dreadlock.'' Then we used it to attach a doorframe, yielding the ultimate in restroom privacy that mud and straw has to offer.

The next day we set to work in the food forest, 4 acres that are home to 35 species of fruit trees (and bushes, like the pineapple: not a tree). Fertilizing with ''humanure'' from an old compost toilet, two years out of use (totally composted: no smell!). Straw technology again comes into play, now as mulch to prevent weed growth, trap moisture and maintain temperature. Speaking of temperature: it was nice to go from freezing rain in NYC, hop a couple of planes for 24 hours, and hop out to 85 degree weather.

The duties on the farm are nearly as many and varied as the many fantastically interesting far out friends that occupy this veritable paradise. We've learned about everything from native Thai hilltribe people to photography, from the traveling minstrel newsmen of Nepal to the frantic manic daily dancing of Zimbabwae tribespeople---and also loads of farm stuff---from the many beautiful people here, heralding from all over the world (Britain, Belguim, Sweeden, Holland, New Zealand, and, not surprisingly, Thailand).

Bounty of the Harvest

But it hasn't been all work and learning: we've certainly had some fun and leisure (which I now pronounce ''LEHjur'' in my head on account of all the Brits here). Every day the whole team gets together for communal lunch and dinner, prepared by different people each day; tomorrow is Sarah's day to cook! Yesterday we walked to a beautiful, still lake surrounded by tropical plants, a group of 7 of us, and swam clear across to the other side (and back again!). Everything was beautiful and nothing hurt (except the ubiquitous cuts on hands & feet from farmwork). But I figure no paradise would be complete without some work. I think you would dig it here, all of you.
Our hearts go out to all of you, for you are our home no matter where we all are.

Travis playing with Ping