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Two Acres that Produce One-Hundred Thousands Baths
I dug out the oil palm trees. The trees are ready for harvest.
When I looks at our agricultural fields in every Southern province,
there are only cash crops. Most of them are oil palm and rubber trees.
The traditional way of life... The local ways of lives like what we used to have are quickly fading away.
People stopped growing rice, planting vegetables and raising farm animals for themselves.
The two acres for one-hundred thousands Baths project means
farmers can use two acres to plant edible plants and raise animals
in an integrated and organic farming way.
I use two acres to grow rice and store water.
In the pond, I raise fish and grow vegetable around it. I also raise some animals.
What I do here, I believe it is to follow His Majesty the King by preserving the local livelihood.
I learn from Mr. Anek Jeewarat, who is a vice president of the provincial Chamber of commerce.
The concept is using the King's sufficiency economy philosophy and putting it to practice.
In fact farming is a gradual and slow process.
Farmers should be happy to see things grow little by little and realize that each has its worthiness.
Farmers become joyful and fill with pride to see them reach their potentials.
But if we think only about money. That's the root of sorrow.
This is not to say that people shouldn't become rich and have money.
If someone is capable in managing his or her farm, the farm will expand naturally.
He or She will be rich organically. It will be a kind of sustainable wealth.
This kind of wealth brings empathy and altruism.
Their success will compel them to involve more people in working and thinking together.
They will want others to learn what they have learned.
This kind of wealth brings positive attitude. It creates good habit and character.
Once we learned, me must pass on our knowledge.
What I do here at *** Yai village is from what I've learned from my farm.
For me, when I work I don't think about how much I would get paid.
I worked there for free for months on end.
Every time I think of that, it makes me happy. That's what it's all about.
To me, this is only the beginning.
It's a primary production of food.
But we should also look at the whole system. Having all sectors to become involved.
After we are capable in producing good and organic food for our Phang-Nga province,
we can also connect with other consumers outside like in Phuket, Krabi and Andaman provinces.
I understand that in each day, these surrounding provinces demand a lot of good food.
Our food must be of highest quality and trustworthy.
My hope is that if this demonstrating project is successful, it should first benefit our farmers.
It should also increase their income and improve their standard of living.
Most importantly, if they can stay at home and make enough money,
there's no need for them to leave and work in other provinces.
To be able to work at home should make them happier.
When we grow our own vegetables, women can contribute more to the family.
Palm plantation is men's work. Raising goats is also men's work.
All the hard works are men's work. Women don't have much to do except keeping the house clean.
If we grow vegetables, there are more things for us to do around the house.
My children and my neighbors' children also helping out.
While the children playing close by, we're working side-by-side as adults.
Kids spend less time on video games and other reckless activities.
They become closer to us by helping us.
Some say that I'm out of my mind to dig the oil palm trees out for two acres.
They said "why bother? You make so much money out of oil palm every month."
They asked "Why do you start out from nothing again?"
Today, I don't make any money out of the rice field and the vegetables.
But I think it is a start of a conversation of the many.
Many people and agencies are starting to talk about this idea.
Perhaps some will change their attitude and start to change their way of cash crop farming.
Everything that I do gives me happiness.
I have a chance to glance back at my ancestor's way of life.
They were the ones that made me who I am today.
If they think I'm crazy, then my ancestors and theirs too must be crazy.
I believe in what the King said when he said that we are the products of our past.
Without our forefathers, we can't have good lives.
I'm pround of it even though people think I'm crazy.
They said why exhausting yourself, you have a comfortable life already.
But I am so proud of what I'm doing.
My dream deep inside is to communicate to the people.
I want to communicate about the life of farmers.
Their perseverance, the devotion of the people in generation past, who had created everything.
I want to tell so that people know farming is something that is with us every single day.
It is priceless to me.