A Playground for Self-Reliance Projects, Healthy Lifestyles & Environmental Education
Damien Masselis and Lyse Kong started the Pai Seedlings Foundation in 2017 with support from the Millenium Foundation and Léa Nature. Located in the Pai Valley, near the Burmese border, the couple were gifted 2500m2 of old rice fields to start rehabilitating. They created a resilient cultivated ecosystem through permaculture: vegetable garden, orchard, aromatic and medicinal plants, and grains.
Their goal is to produce food in sufficient quantity and diversity and support schools by using the farm as an educational and experimental structure.
Linda met Damien 15 years ago on Koh Phayam. Since starting ECOSHIFT, they have rekindled their friendship based on a shared philosophy. She journeyed north to Pai Valley recently to see the operation firsthand.
Damien considers the Foundation a playground for environmental education, agroecology and developing resilient and regenerative practices. He is a life transition coach and consultant for ecosystem regeneration projects.
A student of Dr. Elaine Ingham's soil management course, Damien is researching and testing local soil. During Linda's visit, they made compost.
Helping farmers restore their soil biology will increase their profits and grow food harmoniously with nature.
How do they approach this?
1. IDENTIFY which groups of microorganisms are lacking in the soil
2. BOOST their numbers using Biocompleteâ„¢ Compost and Liquids
3. ADOPT natural farming techniques to ensure biology survives
Damien tracks and records all the research, adapting and adjusting the course material based on US soils to that of Northern Thailand.
Lyse has a degree in permaculture and is passionate about the environment. She facilitates permaculture workshops for children and small groups on bringing awareness and mindfulness to their daily lives.
The foundation aims to be an eco-friendly Projects Incubator. And, like ECOSHIFT, they think globally and act locally.
Linda is excited to collaborate with Damien and the team to help complement and complete each other’s work.
One of ECOSHIFT’s pillars is soil management. We look forward to collaborating to learn about and improve soil for smallholder cacao farmers.
ECOSHIFT proudly supports sustainability initiatives like the Pai Seeling Foundation. Our goal is to improve the lives of smallholder farmers so they can earn a fair living income.
New partnerships with like-minded organizations help implement sustainable activities that benefit farmers, their families, their communities and the environment.
ECOSHIFT produces premium, sustainably grown, and ethical cocoa using a comprehensive model that benefits farmers, chocolatiers, and the environment.
by Tim Morch, Freelance Writer
All photos by Pai Seedlings Foundation
Location: 64/3 Moo 1, Tambon Vieng Nua, Amphoe Pai, 58130 Mae Hong Son, Thailand
Contact: + 66 85 26 41 331 (ENG/FR/THAI)
Website: https://seedlings-foundation.org/
Want to learn more about ECOSHIFT?
Contact Linda at: linda@ecoshift.io
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