“What If…?”

January 5-10, 2024

This course will be a collaboration between the Pun Pun Community and our P’gakenyoa friends from Hin Lad Nai. It will be hosted at Pun Pun center in Mae Taeng, Chiang Mai and Hin Lad Nai village in Viang Papago, Chiang Rai. 

Course is bilingual, English and Thai

What if we were able to slow down and re-member our lost relations with earth, water, fire and sky? What if our identities were again determined not by what we buy but what we co-create organically with our communities and the lands that tend to us? 

This “What If…” Course offers a unique chance to re-cultivate a deeper understanding as to how our external relationships with Earth impact our relationships with our inner self. A safe space will be held for us to explore and process emotions and feelings of which typical modern life seldom offers space for. In addition to learning the foundational hands-on skills such as seed saving, wildcrafting, organic farming, slow cooking, etc. that Pun Pun is known for, we will explore the human relationship with ancestral indigenous seeds, not only examining their role in the food we eat but also in forming human identity, culture, and myth. We will explore how ritual/traditional farming practices such as rotational farming impact community life and the basic human need to feel belonging. We will learn about wild honey bee keeping and consider the major role bees play in our world. This is a rare opportunity, away from the “daily grind” to experience life more slowly, to examine our interconnectedness, with self, soil, and community. We will reflect over the importance of our ancestors. And we will consider the importance of a more land based, indigenous world view in these modern times.

Hin Lad Nai is a special village of the P’gakenyoa indigenous people of the area who have a unique and interconnected relationship with the land, the forest and their community traditions. They have opened up their space for people to learn these essential skills with them.

Content and topics:

At Pun Pun Organic Farm:

• Seed Stories: We will revisit our timeless relationship with seed throughout the course, including those of myth and culture. We do this with storytelling, song, dance, etc.
• Natural Farming: Participants will learn how to grow and harvest food in a mindful way that develops a deeper relationship with soil, water, ancestral memory, seed lineage, the vast unseen underground mycelia kingdom of microorganisms etc. 
• Slow Cooking: We will learn how to respectfully harvest from the garden, cook from scratch and eat in mindful ways, looking particularly at root vegetables and their relationship with the land and people..
• Waking the Wild: We will attempt to wake our wilder, ancient self through shared, embodied exercises that aim to push us out from our comfort zones.

At Hin Lad Nai village:

• Ritual/Rotational Farming: We will revisit our ancient relationship with the forest, learning about indigenous techniques of living harmoniously with land in a way that benefits both land and people. Through ceremony, poetry, song, and story, we will look deeply into natural rhythms, our deep relationship with rice, indigenous seeds and cultural roots.
• Returning the Sacred: We will explore the concept of “rematriation”, exploring modernities increasingly severed relation with land and consider how best we might make efforts to restore again a sacred balance with life, taking specific interest in the “P’gakenyoa” tribe’s view.
• Tree hugging: We will connect with the massive grandmother tree “Khun Yai Lumpoo”, the only tree not felled by a logging company years ago that now serves as a powerful reminder of our roots and resilience.
• Wild Honey Keepers and Ancient Teas: We will learn about the unique role bees and tea have with forging a relationship between humans and earth. And yes, we will taste yummy honey and drink delicious teas! 
• Calling Our Soul Home: We will participate in the Baisi ritual of “Connectedness Threads” to seal our time together.

We wish to experiment with a sliding scale fee: We encourage people who are more secure in their financial reality to support others who now have less by paying a bit more than asked if possible. 

Suggested fees: 

12,000 baht/person or more for people more financially privileged. 7,000-10,000 baht/person for people able to afford this amount.

All proceeds will go towards supporting Pun Pun community’s ongoing efforts to preserve organic, traditional seeds and educational opportunities for all at low cost and the youth groups of Hua Hin Lad Nai village. *We wish to offer scholarships for people who do not currently have the financial resources but who feel greatly called to join this course. Please kindly write to us @ punpun.farm@gmail.com to discuss this possibility.

To register, English speakers please contact punpuncourses@gmail.com and Thai speakers at punpun.farm@gmail.com