The Chiang Mai International Rotary Club (CMIRC) Volunteer Team Information Gathering and Assessment Visit to the Sustainable Cocoa Tree and Areca Palm Demonstration Farm in Agroforestry Project in Takhli, Nakhon Sawan, Thailand
Project Director: CMIRC Rtn. Dr Narong Tongsuk
Project Funding: The Ann Gfeller Clark Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture in Thailand (Ann’s Fund), CMIRC Rtn. Craig Clark, Director
Date of Visit: May 27 and 28, 2022
CMIRC Visiting Team: CP Roger Lindley, PP Dr John Schorr, Avocado Garden Project Director Rtn. Niwatchai Suknaphasawat, Rtn. Gary Herman, Rtn. Raphael Djemal, Rtn. Myrna Muyana.

At the request of Rtn. Craig Clark, the CMIRC has been distributing project funding and monitoring project progress for both the Avocado Garden Project (AGP) and the Sustainable Cocoa Tree and Areca Palm Demonstration Farm in Agroforestry Project (Demonstration Farm) for the past two years. As with all CMIRC charitable projects, CMIRC assesses progress on a regular basis and that was the purpose of our visit to the demonstration farm project. Readers interested in seeing the full report should contact me at johnkschorr@gmail.com and I will share the report.
Our general conclusions about the Sustainable Cocoa Tree and Areca Palm Demonstration Farm in Agroforestry Project (Demonstration Farm) were:
1. We were truly impressed by the scope and potential importance of this demonstration farm project. Large segments of the Dr. Narong’s family farmland have been taken out of normal commercial production to build the Demonstration Farm. This is truly a labor of love and commitment to showing farmers the advantages of sustainable farming.
2. Local farmers are already benefiting by seeing alternative long-term approaches to producing sustainable returns from farming. As the project matures, these benefits will be much more obvious and impressive.
3. In the future, the Demonstration Farm is well positioned to become an important educational resource for Thai farmers and future farmers. Local farmers, including Project Director Narong’s family will demonstrate the effectiveness and profitability of taking a sustainable approach to farming.

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