I would like to retire on a farm

[sirineou]

 My Father in law had a Farm near his house , I am not sure of the exact kind of title he had (past away a couple of years ago, we use it now) , but he could farm the land but not build on it other than basic structure,

 It has space for growing rice, which now that he is gone we let someone else use in exchange of part of the rice produced, And there is a part where we have fruit trees and vegetables.

  My brother in law mostly maintains the fruit trees as I work abroad and am only there part of the year. As said by other, Farming is hard work, Simply keeping the area from being overgrown is exhausting, I do it once in a while to get my fill , but good to be able to walk away when tired of it.

    I will ask the wife what title and how to get an eragment like that ,But I know it is only available if you are married to a Thai, and only on your wife's  or wife's family name.

[Billy Bloggs]

Ok to just give a little more info, the locals also think Im nuts because I cut the straw after harvest, I then cut this in a largish (5 hp) mulcher, this cut straw is then used as an ingredient in my compost(cut straw like this breaks down quickly) which I make in concrete rings(which thais use to make septic systems), will have to use other methods as we run short of compost as we grow more stuff, it is used as mulch on veggie beds as well and is very successful, and also for floor cover for the chook house, this when raked out about every 3 weeks to a month and added to compost makes an even better compost but faster as well.

[Hummin]

1 minute ago, Billy Bloggs said:

Ok to just give a little more info, the locals also think Im nuts because I cut the straw after harvest, I then cut this in a largish (5 hp) mulcher, this cut straw is then used as an ingredient in my compost(cut straw like this breaks down quickly) which I make in concrete rings(which thais use to make septic systems), will have to use other methods as we run short of compost as we grow more stuff, it is used as mulch on veggie beds as well and is very successful, and also for floor cover for the chook house, this when raked out about every 3 weeks to a month and added to compost makes an even better compost but faster as well.

I havent seen compost used very much in thai, they useally burn everything they can. 

[Billy Bloggs]

Yes I kow it does help a little with soil Ph the burning but I would turn the first lot in without burning, and then burn the weeds if I was going to go that way, we still have a little on the ground to be turned in for the first lot, and I fertilise with cowshit(but may have to be buffalo as I just got a free supply of that today as long as I bag it) just before the turn before planting.

[tweedledee2]

  A neighbor bales our straw to feed his cows. We then plow the stubble under. I've never seen any fields burned off in the area. Most of the farmers bale it, let their cows eat it or their neighbor's cows.

[Billy Bloggs]

3 minutes ago, tweedledee2 said:

  A neighbor bales our straw to feed his cows. We then plow the stubble under. I've never seen any fields burned off in the area. Most of the farmers bale it, let their cows eat it or their neighbor's cows.

Your lucky to have farmers in your area that think a bit and pity more didnt, we have already had a lot of the farms around us burnt off already, they change when word filters out even though it was a bad year in our area for rice yield that our couple of Rai (in per Rai production) was the best by a long way of those we have heard so far in our area.

Yes and coming back from Buri Ram this arvo I did see a truck being loaded up with bales in a paddy and we passed a piece of equipment that the girl ask what that was and I told her it was a baler.

[khwaibah]

15 minutes ago, Billy Bloggs said:

Your lucky to have farmers in your area that think a bit and pity more didnt, we have already had a lot of the farms around us burnt off already, they change when word filters out even though it was a bad year in our area for rice yield that our couple of Rai (in per Rai production) was the best by a long way of those we have heard so far in our area.

Yes and coming back from Buri Ram this arvo I did see a truck being loaded up with bales in a paddy and we passed a piece of equipment that the girl ask what that was and I told her it was a baler.

My wife land this morning over in Kap Choeng./Surin.

 

[Stevemercer]

We have  what I would call a 5 rai hobby farm. It started off as filled rice land nearly 5 years ago (we dug two ponds on the site and used the fill for leveling. Since then I've been planting and maintaining trees. It can feel like a full time job, but it keeps me busy. Some photos below.

[CLW]

We have  what I would call a 5 rai hobby farm. It started off as filled rice land nearly 5 years ago (we dug two ponds on the site and used the fill for leveling. Since then I've been planting and maintaining trees. It can feel like a full time job, but it keeps me busy. Some photos below.

Very nice! Is that iguana your pet?

[Stevemercer]

It's an escaped pet. It hangs out in the trees on the other side of the pond and swims over every other day for a feed.

[georgegeorgia]

Love the pics , some of your farm looks like a rainforest with the palms.

Steve do u have Septic tanks ?

How about water for shower ,do you use rainwater ?

 

on another note i was watching youtube videos of a farang farmer near Chiang Rai who was saying how expensive farm land now was.

[rumak]

13 hours ago, georgegeorgia said:

Love the pics , some of your farm looks like a rainforest with the palms.

Steve do u have Septic tanks ?

How about water for shower ,do you use rainwater ?

 

on another note i was watching youtube videos of a farang farmer near Chiang Rai who was saying how expensive farm land now was.

"expensive" is a very relative term !   Usually farm land is expensive if it is close to the city .  Its the proximity that brings up the cost.  Actually from what i've seen....(in CM )  only 8 years ago you could by land 5 -15 km from town(some areas) for around 300 to 500 k a rai.  Now that the boom is on you're looking at 1 to 4 million a rai all the way out to 20 km in every direction.    But go out 40 km or more and its 100k up to 400 k a rai .

Then its the land (soil, water, electricity, on a lg or small road)  that is being valued, not it's "investment" value.

Edited November 27, 2018 by rumak

[Hummin]

Nor sor 3 Gor I see was out for 60 000,- two hours drive from city. 5 min out of village, just a dirt road and no electricity. Very quiet and nice area with ground water 38 m. and nice fruity vallay with mountain around. Nice river going trough in the middle as well. 

[Stevemercer]

13 hours ago, georgegeorgia said:

Love the pics , some of your farm looks like a rainforest with the palms.

Steve do u have Septic tanks ?

How about water for shower ,do you use rainwater ?

 

on another note i was watching youtube videos of a farang farmer near Chiang Rai who was saying how expensive farm land now was.

 

We live on the edge of a town and so have town water, internet, utilities etc. Yes, it is all septic. I'm not sure what other options there are? 

 

We use town water inside the house, but used to use bore water. The town water is not quite so mineralised and the water fittings last longer. All the runoff from the roof (and the rest of the land run into the ponds. I dug a little channel to drain water into rice paddies at the back if everything is full.

[rumak]

11 minutes ago, Hummin said:

Nor sor 3 Gor I see was out for 60 000,- two hours drive from city. 5 min out of village, just a dirt road and no electricity. Very quiet and nice area with ground water 38 m. and nice fruity vallay with mountain around. Nice river going trough in the middle as well. 

sounds perfect !   and you could just wear a yellow robe ....

 

start those seedlings........pot might be legal soon .  

 

 

[Hummin]

5 minutes ago, rumak said:

sounds perfect !   and you could just wear a yellow robe ....

 

start those seedlings........pot might be legal soon .  

 

 

The village police chief is in charge of all drug traffic, so better to stay away that path. 

[NOWHERE]

On 11/20/2018 at 6:55 PM, djayz said:

I forgot to mention earlier that there's a thread running on this forum about starting a small farm. The member, a Thai, shares his experiences, photos, advice, etc. and overall it's very informative. You might pick up a few ideas from the thread. Various members have contributed to it. 

 

 

Great thread. Enjoyed the few hours reading it. Highly recommend. 

[CLW]

I might hang on something to this thread as it is similar as the OP's question.
Family of my friend owns 80 rai agricultural land in one piece.
At the moment a small plot is rented out for sugarcane. Some areas looks like there has been growing rice in the past.
A few mango trees are planted as well.
It includes two ponds fed from underground water.
At the moment there are only a few skinny cows from the grandfather roaming around.

Now to my question, would this 80 rai be enough to develop that into a small farm that will sooner or later generate some benefits?
I was not thinking about the odd rice, cane or maize growing instead going organic and producing specialty crops.
What are your ideas or experience about such a business?

[IsaanAussie]

80 Rai would be more than enough to diversify into many things. Apart from location and choice of what WILL grow, for me the two biggest factors are having a market and the availability of labour. 

[drtreelove]

On 12/17/2018 at 9:13 AM, CLW said:

I might hang on something to this thread as it is similar as the OP's question.
Family of my friend owns 80 rai agricultural land in one piece.
At the moment a small plot is rented out for sugarcane. Some areas looks like there has been growing rice in the past.
A few mango trees are planted as well.
It includes two ponds fed from underground water.
At the moment there are only a few skinny cows from the grandfather roaming around.

Now to my question, would this 80 rai be enough to develop that into a small farm that will sooner or later generate some benefits?
I was not thinking about the odd rice, cane or maize growing instead going organic and producing specialty crops.
What are your ideas or experience about such a business?

Visit Natural Agriculture, Jacques and his wife's model 120 rai organic farm in Mae Taeng, north of MaeJo in Chiang Mai. They have a diversified farm and in addition to their awesome compost manufacturing section, are successful selling organic farm products to specialty markets, primarily high end hotel/resort restaurants. 

 

http://www.thai-organic-compost.com/index.html

[grollies]

51 minutes ago, drtreelove said:

Visit Natural Agriculture, Jacques and his wife's model 120 rai organic farm in Mae Taeng, north of MaeJo in Chiang Mai. They have a diversified farm and in addition to their awesome compost manufacturing section, are successful selling organic farm products to specialty markets, primarily high end hotel/resort restaurants. 

 

http://www.thai-organic-compost.com/index.html

Interesting company. Just watched the video on organic composting.

 

What struck me straight away is the fact they are stripping the forest floor of deadwood, leaving nothing to rot down naturally.

 

Isn't this removing natural habitat for all sorts of snakes, lizards, insects, invertebrates, fungi as well as removing a source of natural nutrient for the existing trees and fauna?

 

They are turning the forest into something like a monoculture rubber plantation with nothing on the floor.

[jvs]

1 hour ago, grollies said:

Interesting company. Just watched the video on organic composting.

 

What struck me straight away is the fact they are stripping the forest floor of deadwood, leaving nothing to rot down naturally.

 

Isn't this removing natural habitat for all sorts of snakes, lizards, insects, invertebrates, fungi as well as removing a source of natural nutrient for the existing trees and fauna?

 

They are turning the forest into something like a monoculture rubber plantation with nothing on the floor.

Yes i saw that also but i would think leaves will fall again soon and it looks a lot better compared to being burned.We used to burn leaves,grass and clippings of all kinds but for the last 5 years or so we are composting everything.We do this inthe same area the chickens are in and they do most of the work and reward themselves by eating a lot of insects and worms.

[neeray]

What a great way to spend part of Christmas Eve. This was 6 fun, informative, fact-filled interesting pages.

Have visited many farms in Surat Thani and Chiang Mai area (and did some casual work just for fun). I can appreciate both the hard work side and the derived satisfaction side.

I think the OP received some pretty good input.

 

[plfomylo]

Hello, I am also interested. Many many foreigners are working in their own farm without work permit and we never see in the news, so is immigration friendly with farang farmers ? Or did I miss something ? Thank you.