Farming Ideas that never grew ...

[David48]

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Farming Ideas that never grew - what did you think about?

... then thought, nah ... that would never fly.

I was reading over in the General Forum about someone who was asking about if there were any Dairy Farms in Thailand because he was tired of drinking Powered Milk ... we all know there are such Farms.

One bright spark then popped up and said ... why not make mozzarella cheese, after all, the traditional product is made from Italian Buffalo milk.

Instantly I thought nah ... that would never fly in Thailand ... or would it?

So what ideas, after a number of Changs have you had and thought BRILLIANT ... GREAT IDEA ... I wonder why no-one else is doing it.

Then, in the clarity of the morning thought ... <deleted> ... what was I thinking last night ...

Who knows ... someone else reading your story might have a spin on your idea which turns out to be the key which opens that door for you.

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[samuijimmy]

I have often wondered where the dairy farms are in Thailand, there is certainly a variety of choices of milk available at 7-11 and Tesco etc, and I am sure it's not made from powdered milk .

This was a dairy farm in Sabah State Malaysia... (shhh..... don't tell anyone pics not taken in Thailand, and not trying to get this off topic from the get go! )

I thought they had a novel approach to adding to farm income by getting people to pay to come visit! The pay booth is the building in the above picture!

People arrive by the truck load and small cars, to come see the process....

Hard to believe this is in a tropical island, albeit at higher elevation.... as green as Ireland!

Makes on wonder if anyone has tried this in Thailand.... it might be an idea that would grow???

[David48]

Humm, a Farming experience holiday in Thailand ... certainly outside the square thinking!

[Issangeorge]

There was a poster a couple of years ago who seemed to be a very successful dairy farmer, but I haven't seen him post for a long time now. I have thought of it, but a) know nothing about it, and you need a dairy close by.

Sent from my i-mobile IQ 6 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[ttwitt]

have seen meiji made in thai successfully competing along side fresh stuff from other countries (eg. oz, malaysia) in singapore supermarkets. me, i chose meiji even though it was i think the most expensive of what was there. also says that thai is producing enough milk for its i needs i guess.

[Bluetongue]

There is a lot of dairy cows in Sa Kaeo. Even around my place there is some. Don't know if it is mass production or not but they still use the old churns.

[khunPer]

Sure I saw a (cow+milk) farm at Korat

[winstonc]

thais love a gamble...what about a horse racing track,,or is that being stupid,,,,,,,,,

[SlideRiceFC]

Farm Chokchai has the farm tour thing going on. I didn't go on the tour because when i arrived it was late in the day and didn't think I'd get my money's worth. But there were lots of people there and it seemed to be a well put together attraction. I guess if you're ever in the mood to milk some cows they've got you covered.

[crackdown15]

Tons of farms in the Pak Chong/Saraburi area. Chokchai dairy farm even has its own tourist attraction that includes a tour of their farm and facilities, a n exhibition on making ice cream, etc.

[Dancealot]

An original OP, inviting constructive thoughts. We should see more of this on TV.

[SlideRiceFC]

it's not something I've ever personally considered but I remember reading a year or so back about a guy losing his Turkey farm to his Thai wife and it made me wonder about Turkeys in Thailand. After asking several Thai friends who hadn't a clue what I was on about the would all finally say "Oh, big chicken!". I know when thanksgiving rolls around the places catering to expats sell them raw or prepared. Growing up in the US I was never a huge fan of Thankgiving turkey although I liked turkey sandwiches and while Thanksgiving was the big turkey season is was a year-round meat. Once people starting frying them my perception of the turkey was forever altered. I think fried turkey would be a hit here. Hell, I think fried anything works here. And there's already duck and chicken so someone could introduce the heaven that is Turducken to Thailand.

[samuijimmy]

Wow that brought out a few responses about moo moos in Thailand! (Even a second thread on the subject !!!) In my travels mostly in the south I never seen a herd, just the odd cow here and there. (next time I am down in Thali Noi area will have to look out more.... but I usually go in there from Ranot.

As for your "certainly outside the square thinking!" comment, David, I actually don't think it it is that far fetched.... I think in areas of reasonable high tourists that people would be interested to see how farming is done here.... I notice the coconut husking place near me, has the Safari trucks stop and also seen them stopping at the rubber tree plantations here too.... tourist oh and ah-ing! They probably stop at the Durian plantations too... that's fun to see when they are picking!

If anyone has been to the Cameron Highland, just north of KL that certainly attracts tourists by the thousands ( Tea, Strawberries, cut flowers etc etc)

Dare I post another image from Malaysia? (... Cameron Highlands, tea) ..... sorry noticed I posted one pic in last post twice!

[khaowong1]

Sure I saw a (cow+milk) farm at Korat

I think it's just south of Pak Chong. You can see it from the Highway.

[khaowong1]

There used to be a big Veggie farm just West of Phoenix Arizona.. I forgot the name.. but they grew carrots, lettuce, corn, pumpkins, watermelons, etc.
They had a small tram pulled by a tractor that would take visitors around the farm, show them what and how they did things. Quite a attraction.. especially at Thanksgiving time.

Made good money as a tourist attraction and selling veggies, pies, melons, jams.. It used to be covered on local TV every year around Thanksgiving time.

[Torrens54]

Humm, a Farming experience holiday in Thailand ... certainly outside the square thinking!

You are going to "Milk" it for all its worth eh?

[lineofentry]

Cheshire England 1980s, small struggling dairy farmer, beautiful herd, lush pasture, long hours, no profit.

New angle - ice cream production, farm shop, open to public, watch the milking, see the churning etc taste the product, buy in the shop.

So far so good, bit of profit, smarten the old farmyard up a bit. One day a punter walks in, does the tour and says 'can you put your ice cream in little pots?'

'Errr yeah think so'

'Good, here's an order for 300,000, you now supply British Airways'

The moral? Hard work, dedication and a bit of luck makes anything possible.

[soidog2]

Fresh mozzarella is made in Hua Hin and Pak Chong; available at some supermarkets.

Now if someone could find some quality olives and "San Marzanno" tomatoes, life would be wonderful.

[Jotham79]

"thais love a gamble...what about a horse racing track,,or is that being stupid,,,,,,,,,"

There used to be a farm about 20 clicks south of Petchabun that had a race track, fighting cocks, and fighting bulls. Don't know if it is still there.

[riceyummm]

it's not something I've ever personally considered but I remember reading a year or so back about a guy losing his Turkey farm to his Thai wife and it made me wonder about Turkeys in Thailand. After asking several Thai friends who hadn't a clue what I was on about the would all finally say "Oh, big chicken!". I know when thanksgiving rolls around the places catering to expats sell them raw or prepared. Growing up in the US I was never a huge fan of Thankgiving turkey although I liked turkey sandwiches and while Thanksgiving was the big turkey season is was a year-round meat. Once people starting frying them my perception of the turkey was forever altered. I think fried turkey would be a hit here. Hell, I think fried anything works here. And there's already duck and chicken so someone could introduce the heaven that is Turducken to Thailand.

I've given a great deal of thought to raising turkeys and plan to do it in the future for personal consumption and possible commercial development. Every Thai person I've spoke to about it knows exactly what gai nguang (ไก่งวง) is. The older folks say they don't like it because it makes their stomach itch. Kind of silly because I don't think they've ever tried it but are just passing on an old wives tale. Most young people have never had it and have no opinion. Those that have eaten turkey think it's great.

I don't know if it's true but I've heard that chicken is a fairly new (100 Year??) introduction in Thailand and that at first people were reluctant to eat it (Anyone else ever hear that story?). It's everywhere now and thank goodness because the local beef is awful and the pork isn't much better. Aaaah, for a nice pork shoulder and a proper oven to roast it in...........someday..........someday.

[David48]

Humm, a Farming experience holiday in Thailand ... certainly outside the square thinking!

You are going to "Milk" it for all its worth eh?

Very funny Andy ...

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[David48]

Following on from the above post from riceyummm, have a read of this ...

Farmer Joe loses water-tight 30-year lease in Thailand
Published by Andrew Drummond

His children are in government care in Britain and his land has all but already been gobbled up by his Thai wife.

Legendary turkey farmer Joe Stanyer, who used to supply Thailand’s best hotels with their Christmas bird, has now been told that the last patch of land he has in Hua Hin, which he acquired on a 30-year lease, was also obtained illegally.

Once Joe Stanyer, 58, was a prosperous business man. His turkeys sold every year under the ‘Farmer Joe’ brand in Bangkok and he continued to expand until the giant CP group, to cut a long story short, put him out of the running.

I can't change the bolding as it comes form the original article here, in the News Forum back in August 2011

legendary-british-farmer-joe-loses-water-tight-30-year-lease-in-thailand

Do have a read of the story because it brings two things together.

One of land tenure and ownership ... and how it can go so wrong.

Also a mindful story of when, as a primary producer, you grow to a stage where you compete with a Thai corporation and how the Thai Company 'resists' your competition.

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[Cuban]

...why not make mozzarella cheese, after all, the traditional product is made from Italian Buffalo milk.

Needs abundant and lush pasture for the buffaloes to graze, pretty much all farming is about managing water resources.

So what ideas, after a number of Changs have you had and thought BRILLIANT ... GREAT IDEA ... I wonder why no-one else is doing it.

Why no one else is doing it is because a good idea that can be copied will be and so to win you need a USP that keeps you ahead of the pack and flexibility of price to crush competition is key.

Personally I have an idea that works in the local enviroment and is unique locally (others in Thailand do this thing), maybe something to get a relative to do later.

[Cuban]

Farmer Joe loses water-tight 30-year lease in Thailand

Published by Andrew Drummond

His children are in government care in Britain and his land has all but already been gobbled up by his Thai wife.

Legendary turkey farmer Joe Stanyer, who used to supply Thailand’s best hotels with their Christmas bird, has now been told that the last patch of land he has in Hua Hin, which he acquired on a 30-year lease, was also obtained illegally.

Highlight the text in question > click the Bold Button twice > select the Size drop down button > choose 12 etc.

But agreed TV Quotes, editing and formatting is not user friendly even in a remote way.

[David48]

One of the ideas that I'm currently researching is how to spawn the Prawn Fry.

The gf's Parents own modest Fish and Prawn Farm and when they require the Prawn Fry they drive quite some distance to buy the fry.

When I asked is there not a more local producer ... the reply was no.

Very quickly, the female Prawn is caught typically in places like Phuket and then either the Prawn or it's eggs (I haven't worked out that bit yet) are bought to Hatching Farm, raised and on sold to the Local Farmers.

So I'm thinking ... why could we not develop this practice on the Farm?

That would be stage one.

Stage two would be to look at world's best practise to identify the technology which would allow the female prawn to actually spawn at the Farm.

When I visited the Prawn Hatchery, it was a low capital intensive set-up.

The barrier to entry was the technology or processes used to raise that Fry.

Management of their feeding and adapting the salinity seems to be two issues.

The land required would be maybe 1/2 Rai for a profitable operation.

So, at the moment, I'm quietly doing my research and educating myself.

Maybe I'm dreaming.

But I working on turning that dream into a reality.

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[khaowong1]

it's not something I've ever personally considered but I remember reading a year or so back about a guy losing his Turkey farm to his Thai wife and it made me wonder about Turkeys in Thailand. After asking several Thai friends who hadn't a clue what I was on about the would all finally say "Oh, big chicken!". I know when thanksgiving rolls around the places catering to expats sell them raw or prepared. Growing up in the US I was never a huge fan of Thankgiving turkey although I liked turkey sandwiches and while Thanksgiving was the big turkey season is was a year-round meat. Once people starting frying them my perception of the turkey was forever altered. I think fried turkey would be a hit here. Hell, I think fried anything works here. And there's already duck and chicken so someone could introduce the heaven that is Turducken to Thailand.

I've given a great deal of thought to raising turkeys and plan to do it in the future for personal consumption and possible commercial development. Every Thai person I've spoke to about it knows exactly what gai nguang (ไก่งวง) is. The older folks say they don't like it because it makes their stomach itch. Kind of silly because I don't think they've ever tried it but are just passing on an old wives tale. Most young people have never had it and have no opinion. Those that have eaten turkey think it's great.

I don't know if it's true but I've heard that chicken is a fairly new (100 Year??) introduction in Thailand and that at first people were reluctant to eat it (Anyone else ever hear that story?). It's everywhere now and thank goodness because the local beef is awful and the pork isn't much better. Aaaah, for a nice pork shoulder and a proper oven to roast it in...........someday..........someday.

Not sure about the 100 year thing.. I did read somewhere, maybe wickipedia, that Thailand was one of the 1st countries in the world to raise domestic chickens.

[Cuban]

One of the ideas that I'm currently researching is how to spawn the Prawn Fry.

Salting the land in the process to ensure that if the prawn farming fails the only thing that might grow there will be coconut trees.

Also the bad karma that is created because you have to pull off one of the prawns eyes to increase the egg production in female prawns.

Nice !

[RedBullHorn]

I have often wondered where the dairy farms are in Thailand, there is certainly a variety of choices of milk available at 7-11 and Tesco etc, and I am sure it's not made from powdered milk .

This was a dairy farm in Sabah State Malaysia... (shhh..... don't tell anyone pics not taken in Thailand, and not trying to get this off topic from the get go! )

I thought they had a novel approach to adding to farm income by getting people to pay to come visit! The pay booth is the building in the above picture!

People arrive by the truck load and small cars, to come see the process....

Hard to believe this is in a tropical island, albeit at higher elevation.... as green as Ireland!

Makes on wonder if anyone has tried this in Thailand.... it might be an idea that would grow???

I saw a similar farm near Mount Kinabalu (Sabah), could be this one...

[123thaibourbon]

Gallus gallus domesticus aka 'chicken', came from G.g.gallus native to SE Asia. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtuXGxIwwrE

[teletiger]

Turducken? Ya might want to rethink the first 4 letters of that name. Turd, delightful.

Hundreds of small dairy farms around Pak Chong. Chok Chi has a herd of over 2000 animals.

One of the leading lights of this farming forum, Ramdom Chances, had a fair sized herd up in Nakhon Sawan.
Maize Farmer had over 200 dairy cows on 1300 Rai. He grew all his own fodder.

Last I heard, one of the Royals had a large dairy goat operation.

Sheep seem to be a difficult one. I've seen two operations go under.

Honey bees seems to me could be a decent earner from a small space.

Regards.