Dates: 9th - 23rd January 2011
This two-week program is designed to give interns:
1) An integrated experience living at an intentional community
2) Experience in natural building
3) An introduction to permaculture design
Interns will take part in all the activities of daily life, from cooking to composting, as well as work on specific projects such as installing a earthen floor in our adobe cottage . Throughout the 2 weeks, we will mix in permaculture lessons, both in the classroom as well as on the ground. We hope that participants go away from this course understanding not only the basics of natural building and permaculture design, but also understanding what it takes to be a successful intentional community.
At the Panya Project we involve all present in the daily activities that keep a community rolling, from cooking and cleaning to feeding the animals and watering the garden. We value the opportunity to share what skills we have and to learn from anyone present. We also know the importance of a balanced and healthy life, and we encourage each person to join us in the activities which keep our own human systems in balance. During this two-week internship, we will enjoy a healthy and balanced diet (90% vegetarian), intellectual stimulation, plenty of physical work, and time each evening to socialize, play music or take time for one’s self. The schedule for each day includes a morning work session, followed by lunch and a mid-day siesta and an afternoon work session. There will be a day of rest in the middle of the internship to allow everyone to reload the batteries for the second part. Three vegetarian meals will be provided (with the occasional meat dish on the side). The evenings are an opportunity for us to socialize, watch a video, have a potluck with neighboring communities, or squeeze in another lesson or “skill share” activity.
This is one of the topics that we are most passionate about, and interns will be involved in much hands on work. Our aim is that participants will leave motivated & with plenty of experience. We have two main projects that we will be working on during this time.
We will be installing a earthen floor in our adobe cottage (http:// www.flickr.com/photos/panyaproject/sets/72157615608895381/), a wonderful two story round house in the heart of our farm/education center. This work will be fun creative & rewarding. There will be plenty of opportunity for artistic expression. In addition to the skills gained in earthen building, we are also going to explore the arena of ferro cement. This remarkable style of working with cement allows a person to literally sculpt the shape of the structure into any imaginable form. Unlike conventional cast-concrete, very little cement is used in the contruction of ferro cement forms. We plan to construct a ferrocement tank to create water storage. This will be next to the cottage - one of our larger building. The tank will store rain water caught off the roof. Good water systems are the back-bone of Permaculture design & the construction of this tank will add to the diversity of water storage & catchment on the farm.
The Panya Project has been greatly influenced by the design principals of Permaculture. We started our project about six years ago by hosting a Permaculture Design Course, which concluded with an integrated permaculture design for our property. Since then we have been working toward achieving the aims of that design, including earthen buildings, an edible food forest, a large kitchen garden and a broad acreage of fruit crops. We have also put in an extensive water harvesting swale system to help us return water to the watershed.
We also have a large kitchen garden which we are working on expanding. Our hope is to continue to produce a higher percentage of food that our community consumes out of this garden each year. Interns will have the opportunity to take part in every aspect of garden management, including planting into seed trays, making a potting mix, transplanting, trellising and harvesting when the time is right.
In addition to all of these things, we have an adobe pizza oven, abundant fruit crops for eating and wine-making, a swimming lake an easy 15 minute walk away, a beautiful forest around us, and two more wonderful communities next door, including a Thai cooking school and cafe that serves the best fruit shakes in Thailand!
Come and join us for these two weeks, with the possibility of staying on for an additional time as one of the community members!
2 week internship: 9th - 23rd January 2011…………….. $450 (14050 THB)
We ask all participants to pay a $100 deposit to secure your place. Contact us to register.
CONTACT US NOW to register:
Geoffroy Godeau:
ggodeau@yahoo.fr