HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Accompanied the International Award Committee of the Prince Mahidol Award Foundation to Visit the Kasornkasiwit School, Sa Kaeo Province
On 11th October 2014 at 10.30 hours, HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn accompanied the International Award Committee of the Prince Mahidol Award Foundation to visit the Kasornkasiwit School, Sa Kaeo province.
According to the royal initiative, the Kasornkasiwit School serves as a training school for water buffalos to enable them to plough and work in rice field. The School also serves as a centre for distributing general information concerning the simplistic way of living in accordance with His Majesty the King’s Philosophy of Sufficiency Economy.
HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn granted an initiative to the Chaipattana Foundation to establish the School 4 years ago which was officially opened on 10 March, 2009. The project area is divided into 9 parts;
Demonstration Plot: This plot enables farmers to become familiar with, to instruct the buffaloes as well as to apply the equipments in farming and taking good care of the buffaloes, including learning the soil preparation techniques.
Rice Paddy Plot: This plot of land is for growing rice and for farmers to learn the growing process. In addition to rice, other plants are integrated into the plot in order to optimize the land use and to fertilize the soil without using chemicals. The activities include the experiment of the organic rice berry cultivation.
Rice Farming Equipments Exhibition: The exhibition is to display the paddy farming equipments based on local wisdom.
Animal Food Plots: In this plot, the farmers will be informed of the integrated farming and production of animal food as well as the philosophy of Sufficiency Economy.
Local Expert Houses and Living Agricultural Exhibition: A space was developed into a living exhibition to display the rice farming equipments from the olden days, which were invented by Thai local wisdom and have been used in agricultural activities within the school, including vegetables and fruits cultivation and the production of bio-gas.
Buffalo Shed: This shed is a living area of buffaloes. There are 22 buffaloes living in the school at the moment (10 male and 12 female).
Clay Houses: Clay houses are the accommodations provided for the participants and speakers taking part in the training. They also serve as the model houses of the school for the participants who wish to duplicate by using local construction materials.
Marum Lom Rak Lake: The Chaipattana Foundation had developed on the area of approximately 12 rais (4.74 acres) to be located in front of the school. Surrounding the lake, vetiver grass is cultivated to prevent soil erosion. In addition to the vetiver grass, other plants have been grown, especially Moringa (Moringa oleifera or commonly known as Marum) and Calotropis gigantean (also commonly known as Crown flowers or Rak), which gave the title of Marum Lom Rak.
Kwai Kanong Coffee Shop: Her Royal Highness made a suggestion that the school open the Kwai Kanong (Energized Buffaloes) Coffee Shop to serve coffee and other beverages. Community products are also sold in the shop.
The duration of the training course takes 10 days, which is held during the 1st -10th of each month for 10 trainees. There were 600 farmers who finished the training course and 450 buffaloes participated in the training.