Amid the mountains and forests of Northern Thailand, Khun Yole lives a simple life with his family of four in Ban Don Ku community. In addition to being a farmer, he also serves as a Gospel preacher at the local church.
Like many farmers in the area, his farming once depended on monocropping, growing only corn each year. This type of farming required high production costs, particularly for agricultural chemicals, while income remained uncertain. With few alternatives available, he continued farming in the same way.
Until one day, he came to know the Upland Holistic Development Foundation/UHDF and began participating in various activities, including VSLA savings groups, the six-chapter training curriculum, agroforestry, beekeeping, and backyard farming.
Through these trainings and by learning more about UHDF’s approach—which brings together economic, social, environmental, and spiritual development—he began to see a different vision of development, one that focuses on creating long-term sustainability for the community.
He decided to help establish a VSLA savings group and began working together with other community members. Saving money helped him develop greater financial discipline while creating a common fund to support members facing difficulties.
He also shares vegetables from his backyard garden with his neighbors—a simple act of mutual support that reflects the spirit of care and solidarity within rural communities.
Through participating in various training sessions and activities, he began to see new possibilities for more environmentally friendly farming. He hopes to gradually transform his own farmland from monocropping corn fields into a diverse agroforestry plot, with a variety of plant species growing together.
To prepare for this transition, he started a small tree seedling nursery, experimenting with a variety of plants such as tea, coffee, macadamia, and chestnut. These seedlings will become an important resource for planting on his land in the future as he gradually increases the diversity of crops and trees.
He also hopes that the seedlings produced in his nursery can be shared with group members and others in the community, or potentially sold to generate additional income for his family.
For him, this small nursery is more than just a place for growing seedlings. It is a seed of hope, planted today for a more diverse, sustainable, and promising future.
Another important change in his life was the beginning of backyard farming. He grows vegetables, raises pigs, and keeps fish around his home, providing his family with food of their own.
“In the past, we had to buy many kinds of food from the market. Now, we can grow and raise many things ourselves. It gives our family access to safe food and helps ensure that we have food throughout the year.”
His backyard garden has become an important source of food for the family, helping reduce household expenses and strengthen food security. When there is enough produce, he also shares it with relatives and neighbors—an expression of love, care, and mutual support that reflects the way of life in the community.
Today, Khun Yole has become an active and valued member of the VSLA group and serves as a farmer demonstrator, sharing his experience in nursery development and agroforestry with other community members.
Although the major transformation of his farmland is still ahead, his commitment to change has already begun.
His story reflects the potential of upland communities. When people have access to knowledge, opportunities, and the right support, they can gradually transform their way of life and move toward a more sustainable future.
