We are now accepting applications for the one year Permaculture co-manger position at the new Panya CQ project in Korat Thailand.


2 positions (of 3) available.


These positions would start January 15, 2012 and run for 12 months.


We are looking for 2 more motivated and interested individuals that are interested in giving a years time to help implement a permaculture design on a family farm in Korat Thailand.



Managers will be asked to oversee and manage the activities of what will effectively be an education center and developing permaculture farm. We plan to host courses throughout the year, and to be doing major earthworks, intensive food forest plantings, and establishment of perennial fodder systems for permaculture-grown animal farming business.


The land is 50 acres in Korat, Thailand, about 2.5 hours NE of Bangkok. Covering the 50 acres are currently organic rice and corn systems as well as two very large ponds. Over the course of the next year, the plan is to implement the Permaculture design that is currently being created, and to see the transformation of the place in a major way. We hope to see a number of major changes over the next year:


1) the site being a rather low diversity ecology moving towards a much more rich diverse, nature friendly system.
2) The farm systems go from being just barely breaking even to moving toward a healthy profit (by reducing costs, intertwining systems and finding new markets)
3) Increase the health and beauty of the landscape.
4) and to make the climate of the land more livable.

Managers who are chosen to join us for this time will be asked to participate in the daily activities on the land 6 days a week, with possible small tasks on the weekends that we can rotate in and out of (collecting eggs, feeding chickens, watering certain beds, etc)



We are hoping to get three managers for the job. Each manager will work with the others on overall management and will also have a specific area of specialty. We have already selected a manager for construction, gardens and food forest, and are also looking for manager positions to oversee animals and another to be social systems / volunteers / courses manager. All the managers will work together and will have plenty of tasks outside of your area of specialty, but that one area will be your focus.



Your tasks will range from the implementation of organic garden beds, to the construction of natural buildings, from working with short term volunteers, to feeding and caring for the animals, to answering e-mails to mulching the food forest. You are sure to get a full gamut of experiences from your time at the farm. You will also be give the freedom to add some of your own ideas and to help bring more diversity and interconnection to the farm.


Some of the main focuses of the design will be Perennial Fodder fed, profitable animal farming systems, including Chickens, pigs, turkeys, ducks, and either goats or Cows as the focus. We will also be putting in aquaculture in the ponds and converting the traditional rice paddies into a laboratory of different styles of fish/rice agriculture. Another focus will be on the food forest / orchard area. And finally on developing an environment that is suitable as an education center.

Please write and I will forward you a copy of the goals articulation and A&A for the site, as well as answer any questions you might have.

The community will function as a team, with regular meetings to discuss how things are going, and to make decisions about how to move forward. There will be a team of up to ten interns that will be working alongside you to help implement the things that the managers see fit. The project has a fairly healthy budget, so it is a very exciting project to be working on as we hope to see a lot get done in the course of one year! The place should be utterly transformed!



The owner of the land has currently hired Terra Genesis International to draw up an integrated Permaculture Master Plan for the site. That will be completed by January 15, and from then on will act as a living document which guides (but does not strictly dictate the flow of activity on the land. The design is exciting and ambitious! We look forward to seeing some amazing permaculture happen as the year goes by. Lead designer Christian Shearer (also founder of the Panya Project, which is teaming up with this project) will be on site to help get the managers rolling for the first two months of the project. After that managers will report to the owner of the land as per decisions, but will be given a large amount of decision making power (once trust is established).


We are asking for a commitment of one year.



Accommodation:
To start with you will be in dorms, but one of the earliest projects happening in the place is to build three earthen buildings which will be given to these managers. Ideally these are ready to be lived in in less than four months after your arrival.

Compensation:
For your commitment to stay for at least one year, you will be given a stipend of US$3000. This amount we can guarantee, and hope that through courses and other activities that we may be able to give you even a bit more.


How to apply for the Manager Position


Please e-mail the requested materials below to:

Christian Shearer - christianshearer1@gmail.com

Once all applications have been reviewed we will perform skype interviews with those candidates that we feel fit the bill the best.

Please submit a record of your farm / permaculture work history. We don't need a full resume. Can be very relaxed.


And please answer the following questions if you are interested in being an intern in such as capacity as described above (cut and paste into an e-mail):


1. What most interests you about the position mentioned above.


2. What skills or experiences do you have that make you feel you are the right person for the job?



3. Which position are you most interested in, animal manager or social systems / volunteers / courses manager?


4. What qualities would make you a good manager at this farm?


5. Farm life can be less than luxurious. You may find yourself dealing with manure, doing some hard work that you don't find fun, and pooping in waterless humanure composting toilets. Also, because this project is just in the early phases, you may choose to live in a dorm situation, or to set up a tent. (we will be building while you are there.) Are you up for this kind of lifestyle?


6. Do you have experience living in community before? What were your strengths? challenges?


7. You will be in a leadership position on a farm where there are often 12 people and sometimes more. Do you feel comfortable leading in a friendly, compassionate, and also affective way?


8. April, May and June can get bloody hot at this location. You will have lots of opportunity to jump in our large ponds, but are you ok with that heat?


9. Do you like to lose the line between work and play? Do you know how to take days off and enjoy yourself? We really want and need this support at the farm!