Help expand "Young Smart Farmers" organic gardens

The rains came early this year, sweeping away the haze and cooling the air. The trees are lush and green, and the nearby cornfields have already grown to eye level after the first planting.

Our own fields are cleared of weeds and storm debris, though still waiting for the main planting season. A few beds are already giving us fresh kale and plenty of coriander for spicy salads and stir-fries.

The lime trees are producing their first ripe fruits, and our pomelo tree promises a harvest of juicy fruit as big as grapefruits later this year.

The school year is well underway, and we are proud to share that all our high school graduates have started university classes. We now have three future nurses in training: Jiew, who began her fourth year, Dachanee, in her second year, and Tangmo just started her first year at a nursing school in Bangkok.

Ice and Nuiy started business programs; Nui will study Chinese for Business.  Café was accepted at Chiang Mai University in Plant Pathology. They inspire the younger children and remind us of what your support makes possible.

We’ve welcomed a new staff member, Ying, who now oversees the gardens. Earn has moved on to a new opportunity in the city, working with an organic vegetable producer. Ying keeps the children busy every weekend, preparing the fields and building compost piles to keep our soil healthy.

In the evenings, she and Soda organize games and activities for the younger children, keeping them happily engaged while the older ones finish their homework.

This year marks our 17th year as a home for children in need, and with that milestone comes some long-overdue maintenance.

Recently, one of our staff members accidentally stepped on an old septic tank cover, which cracked underfoot. Thankfully, no one was hurt, and the incident quickly turned into a community project.

The children joined in trimming bushes and clearing the area; visiting friends helped us replace the broken tanks. We’re safe and secure again—and next on the list are repairs to our clothes-drying sheds, which have served us well but are now showing their age.

Your continued support keeps our children safe, our gardens growing, and opportunities blooming for every student here. Thank you for being part of this journey with us.

With gratitude and good wishes for the months ahead,

Dana, Michael,  Evelind, and the Warm Heart Family