The Spark
In the quiet valleys of Pai, regeneration began not as a grand initiative - but as a humble invitation.
Damien, a former chef, left city life behind together with his partner Lyse and their two children in search of something more grounded. On a modest patch of land, they began experimenting with regenerative farming. But it was about more than just soil. It was about the people.
Sarah, a local Karen farmer, was one of the first to reach out. Her father had spent years in chemical farming, and when he passed, the land he left behind was tired, toxic, and barren. Desperate for another way, Sarah approached Damien and asked him to visit her village, Muang Noi.
It was the moment we realized regeneration may be a lofty idea for some, but a matter of survival for others.
Coincidentally when we reached out in 2022, Damien had just written Inner Ecology, a quiet, thoughtful book about the inner journey of regeneration. The alignment in our beliefs felt like happenstance.
“Over tea in his self-built mudhouse (yes, he built a real one!), we found a shared belief: Healing the land and healing the self are the same journey. And that was the start of this partnership.” - Carol, ECCA
PC: Pai Seedlings
The Courtship
We knew this wasn’t a project we could scale with speed or spreadsheets. On the contrary, it would need slowness. Stillness. Trust.
For nearly a year, we simply listened - supporting outreach and collaboration with farmers, neighbors, and elders. Most regenerative initiatives we had studied in this region met with limited success - not for lack of knowledge, but because they focused only on techniques and not on trust. With this in mind, we shaped a deeper approach:
One of the boldest steps taken by Damien and Lyse's team was to help farmers renegotiate existing debts. They helped assure banks that if the farmers stayed on the course, the project would help repay what was owed. A win for the farmers, the banks, and the land.
Yes, it was expensive and harder to scale. But this pilot had to prove two things: that the soil could recover, and that trust could be rebuilt.” - Carol
By early 2023, 17 families had joined. What started as a personal experiment was evolving into a community-led cooperative.
The Love That Held It Together
We worked with Damien and Lyse's team to design a model that could withstand the winds of change. That commitment was tested in 2024, when the community was hit by a series of harsh, uncontrollable climate events.
First came an unusually dry season, where water was scarce, and crops struggled to take root. Then flash floods swept through the valleys, washing away precious topsoil and young plants. Just when things seemed to stabilize, a rat infestation destroyed nearly 90% of what remained.
For a community just beginning to trust nature again, it was a devastating season. Yet, farmers leaned on and cared for each other in a show of strength that spoke volumes about their love for the land.
“The farmers asked if they’d disappointed us. We wondered if we’d failed them. That kind of mutual care can’t be taught. It’s built day by day.” - Damien
This wasn’t just a partnership - it was a bond. One that held strong through hard seasons.
“Regeneration didn’t just need compost. It needed confidence. Cooperation. Time.” - Damien, Pai Seedlings Foundation
The song that describes our relationship:
Simply the Best by Bonnie Tyler
May 2015
November 2021
All 14 farms have transitioned from monoculture to biodiverse farming
November 2023
February 2023
From 1 crop to 15–20 edible plants per plot
January 2023
November 2023
Through BeLeaf, the community now produces organic pastes, jams, and other goods. Homestays, weaving, sword dancing, and ecotourism are also slowly generating additional income and restoring cultural pride through this project which has been drawing attention from even local government officials.
The Lesson
Who knew something as soft as soil could lead to such rock solid impact? Together, we’ve put down roots to grow something far deeper: a movement of people reclaiming their futures together.
The journey is still slow and seasonal but the foundation of the change is firm and lasting.
“It started with soil. But the deeper transformation is in how people see themselves and each other in a new light.” - Damien
PC: Pai Seedlings
The ones who’ve grown with us
Our long-term partners and the journeys we went on together
