Farm Fun Village

Farm Fun Village is a project I lead with a social purpose: supporting farmers and contributing to Thailand's economy. I wanted to research crops that could offer greater added value than what farmers currently grow, particularly for those relying on monoculture or earning low incomes, and consider how that knowledge and opportunity could reach growers in practice.

The project encompasses several products. Figsense is one of its pilot products. This page records the work through that example, from crop research, trial planting, ingredient purchases, and prototyping to presenting the concept to relevant organisations.

I began researching and experimenting myself to explore how a crop could be developed. Figs were one of the plants I chose to study, leading to a tea prototype under the Figsense name.

Making a tea that people could actually prepare and drink helped me explain the ingredient more clearly: its aroma, flavour, possible uses, and potential for further development. The product gave a concrete form to the possibilities being explored within the project.

I presented the concept and prototype to public and private organisations to raise awareness of the ingredient, its development possibilities, and the opportunities that appropriate development might create for Thai farmers and the economy.

I did not grow all the ingredients myself. My planting was for experiments, comparing varieties, providing examples, and propagating plants for people interested in growing them.

I also purchased fig leaves and other herbs from Thai farmers. This connected product development with growers from the beginning, creating actual ingredient purchases and related work during the pilot rather than waiting for a large-scale project.

The project therefore combines research into longer-term possibilities with economic activity through present-day sourcing. Supporting growers is part of how the work is carried out.

When I began studying figs, I was interested in more than the fruit. The aroma of the leaves caught my attention, and further research led me to their use in tea.

I grew several fig varieties myself and explored differences in the aroma and flavour of their leaves. My interest developed from learning about an ingredient into understanding how its particular characteristics could inform a drink.

I wanted to offer an alternative for people seeking a drink without caffeine, with blends suited to different moments of the day. I began developing recipes myself, combining fig leaves with other herbs.

The concepts included an evening drink before bed, a moment of rest during a tense day, and a fresh start in the morning. Each began with an intended drinking occasion, followed by work on the ingredients, aroma, and flavour.

These are directions for recipe development, rather than evidence that the tea improves sleep or relieves stress. They explain the questions behind the product while leaving room for further investigation.

As the direction became clearer, I presented the concept to representatives of public agencies at Chiang Mai University's Science and Technology Park, or STeP, and was selected under the Chiang Mai World Class Wellness City project.

I saw the presentation as an opportunity to help relevant organisations understand the ingredient's potential and to join a programme that could support its development. The proposal connected my experiments, product ideas, and possible opportunities for Thai farmers.

I presented the wider possibility of developing agricultural ingredients into distinctive products, alongside the tea concept that became the Figsense prototype.

I undertook food biotechnology training to deepen my understanding of the product I was developing. Creating a recipe was one part of the work; developing an actual food product also required knowledge of processing, preservation, and planning.

I subsequently passed the assessment and received the Food Biotechnologist, Level 5 professional qualification from the Thailand Professional Qualification Institute. Kasetsart University is named as the certification organisation in my documents.

The assessment covered planning biotechnology-based food processing, planning food preservation, evaluating operational plans, and setting criteria for the application of food biotechnology.

I see this learning as part of taking responsibility for the work I choose to do. Developing a real product requires my knowledge to keep pace with what I am making.

I discussed the idea of adding value to agricultural ingredients with relevant organisations, including the National Innovation Agency, or NIA, to find opportunities to learn and develop work connected with Thai farmers and the economy.

I joined the Social Innovation programme of Social Innovation Accelerator Thailand 2025 and completed its Incubation Program content from 8–28 June 2025 as part of the Farm Fun Village Organic team.

I wanted to demonstrate how a crop might create opportunities across growing, using different parts of the plant, developing ingredients or products, and connecting with markets. Figsense tea was the pilot I made to give that idea a real example to discuss and develop.

Ingredient purchases and related work with Thai farmers were already taking place during this project. Wider participation, knowledge sharing, and reaching international markets remain goals for further development beyond the pilot.

I managed the project myself, from identifying ingredients and growing different varieties to studying aroma and flavour, developing recipes, and making a product that could be brewed and tasted. The work included tea and trial packaging. It has not been launched for public sale.

The photographs show work in development: brewed tea, packaging, and product photography. They document the point where an idea became something tangible, while details remained to be explored and improved.

The prototype allowed me to try recipes with drinkers and use a real example when presenting the ingredient's potential and discussing further development with organisations.

I tested the first prototypes with two main groups. The first consisted of people who already enjoyed drinking tea. I wanted to offer a new fig-leaf flavour while retaining the attention to aroma, taste, and the drinking experience, with a caffeine-free direction.

The other group already knew figs but was more familiar with eating the fruit than using the leaves. I wanted them to encounter a familiar plant in a different form and explore value beyond the fruit.

My starting question was whether developing the leaves into tea could create additional opportunities beyond waiting for fruit harvests. With the one or two annual fruiting periods I had in mind, how might a tea available to drink throughout the year add value for growers? This remains a possibility I want to develop from both the drinker's and grower's perspectives.

My exploration of figs also included international market possibilities. I sought advice from the Department of International Trade Promotion, or DITP, about what would be needed to prepare this product for export. This connected with the wider question of how ingredients from Thai farmers could be developed for global markets.

This stage included trial product photography for a presentation on Thaitrade.com. It introduced another part of development: helping people who had not followed the project from the beginning understand the product through images.

The photographs of me at a computer, the tea in a lightbox, and the cup of tea all belong to this DITP experience. They continue the work of planting, recipe development, and prototyping as I prepared for the markets I wanted to explore.

Having a drinkable product was one step. Understanding how to present it and prepare for another market was also necessary. This stage involved consultation and trial preparation, before export or public sale.

I took responsibility for the entire project: researching and growing varieties, developing recipes, purchasing ingredients from farmers, producing a prototype, and presenting the idea myself. It combined a broader vision with the detailed work needed to give that vision a real example.

The work has included:

• Growing several fig varieties for research, demonstration, and propagation for interested growers.
• Purchasing fig leaves and herbs from Thai farmers for product development.
• Developing tea recipes and prototype packaging, with tastings involving tea enthusiasts and people already familiar with figs.
• Presenting at STeP and being selected under the Chiang Mai World Class Wellness City project.
• Gaining the Food Biotechnologist, Level 5 professional qualification and completing the incubation content of Social Innovation Accelerator Thailand 2025.
• Seeking DITP advice on export preparation and trying product photography for Thaitrade.com.

I want this experience to show how I work. When an ingredient may create opportunities for people, I research it, experiment, build the knowledge required, and bring what I have made to people who can help develop it further. Figsense is one of the pilot products; Farm Fun Village's wider purpose is to create value for society, Thai farmers, and the economy.