2.5.3 University access to local farmers and food producers

In 2025, Srinakharinwirot University (SWU) provided free access to university facilities, including its technology, demonstration plots and plant stocks, to local farmers and food producers to improve sustainable farming practices. Through Bodhivijjalaya College and its CCAS FARM Organic Agriculture Learning Center in Nakhon Nayok Province, the university opens its smart greenhouses, hydroponic systems, high-value crop demonstration plots, organic vegetable gardens and vermicompost unit to farmers, food producers and members of the public free of charge. Farmers can see, touch and practise with the same facilities that the college uses for teaching and research, and then apply what they learn on their own farms.

Smart greenhouses and hydroponic technology open to farmers

The college's smart greenhouses house hydroponic vegetable systems and high-value crops, such as melons, grown under Good Agricultural Practices (GAP). Local farmers and community members visit the greenhouses at no cost to study how the systems work, from planting and nutrient management to water saving and keeping crops free of chemical residues. On 27 June 2025, 37 local farmers used the greenhouses and hydroponic systems in a hands-on session, and older farmers from Ongkharak District also joined greenhouse learning sessions on high-value crops. Access to this technology helps farmers move towards safe, resource-efficient and sustainable production.

Figure 1: Community members studying the hydroponic vegetable system in the college's smart greenhouse

Figure 2: Farmers learning about high-value melon cultivation in the college's GAP greenhouse

Figure 3: Older farmers from Ongkharak District at the college's greenhouse

Source: Bodhivijjalaya College, Srinakharinwirot University

Organic gardens, plant stocks and vermicompost facilities

The college opens its campus vegetable gardens to farmers and interested members of the public for learning and study visits without charge. At the CCAS FARM Organic Agriculture Learning Center, which grows organic salad vegetables and organic rice, visitors learn organic farming methods and receive vegetable seedlings and organic produce from the farm's own stock. The college's vermicompost unit is also used for training: on 26 June 2025, 21 local farmers practised mixing organic soil and raising earthworms with the college's materials, so that they could produce their own organic fertiliser at home. By sharing its facilities and plant stocks freely, SWU helps farmers reduce chemical inputs, protect soil health and improve sustainable farming practices.

Figure 4: Farmers and community members with vegetable seedlings at the CCAS FARM Organic Agriculture Learning Center

Figure 5: Visitors examining organic lettuce grown in the college's hydroponic garden

Figure 6: Farmers practising organic soil mixing and earthworm rearing at the college's vermicompost unit, 26 June 2025

Source: Bodhivijjalaya College, Srinakharinwirot University