Coffee, Science, and a Fantastic Day at the Farm!

What a day we had at Nine North Lake yesterday! We were absolutely thrilled to open our doors to Dr. Nichada, Dr. Rungrueang (Tae), and their incredible team from the Synchrotron Light Research Institute (SLRI), joined by a fantastic group of young, forward-thinking officers from our local Lamae Agricultural Extension Office (DOAE).

You might be wondering, what does a high-tech science institute have to do with a permaculture coffee farm? Well, a whole lot, actually!

Ever since Dr. Nichada—who brings a proven track record in researching and elevating the quality of Thai coffee beans—joined us as the Strategic Scientific Advisor for our Terra9 project, she has been on a mission to bridge the gap between advanced science and the everyday realities of smallholder farmers. Yesterday was all about bringing that vision out of the lab and into the field.

We spent the day walking through the farm, sharing our big-picture goals for the Nine North Lake ecosystem—from how we meticulously process our Lamae Coffee Fine Robusta (honey, natural, and anaerobic lots) to how we source specialty ingredients.

The highlight? Sitting down with Dr. Nichada and Dr. Tae, who heads the Research Station Division at SLRI and brings incredible expertise in Smart Agriculture. We dove deep into how SLRI’s advanced technology and AI can actually be used on the ground to make our coffee cultivation and processing smarter and more consistent.

As we sat around the table, everyone agreed on one thing: the future of Thai coffee is rooted in objective, data-driven science. And with the Terra9 app now officially live on iOS, we have the perfect digital tool to make that data accessible for our community.

A massive thank you to Dr. Nichada, Dr. Tae, the entire SLRI team, and the Lamae Ag Office for spending the day in the dirt with us. We are so incredibly grateful for your support and shared belief in the potential of Thai coffee! 🍒🔬🌱