Faculty of Agriculture, Khon Kaen University, is celebrating the 10th Anniversary of the Windmill Flower Fields. The place is an out-of-classroom integrated learning venue that offers learning processes for students to train. There is, this year, a Red Indian village in the middle of the beautiful flower fields. The opening ceremony of the tribe is arranged for visitors to watch, check-in, share and enjoy the atmosphere from morning until evening.
Wednesday December 7, 2922 at 17:00 p.m. – Faculty of Agriculture, Khon Kaen University held the 10th opening ceremony of the Windmill Flower Fields at the Agronomy Unit, Faculty of Agriculture. Assoc. Prof. Darunee Chotishyangkoon, Ph.D., Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture delivered the welcoming speech to guests, while Mr. Apiwat Sunthawong, Chairperson of the Agricultural Learning Club, Agricultural Student Union and a third year student majoring in Agronomy made the reporting speech to Assoc. Prof. Charnchai Panthongviriyakul, M.D., President of Khon Kaen University, who presided over the opening ceremony. Next, Red Indians presented a torch to the President to light the fire, signaling the opening of the Red Indian Village. Following this, guests, including KKU President’s wife, vice presidents, assistants to the President, deans, lecturers, news correspondents, distinguished guests, students and a lot of visitors were shown around the place.
Assoc. Prof. Darunee Chotishyangkoon, Ph.D., Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture said in her welcoming speech, “This year marks a decade of the Windmill flower fields. We began from a tiny piece of work and the fields have been expanded until it becomes a great event with tens of thousands of people coming to see the fields. The place and our project have contributed to ecological tourism of Khon Kaen City and the Northeast. The project has been succeeded from one class of students to another, with a bigger scale. Students involved have to spend their time after class or weekends to work at the fields. Many may think that the new generation youths may not be hard-working. To the contrary, they are not, especially when they are supported by their lecturers. This is mutual empowering. The fields form a learning resource. We are now making the physical and ecological system better and better to answer the University’s mission to develop the campus environment. It is truly successful,” said the Agriculture Dean.
Mr. Apiwat Sunthawong, Chairperson of the Agricultural Learning Club, Agricultural Student Union and a third year student majoring in Agronomy mentioned in his reporting speech, “The Windmill Fields began in 2003, and this is the 10th Anniversary. We still maintain the objectives and the major concept of plant production skill under the contexts of entrepreneurship of new-era faming, unity of team work, and at the same time, presenting our congratulations to the graduating seniors, and making the place the recreation area for KKU personnel and the public who love the nature. There is the integration of students of all years of the Agronomy field and third and second year students of other fields of the faculty, totaling over 800 of us who have worked on the fields, planting flower shrubs and other crops, in increasing numbers and types every year. We also sell farm produces and put on musical show every night from December 1 to 20, 2022 at the ground in front of the Red Indian Village.”
Assoc. Prof. Charnchai Panthongviriyakul, M.D., President of Khon Kaen University added that the Windmill Flower Fields have contributed to good images of Khon Kaen University and a place that builds impression among the graduates and their relatives who come to receive their degree certificates. “From the report of the student, I truly appreciate the format of the event, the cooperation and the creativity for making the good landscape for Khon Kaen University, for 10 years now. The event also adds to the reputation and image of the Faculty of Agriculture and the University. This time, the features of the fair also vary, but beautiful as ever.”
Mr. Phupha Ngoksungnoen, a third year student majoring in Agronomy of the Faculty of Agriculture who is working for public relation of the project and also is responsible for showing the guests around the place explained about the working process. The concept of this year is for it to be greater than the previous years. Therefore, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd year students of the Agronomy major participated in teams, with different responsibilities. This year we have the Red Indian Village as the major Land Mark. For all activities, there were mentors and lecturers to supervise us. We are proud to work for this project. We have made more friends and learned to work together, solved problems and built unity when we worked together.
Mr. Wathunyu Phanoi, a tourist who came to the Windmill Fields said this is the second time he has visited. He loved the atmosphere of the flower fields that are colorful and beautiful. There are many spots for photo taking. The arrangements and management are clear. He said he would come again every year.
A group of second year students from the Faculty of Medicine, KKU, explained about their impression. They learned about the fair from Khon Kaen University Facebook and from their friends. So they came together to see the beauty of the flower fields. They like the atmosphere of the place, especially the small concert. The weather was also fine and the concept about the Red Indian Village was impressive. They said they would come again if they had time.
The Faculty of Agriculture is able to prove that the Windmill Flower Fields are the place for building students’ learning resources, a place for them to train and learn outside classrooms. The event has been developed continuously until it is the 10th time now. Many zones in the area of 10 rais have undergone landscaping adjustments. A bamboo bridge has been added in the middle of the pond that is surrounded by Mexican asters fields, alternate with cosmos fields. There are other beautiful flower and plant fields, including also edible leguminous plants, field crops and other plants, totaling over 10 kinds of them. Activity stations are added with farm produces sold by students. The Red Indian Village is aimed at having guests experience the field crop farmers’ lifestyle. The entrance fee is only 20 baht. People over 60 years of age and children younger than 15 years can enter free of charge. The revenues are used for the management and the development of the Agronomy Department as well as for holding the event again next year.
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