Food That Nourishes

No, but you should bring real food knowledge and genuine curiosity. It is designed for people who want to understand where food comes from, how it is grown, and what it means, and who can bring their own perspective into dialogue with what they find here.

The Story Harvest is the residency's core output, a multimedia collection of human stories from Chiang Mai's food ecosystem. Participants document their learning in whatever medium suits them: writing, photography, voice notes, sketches. These are woven together into a living document shared with the wider cosmo-local network and contributed to a global food systems research project.

Yes. Weekly participation is available. Each week follows a distinct theme (Seed, Soil, Grow, Harvest) and can be experienced independently.

The primary language is English. Some sessions with local collaborators will be in Thai, with translation provided. Reading club texts and guest lectures are in English.

Yes, group and organisational bookings are welcome, particularly for weekly sessions. We are especially interested in groups from the food and beverage industry, restaurants, culinary schools, F&B teams, who want an immersive learning week for their people. Contact us to discuss bespoke arrangements.

CosmoLocal CNX is a month-long pop-up village in Chiang Mai running four parallel coliving residencies in September 2026. Food That Nourishes is one of four tracks. All participants have access to the full Alt_PingRiver coworking space and shared community events. The month closes with Festival Week (September 23–28), a public event open to hundreds of additional guests, where the Story Harvest is shared.

Yes. We offer a limited bespoke programme-only track for Chiang Mai locals. Indicate your interest in the application.

Yes, you're welcome to join the programme while staying elsewhere in Chiang Mai for weekly programmes. The coliving at Alt_PingRiver is optional but recommended: much of the learning happens in the in-between, morning conversations, cooking together, unstructured time with the group.

Overall the weekly commitment is capped at 50% of your time. Daily commitments Wednesday to Saturday of each week can vary, as some days are more immersive half or full-day programmes. Many of our participants work remotely, and you'll have time and space to do so.

Yes. We can accommodate vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and most allergy-based diets. We'll do our best to accommodate, please let us know your requirements when you apply.

None of the above, and a little of each. You'll cook, but this isn't a culinary course. You'll slow down, but this isn't a detox. You'll learn from researchers and practitioners, but there are no exams. Food That Nourishes is a coliving experience, a month of living alongside the people who grow, cook, and think about food in Chiang Mai, and using that experience to understand your own relationship with what you eat.

Depth, duration, and design. Everything is structured through four streams, experience, study, story, and workshops, that create an immersive learning journey to reconnect with food in a lasting and transformative way. Our futures workshops are designed to help you reflect on and channel your own learnings into something shareable. A farm tour gives you a morning. We give you a month, enough time to build relationships with the farmers, chefs, and communities you visit. You return to the same places, eat meals prepared by the same people, and contribute to a collective story harvest.

• Four weeks of programme activities (or one week for weekly participants)
• Accommodation at Alt_PingRiver (room type varies by package)
• Monthly package includes Cosmo Local Main Week Gold Pass (Sept 23–28)
• Daily breakfast and 8 meals per week
• 24/7 coworking access at Alt_PingRiver

Not included: flights, travel insurance, additional meals outside the programme.

We have a few special discounts available, and we are open to discussing reciprocity-based exchange. However these spots are limited. Please indicate your interest in the application.

Most nationalities can enter Thailand visa-free for 60 days, which covers the full residency. Check your country's specific requirements on the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs website. We'll provide a reference letter for your trip if needed.

September is green season, the landscape is at its most lush, temperatures are cooler than the hot months (25–32°C), and the rain usually comes in short afternoon bursts. However there are occasional periods of all-day downpours. It's also mushroom season, which is why our foraging experience with Potent is timed for this month.

We cap the programme at 12 participants to keep the experience intimate.