Pinoy Eco Farmer

My trips to my home province of Sorsogon will not be complete without visiting the Our Lady of Penafrancia Seminary which is my highschool alma mater. The visit this time was doubly satisfying because it gave me an opportunity to see and admire the Sustainable Agriculture Center (SAC). The SAC manages the greenhouses on the seminary grounds in front of the Home for the Clergy and the open field farm at the back part.

Above: The Home for the Clergy (photo taken from the SAC bahay kubo)

The center practices organic and natural farming. The plan is to make the center as a demo farm and training center for farmers who are into organic/natural farming. The project is a joint undertaking of the Diocese of Sorsogon through the Social Action Center and the Department of Agriculture. The greenhouses were recently handed over to the diocese on April 29, 2010.

The 16 greenhouses straddled on the seminary grounds are planted to assorted crops including tomatoes, honeydews, cucumbers, pipinitos and many more. The greenhouses are equipped with drip irrigation and overhead mist sprinklers on some. There is a pulley-driven shade to shield the crops during very hot or rainy weather.

Above: The valves controlling the drip irrigation

Above: Overhead mist sprinklers

Above: The lever and pulley system for the shades

Above: Cucumbers

Above: Honeydew

I was fortunate to interview Carlito “Tio Carling” Estuaria who is one of the caretakers in the center. Roy Villarba heads the center but he was not around when I visited. Tio Carling explained to me what they are doing in the center. He even showed me some of the natural fertilizers and pesticides that they are producing. He mentioned that the center is also planning to grow organic rice.

Above: Tio Carling Estuaria

Above: A bottle of Fermented Plant Juice (FPJ)

Above: Fermenting the FPJ with corresponding date

Above: Inside the pail

The Fermented Plant Juice (FPJ) is composed of equal parts of malunggay, madre de cacao, ipil-ipil and mollases. The leaves are mashed and placed on a plastic screen inside a pail. The mollases are then added, covered and left to ferment for 7 days. The fertilizer/ flower inducer is ready after that time.

Above: A natural pesticide (ginger/garlic/alcohol concoction) – aged for 30 days

Above: A bottle of CaPhos (Calcium Phosphate)

Above: Eggshells and seashells- main ingredients for CaPhos

The eggshells/seashells are roasted, ground and sieved. The finely grounded shells are mixed with coconut vinegar and aged for 30 days afterwhich the mixture is ready as fertilizer.

Above: Carbonized ricehull used as soil enhancer/conditioner

Above: The bokashi carbonizer

Above: Coco coir as mulch or soil conditioner

Above: Vermiculture beds

Above: The monitoring board

The Sustainable Agriculture Center has a lot of potential to transform how agricultural food products are produced in Sorsogon. They can do these through trainings and extension work. Grand dreams indeed but as always it starts with a single step.

For inquiries you may contact:

Roy Villarba – Sustainable Agriculture Project Coordinator (09159395990)

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