Pinoy Eco Farmer

An opportunity to visit this odorless and relatively fly-free hog farm presented itself when a environmentalist friend suggested it in our itinerary during our recent Bacolod trip. The owner’s son who is also an active environmental advocate in Negros Occidental arranged our trip to their farm in Victorias City.

The farm is located in the vicinity of the city just at the back of a big grocery store but it does not create a problem because of its unconventional way of waste management. It is amazing considering that it houses about 800 heads of hogs in any given time. In addition to probiotic spraying to prevent the multiplication of flies, the farm likewise employs natural processes using azolla and quiapo as consumers of manure. These nutrient-rich plants which carpet the ponds are then used as feed supplements and vermifeed that sustain the other livestock in the farm including ducks and chicken.

Another attraction that is rising within the compound is the a majestic house constructed out of lime and wood. The bricks are made of lime and cement mixture pressed into strong building blocks. The upper portion is primarily of wood and bamboo. The roof is cogon grass complementing the nature design.

A Malay-inspired pond house sits on a body of water teeming with koi and other water plants.  Trellises constructed out of bamboo are neatly positioned along the pathways. A variety of creeping vegetable vines (some with fruits) serve as a shade. No space is seemingly wasted. Plots of medicinal and aromatic herbs are neatly positioned at the sides accenting the whole place creating a garden-like ambiance.

The integrated farm has its own windmill that powers the water pump in the compound. The water requirement is surely enormous considering the number of hog pens that needs to be cleaned. The wastewater drains into the ponds where the azolla grows.

The farm is indeed a showcase of an urban-based food production that blends well with its surroundings. And for the weary, a blissful place to relax.

I already read countless articles about this man who considers fruit tree conservation as  a passion. For most of us who share the same interests, this man is really larger than life. Dr. Roberto Coronel, a retired University of the Philippines Los Banos (UPLB) professor has undoubtedly all the credentials and experience that sets him apart from most of us when it comes to fruit trees but what struck me most when I finally came to meet the man is his very down to earth and humble way of relating with people. Unselfishly sharing his thoughts and knowledge on fruit trees.  It is like a father passing on something to his children.

We were treated to an excursion around his farm where he takes pride in the collection of fruit bearing trees. Some of them are native, indigenous and others are from different parts of the world which he collected during his travels. A sampling of the fruits in season was an added bonus to what we came for.

The two-day hands-on basic training seminar on nursery propagation was indeed well worth it. Not only did we learn but more importantly were even more inspired to be part of doing something that will contribute to “greening” the Philippines through more fruit trees. I brought with me our farmhelp so he can learn firsthand the techniques in propagating trees and hopefully do it in our farm.

The stay in Dr. Coronel’s home and nursery was also partly an introduction to the new fruits and a rediscovering of the fruits that I had as a child growing up in the province. The mouth watering plump balimbing and the sight of the black pili fruits were enough to transport me back to the memories of my home province in Sorsogon where we used to have balimbing in our backyard and regularly had blanched pili pulp as a sidedish (a favorite in our household).

We also bought from him planting materials for our farm at very reasonable prices that even came with lots of freebies. Some seeds and cuttings were just given away. We had rambutan, balimbing, biriba, abiu, blackberry, anise, variegated calamansi and lansones among others. A trio of bantam chicken which he raises in small portion of his backyard also came home with us.

Someday as those trees bear their fruits, I will certainly remember the man who truly inspired farmers like me to be part of something that future generations (including my children) will come to enjoy as well.

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I also posted the photos of the training course in my Facebook account. Dr. Coronel labeled the fruits. Here is the link.

One of the basic requirements in farming is water. We know we have a good source in the farm but the challenge is how to bring it up. The free-flowing spring near the river is about 45 meters below and for it to be useful we have to pump it up to our farm. We considered the conventional option of using diesel and electric-driven pumps but we figured that it will costly in the long run. It was good that we stumbled upon an article sometime back about a pump that uses no fuel. I reposted that article here: “Trailblazing Pump Brings Relief to Farming Community”.

The ram pump is really an old technology. “A hydraulic ram, or hydram, is a cyclic water pump powered by hydropower. It functions as a hydraulic transformer that takes in water at one “hydraulic head” (pressure) and flow-rate, and outputs water at a higher hydraulic-head and lower flow-rate. The device uses the water hammer effect to develop pressure that allows a portion of the input water that powers the pump to be lifted to a point higher than where the water originally started. The hydraulic ram is sometimes used in remote areas, where there is both a source of low-head hydropower, and a need for pumping water to a destination higher in elevation than the source. In this situation, the ram is often useful, since it requires no outside source of power other than the kinetic energy of water”. The definition is quite technical but the device is quite simple.

The Alternative Indigenous Development Foundation, Inc. (AIDFI) which is based in Bacolod, Negros Occidental has perfected their own version of this simple yet very effective pump. Some communities both here in the Philippines and abroad are in fact now benefiting from the technology. This earned for the Foundation a BBC World Challenge Award in 2010 and a Ramon Magsaysay Award in 2011.

I contacted them to express our interest of installing one in our PinoyEcoFarm. We even went to their office and fabrication shop in Bacolod.  Among the other technologies that they have there are the biogas digester, oil distiller, various pumps, micro turbine generators and a lot more. We were fortunate to see their pump installation in a remote barangay in the the town of Murcia, Negros Occidental. The place was difficult to reach because of the very rough roads going to the site but we nonetheless persisted. The accommodating AIDFI technician (Felix) guided us to the site which likewise required a downhill trek that tested our physical endurance.  It was amazing to see the ram pump actually working and delivering water about 80 meters up.

After our visit, we immediately arranged for a survey to be done so we can install the pump in our farm. They sent their technical man (Orlan) to visit our farm and get all the details needed for the installation including the water flow rate of the spring, head (drop), elevation and others. We recently received the technical plan but we are still studying our options and hopefully execute it soon.

The trail going to the river below was eventually completed. It felt like blazing through a new territory. Now the river beckons to everyone who wishes to enjoy its cool waters. The farm-helpers have carved steps along the steep slopes and reinforced them with bamboo to stabilize the soil. We also incorporated handrails made of bamboo for extra safety. They serve as a barrier and as something to hold on to for balance. The work was quite fast owing partly to the necessity of having an easy access to a water source which we can use for irrigation and household use. So after just three months of development, we finally relished the enchanting Catmon river 40 meters down below.

The trail is not for the faint of heart though. Descending is the easier part but the tricky and challenging part is the way back up. With the nearly 130 steps to negotiate, pausing every 10 steps or so is the wise thing to do. It feels like working out in a gym every time but for me it is well worth the effort.

Some local kids who knew the easier way through our property have even designated the river as their new playground. News spread like wildfire that some other locals in the community have frequented the river for their picnics as well. This was to our disadvantage though because our property has become a public “right of way”. Although we value our connection to the community, we had to politely inform them that we are not comfortable granting them access through our property lest we sacrifice our privacy and security.

The rainy weather almost the entire month did not dampen our enthusiasm for a weekly sojourn in the farm. We did the usual clearing and more planting. We had a river cleanup as well which proved to be a challenging task with all the thick vegetation. At times, our kids just played under the heavy downpour with their umbrellas while waddling in the puddles of water like ducks.