PinoyEcoFarmer

I found these documents from the Natural Farming Philippines e-group and I think these will all be valuable references for the garden/farm. The guides were done and compiled by Josephine Gamboa who is a natural farming expert practitioner.

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Balai Buhay is nestled on the slopes of Mt. Bulusan in the province of Sorsogon. The farm is in Baranggay San Roque just a few meters away from the chapel. There is a sloping access road from the main highway leading to the parking area. My brother told me about this place two years ago but I have not had a chance to visit it. Finally, we decided to drop by on our way back from a kayaking trip at the Bulusan Lake.

The farm doubles as a resort complete with a function hall and accommodation that can house about 40 guests. A room costs P1,000 for an overnight stay. A day tour will cost P80 per person with a complimentary drink of cold calamansi juice.

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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.

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Mama has always been into gardening ever since I was a young boy. It is no wonder that I have a fascination with gardening as well. I recently had a chance to see her garden again when I went home to our province in Sorsogon for a brief vacation.

There is  really nothing extraordinary about her garden but I think what is more important is that it serves the purpose of providing them with some common everyday vegetables which otherwise would have been bought from the market.

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Vermiculture and Organic Gardening: A summer day course offered by Bantay Kalikasan Eco Academy

With the aid or earthworms, food scraps and garden wastes can be converted into valuable compost that is perfect for growing healthy organic produce. Whether you’re a budding gardener or an experienced agriculturist, this one day course will offer a wealth of knowledge and practical training that is not only good for you and your family but to NATURE too.

Where: La Mesa Ecopark, Greater Lagro, Quezon City

When: May 1, 2010, Saturday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM

The growing domestic and export market demands for organically grown fruits and vegetables compel us to learn to grow ORGANIC MANGO using the Natural Farming System. This is a simple and basic study to help mango growers produce naturally grown mango free from toxic chemical residue, using both herbal organic fertilizers and concentrates with biotechnology and integrated pest management.

Our latest experience in growing organic mango show that natural farming system is easier to learn and adopted by farmers. Production cost is much lower than conventional chemical farming. Organic fertilizer and beneficial microorganisms increase soil nutrient year after year as the tree also grow bigger and increase their productivity.

The booklet  “Guide to Growing Organic Mango with Natural Farming System” which was compiled by Rex Rivera is an excellent reference for Philippine mango growers.

Click on Cover Page to download.

Do-Nothing Farming, also known as Natural Farming, the Fukuoka Method, Fukuoka Farming, is an alternative permaculture farming method to chemical or traditional farming. Developed for 30 years by Masanobu Fukuoka of Japan, this method includes the use of crop rotation, minimal irrigation, no or reduced tillage, “seed balls,” and allowing natural regulation of pests.

The book “The Natural Way of Farming: The Theory and Practice of Green Philosophy by Masanobu Fukuoka and translated by Frederic P. Metreaud is yet another book that will guide farmers achieve the goal of sustainable farming.

Click on Cover Page to download.

open source video, online video platform, video streaming, video solutions

Watching films that tackle the issue of sustainability is definitely worth our time. It nudges us to look , re-examine and do something to regain the balance that has been lost over the years. As natural/organic farmers, we can learn something from this feature and maybe re-apply the concepts locally.

Wildlife film maker Rebecca Hosking investigates how to transform her family’s farm in Devon into a low energy farm for the future, and discovers that nature holds the key.

With her father close to retirement, Rebecca returns to her family’s wildlife-friendly farm in Devon, to become the next generation to farm the land. But last year’s high fuel prices were a wake-up call for Rebecca. Realising that all food production in the UK is completely dependent on abundant cheap fossil fuel, particularly oil, she sets out to discover just how secure this oil supply is.

Alarmed by the answers, she explores ways of farming without using fossil fuel. With the help of pioneering farmers and growers, Rebecca learns that it is actually nature that holds the key to farming in a low-energy future.