PinoyEcoFarmer

Above: Juliene holding the packet of Sinta F1 papaya seeds for sowing

Above: mother and daughter tandem filling the seedling tray with the soil mixture

Above: all smiles while putting the seeds

We directly sowed the seeds in the trays. This could be wrong because it is recommended that the seeds be soaked first in water for 2-3 days before sowing. We hope that we can germinate. The East-West Sinta papaya costs P750 per packet containing 100 seeds at Filipinas Agri in Cubao, Quezon City.

Sowing date is January 07, 2012.

“If the sight of the blue skies fills you with joy, if a blade of grass springing up in the fields has power to move you, if the simple things of nature have a message that you understand, rejoice, for your soul is alive.” – Eleonora Duse

Nothing beats the delight of watching the children play and relish the simple joys that go with our stay in the farm. The farm has become a big playground for them. I remember a friend telling me that what we are really giving our children by letting them enjoy these experiences are priceless gifts that will last a lifetime. As for the adults, staying in the farm is bliss and exercise.

December at PinoyEcoFarm was yet another merry mix of more work and more fun. The petsay sprouts were planted on plots along with the other sprouts of vegetables. The unknown vegetables were from the seeds shared by Derry Exconde (a fellow part-time farmer). These were brought home from his workplace in China. The description were in Chinese so we had no way of exactly  knowing them. We also had a few harvest of corn and radishes. More fruit trees (seedlings) were planted. Among them are the Thai sampalok, lansones, rambutan and atis.

A month passing by without visitors will be an aberration from what we have been used to. Henry and Kite’s church group together with their pastors (a priest and a deacon) visited the farm for their end year party. My sister (Nene) who is based in Sorsogon also came to visit bringing along with her the entire family members (Roel, Kim, Dingo, Jorel, Juliana and Denjo). Den, Dorie and their two kids (Gabe and Mai) together with Mama completed the mini family reunion. It was a day of stories, swimming, playing and bonding. We feasted on food prepared in the farm’s makeshift dirty kitchen. A potful of beef kare-kare and buko juice were likewise perfect for a hearty lunch.

It was indeed a month of breakthroughs for us. The groundbreaking for the Arceo farm home commenced which will be hopefully done by February. We finally had a more decent dirty kitchen that will fit our cooking needs. Counting among the other significant beginnings were the first drops of reliable supply of water that we tapped from the barangay water system. We likewise had the electric power system and the wiring connection inside the farm to provide us with the magical light that we longed for during the dark nights spent camping in the farm. It is somewhat surreal to feel like this because as urban dwellers we just take these comforts for granted. Now we have come to appreciate them.

As we ended our first year in the farm, we excitedly look forward to a more productive year ahead in 2012. As for the usual fun, it will still be ours for the taking.

Our farmlot is about 300 meters from the main road which is a good distance from the main power distribution line. An existing series of electric posts (about 100 meters) run only until the house of the adjacent lot’s caretaker. For us to have our own supply inside the farm, we needed to erect distribution posts leading to the property and lay new electric wires.

We set the distance between posts at 20 meters to minimize sagging of the wires. We also had to position the posts in such a way that it will skirt the coconut trees to prevent damage due to falling palm fronds and nuts. We needed 18 posts total including those inside the farm. The posts are 1” galvanized iron pipes filled with sand and cement mixture to prevent rusting and at the same time further strengthen the pole. Iron bars were welded in the footing to serve as anchor. A series of 12” X 12” holes with a depth of 24” were dug to serve as foundation. These were filled with sand, gravel and cement mixture before setting the poles. I am not sure if this is overdesigned but the posts sure looks very sturdy and may even support the weight of more heavy loads.

We figured that having a power supply in the farm is a necessity considering that we will be building our farm houses and other structures that will definitely need electricity. The system may cost us about P50,000 overall including the application fees with Meralco. The prohibitive price of wires and constructing of distribution poles were the most expensive items. A box of THH size 10 wire (length of 150 meters) was bought at P5,100 and we may need more.

After about two weeks of waiting on January 31, the wires finally reached the temporary visitor’s shed. Four CFLs were installed. One in each trellis/arch, dirty kitchen and the visitor’s shed. Outlets were also installed for our laptops and chargers.

The switching on of the lights on the last day of the year 2011 was a symbolic way for us to usher a brighter new year at PinoyEcoFarm. Let there be light. And there was light.

Realizing that our financial resources to tap the spring water below our property through a ram pump are still not enough, we decided to invest in a cheaper alternative in terms of upfront costs. We know that this will not be sustainable in the long run given that the farm will be requiring a big volume of water. We also want to include ponds for the fish and the ducks later but for now I think that our  source of water will do the trick.

Our supplier is a water system cooperative in Alfonso which is steadily expanding its network of pipes to reach more households. I came to know about them only by chance when I asked a worker digging a trench were the main supply pipe will be laid. He directed me to the president of the cooperative and we promptly had an arrangement so our farm can have access to their water.

We had to provide PE pipes (SDR-11) and some pipe fitting including the water meter. A P1,000 membership fee was also required. The water connection and pipe system cost us about P38,000. The bulk of the expense was the water pipe extending more than 300 meters from the source leading to the farm and the stainless water tank that I procured to serve as storage just in case there are water service interruptions.

So as soon as the water meter was installed, we excitedly rolled the PE pipes going to the farm and in no time we relished the first drops of water. Water pressure is very strong so we needed to regulate the main valve lest the fittings burst. Water can even reach more than 8 meters of head.

While we still look forward to having a ram pump for our water supply needs, in the meantime our current water supply has afforded us more flexibility that we need. It enabled us to start planting more crops without having to rely solely on rainwater for irrigation. Now we can schedule the planting without the worries.

Farming without a reliable source of water will surely be a challenge to any farmer so access to this precious resource is a welcome addition to our fledgling farm.

We did not expect to see any macapuno in one of our coconut harvests but were pleasantly surprised when we found two nuts among the heap of coconuts that we gathered. Pinpointing the tree though would be a really big challenge as we have no idea where those specifically came from and there is a great chance that not all the nuts coming from that specific tree would be macapuno.

I guess we just have to rely on luck and just enjoy the little vat of sweetened macapuno for now. Who knows nature may give us more.

November was fun at PinoyEcoFarm. We had small harvests of peanuts and stringbeans from the first trial plantings. We also organized and put more worms (African Night Crawlers) in our vermibed to help us compost the kitchen refuse and all the farm trimmings.  One of the hens that we brought did lay her  first eggs but unfortunately she died of unknown circumstances so we just ate her eggs.

The farm has become our second home and on some nights we even went overnight camping using our reliable tent. Camping under the full-moon and enjoying the bonfire was indeed something to remember.  Family and friends were likewise hosted. Partaking in simple prepared lunches while enjoying the cool breeze. All came home with smiles on their faces. The usual favorite spot is the river and flowing spring below the property. Wanda our chocolate labrador provided extra entertainment with her fetch antics. She likes swimming in the river so much and can spend all afternoon there.

The farm needs more work to be done but it is fast taking shape as planned. Impatiently excited as always.

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.