PinoyEcoFarmer

I think that one of the foundations of being a good farmer is the drive to constantly get more and more information. I know there is no substitute for the actual farming but the theory helps a lot.

These are excerpts from Rodel G. Maghirang’s paper on Organic Vegetable Production, Institute of Plant Breeding College of Agriculture University of the Philippines Los Baños (April 2004):

Combination Planting

• Chilli- with okra, eggplant, radish
• Cabbage- with onion and tomato
• Tomato- with carrot, cucumber, onion, garlic
• Cucumber- with radish, corn, lettuce
• Peanut- with corn, okra
• Radish-with cucumber, tomato. Chilli

Use pest repellent plants

• Spices (onion, garlic, leek, lemon grass, ginger, turmeric)
• Flowering plants (marigold, cosmos, sunflower, zinnia)
• Herbs (basil, tarragon, coriander)

Pest and their repellants

• Ants – mint
• Aphids – garlic, chives, cilantro/coriander/wansoy, anise
• Beetle – tomato, radish, marigold
• Borers – onion, garlic
• Cabbage moth – mint, celery
• Mites – onion, garlic, chives
• Nematode – marigold, dahlia, calendula, asparagus
• Whitefly – marigold

The Organic Certification Center of the Philippines (OCCP) is the official certification body for organic products in the Philippines. The Department of Agriculture has accredited OCCP as the first certifying agency for organic agricultural products in the country.

Certification is defined as a system by which the conformity of products, services, practices, etc. to applicable standards is determined and confirmed. This confirmation can be done either by:

• The first party – the supplier
• The second party – the customer, or
• The third party – an independent body

Certification is the procedure by which an independent third party gives written assurance that a clearly identified production or processing system or methodically assessed and conforms to specified requirements/ standards.

Certification of organic agriculture combines certification of products and quality systems, but it is primarily certification of a production system or method. All operation in the product chain, including farmers, processors and distributors, must be certified as acting in conformity with the standards and regulations of the certification program.

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This is an offshoot of my previous blog on organic/natural farming which I intend to expand and improve by making it more systematic, engaging and informative.

I have been mulling on several names to best describe the several earth-friendly ways of farming here in the Philippines. I know that there are many varying mindsets ranging from organic, natural, bio-dynamic, ecofarming and other labels but I think that all of them have a common goal of practicing a sustainable way of farming that considers the best interest of people and the environment. Finally, (after some thought) I decided to use the Pinoy Eco Farmer tag to encompass all of them. Eco is short for ecological which means tending or intended to benefit or protect the environment.

My approach is to make this as a venue for the promotion of an ecological and sustainable way of farming (household/small and economic scale) by featuring best practices here in the Philippines. The topics will likewise include other related articles on waste management, energy management, boosting one’s health, and other green initiatives so readers will know and be inspired to do it in their own homes/farms/offices. I hope that we can provide a more comprehensive source of information for those who are planning to go or shift to this way of farming.

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