Comments on: Fresh Start Organic Farms, Silay

By: Rea

Rea — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 12:52:29 +0000

Hi Sir, just got threw your site now, and im interested to know about uf far, are you allowing visitors to go there, and where is it that farm located and how to get there from Tarlac city..

Hope to get reply from u sir..
Thanks..
More Power

By: Mary Ann

Mary Ann — Fri, 07 May 2010 21:04:27 +0000

I second the motion to Seigfreid comments. I was born in Manila and have been raised part of my life in rural and urban environment. Thanks mostly to my mother who taught me responsibilities as I was growing up. I was only 9-12 yrs. old growing up in Western Visayas area. We raised chickens, pigs & cows. Not too many but enough to give us food. Butchered our animals humanely. Planted rice, sweet potatoes, cassava (I think it called yucca in the U.S.) mung beans, banana, pineapple, tobacco (found out later it’s really bad for health), cocoa, malunggay, coffee & lots of different produce. My uncle used to own a sugar mill in the same area. Aside from that, some people in certain part of the Philippines are very sustainable. They make their own sanitary pads. I remember using bamboo too hold the water. Well, we have lots of resources in the Philippines. My kids would really love to see and experience these things.

By: millet

millet — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 02:20:15 +0000

just learned that there are several farmers in negros occidental supplying organic tanglad to human heart, the Gawad Kalinga-related company producing those wonderful 100% organic, 100% Pinoy and 100% natural toiletries and other products.

By: Vicky Go

Vicky Go — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 22:44:56 +0000

@el jefe: Thanks for the explication. You sound like an agriculturist, or at least a botanist. Wonder if “monocrop” culture has affected sugar cane growing – is the Canlubang, Laguna sugar coop still in existence? Do they grow just one variety of sugar cane? (heard of “Pampanga Purple” from my father who went to UP College of Agriculture in Los Banos) What about rice? I thought you could get 3 harvests in 2 years (more?) – do they plant several varieties? Did the IRRI developed, typhoon & flood hardy variety take w the growers (or the consumers)? Are we still considered a rice exporter? or do we now have to import rice, too? How about coconuts – another major agricultural product. I don’t know much about that – are there different varieties too. How do they deal w pests, then & now?
I think other southeast Asian countries use night-soil (Taiwan?) – that is why, it’s iffy eating
raw/green salads from these areas – cases of amoebiasis have been reported.

By: Jing_Bacolod

Jing_Bacolod — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 09:24:05 +0000

yeah, Fresh Start i love their products ….they are celebrating Organic Farmer’s Festival here in Bacolod. Margarita Fores served an organic lunch buffet at the Provincial Capitol for the benefit of Suntown Camp Foundation for children with cancer. Now, that’s living and loving a healthy life.

By: betty q.

betty q. — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 01:43:33 +0000

MM, does Mr. Carandang use inoculants?

By: el_jefe

el_jefe — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 01:04:11 +0000

Yes Vicky Go, you are correct…monoculture (only one kind of crop) or lack of diversity or crop diversification may lead to pest infestation…monoculture also often results to development of so called ”super insects” since only one type of pesticide for certain pests, for a certain crop is used…the insect pests or pathogens may develops resistance or may become tolerant in the long run. For example, a certain province was encouraged to monocrop,for example only corn was allowed to be planted, such practice would result to infestation of Asian Corn Borrer or (Ostrinia furnacalis) because single crop is encouraged, it is harder to control because of lack of diversity and absence of trap crops, over use of pesticides that dose not only kill the pest but beneficial insects as well…
Introduction of resistant varieties is also good since you will get to develop tolerant or resistant varieties….this a form of breeding, selection and crop improvement…But It is always safe to use endemic or indigenous varieties than introduced ones.
Too, crop rotation is also and effective cultural management practice in the field. in doing so you are actually hampering the biological process or reproductive cycle of pests. These pests are not given enough time to complete their biological processes.
Legumes are N-fixers, there are bacteria in the root nodules of legumes that fixes nitogen in the atmosphere…Hhahaha night soil…they use lots of these among vegetable gardens in china!!!mmmmm YUMYUM!!! HEHHEHEHE!

By: Vicky Go

Vicky Go — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 00:01:40 +0000

You mentioned “organic” fertilizers – compost & such. They don’t use midnight soil, do they?
And I didn’t see anything about pest control. In a recent documentary on PBS with Michael Pollan “Botany of Desire” – they mentioned that variety, especially in the instance of apple orchards helps in pest control. Most orchards in the USA have been growing just one or two varieties & they rely on spray pesticides heavily. Now they are trying to bring in several hardy varieties especially from the apple forests of Kazachstan, cross-breeding them or growing them as stock. They said pests go crazy because they can’t “specialize” since there are so many varieties in one orchard.

I’ve read that crop rotation helps in pest control, too, as well as in preserving soil nutrients like in planting crops like peanuts & some beans with nitogen-fixing root systems.

By: atbnorge

atbnorge — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 14:23:00 +0000

I love tarragon; so good with chicken dishes. I have it in my little patch and grows year after year. I cut the stems during the fall and hang them to dry so I have my tarragon herb during the winter months along with sage, flatleaf parsley, thyme, mint, and oregano. It is so nice having fresh herbs available in the garden. They actually don’t need too much attention.

By: Seigfred

Seigfred — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 10:43:11 +0000

Most rural families in the Phils practice organic farming even before it has become a hurah in the west. I remember as a kid we’d visit the farm and on meal time they’d just pick herbs and vegetables from a patch a stone throw away from the house where free range chooks pick worms.

I miss the smell of smoke from burning dry leaves which they use as pesticides.