Starting A Garden

Starting a garden in my mountain home needs hard work.  Land is often not flat, considering our mountainous terrain.  The first to be removed is stubborn grass.  This kind of grass has roots that go deep into the soil. The roots have to be removed thoroughly.  If not removed, the grass will grow back when the rainy season starts.  I trust the women of my hometown to do the job.  It is slow work but when the roots of the grass are removed, the soil can now be prepared (either plotted) and ready for planting of vegetables and other crops.  The grass has roots with sharp protrusions.   The roots are usually washed and boiled as tea in my community.  But it is only the old folks who know of this.

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Swiss Chard and Other Veggies

I had my first encounter with Swiss Chard from a packet of seeds given by a friend whose friend came from the U.S. for a visit.  I planted it at the greenhouse here in my hometown and it grew.  Whoa! The leaves were large and I didn't know how to cook it.  Well, it ended as a vegetable ingredient for a raw food demo.  I had it grown successfully, so I asked a sister in law in Canada to send me some seeds.  Well a bag of various seeds were sent, thank you and so I have sown basil (cinnamon variety), lettuces, spinach and Swiss chard.  Not having much time this year, I still managed by using our balcony as my seedling area.  It is not bad to try out vegetables that are not native to the area especially if the seeds can adapt to the local climate and conditions.  Variety is the spice of life.  I make sure however to order seeds that are not not GMO.  The seeds I usually get from outside the country are heirloom and the hybrid variety that are resistant to diseases.

"One" seed from a Swiss Chard may produce two or more seedlings.  I found this out after I noted that I only planted one seed per paper cup.

Schedule You Must

Swiss Chard seeded in a box.

The joy of selling your produce is short lived when you notice that no longer have seedlings to plant.  Many a gardener misses scheduling for a steady supply of planting materials.  Your goal is to have a continuous supply of veggies to sell.  If you have a small quantity of produce, it would be nice to adapt a system wherein you gather your produce at least once a week.  With this system, you will keep your customers happy with a regular supply instead of a one time gathering and selling deal.  Keep a notebook to record your seedling propagation.  For vegetables, sow seeds today and sow a next batch after a week.  Do this with regularity. Also, label your seed trays - date of sowing, what seed was sown.  For lettuce it takes about a month for the seeds to stay in your seedling tray before you are ready to transplant.  If you have the resources, now is the time to have a dedicated seedling propagation area.  It doesn't have to be sophisticated.  You can use paper coffee cups, banana leaves and other containers (wood) that can help grow your seed.  To make my seed potting mix, I have 1 part soil, 1/2 part coco dust and 1/2 vermi-compost.  You can vary your mix, the aim here is to have a loose well oxygenated seed potting mix to ensure a good seed growth.  I sometimes mix my own concoction of IMO or EM1 whichever is available, add tap water and spray the mixture.  Keep your seedling tray pot mix well moistened at all times.  If you are a hobby gardener, you can maximize your time by growing your seeds in containers like boxes.  You can then do your watering when you wake up early in the morning or at night when you are home.  Transplant your seeds when they are at robust and can tolerate the stress of a new environment.  

Marketing Your Vegetables

By Joel T. Fagsao

Marketing your veggies is one thing you should consider.  Many a farmer is at the mercy of the middle man or just bringing it to the market will not ensure a good sales price for your product.  Start by choosing your target market.  As a gardener growing veggies the natural way, you can command a higher price for your product.  This is because you are giving the assurance to your end consumer that your products are pesticide/chemical free.  There is a growing number of consumer who are willing to pay more for vegetables that are safe to eat.  There are also consumers who are concerned about caring for the environment and would support you by buying your product, knowing full well that your gardening method cares for the earth.  It would not be easy to establish a reputation that you are growing your veggies the natural way.  To be trusted as an organic vegetable grower does not happen overnight.  If you cannot afford organic certification which usually costs P35,000.00 a year in the Philippines then you just have to be creative.  Start by inviting potential customers to your garden.  Have patience, give them a tour and explain (show and tell) how you grow your vegetables.  It also pays if you join an organization of like minded farmers so you can do a group promotion of your products.  If you want to go on your own for the meantime, find a vendor at your public market that can sell for you and don't compromise on your selling price.  Remember, your veggies are above the rest of the vegetables-that are grown through conventional farming.  Better yet, you can arrange for home deliveries to your target customers.  If you have a small market, it would be best to grow a variety of vegetables-which is good for your garden anyway.  You thus have to do a seedling and planting schedule.  For example, this week, you seed your lettuce on two or three trays (number varies according to your land size, labor/help, market size).  The following week, you seed the next batch of lettuce.  You also seed other varieties of vegetables as well.  Your aim here is to ensure a steady supply for your market and avoid the negative effect of an oversupply of a particular variety of vegetables.  As your market expands, never compromise or take shortcuts, note that lettuce for example will not be available to your customers all the time- offer them variety instead.  In natural farming, crop rotation is practice so the same veggies cannot be grown all the time.  Till next time.

Our Winged Creature

Nothing beats my kids when boredom comes along.  Well, they got our dog, Misty Girl to wear 'angel wings.' And so here is our dog in her angle wings outfit.

New Addition to Tala Farms Family

Our mother rabbit just gave birth to five (5) baby rabbits.  It is my first time to have observed how a mama rabbit gets ready for giving birth.  The mama rabbit becomes uneasy for some days, chewing things she could reach-like a plastic bag that I used to plug a hole in the rabbit house.  The next day, I would notice fur- lots of clumps of fur that has fallen on the ground. Fur that mama rabbit removes from her body is preparing a warm bed for her infants-as rabbits do in the wild. For sure, this is a sign that a rabbit is giving birth.  Earlier on, I took mama rabbit and brought her in to the cage of a male rabbit.  They mate and hours later, I bring mama rabbit back to her cage.

Aunt Lourdes, our farm help placed a red soft cotton shirt as she knew that the mama rabbit is ready to give birth.  In the morning of April 27, 2013, the mama rabbit gave birth.  Aunt Lourdes came down to share the news.  This afternoon, May 1, 2013, we take the jeep with the kids and they just are so excited to look at the rabbits.  Only three rabbits are seen, but I notice movement under the cloth.  Remembering what I read online, about rabbits giving birth, I put on a double pair of gloves.  Handling baby rabbits with bare hands will put them in danger.  "Smell" from your hands will transfer to the babies and mama rabbit will no longer recognize them as her own and so will tend to eat them or no longer care for them.  I gently removed two of the babies from underneath the cloth and so we now have the two babies back. 

To Learn. To Be Inspired.

Costales Nature Farms, Majayjay, Laguna.

Gardening will always be a part of my life.  I was lucky to join a group of farmers from the Cordillera Region (uplands in Northern Luzon, Philippines) in a visit to model farms last April 16 to 20, 2013.  It was quite a long journey but it was worth it.  Our group's first stop was at Kahariam Farms in Lipa City, Batangas.  Secluded a few kilometers away from the city, the rough road opens up to a sixteen hectare farm with its signature gazebo.  Kahariam Farms boasts of the only farm in South East Asia to be a certified producer of organic rice seeds.  Kahariam Farms had difficulties in marketing its organically grown vegetables but eventually found gold in producing vermi (earthworm derived) fertilizer.  The former horse stable now produces two hundred tons a month of organic fertilizer certified by the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority, from composting worms.  Several greenhouses and even under Mango trees are stocked with composting worms.  Kahariam Farms also produces vegetables, free range chicken, colored Tilapia and provides training programs to farmers.  Costales Nature Farms in cool

Engr. Ronald Costales and author.

Majayjay, Laguna was our next day visit.  Engineer Ronaled Costales introduced his company as we gathered in a thatched roof -one story conference hall.  He left a telecom company as an executive vice president at age 39 and started Costales Nature Farms.  Ronald never knew anything about farming but got himself prepared by attending seminars here and abroad.  Today, the farm produces eight to ten tons of various vegetables each month.  Costales Nature Farms has won accolades- the owner was adjudged 2012 Most Outstanding Organic Farmer of the Philippines and earned its organic certification.  Last stop is Duran Farm, owned by Daisy Duran of San Ildefonso, Bulacan.  Daisy, a housewife was always enterprising.  She sold fish balls in her home which was near a school.  She attended a seminar in vegetable production and converted her backyard into a vegetable plot.  She got the surprise of her life when she earned seventy thousand pesos from her first vegetable growing venture.  She never looked back since.  She found her niche in seedling production, earning her the title "Seedling Queen" in several magazine articles written about her.  She has then taught her neighbors how to do seedling production, virtually turning San Ildefonso, Bulacan as the vegetable

Costales Farms.

capital of Bulacan.  Daisy's life and her neighbors have changed for the better.  She waxed sentimental as she told us her story, became emotional, quickly recovering with a laugh.  Ever so humble, Daisy picked up her megaphone and led us on a tour of her farm, demonstrated how to propagate seeds.  All three model farms were using vermi composting as source of fertilizer and reminded us of taking care of the soil.  To the rest of us, we went home inspired, vowing to implement a sustainable way to raise food and help contribute to a cleaner, healthier environment.

Signs of A Blessed Season

When the rains come starting in the month of May, it brings joy to the farmer.  This month of April, the last rain that we had came with hailstones. Old folks say that when there are hailstones, it is a sign that rain will no longer come for so many days.  And so it is, not a drop of rain and the surroundings are so dry.  And so, I post these pictures to help remind me that this is only a temporary thing.  Pretty soon, the plants will again be nourished by the rains.

The Harvest

Harvesting vegetables, you worked hard to grow is bliss.  Today, I gather lettuce to sell at the Bontoc Market.

Rain Shelter Program

Last year, The Gardener has been a recipient of the Rain Shelter Program of the Department of Agriculture.  The rain shelter veers away from the Green House concept and allows for a more insect visitations in the garden plots.  This encourages pollination-good for the vegetables and the insects.