Why I Have Ventured Into Organic Farming - Part 3 of 3

This is the last article of my 3-part narrative on why I chose organic farming.  

After the land was prepared, I had to plant additional trees and vegetables.

I selected fruits that I liked and we consumed at home.  These should also be suited to the climate in Rizal and to the soil and farm conditions.  The farm had no man-made irrigation facilities and was entirely dependent on rainfall. The soil was more of the clay type - sticky and slippery during the rainy season while hard and dry during the summer months.

I preferred to plant mangoes (Carabao variety), papaya (Sinta), atis, chico, and bananas (Lakatan).  These comprised the majority of the fruit trees.  I planted them in long rows following the previous markings and parcels we made.  Each row had one kind of fruit and in-between rows were rows of other fruits. The inter-cropping pattern followed the recommended distance between rows and between trees in a row.  

FRUIT TREES IN ROWS

I also planted other fruits such as avocado, star apple, rambutan, and balimbing.  I also tried durian but it did not grow well and it eventually died.

These trees were planted in parcels where long row of trees could not be done due to the shape, size, and slope of the land parcel.

Then I selected the vegetables I would inter-crop again among the rows of fruit trees.  I chose the "pinakbet" group not only because I like "pinakbet" but most vegetables in this group are hardy - they can survive the conditions in the uphill farm.  

I planted ampalaya (my favorite plant since I was in Grade V), okra, eggplant, squash, string bean (bush sitao), and sweet potato (for the young leaves). These were also planted in long rows.

VEGETABLES PLANTED IN ROWS

In some parcels, I planted some sweet corn (really sweet - I forgot the variety name).

All my initial planting materials - fruit tree saplings and vegetable seeds - came from the University of the Philippines at Los Banos, Laguna.

I also planted super peanuts in one of the big land parcels.  The peanuts came from Central Luzon State University in Nueva Ecija.

After all the planting had been done, we constructed two chicken houses for the free range chickens.  

Our chicken house was very different from the usual poultry houses.  It was designed like a big barn with very generous provisions for natural ventilation. There was no flooring. Its other unique features included provisions for night roosting for the chickens and openings that allowed the chickens to go out of the chicken house and roam around a fenced yard at day time.

The free range chicken I chose was called SASSO - a variety which originated in France.  I preferred it because it grew to really big sizes - two to three kilos per head.  They also tasted a lot better (like native chickens) compared to the "white" chickens. But it took us two to three months to grow them.  Their ex-farm prices were also higher - about three times that of ordinary chicken then.  We got our chicks as well as their specially formulated organic feeds from a breeder in Rizal.

With the plants and chickens in place, I managed the farm - closely adhering to the principles and practices of organic farming.

Why I Have Ventured Into Organic Farming - Part 2 of 3

Thank you for checking back in guys - you who are organic farming enthusiasts and supporters.

To continue my story.......

The farm is on top of a hill.  I don't know its exact elevation but it has a magnificent view of a large portion of Laguna Lake and some places in Rizal province and Metro Manila.

A FARM LAND  FOR ORGANIC FARMING

Our farm has no flat area.  Every part has a slope of various degrees.  I remember that on top of my need-to-learn list then was the subject on Sloping Agricultural Land Technology (SALT).  

Knowing SALT would give me an idea on how to maximize the whole place for planting fruit trees and vegetables while preventing soil erosion (some places have very steep slope) and restraining rain water so the plant roots could absorb it instead of flowing down straight to the lowest level of the land.

I made an A-Frame and patiently plotted and marked the hedge rows where I could plant.

Next, I had the soil analyzed.  Before going to the Bureau of Soils office at Quezon City, I collected a specified quantity of soil from different spots in the farm.  The result of the soil analysis was quite disappointing.  Our land lacked some essential nutrients for proper plant growth.  This also limited our choices of what to plant there.

However, I refused to use chemical fertilizer.

I came to know about Effective Microorganisms (EM).  I visited the Philippine supplier's office in Muntinlupa City and tried to learn as much as I could about EM.  I learned what it is, its development, and its various uses.  I learned how to use EM to make organic fertilizer, to make organic plant pest repellent, and to make health drinks for animals. 

My farm hands and I cleared the land of weeds and wild shrubs. We also pruned some trees to reduce unnecessary shades and also to make the trees grow healthier.  Trees need good air circulation too.

PREPARING A SLOPING FARM LAND FOR PLANTING

We then divided the land into parcels and measured each parcel. The parcel diagrams and measurements (length, width, and slope) were all plotted on the land map.  

Each parcel was allotted for a particular vegetable or mixture of inter-cropped vegetables.  Fruit trees were planted between parcels in long straight lines.  The parcels were color-coded on paper to indicate vegetable categories. The measurements facilitated determination of plant spacing and density.  There were also small parcels for the chicken housing, compost pile, farm house, and farm visitor reception.

Some fruit trees, kakawate, and malunggay were also planted around the farm perimeter and between them we planted cassava.  These perimeter trees and cassava not only served to delineate the farm boundary but also to protect the growing vegetables from too much wind. 

The land was ready for planting.

Next:  Selection and planting of fruit trees and vegetables and initial stocking of free range chickens.                  

Why I Have Ventured Into Organic Farming - Part 1 of 3

I have very good reasons why I am into organic farming.

I have this passion for planting and taking care of animals, I want to do my share in taking care of the environment, and I want to eat naturally healthy food.

PHIL. CARABAO MANGO

Since I was a kid, I have that enthusiasm to plant seeds of any fruit and vegetables that I like.

I could not remember using any chemical substances to make my plants grow. I used to fertilize plants with compost I had learned to make when I was in Grade V using chicken manure and dried leaves, mixing these together, and putting these in a covered pit I dug in our yard until it would decompose enough to be used as fertilizer.  I was not aware then of vermicomposting and effective microorganisms.  That was my early initiation into organic farming.

Years in college, working for a living, and then raising a family in the city (in a condominium at that) took me away from planting.  

We eventually transfered residence to Rizal because I love the mountains. 

This rekindled my love for planting.  

I immediately enriched the soil around our newly built house with pelletized residue I bought from a biogas digester facility in a nearby town.

I planted seeds of whatever fruits we had then like atis, guyabano, guava, duhat, mango, chesa, langka, and papaya. 

When these started growing tall and bearing fruits, our house surroundings became like a mini forest and people started noticing the trees and its fruits.

Even before we transfered to Rizal, my late father was already tending a small uphill farm in a nearby town. 

There were mostly giant ipil-ipil trees in the farm plus some mango, banana, santol, coconut, duhat, sampaloc, chico, and guava trees.

AN ORGANIC FARM

I would frequent the farm often not minding driving my car through rough roads.  I loved being there on weekends.  I was not planting anything. I simply enjoyed savoring the clean mountain air and viewing the scenery around.

Before my father joined his Creator, he requested me to take care of the farm. I said yes.  

When I was already taking care of the farm, the first thing I did was to plan and get organized.  My objective was to make it a very productive farm following the natural ways of farming.  It would be a farm my late father could be proud of and enjoy visiting even in the after-life.


  

Why Be Interested in Organic Farming, Natural Health Care, and Natural Healing?

I am starting this blog to share my personal knowledge and experiences related to organic farming as well as natural health care and healing.  

I will continue to learn about these topics and I will continue to share it with you.

You certainly have your own knowledge and experiences about these subject matters.  I welcome your comments.  Together we can reach out to more people and share the importance and benefits of organic farming and natural health care and healing.


Organic Farming

AN ORGANIC FARM

One of many effective ways to take care of the environment is to practice or at least support organic farming.

I have been into organic farming for the past eleven years.  Through actual hands on experience, I have been aware of the immediate and long-term benefits of organic farming on the health of farm workers and the immediate environs.

In subsequent blogs, I can share some notes on the following:

• organic farming of fruits and vegetables
• organic coffee
• organically-raised chickens and goats
• other interesting topics on organic farming

GOATS RAISED IN AN ORGANIC FARM

Natural Health Care and Healing

In taking care of ourselves, we can complement medical care with natural health care and natural healing.

My family and I have been using for the past nineteen years natural food or dietary supplements recommended by doctors who are knowledgeable in alternative medicine.

We have also been using some herbal medicine approved by the government to cure some of our common ailments like cough.

Lagundi Leaves
(Photo credit:  wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/76/Vitex_negundo_leaves.jpg)

In my coming blogs, we can look at the following:

• natural food or dietary supplements
• natural personal care products like organic soap and oils
• herbal medicine and remedies

As you and I continue to explore and share these topics, I will add more features to this blog. 

Meanwhile, keep in touch.