MAYOR GROWS AND ENJOYS PURPLE RICE

Mayor Matt Palabrica is one mayor who is also a hands on farmer. A graduate of BS Agriculture, he had been farming since he was still young, having been led to farming by his father, the late former Mayor Zafiro Palabrica. Until his death, Zafiro had been passionate about the farming as a way of life and about changing lives through farming. He was as innovative as he was persevering, proving not only to himself but to the whole community that new technologies, products and processes can be made profitable in Bingawan, their hometown. This passion has been inculcated to the brood especially to the male members of the Zafiro Palabrica line. Having a mother in the person of Josephine Plagata is a plus factor for Mayor Matt since the Plagata clan is landed and Matt's grandfather, Victor, the first mayor of that town, raised his family as a prosperous farmer.

Bingawan, being inland, small in land area and with many barangays still not fully accessible to year-round transportation, is a challenge to the young mayor. His focus is on farming and in improving the productivity of farmers and their families, so that they can improve their economic status to feed their families well and send the children to school.

“I have to lead by example and in so doing, I have to try and make successful new farming trends, technologies and crops. Or else, farmers in our town would not even think of growing new crops or adopting new technologies”.

“I have gotten my first taste of the purple rice when I attended a barangay fiesta where they served food and purple rice. At first taste, I immediately liked it so I asked to buy a few kilograms of seeds since this is an open-pollinated strain. As I planted it, I researched on its potentials and the possibility of a large market in the event than I can convince many of our constituents to produce the strain”, said Mayor Matt. Since then he and his family had eaten purple rice exclusively. Now his children are so used to it that they often express surprise that there is such a thing as white rice. “We serve purple rice year-round since I have dedicated half-hectare to it. And we plant at least two times every year”.

Technology used:

According to Mayor Matt, this particular purple rice strain is very much like any modern high yielding variety which responds to conventional culture, from seeding to harvest. It can be established through direct seeding and transplanting using both the “dapog” and the seedlings grown for a longer period. Being an early maturing (105 days), it responds to timely and appropriate levels of fertilization and would yield as much as any HYV given the optimal levels of fertilizers and other inputs.

Mayor Matt applied his learning from various trainings especially his on farm training in Japan to the best advantage not only of his farm but for his constituent-farmers as well. The best yields he and other farmers have achieved are through the profuse use of organic inputs. By shifting technologies from conventional to more natural and organic methods, Mayor Matt is now enjoying yields comparative to if not higher than when they applied heavy inputs of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. And at a much lower cost. Organic fertilizers applied at heavy doses may not immediately improve yield but in the long run, will improve soil fertility and provide a more balanced mix of nutrients which are needed in the right amounts by the rice plants allowing them to grow more robust and resistant to attacks of insects and diseases that affect chemically fertilized plants. Plants provided with balanced nutrition from organic sources have sturdier stands, larger panicles and fuller grains.

Enjoying the Purple Rice.

Decidedly, purple rice has many advantages than the ubiquitous white polished rice. Aside from the high fiber content which is a result of trying to preserve the red color by lesser polishing, the red pigments classified as anthocyanins are documented to boost the immune system and guard against the attacks of free radicals in the body and thus help prevent lifestyle diseases such as diabetes and cancer (http://howtocookrice.net/types-of-rice/purple-rice/). Many varieties of purple and red rice are also fragrant or aromatic akin to the jasmine rice, that they are sold at much higher prices. Mayor Matt's strain of red rice is is also fragrant especially when newly harvested.

Outlook:

Mayor Matt sees a bright future for purple rice not only for him and his constituents but also for the rest of Ilonggo rice farmers. “We are ready to go big time if we can find a stable market for this variety. Right now, we can only do isolated planting like mine and the farmers from whom I got my seeds. I have also heard of the initiatives of the Iloilo Provincial Government led by the Research Division of the Iloilo Provincial Agriculture Office. If a good market is found, even if the pricing is only a bit higher than the standard white polished rice, then we can re-engineer the whole farming system of my town to produce hundreds of tons of this highly nutritious product”.

“We have also tried other integration strategies for our rice farming activities. Remember that our dad, Zafiro was one of the first local chief executives who advocated innovations such as water impounding with fish integration. Until now our dams which are used during the dry season as a source of water for the third rice crop, are stocked with all kinds of fishes. Now we are hot about the pangasius which is called the dory fish in high class restaurants. So far we have grown big ones which we got as start up from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources. Hopefully with a good market and more fingerlings to start with, we can grow more of the fish and our farmers will have extra incomes aside from the rice they are growing”.

“We are also interested in other programs focused on rice and other crops that can be integrated into the system. If we expand the purple rice industry, we will be needing more infrastructures like warehouses and a rice mill that can only remove the husk and leave all the nutritious fiber and outer covering in tact. The lesser the polishing, the more higher priced the output will be. In this we will need technical support from other agencies to transfer to us the technology. We also would need grants and external investments for the warehouses to be built. If we can do this, we can assure our farmers of ready storage facilities and eventual better prices for their produce”.

But Mayor Matt has spread his advocacy of purple rice consumption to many of his constituents. He said that as he is developing a larger market for the product, he is assured that if many more of his constituents consume this particular nutritious strain, eating purple rice can become a nutritious way of life for the people of Bingawan.

COCKFIGHTING: MORE THAN A CULTURAL TRADITION

The Candelaria 7 Cock Derby that started January 29 and will end on February 2, 2012 is a cockfighting and tourism event that had become a tradition for cockfighting aficionados worldwide. It is expected to attract more than 10,000 attendees mostly males, who had made it their yearly pilgrimage to watch the much anticipated fights, participate in the derby or simply enjoy the company of friends.

 The event which is the biggest in the region and once in the whole country, attracts the best breeders and cock fighters vying not only for the prize money but for the prestige of having won the Candelaria Cup, a much coveted prize that opens many business prospects for game fowl breeders and those employed by the industry such as handlers, feeders and knife-tiers or gaffers as they are popularly called. Having won in the Candelaria 7 Cock for breeders mean more sales of their prized fighting cocks at a higher price.

Joining the event is not only a distinction but also a badge of honor. Becoming a champion earns you the bragging rights for having bested the country's best breeders and cock fighters. But even by merely joining gives one the feeling of “having arrived”. The entry fee is a stiff P50,000.00 and the minimum bet per fight is P22,000.00. In the previous years, there was a guaranteed pot money that ran to more than P5,000,000.00 but this year, the Pit Manager, Mr. Luis Tinsay said that the Board of Directors have decided to adopt the format of “Win-as-much” of all the other big events nationwide.

Gamefowl Breeding as a major industry in Region VI.

Region VI that is comprised of the islands of Panay, Guimaras and Negros is undoubtedly the country's game fowl capital. The collective output (stags and cocks) of the region dwarfs the total output of the whole country lumped together. This is due to the early start of Ilonggos and Negrenses in bringing in quality gamefowl breeding materials from the United States which with correct breeding produced offsprings that dominated the cockpits all over the country. Even many of the winning lines developed in other regions are said to have blood originally from this region. A stag in the game fowl lingo is the male aging 8-12 months old, a bull stag is aged 12-20 months while the cock is from 21 months up.

Game fowl breeding is said to be both a science and an art. Science because the principles of genetics is applied. Breeders, both big and small look for the best breeds of their choice and acquire materials whose progeny they think would perform well in shows and in the cockpits. Shows are held regularly to find the best individuals or families that represent a particular breed. However, the final test is the cockpit where the breed should be able to win against the breed of his opponent. The art aspect of breeding is in the ability of the breeder and his men to discover the best individual in the lot so that it goes to the breeding pen to be mated with hens which hopefully would turn out more individuals that best meet their requirements. The rewards in the game fowl business comes in the form of winning many derbies and which earns the respect of other breeders and the cock fighters and will finally redound to sales of their produce.

During the worst years of the sugar industry of Negros Occ., it is said that game fowl breeding became the savior. While there was economic collapse due to the low prices of sugar, people turned to commercial breeding and supplied the booming cockfighting activities of Manila and other parts of Luzon where cockfights are held almost nightly and every night of the week. These non-stop fights demanded hundreds of thousands of game fowls which only Negros Island and Panay can produce. Being a high priced industry, game fowls have a high returns on investment, for as long as there is a ready market and that the price asked by the farmer or breeder is matched by the buyer.

A big breeder who produces and sells at least 100 stags and cocks every year would be spending about P70.00 per cock per month and if he sells the stags, aged 10 months at P3,000.00 to P10,000.00 depending on the name of the breeder and the quality of his produce,the margin would be sizable. A small breeder producing between 10 to 100 stags and cocks would be spending less per head since he often resorts to lower priced feeds. The quality would also be lower since the small breeder seldom has access to high priced breeding materials. A small breeder would sell his stags from P2,000 to P5,000.00.

Breeding is a major livelihood of coastal communities south of Iloilo City and in many of the municipalities of the province of Iloilo. Insiders estimate the total output of Iloilo and Panay alone at about 500,000 annually while Negros would produce between 2 to 3 million stags. The majority of these fowls are sold to Luzon buyers. Local airlines say that their daily cargo includes boxes of these game fowls shipped nationwide and some of them for transhipment to other Asian countries like Malaysia and Indonesia.

Veterinary companies too have joined the band wagon of the game fowl industry. Since game fowls have special diet requirements, specialized feeds had been formulated and sold exclusively for them. So too are the vitamins and other support veterinaries like antibiotics. Products for this specialized market is often priced higher.

The average farmers are also participating in the industry by producing more grains and feeds. A major portion of the native yellow corn goes to the game fowl feed market. Game fowl breeders and feeders have preference for the small seeded hard flint yellow corn produced by local Ilonggo farmers and these are priced a few pesos higher than the ordinary yellow hybrid corn . Many legumes are also being produced since the game fowls are fed with a special grain mix which includes several types of legumes and several types of grains.

Cockfighting as a tradition and part of the Filipino culture:

Cockfighting as a pastime is deeply ingrained in the Filipino culture. Long before the Chinese and the Spanish came, Filipinos already engaged in the pastime as a Sunday activity. Even then, the cocks were tied with knives so that they kill each other faster. It follows that even those times which date back to the 12^th century or even earlier, game fowls were already selectively bred. In the early 1950s, there were already regional breeds like the Malaking Pulo of the Southern Luzon Area and the Visayan reds and greys. It was only in the early 1960s when the first of the American breeds came into the country. While many in Luzon bred those fowls, it was in Iloilo and Negros where the first of these were mass produced and where genetics as a science was used.

It was also in the 1960s when the first of the American cockfighters like Duke Hulsey visited and brought in their superior breeds. Others like Richard Bates came later and their entry brought in more science into the game. Duke Hulsey came and stayed for a few years handling many roosters for the famous cockfighters of the time and in the process imparted modern techniques that greatly improved the skill of the locals. Mike Ratliff, another American who opened the first and only cockfighting school in the US also came and taught Filipinos, especially Negrenses in the art of breeding and handling roosters. These and other Americans who came have helped sped up the growth of the game fowl industry which is now dominated by Filipinos worldwide.

Ilonggos and Negrenses as major players in the Cockfighting World:

It can be said that Ilonggos and Negrenses are major players in the cocking world. The biggest federation of game fowl breeders in the country, the National Federation of Gamefowl Breeders is led by an Ilonggo, Mr. Ricardo “Ricoy” Palmares, Jr. Under his leadership, the once divisive association of gamefowl breeders have united and federated to evolve national competition for the different classes of gamefowls starting with stags and ending with cocks. With the evolution also came the large prizes never before offered in the history of the game. The 2011 Bakbakan had offered the largest pot so far of about P30,000,000.00 in total prices. Not only did the federation evolve in terms of the prizes and the scale, it also improved the quality of game fowls being fought in the various parts of the country.

Negrenses are also major players in the industry. It is in Negros Island where large farms producing thousands each are found. The game fowl breeding industry is in fact second to the sugar industry where many of the sugar farms also engage in the business as a diversification and support strategy since the off period of their workers can be utilized in producing gamefowls for the Manila and Luzon markets.

Expert or skilled game fowl workers are also in demand in other areas of the country. Nationwide one would immediately spot an Ilonggo handler or knife-man by the unique slow-paced accent that only Ilonggos are known for. Many breeders outside of Iloilo would advertize for farm workers and handlers because of our familiarity with handling and breeding champion fowls. Thus, these artisans not only give way to a new crop of handlers but also bring in much needed money for the families they leave behind.

Some of the famous breeds that dominated the country's arenas also originated in the region. In the 1980s to early 1990s, the so called Zamboanga White bred by Boy Primallon who himself is an Ilonggo dominated the Manila cockpits. It is claimed that a parent of the White breed came from the farm of Mr. Kiko Palmares of PassiCity. Mr. Eddie boy Ledesma who inherited the famous lines of his uncle, the late Mayor Nonoy Jalandoni is famous for his “Hulsey Left In” line. This much coveted blood which can sell for about P250,000.00 is difficult to acquire. It is said that even at ¼ or 1/8 dilution, one would be able to breed outstanding aces that can win in any pit nationwide..

So are the lines bred by brothers Ricoy and Mayor Jesry Palmares of Passi City. In the 2009-2010 seasons, their greys which they and their cousin Fred bred, dominated the major cockpits and with Fred earnong the much coveted “Breeder of the Year” cup of the Panay Gamefowl Breeders' Association (PAGBA).

Candelaria 7 Cock Derby as Focal Point:

The Iloilo Coliseum is probably one of the most famous landmarks in Philippine cockfighting. It is said that winning a championship in the said event is a major milestone in the life of a breeder and cockfighter. Breeders like Mr. Rafael Nene Abello who is famous for his Sweaters and Mr. Johnny Jalandoni who is equally famous for his Lemon-84 tinted breeds have already etched their names in the history of the Iloilo Coliseum. Small breeders like Dr. Pepe Sullano, Dr. Rex Muyco and their team have likewise fought and proved that even small teams like theirs have the right fowls to get them a share of the Championship. Others are now trying their best to get their names into the annals of the Coliseum's history. But definitely, the road to glory as champion of the Candelaria is hard and arduous. However, there is that assurance that there will be fairness all the way. Mr. Luis Chito Tinsay will be there to insure it.

SMALL SCALE HOG RAISING: STILL POPULAR AMONG ILONGGO FARMERS

Hog raising is still a popular economic activity among farmers in the province of Iloilo. Rural households raise a between one to 20 heads of fattener or finisher pigs to augment income from other farming activities. Many of the families engaged in small scale hog raising say that the income they get from the pigs may be meager, but the animals also act as the proverbial piggy banks. They spend some money for the daily feed of the pigs but this investment is recovered when the pigs are sold. Part of the sales is again invested in some piglets for another round of “piggy banking”.

Common Breeds Raised:

The common breeds raised by small scale hog farmers are the Large White, Landrace, Duroc, Hampshire and Berkshire, all of which are foreign breeds imported either by government in the past or lately by the commercial hog farmers who value feed conversion efficiency as a means to improve the profit margin. However at the small farmers' level, it is seldom that the breeds are pure since they have limited access to pedigreed lines. Mostly they can only buy crossbred piglets from other small hog farmers.

The Large White as the name connotes, are white skinned and haired pigs with erect ears. They are preferred for their fast growth and efficient conversion as well as their relatively good mothering ability. Mostly, the Large White breeds available to small farmers are already crossed to other breeds but still maintain their basic features such as the white color, erect ears and other features that distinguish the breed.

The Landrace is another white breed but with drooping ears. Often, they have longer bodies than the Large White which for most farmers are preferred since they would have more prominent teats, an indication that it can nurse more piglets. Like the Large White, the Landrace is also a prolific breed and a fast grower.

The Duroc is a brown colored pig, noted also for its fast growth but is meatier or lesser fat than the white breeds. These are often used to cross breed with the white breeds so that it is easier for the farmer to record their genetics. This breed is often used as the male line, meaning they are preferred as boars where the white breeds are used as the sows or females.

The Berkshires and the Hampshires are black colored pigs but the latter has a white band across their backs near the front legs. Both breeds are also prolific, fast growers and meatier and like the Duroc are also preferred as male lines to cross with the white breeds.

There are still native strains grown in the rural areas but they are gradually being phased out in favor of the newer breeds. However these native strains have an advantage of being quite resistant to disease attack and their ability to survive and grow even when fed with low quality and indigenous feed sources. Many farmers have also crossbred the exotic strains to improve the traditional breeds in terms of feed conversion and faster growth rate but have retained their resistance to diseases as well as the ability to subsist on indigenous feed sources.

Housing:

Most of the small scale farmers raising pigs build pens or houses in the simplest way possible using mostly local materials such as bamboo. However for those with more resources, they use hollow blocks and cement to build stronger and longer lasting pens. Whatever materials used, the usual practice is to allocate about 2 to 3 square meters of space per head of pig. The logic behind this is for the animals to have enough space to roam around but with limited movement so as not to waste energy which can otherwise be converted to body mass and weight. Many farmers have already adopted concrete flooring for better cleaning and maintenance but there are still farmers who don't have enough resources to spend for upgraded housing and still adopt bamboo floors for their pigs.

Many farmers are now adopting newer housing approaches even at the small scale level. They have accepted the concept of pigs as an integral part of the farm system and aside from providing food and additional income, they produce another valuable resource: their manure which is a rich source of organic matter and nutrients for plants. So now, most pens are being designed with waste disposal systems, whether basic or sophisticated, which traps the manure and waste water for use as fertilizers. For more information on how to build better pig houses, please visit: http://www.mixph.com/2010/02/hogswine-housing-construction-tips.html.

For those farmers with more resources, they also build biogas systems that uses the wastes to generate methane gas for household cooking. The basic model now being adopted nationwide use polyethylene tubing built on designs that had been found to be successful here and abroad. A complete polyethylene biogas digester and cooking system would cost about P10,000 in materials and labor. A complete design and how-to manual can be accessed at: http://www.cedecap.org.pe/uploads/biblioteca/7bib_arch.pdf which had been prepared by the Food and Agriculture Organization and had been implemented successfully in Viet Nam. Another source book that can provide information on how to build biogas systems: http://www.tsl.uu.se/uhdsg/Publications/Stoddard_Thesis.pdf.

Feeds and Feeding:

Even rural households raising pigs now resort to buying commercial rations. These rations come in both mash and pellet forms and are considered complete meals for the intended age of the pigs. Piglets are given Hog Starter rations which contain 18-20 % crude protein, growers are fed with Grower Feed which contain 16-18 % protein while finishers and breeders are fed with 14-16 % crude protein. These rations are also enriched with complete vitamins and minerals needed by the pigs in their various stages of growth.

Choose brands of commercial feeds which have been known for their quality. Dubious brands of feeds may be cheap but their nutritive value is low and may cause more harm than good. They will cause stunting and even lead to diseases since the immune system of unhealthy pigs are affected with poor nutrition. Also stick to your brand of choice until harvest or market size. Shifting from one feed brand to another may cause pigs to go off as each brand uses different type of feed ingredients and flavoring. Pigs are a creature of habit and would be attracted to feeds that they are familiar with.

However there are still rural households that also feed their pigs with indigenous plants and other feed stuff like the golden apple snail (kuhol), considered a major pest of rice and wetlands. Land based pests like the African giant snails area also collected. Where available, small fishes are harvested from ponds and streams and added to the ration. These are cooked until soft and fed to the pigs.

African giant snails (Achatina fulica)is considered as one of the most destructive pests of terrestrial plants. They are hardy and can survive in extreme tropical conditions. Many studies had been conducted on its eradication and still the pest has survived. One mode of control for this pest is by consumption. In East Africa where this is indigenous, this is one source of food for people and animals. First detected in the early 1930s in Panay, this snail has become a pest but had been converted into a resource by locals who have collected them for use as feeds for pigs. Interviews with rural women in Brgy Moroboro, Dingle which is densely covered with trees and other vegetation, they usually gather Africal giant snails, locally called “taklong” in the mid morning in ingenious traps set around their gardens. Please visit this site for more info on snails: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant_health/plant_pest_info/pest_detection/downloads/pra/afulicapra.pdf.

These simple traps are just holes dug about 30 cm x 30 cm x 30 cm and half filled with rotting fruits and sweet smelling vegetation. Banana, jack fruit (langka) and papaya peels are favorite trap baits. In a heavily infested area, it is normal to gather several kilograms of snaild daily until the population is greatly reduced or eradicated. Often, these women lay several traps so that they can gather enough for several days of feed. The extra snails they cannot cook for the day are placed in cages with and fed with succulent leaves so that they fatten while waiting to be queued for cooking. The usual feeding practice is to cook about a kilogram of snails per head per day. After the first boiling, the shells of the snails are removed and the meat is added to the batch of vegetables being cooked. This proportion provides adequate protein for the growing pigs.

Local plants like kangkong, Palawan, gabi, banana stalks and other edible plants are usually chopped and added to the snails and fish. Starch and carbohydrates sources are also added for flavor and as the major source of energy. This local feeding method saves on the cost of feeds. Family labor is not usually factored in as an expense. Gabi and Palawan tubers are rich in carbohydrates and the usual practice of rural women is to chop these plants finely and boil these together with the snails and other protein sources Once these are almost cooked, rice bran and broken rice is added. This provides a traditional balanced ration that had been practiced in the locality for generations. (to be continued)

Article 2:

SOME TIPS FOR A PROFITABLE SMALL SCALE HOG RAISING PROJECT

Having raised a few heads of pigs continuously for years, my siblings and some cousins have earned and saved money from pigs. When we were in school, we usually have a few pigs in the backyard pen ready for sale when the need for cash arose. We also had slaughter pigs for fiestas and special occasions which also saved us money where instead of buying meat or pork, we simply slaughtered a pig. We usually lay aside the meat we will need for the occasion, salt and store a few more kilograms (we had no refrigerator then) and sell the rest to neighbors for cash. Through the years, we learned a few tricks on making money from the pigs without so much monetary investment, just sweat and time equity which we had plenty then. Here are a few tips, we can offer:

1. Design your pens to suit your system. We usually designed our simple pens with the purpose of harvesting the manure later for fertilizer. We once experimented on biogas but the initial investment had been high and we quit after a few years. However, a good pen design will not only make management easier but one can also earn extra income from the organic fertilizer produced by the pigs;
2. The pen design should also consider the potential of adding an earthworm or vermiculture component where the quality of the manure is even improved or enhanced. A bag of 50 kilograms of vermi-cast sells for about P250.00 while the basic manure sells for only about P50.00 per;
3. Identify the raiser who breeds the best pigs in the community. His piglets would usually be the most in demand and his pigs; reputation as the fastest growers will be known. While the sows are still gestating (pregnant) already approach the raiser to reserve the largest of the litter even if you have to pay the premium of a few hundred pesos more. Pay in advance if needed.
4. You may also approach the owner of the boar service and offer to buy his share. The usual practice in rural communities for for somebody to offer boar services. This boar service is usually skilled in birthing, vaccination and other livestock skills. The boar service is offered the first choice of the litter and usually this is the biggest and the most prolific of the lot. Offer him a price he can't refuse;
5. Clean and disinfect the pens after each round of pig raising. It is best to apply the all-in-all-out approach since this allows you to clean the pens thoroughly, harvest the manure for the farm or garden and repair the facilities that broke down during the growing cycle.
6. Adopt the feeding system of the piglet source for a few weeks, gradually shifting to your own method once the piglets have adopted to your place. Find a store which supplies the same brand of feeds and consistently get your supply of feeds from it;
7. If you decide to feed your pigs with indigenous ration, adopt the simplified method of supplying the complete nutritive requirements. Our rule of thumb was for about 2 scoops (liter container) of protein source (fresh weight), 2 scoops starch source and 4 to 5 scoops of fresh vegetables, cooked together until tender. Protein sources are usually the taklong and the kuhol which we gather using simple traps both on dry land and in the paddies;
8. Regular feeding is a must for pigs. They usually get stressed and get noisy once it is past their mealtime. Extra movements and uneasiness as a result of hunger will stress them and make them prone to disease attacks. Provide commercial vitamin-mineral preparations but avoid antibiotic-laced products so that in the event of disease attack, antibiotics will be effective;
9. Maintain records so that you can keep track of your expenses and income and the age of your finishers. The usual growing period of finishers fed on commercial rations is 100-120 days which by then they have reached a marketable weight of 85-90 kilograms. Growing the pigs longer than that will mean a loss of up to P20 per day since the pigs have grown less efficient in converting the feeds into meat. Sell your pigs whether they have reached marketable weight after your 130^th day;
10. If you are using indigenous ration, you may opt to sell your pigs later especially when the price is high. After all, you did not spend much on the feeds;
11. Treat the backyard endeavor as a small business so that somehow your “piggy bank” earns a higher return on investment;

You may also refer to this source book: http://www.cd3wd.com/cd3wd_40/cd3wd/AGRIC/II24LE/EN/B1087_7.HTM, for more info.

PALAYAMANAN IMPROVES FARM FAMILY'S INCOME AND NUTRITION

PALAYAMANAN IMPROVES FARM FAMILY'S INCOME AND NUTRITION


“Rice farming alone will not enrich the farmer, especially if he owns only a hectare or less. Even if he applies the latest technology and the maximum inputs, the most he can earn in one hectare in one year is probably
not enough to allow him to lift his family beyond the poverty threshold”, says Mr. Carmelo Oren, Provincial Rice Coordinator and Division Chief at the Iloilo Provincial Agriculture Office.

But Oren added that there are alternatives available to the rice farmer now. Even with less than one hectare, a rice farmer can earn more than P200,000 per year with sound planning, a bit of capital and plenty of hard work. Hard work anyway, according to Oren, is the farmer's partner all his life.

One viable and successful model that the Department of Agriculture is promoting is the Palayamanan Model, coined after two words: palayan (rice farm) and yamanan (gold mine), or literally, making the rice farm a gold mine. The concept revolves around intensive and integrated farming where every inch of space in the farm is utilized for production of various crops and livestock. Through the years, the Palayamanan models have evolved not only in the research centers but also in actual farmer led experiences. In these models, the farmers themselves have proven that given basic inputs, they will be able to innovate and in the process, improve their farming technologies and income.

The Western Visayas Integrated Agricultural Research Center has its permanent area for the Palayamanan Model, said Oren, who grew up in the compound because his father was once an employee of the agency. Now with his wife being employed as Assistant Center head, he also collaborates with the center in developing technologies which can be applied in the Province and which is now being field tested and developed at the AART or the Agri-Aqua Research and Technology Center in Nanga, Pototan.

The Palayamanan model had been tested for more than a decade now and those who embraced the system are now enjoying better incomes from the different crops and livestock raised. At the WVIARC, the model had been set up in about half hectare of land. Rice remains to be the main crop. Although the dikes are small, these are planted regularly to different crops particularly pole beans (sitao) on one dike and tomatoes and okra in several.

Rice is planted two to three crops per year depending on the availability of water. However when water is not available, a third crop of munggo or any available legume is planted for food, added income and as green manure or fertilizer for the next crop of rice. The rice farm at the Palayamanan area is planted to various types of rice not only for experimental purposes but also for validation of rice researches in other areas of the country where different strains and varieties had been experimented with. In certain periods, purple or red rice varieties are also planted and the seeds are for sale or distribution to other interested farmers. Red and purple rice are now in demand due to the new awareness of people on their nutritional value.

Rice hay and stalks (when cut and piled) are a valuable resource in organic farming. Decomposed rice hay makes the soil loose and the rich nutrients contained are gradually released to plants. The usual practice is to add 5 to 10 kilograms of decomposed rice hay and also rice hulls per square meter in the garden plot. This is enough to supply the vegetables with enough organic matter and additional fertilizer needed are usually added in the form of diluted solution which is applied regularly (sometime weekly) up to maturity.

Munggo seeds broadcast over rice stubbles can produce about 600 to 800 kilograms per hectare. At about P80 per kilogram, this would mean at least P5,000 added income from the grains alone. Legume leaves, stalks and roots is high in protein which when decomposed are rich in nitrates and phosphates which are needed by the rice plants and when made available by the legumes. Legumes can deliver as much as 50 kilograms of pure nitrogen which can be converted to about 5 bags of ammonium sulphate can save the farmers about P4,000.00.

An area of about 1,000 sq. meters was set aside for continuous vegetable production. Since the area is low, a deep canal was dug around the area and planted to gabi and kangkong. It is also seeded with tilapia fingerlings which can be harvested or caught by hook and line when they have reached the right size. The water in the canal is also used to water the vegetables. The canal makes watering the vegetables more conveniently. In conventional gardening, water is usually fetched from a well some distance away and this adds to the labor cost.

The vegetable area is laid out in such a way as there is an insurance of regular harvests. Usually, short term high priced vegetables are planted in much of the area so that the farmers are assured of income in the shortest possible time. Pechay, lettuce, cabbage and chinese kangkong are some of the regular money-makers since they can be harvested in about 30 days. Planting pattern is also observed so that there is also an insurance of lesser pest overload. Normally, planting an area of the same or related species will encourage pest build up where later planting of the same type of vegetables will make them more susceptible to pest and disease attack. The usual practice is to schedule only two relay planting of one particular species and plant a different type for the next.

Fruiting vegetables like okra and eggplants are another money maker. These are planted on the fringes of the vegetable area and in the dikes so that both the borders and the dikes are also made intensively productive. Squash and other vine vegetables had been planted over the area dug for fish pond. This practice has made that are productive not only in the pond where tilapia and other fish species grow but also on the trellises over the pond which has become productive with squash, patola and sometime, upo.

An area had also been allocated for free range chickens. The area had been fenced so that the chickens can graze on the different grass species planted For shade, a few trees of ratiles or local cherry had been planted. The small fruits which are extra sweet are said to be favored by the chickens and are a source of food for them too. Hay and other degradable plant materials had been piled regularly to encourage earthworms to colonize and become protein rich feed for the chickens. The rice chaffs and broken rice from the field are also thrown into the free range area and the chickens can feed at will. Rice with enough grain content are eaten by the chickens but those which are empty are left and in time will decompose to become nutrient rich organic matter which again are harvested together with the chicken manure for use as organic material both for the gardens and the rice areas.

Other components that may be included in the Palayamanan are the pigs and goats but may have been presently discontinued at the WVIARC model. Both pigs and goats add not only income for the farmer but rich manure which again serves to enrich the soil in the growing area. A module of 5 pigs per growing period of four months require only a space of about 12 to 15 sq. meters. There are now models where the pigs are grown in a probiotic bed and they don't require to be bathe or cleaned daily. By the end of the growing period where they have grown to about 90 kilograms, they have also produced about 1.5 metric tons of organic wastes which can fertilizer or enrich about 1,000 square meters of garden or rice growing area..

An intensively managed Palayaman can earn for the farmer at least P150,000 per year depending on the crops and the livestock that he grows and the market. He also supplies his family with enough food particularly protein rich chickens and eggs, and, nutritious vegetables grown naturally or organically.

RETIREMENT ACTIVITIES

Retirement Activities Sunday, 06 November 2011 21:46 ■
By Larry Locara

“It's never early to plan for one's retirement”. This is what Roldan Provendido said when I interviewed him as he displayed his plants as part of the Agri-Fair of the Pagdihon Festival on Oct. 22-31, 2011. In that event, Roldan showed the ornamentals he grew and sell to garden and plant enthusiasts. While almost 65 years old now, he anticipates that he will still be retained for another year because the mayor of the town he is employed in still wants him to continue with his services particularly tending the many ornamentals of the LGU and teaching farmers and housewives how to grow and market them.

This is also the attitude of Rey Osano, recently retired as head of the Crops Division of the Iloilo Provincial Agriculture Office. Osano has already invested part of his lump sum in developing his garden and in acquiring varieties of plants, which he thinks will sell high especially during trade fairs and even by walk in customers who have heard of his plants.Both Provendido and Osano are hands-on agriculturists, who have spent many long years of their life as government technicians helping farmers grow and earn more. As technicians, they not only lecture but can also plant and take care of plants so much so that they can proudly say that they are “hands-on” government workers. Now that they are in their senior years and retiring, they have prepared for their next careers: as gardener entrepreneurs.

OSANO’S DREAM PLAN

Osano had not started early with his retirement program, since his job involved the hands-on management of his division. Besides, his residence in Moroboro, Dingle compels him to wake up early, prepare for work in the city and attend to the various concerns of his division that makes him travel to all parts of the province. But even then, he had an idea of what he wants to do once he gets out of government service. As early as ten years ago, he had started collecting the plants and crops he wants to sell later. Being also a farmer, he has always planted good varieties especially those being tested by his office so his knowledge of plants and ornamentals has been up to date.As soon as he retired and processed his retirement lump sum, Osano started to develop his dream.

He built a large enough shed that serves many purposes like family gatherings, putting soil into plastic pots and even meetings for small groups like his garden club and farmers' group. He also built a small shaded house for growing seedlings of plants and ornamentals he wants to propagate. When he located a dumping site for the coffee hulls of a coffee dehuller business, he had the whole bulk carted to his lot and which he now uses as potting mix.Aside from ornamental plants, he is also on the lookout for excellent fruit varieties, which he can plant and later reproduce in large volumes for sale to farmers and other plant enthusiasts. He has recently acquired variegated kalamansi, which is not only fruitful but also beautiful and may be made as an accent to one's yard. He says that he has other species and varieties of fruits, which may also help other farmers to earn both as seedlings and fruits they can sell in the market.

He then applied his years of experience as a technician to grow healthy plants. He also continued to acquire unique and highly salable varieties as mother plants so that he can grow many seedlings from them. On his very first entry in an agri fair in his hometown, his plants immediately sold out because they are not only unique but are also healthy. During that show, he was on the lookout for new varieties, which he again can grow in numbers and sell later for a hefty profit.Osano also started a hog finishing project where he built a pig pen on the back portion of his property and raises about 10 finishers per batch. He opted to buy piglets to grow and finish instead of raising sows, which he thinks is laborious. “The beauty of growing piglets is that one just grows them for 150 days or less and sell them at 95 kilograms and above”, said Osano.But hog raising has also another advantage. Hog manure is a good source of organic matter for plants and Osano says that by raising pigs, he is assured of continuous supply of organic fertilizer for his garden. He allows the manure to fully decompose and adds this to the decomposed coffee and garden soil, coming up with an ideal soil mix for his seedlings and plants

.PROVENDIDO’S NEW FOUND HOBBY

On the other hand, Provendido being a technician for cut flowers and other special crops worked with gardeners and unemployed women in San Enrique. His job enabled him to learn and teach the culture of these plants, many of them exotic or coming from other countries, which required special care. As organizer and coordinator, he also has to help the farmers and women of the town to bring the plants wherever they wanted to participate. At first, he only helped the farmers and the women, but seeing there is money in growing and selling the plants, he also grew his own and brought them to the fairs and exhibits.His hobby is now another source of extra income for him and his family. He is tapping his children, nephews and nieces for labor and to act as watchers during the fairs so that he can be free to attend to other functions. In return, they are rewarded with allowance money especially for cell phone loads, now a necessity for growing children.TIPS FROM THE EXPERTSOsano and Provendido are only two of the many retirees who are now enjoying their golden years by planting and selling ornamentals and other plants. But both have tips for other retirees and people wanting to join the band wagon of growing ornamentals and seedlings for sale.First, one has to love growing ornamentals and other plants. The immediate objective may not even be money or to sell the plants. It may just be for the love of plants and growing them. But the money aspect can follow especially if one starts to produce healthy and beautiful plants, which are not ordinary. Plant enthusiasts will rush to buy unique healthy plants to add to their collections, to beautify their homes and gardens and also to sell later on. So if one is ahead of others in acquiring a new type of plants, he is assured of a market when the demand for them comes up.Second, one has to learn how to grow beautiful plants; learning their habits, nutritional requirements, environment, which is ideal for them, and the pests and diseases, which may attack them later. By learning everything, one gets the assurance that he will produce healthy plants for sale. One has also to spend time tending his plants especially hands-on since one cannot often leave this task to laborers who more often than not would just work without care. The best situation for the gardener is when he finds a laborer who loves plants as much as he does.Use nature-friendly technologies, which are sustainable like growing earthworms to harvest its wastes as fertilizers and also to use the live worms as feeds for chickens and fish. You can also learn the Japanese and Korean Natural farming System, which uses bacteria and other beneficial microorganisms to help in farming activities and to restore balance in the environment and the ecosystem.Third, ornamental plant is a business too so one has to keep track of the expenses and the effort, and also accounting the amount of time one spends on his project. With proper accounting, one gets an idea of the state of his business or hobby and how it can be grown, too.*Read more about Also by ■ The News TodayBy Larry Locara“It's never early to plan for one's retirement”. This is what Roldan Provendido said when I interviewed him as he displayed his plants as part of the Agri-Fair of the Pagdihon Festival on Oct. 22-31, 2011. In that event, Roldan showed the ornamentals he grew and sell to garden and plant enthusiasts. While almost 65 years old now, he anticipates that he will still be retained for another year because the mayor of the town he is employed in still wants him to continue with his services particularly tending the many ornamentals of the LGU and teaching farmers and housewives how to grow and market them.This is also the attitude of Rey Osano, recently retired as head of the Crops Division of the Iloilo Provincial Agriculture Office. Osano has already invested part of his lump sum in developing his garden and in acquiring varieties of plants, which he thinks will sell high especially during trade fairs and even by walk in customers who have heard of his plants.Both Provendido and Osano are hands-on agriculturists, who have spent many long years of their life as government technicians helping farmers grow and earn more. As technicians, they not only lecture but can also plant and take care of plants so much so that they can proudly say that they are “hands-on” government workers. Now that they are in their senior years and retiring, they have prepared for their next careers: as gardener entrepreneurs.OSANO’S DREAM PLANOsano had not started early with his retirement program, since his job involved the hands-on management of his division. Besides, his residence in Moroboro, Dingle compels him to wake up early, prepare for work in the city and attend to the various concerns of his division that makes him travel to all parts of the province. But even then, he had an idea of what he wants to do once he gets out of government service. As early as ten years ago, he had started collecting the plants and crops he wants to sell later. Being also a farmer, he has always planted good varieties especially those being tested by his office so his knowledge of plants and ornamentals has been up to date.As soon as he retired and processed his retirement lump sum, Osano started to develop his dream. He built a large enough shed that serves many purposes like family gatherings, putting soil into plastic pots and even meetings for small groups like his garden club and farmers' group. He also built a small shaded house for growing seedlings of plants and ornamentals he wants to propagate. When he located a dumping site for the coffee hulls of a coffee dehuller business, he had the whole bulk carted to his lot and which he now uses as potting mix.Aside from ornamental plants, he is also on the lookout for excellent fruit varieties, which he can plant and later reproduce in large volumes for sale to farmers and other plant enthusiasts. He has recently acquired variegated kalamansi, which is not only fruitful but also beautiful and may be made as an accent to one's yard. He says that he has other species and varieties of fruits, which may also help other farmers to earn both as seedlings and fruits they can sell in the market.He then applied his years of experience as a technician to grow healthy plants. He also continued to acquire unique and highly salable varieties as mother plants so that he can grow many seedlings from them. On his very first entry in an agri fair in his hometown, his plants immediately sold out because they are not only unique but are also healthy. During that show, he was on the lookout for new varieties, which he again can grow in numbers and sell later for a hefty profit.Osano also started a hog finishing project where he built a pig pen on the back portion of his property and raises about 10 finishers per batch. He opted to buy piglets to grow and finish instead of raising sows, which he thinks is laborious. “The beauty of growing piglets is that one just grows them for 150 days or less and sell them at 95 kilograms and above”, said Osano.But hog raising has also another advantage. Hog manure is a good source of organic matter for plants and Osano says that by raising pigs, he is assured of continuous supply of organic fertilizer for his garden. He allows the manure to fully decompose and adds this to the decomposed coffee and garden soil, coming up with an ideal soil mix for his seedlings and plants.PROVENDIDO’S NEW FOUND HOBBYOn the other hand, Provendido being a technician for cut flowers and other special crops worked with gardeners and unemployed women in San Enrique. His job enabled him to learn and teach the culture of these plants, many of them exotic or coming from other countries, which required special care. As organizer and coordinator, he also has to help the farmers and women of the town to bring the plants wherever they wanted to participate. At first, he only helped the farmers and the women, but seeing there is money in growing and selling the plants, he also grew his own and brought them to the fairs and exhibits.His hobby is now another source of extra income for him and his family. He is tapping his children, nephews and nieces for labor and to act as watchers during the fairs so that he can be free to attend to other functions. In return, they are rewarded with allowance money especially for cell phone loads, now a necessity for growing children.

TIPS FROM THE EXPERTS

Osano and Provendido are only two of the many retirees who are now enjoying their golden years by planting and selling ornamentals and other plants. But both have tips for other retirees and people wanting to join the band wagon of growing ornamentals and seedlings for sale.First, one has to love growing ornamentals and other plants. The immediate objective may not even be money or to sell the plants. It may just be for the love of plants and growing them. But the money aspect can follow especially if one starts to produce healthy and beautiful plants, which are not ordinary. Plant enthusiasts will rush to buy unique healthy plants to add to their collections, to beautify their homes and gardens and also to sell later on.

So if one is ahead of others in acquiring a new type of plants, he is assured of a market when the demand for them comes up.Second, one has to learn how to grow beautiful plants; learning their habits, nutritional requirements, environment, which is ideal for them, and the pests and diseases, which may attack them later. By learning everything, one gets the assurance that he will produce healthy plants for sale. One has also to spend time tending his plants especially hands-on since one cannot often leave this task to laborers who more often than not would just work without care.

The best situation for the gardener is when he finds a laborer who loves plants as much as he does.Use nature-friendly technologies, which are sustainable like growing earthworms to harvest its wastes as fertilizers and also to use the live worms as feeds for chickens and fish. You can also learn the Japanese and Korean Natural farming System, which uses bacteria and other beneficial microorganisms to help in farming activities and to restore balance in the environment and the ecosystem.Third, ornamental plant is a business too so one has to keep track of the expenses and the effort, and also accounting the amount of time one spends on his project. With proper accounting, one gets an idea of the state of his business or hobby and how it can be grown, too.*

Read more about Also by ■ The News Today

PERMACULTURE SYSTEM:

WORLDWIDE MOVEMENT FOR SUSTAINABLE LIVING

While our country's agriculture technocrats had been shifting from one model of sustainable farming to another, a worldwide movement has gained foothold on the consciousness of many sustainable agriculture advocates. Led by Australian Bill Mollison, the originator of the system, PERMACULTURE has now become a by-word for those who believed in sustainability as the first requirement in farming and living.

Permaculture is the contraction of two words permanent and agriculture, which explained simply is farming with permanence in mind. The concept is to develop a tract of land that from as early as 20 days, one already harvests from it and does for a long time. All the principles of sound sustainable farming or agriculture is applied.

The word permaculture was coined by Bill Mollison and David Holmgren. Holmgren and Mollison were deeply concerned about the growing trend of world agriculture where single crops were being grown in a place to feed others in other parts of the world. This kind of agriculture, they said, leaves most farming families hungry. The single crop cannot feed the family adequately and would be nutritionally inadequate.
When one shifts his farming paradigm from his present approach of commercial agriculture to perma-culture, he adopts the widely accepted ethics of: “Care for the earth”, “Care for people” and “Sharing the surplus”. (http://www.tropicalpermaculture.com/what-is-permaculture.html).



Caring for the earth means the farmer adopts earth-friendly technologies that sustains and even enhances the fertility of the soil and rebuilds the environment or ecosystem of his farm, home or garden. To recover or restore soil fertility, the farmer may put back organic matter or fertilizers regularly. Organic matter and fertilizers decompose slowly and gradually releases soil nutrients needed by the plants. As the farmer introduces more organic matter from varying sources, the natural soil fertility once native to his area is restored. Complete mix of soil nutrients makes up an ideal condition for plant growth that productivity of crops even when planted densely, geometrically increases as years pass.



Also, as the farmer plants more plant species in his area, he creates symbiosis among the various organisms in the area. In the process, the ecosystem is restored to its original balance that would withstand any destabilization such as harvesting and replanting. For example, an area is first planted to banana as the nurse crop. Then vegetables like pechay and bush beans and other legumes are planted after pechay, the banana plants benefit from the extra fertilizers and the restored fertility provided by the decaying leaves of the beans. As the banana plants grow tall and mature, the shade they provide will encourage shade loving plants to emerge and take over the vegetation. When this happens, weeds which usually grow on direct sunlight are slowly suppressed that before long, it would be easy to control them and plant more shade loving crops that can remain productive even with partial shade.



As the plant cover become denser, soil moisture encourages rapid decomposition of leaves and twigs and microbial action is sped up. Soil microbes help accelerate decomposition and chemical breakdown and the simplified compounds readily become soluble and are absorbed by the roots to be metabolized by the plants. When an area is covered by different species which do not compete with each other for soil nutrients, sunlight and other essential requirements for growth and reproduction, then symbiosis is established and the area's stability is created. (http://www.permaculture.org/nm/index.php/site/index/).



Our local efforts for sustainable farming is not that far from the concept of permaculture. The missing link is the planning for a long period of time. The practice right now are technologies like vermiculture or earthworm culture whose end product is the vermi-cast or manure excreted by the worms and used as fertilizers in various methods. Elevating the practice further, the permaculture farm will include the vermiculture module but incorporated as an integral part of the system and may be grown in the wild among the mix of crops and plants.



So a batch of earthworms may be seeded in a compost pile of manure, hay and other organic materials which are being decomposed. These earthworms will grow in the wild and migrate to nearby piles later and saturate the whole area. As part of the soil micro ecosystem, the earthworm will do its part by digesting the organic matter, bring them into the network of tunnels they make where they further decompose and are used by the plants through their root systems.



“Caring for People” means that the whole purpose of establishing the permaculture farm is to feed the family and the community. Far beyond feeding them is to create habitable and enjoyable environments and ecosystems of plants and animals. A permaculture farm contains as many species as possible so that the ecosystem is reestablished and stabilized so that they not only survive the stress of human pressure but also grow or expand in the process. A stable ecosystem of a permaculture farm helps stabilize the environment, abate and even control pollution and its negative impacts like ozone depletion and carbon dioxide build up.



The quality of life of communities is dictated by the ecosystem. If one lives in a concrete jungle, the ambient temperature would be higher than if one were surrounded by trees and plants. The leaves and trunk of trees contain water and under ordinary circumstances, they are several degrees celsius lower than those of concrete and stones. The same is true in areas where the green cover had been destroyed in favor of cash crop farming. An orchard with medium and tall fruit trees growing together with under growth of grasses and bushes would be much cooler than a corn field or a sugarcane field.



So a permaculture farm would be a much better place to live in than a farm with just one crop like rice, corn or sugarcane. Much more so when one raises pigs and cattle as in commercial farming. One other benefit offered by a permaculture farm to a farm family is the diversified sources of nutritious food. A given area even though how small can produce a variety of food and vegetables. On one small part, the farmer may grow a few heads of chickens for their eggs and meat while their manure are thrown into the earthworm boxes as feed for the worms which in turn produce their castings to be used as soil and foliar fertilizers.



When the farmer wants to serve his family with vegetables, a permaculture farm would be able to grow a wide variety of vegetables which would not bore the family members due to variety and the freshness. Besides, the vegetables and other food raised the natural and organic way are not only nutritious but tasty as well.



“Sharing the surplus” means that he farmer shares his harvests with his community because the high productivity of a permaculture farm ensures surplus. By sharing the surplus, the farmer encourages others to help him sustain his food production efforts and may transpose to labor sharing or trading actions where his neighbors may also want to contribute their labor so that the productivity of the farm is maintained. The surplus may also be bartered for other needs and even labor where the community helps out in major efforts like land development and in establishing the various features of the permaculture farm.



An emerging tourist destination is Cebu City's Kamagayan Center right at the heart of the city. The 1,200 sq. meters urban lot is filled with many kinds of vegetables, herbs and medium growing trees with various uses, from food to herbal medicine. The plant or vegetation density of the area is high yet there is no competition for light, water and nutrients since the plants have a helping inter-relationship with one another. Nutrients, water and sunlight pare provided through planning and strategic placements where plants of compatible growth requirements are planted together. Attention to their symbiotic relationship is also given like pungent or aromatic plants are paired with plants easily attacked by pests.
While the concept of permaculture farming is still new in the country, the internet is a rich resource for information on how one can start with his permaculture efforts. One only needs to goggle the word “permaculture” and the author's name “Bill Mollison” and instantly a broad range of information is provided at his fingertips.



ARTICLE 2:



How to Start your Own Permaculture garden.



An area as small as 100 sq. meters can be developed into a permaculture garden which can supply the food needs of a family of six. Here's how:
First, learn all you can about natural and organic ways of farming. The internet is the best resource for information on natural and organic farming or gardening. Just goggle the words: natural farming, organic farming, lasagna gardening, bio-intensive gardening, permaculture, Bill Mollison.



Second, visit the local agriculture office and learn when seminars are being held. Go to public markets especially those holding farmers' markets so that you learn the kinds of vegetables, where and how they are grown. Try to make acquaintances with vegetable farmers who grow healthy looking vegetables. Also visit trade and agri fairs and locate boots where organic vegetables are sold and strike conversations with the farmers so that you learn all you can about their methods and technologies especially with the manufacture of herbal preparations, pro-biotics and vermiculture;



Third, try developing your 100 sq. meters garden by first planning where to plant which vegetables. Plan to make your garden rows in an east-west direction so that you take full advantage of the sunlgiht which is a crucial requirement for plant growth. Establish your vermi and compost fertilizer generator ahead. If you plan to raise poultry and livestock, plan their cages so that your labor cost is low. Also take advantage of inter relationship like, chickens like to forage among the plants to eat worms and scratch the soil and organic matter for the earthworms. Chicken manure is a valuable resource so you plan the cages to trap the manure without much effort.



Plan for symbiosis and inter-relationships of plants, soil, livestock, and, even fish. This way, you enlist the help of nature in your gardening efforts. One example is the use of legume bushes like ipil-ipil as borders and posts of your gardens. Cut the trees at 6 feet high so that they can become posts for the ampalaya. The leaves are harvested and decomposed to become a nitrogen rich source of organic matter. Plant short term legumes and before maturity, sow the seeds of a new crop so that you can practice the rfelay cropping technology where you can plant as many crops in a given period.



Fourth, implement your plans but study and observe intently so that you may adjust the system if anything goes wrong. Since your area is small avoid the use of external inputs like chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Earn from technicians on the alternative sources of insecticides so that you avoid chemical poisons to contaminate your garden.



Fifth, study the growth of your plants and try to invite technicians so that you will also learn from them. Mix short term, medium term and long term crops so that you can already harvest vegetables as early as 30 days and continuously there after.



Lastly, consider gardening as a recreation, a life study and most of all, an alternative vocation worth enjoying and making money from. The more serious you are about permaculture gardening, themore will be its rewards. Not only that you enjoy eating healthful food, you also exercise and de-stress at the same time.

RETIREMENT ACTIVITIES

by LARRY LOCARA

“It's never early to plan for one's retirement”. This is what Mr. Roldan Provendido said when I interviewed him as he displayed his plants as part of the Agri-Fair of the Pagdihon Festival held on October 22-31, 2011. In that event, Roldan showed the ornamentals he grew and sell to garden and plant enthusiasts. While almost 65 years old now, he anticipates that he will still be retained for another year because the mayor of the town he is employed in still wants him to continue with his services particularly tending the many ornamentals of the LGU and teaching farmers and housewives how to grow and market them.

This is also the attitude of Mr. Rey Osano, recently retired as head of the Crops Division of the Iloilo Provincial Agriculture Office. Mr. Osano has already invested part of his lump sum in developing his garden and in acquiring varieties of plants which he thinks will sell high especially during trade fairs and even by walk in customers who have heard of his plants.

Both Provendido and Osano are hands-on agriculturists who have spent many long years of their life as government technicians helping farmers grow and earn more. As technicians they not only lecture but can also plant and take care of plants so much so that they can proudly say that they are “hands-on” government workers. Now that they are in their senior years and retiring, they have prepared for their next careers: as gardener entrepreneurs.

Osano had not started early with his retirement program, since his job involved the hands-on management of his division. Besides, his residence in Moroboro, Dingle compels him to wake up early, prepare for work in the city and attend to the various concerns of his division that makes him travel to all parts of the province. But even then, he had an idea of what he wants to do once he gets out of government service. As early as ten years ago, he had started collecting the plants and crops he wants to sell later. Being also a farmer, he had always planted good varieties especially those being tested by his office so his knowledge of plants and ornamentals had been up to date.

As soon as he retired and processed his retirement lump sum, Osano started to develop his dream. He built a large enough shed that serves many purposes like family gatherings, putting soil into plastic pots and even meetings for small groups like his garden club and farmers' group. He also built a small shaded house for growing seedlings of plants and ornamentals he wants to propagate. When he located

a dumping site for the coffee hulls of a coffee dehuller business, he had the whole bulk carted to his lot and which he now uses as potting mix.

Aside from ornamental plants, he is also on the look out for excellent fruit varieties which he can plant and later reproduce in large volumes for sale to farmers and other plant enthusiasts. He has recently acquired variegated kalamansi which is not only fruitful but also beautiful and may be made as an accent to one's yard. He says that he has other species and varieties of fruits which may also help other farmers to earn both as seedlings and fruits they can sell in the market.

He then applied his years of experience as a technician to grow healthy plants. He also continued to acquire unique and highly salable varieties as mother plants so that he can grow many seedlings from them. On his very first entry in an agri fair in his hometown, his plants immediately sold out because they are not only unique but are also healthy. During that show, he was on the look out for new varieties which he again can grow in numbers and sell later for a hefty profit.

Osano also started a hog finishing project where he built a pig pen on the back portion of his property and raises about 10 finishers per batch. He opted to buy piglets to grow and finish instead of raising sows which he thinks is laborious. “The beauty of growing piglets is that one just grows them for 150 days or less and sell them at 95 kilograms and above”, said Osano.

But hog raising has also another advantage. Hog manure is a good source of organic matter for plants and Osano says that by raising pigs, he is assured of continuous supply of organic fertilizer for his garden. He allows the manure to fully decompose and adds this to the decomposed coffee and garden soil, coming up with an ideal soil mix for his seedlings and plants.

On the other hand, Provendido being a technician for cut flowers and other special crops worked with gardeners and unemployed women in San Enrique. His job enabled him to learn and teach the culture of these plants, many of them exotic or coming from other countries which required special care. As organizer and coordinator, he also have to help the farmers and women of the town to bring the plants wherever they wanted to participate. At first, he only helped the farmers and the women, but seeing there is money in growing and selling the plants, he also grew his own and brought them to the fairs and exhibits.

His hobby is now another source of extra income for him and his family. He is tapping his children and his nephews and nieces for labor and to act as watchers during the fairs so that he can be free to attend to other functions. In return, the nieces, nephews and children are rewarded with allowance money especially for cell phone loads, now a necessity for growing children.

TIPS FROM THE EXPERTS

Osano and Provendido are only two of the many retirees who are now enjoying their golden years by planting and selling ornamentals and other plants. But both have tips for other retirees and people wanting to join the band wagon of growing ornamentals and seedlings for sale.

First, is that one has to love growing ornamentals and other plants. The immediate objective may not even be money or to sell the plants. It may be just be for the love of plants and growing them. But the money aspect can follow especially if one starts to produce healthy and beautiful plants which are not ordinary. Plant enthusiasts will rush to buy unique healthy plants to add to their collections, to beautify their homes and gardens but also to sell later on. So if one is ahead of others in acquiring a new type of plants, he is assured of a market when the demand for them comes up.

Second, one has to learn how to grow beautiful plants, learning their habits, nutritional requirements, environment which is ideal for them, and the pests and diseases which may attack them later. By learning everything, one gets the assurance that he will produce healthy plants for sale. One has also to spend time tending his plants especially hands-on since one cannot often leave this task to laborers who more often than not would just work without care. The best situation for the gardener is when he finds a laborer who loves plants as much as the owner.

Use nature-friendly technologies which are sustainable like growing earthworms to harvest its wastes as fertilizers and also to use the live worms as feeds for chickens and fish. You can also learn the Japanese and Korean Natural farming System which use bacteria and other beneficial microorganisms to help in farming activities and to restore balance in the environment and the ecosystem.

Third, ornamental plants is a business too so one has to keep track of the expenses and the effort, accounting also the amount of time one spends on his project. With proper accounting, one gets an idea of the state of his business or hobby and how it can be grown too.

ARTICLE 2:

HOW TO GROW HEALTHY AND BEAUTIFUL ORNAMENTAL PLANTS

Here are some tips on profitable growing of healthy ornamental plants. One can also apply the technology for his gardens to grow food plants and fruits trees:

1. The first is to decide what kinds of ornamentals one has to grow. There are many types of ornamentals which have also varied type of growing conditions. One has to decide which type so that the growing conditions or environment where the plants are native to can be replicated and they can adjust well to the environment. If one makes a mistake, it may be a disaster since his investments may go to waste.

2. Build a nursery which can accommodate the plants and where they have ample space to grow in. Make sure that the environment is conducive to their growth. If the ornamentals you choose are shade loving estimate that the shade would be between 50 to 70% shaded and if sun loving, shading should not be over 30% if only to protect the foliage from too much sun exposure and burning.

3. Acquire good soil and organic matter that will sustain the growth of the plants Study the ideal soil to organic matter ratio for each species. Prepare organic fertilizers and if chemical fertilizers are also needed, find the best type that will provide balanced nutrition to your plants.

4. Be sure to inspect plants regularly for any pest and disease infestation. Pests and diseases when not controlled at the early stage may cause major problems and may even totally destroy the nursery. Use proven pesticides and fungicides with low mammalian toxicity. Consult your technicians for information and advice.

5. Group plants according to growing requirements. Group shade loving plants together and sunlight loving plants similarly. If not segregated according to light requirements, too much sunlight will destroy the foliage of shade loving plants while sunlight loving plants will weaken and turn pale under shade.

6. Study plant characteristics and habits. Some plants gather water on the base of their stems where mosquito larvae may thrive and this will become the source of mosquitoes that may cause dengue and malaria. Some plants also exude sweet nectar or bear fruits that will encourage fruit flies so they become hosts of fruit flies which may later infect mangoes and other major fruits around.

7. Stock on organic fertilizers. Better still make your own so that you will have adequate plant nutrients to sustain your plants' needs. One can resort to growing earthworms whose casting can be used directly as soil conditioner and its leachate or vermi-tea can be used as liquid fertilizer both for the roots and for the leaves.

8. Tending one's plants is laborious so one has to love what he is doing so that he spends time productively and interestingly.