By Yvette Tan It’s almost every Filipino’s dream to own their own version of Bahay Kubo—a house and a farm with everything growing in it. According to Doc. Chito Medina of Magsasaka at Siyentipiko para sa Pag-unlad ng Agrikultura (MASIPAG), that goal can be possible with a little bit of planning. Read Part 1. In cooperation of Philippine Network of Food Security Programmes, Inc. (PNFSP), Dr. Medina gave a lecture to the farmers of Hacienda Luisita on how to make the most of their 0.6 hectares. Part 1 laid out the things to consider when making a farm plan (insert link). This article discusses how to get the most out of what Dr. Miranda calls “the bank in your backyard.” Determine farm design. This is where the fun starts. Do you want the vegetables laid out in rows or do you want them to grow into each other? It’ll depend on your farming style. Remember to plan for windbreaks, cover crops, and shade. Map it out. Lay out what you want your farm to look like. It helps to visualize what it would look like when seen from a bird’s eye view. Draw it on a piece of paper. Plan your implementation and implement your plan. Figure out how to put your plans into action. Make a list of task you have to fulfill, what you need to do them properly, when you have time to put them into action, and how much they will cost. You might have to work on it piecemeal, and that’s okay! What’s important is that you’re working toward a farm that will support you and your family. Choose easy-growing plants. Dr. Miranda suggests planting crops that are harvestable a few days after planting.

Crop	Harvest after __ days
Mustasa	25 days
Pechay	25 days
Radish	20-25 days
Basil	25 days
Amaranth	25-30 days
Upland Kangkong	20 days
Cucumber	30 days
Lettuce	25-30 days

Grow plants for the local market. Another way to make money, aside from your main crop, is to plant vegetables that are always in demand, such as those in the chart above. That way, you always have something to sell—and eat! Make money from longer-growing plants. Remember the main and supplementary crops you planted (insert link to part 1)? Now’s the time to make money off them.

Crop	Harvest after _ days
Sweet Corn	76 days
Bell Pepper	120 days
Cassava	five months

Proper farm planning ensures that the farmer and their family has both something to eat and something to sell at a profit every month of the year. You don’t even need a full hectare. As Dr. Miranda concludes, “May pera sa pagsasaka!” Contact: Magsasaka at Siyentipiko para sa Pag-unlad ng Agrikultura (MASIPAG) 2611 Carbern Ville, Los Baños, Laguna Philippines 4030 Telefax: (+63-49) 536-5549 Email: [email protected] Contact Person: Mr. Cris Panerio, National Coordinator http://masipag.org/ Philippine Network of Food Security Programmes, Inc. (PNFSP) 54 Maginhawa Street, UP Village, Diliman, Quezon City Tel: (02) 426-9925 https://www.pnfsp.org/ This article was first published in agriculture.com.ph

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