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In Payatas, Quezon City, 200 women came together to build and sustain an urban garden that now provides nutritious food to their community in the face of the pandemic's health risks.

In 2018, Zac Sarian and I organized a farm tour to Taiwan with friends. Zac one day brought up the idea to me and excitedly christened it as Zac-To Tour, obviously for Zac and Toto. It was a truly memorable trip that opened our eyes to opportunities and great learnings in agribusiness, the Taiwanese way.

Here are the abundant crops this October.

Video games and farming aren’t two things the average gamer would normally associate with each other, but among the waves of  “hero shooters” and “souls-like” games are titles like Harvest Moon and Animal Crossing, which appeal to the calmer, nurturing side of gamers worldwide.

Submitted by Juny F. Diacamos

The Philippines and Israel have a long history of friendship. During the Second World War, the Philippine government offered refuge to approximately 1,300 Jewish refugees fleeing the Nazi persecution of Jews in Europe. It was further deepened in 1947 when the Philippines supported the establishment of the State of Israel, being the only country in Asia to do so. These are the main historical pillars of Israel-Philippine relations, which paved the way for more partnerships between the two countries.

Davao is known for two crops: durian and cacao. At Belviz Farms, both take center stage.

Ampalaya, malunggay, sitaw, and kangkong are commonly grown vegetables in the Philippines. When Pinay nurse Mia Uy relocated to Maryland, USA, she found herself cultivating these crops and eventually earning from them. 

Submitted by Aaron Paul B. Ignacio

Engr. Rany P. Constantino, a former Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) who worked in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia for more than 33 years, is the owner and president of D’ Constantinos Farm Corporation.

Now that humanity has realized the long-term dangers of relying on fossil fuels, there is a huge interest in alternative energy sources, which include renewable energy. If run properly, renewable energy companies stand to gain a lot of money. A Filipino company is throwing its hat into the ring, using an unlikely agricultural product as its main source of fuel: napier grass.

High productivity, improved quality, and diversity are three things that Edwin Banquerigo of the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC) believes are key to harmonizing local cacao production and increasing farmers’ income. 

Agriculture Magazine content producer Vina Medenilla won Best Agriculture Feature Story (National) at the 15th Bright Leaf Agriculture Journalism Awards (Bright Leaf) for her story, “Cavite Interior Designer is also a Weekend Farmer,” a feature on farmer Pinky Peralta and her journey as a designer, artist, and mother.

Submitted by Wilbert Quilarto

Couple Edz and Joed Bullo, both from Iloilo, are farmers that are currently working in Australia. Through dairy farming, they were able to help their family in the Philippines, and invest in small businesses, three cars, and property.

Public relations practitioner and urban farmer Roselynn Jane Villa shares, in her own words, three lessons she learned from tending her rooftop garden.

For surface pattern designer Alessandra “Alessa” Lanot and illustrator Raxenne Maniquiz, love and passion for nature inspired them to showcase and integrate various plants and wildlife into their artwork.

By: VIC THOR A. PALARCA