AVANT GARDENER Yvette Tan When I’m not writing about agriculture, I’m writing about folk practices, beliefs, and the supernatural. This was because before I became an agriculture editor, I was (and still am) a horror writer whose stories focused on local folkloric beings and practices, a lot of...
Going on its 14th year, The Bright Leaf Agriculture Journalism Awards renewed its commitment to recognize the exceptional journalists who spotlight the agricultural sector through online, print, radio, and television. On July 28, 2021, for the first time during a virtual ceremony hosted by veteran...
The COVID-19 pandemic has almost everyone to shelter in place to curb the spread of the virus. This has resulted in a loss of jobs and opportunities for many people and industries. For others, the forced isolation has given them a chance to discover new hobbies and interests or revive old ones. One...
Avant Gardener Yvette Natalie Tan Many people think that farming is just planting seeds and harvesting crops. They don’t understand that like any business, it entails a whole production process, and that money may need to be spent in different areas along the way. Raf Dioniso of Make a Difference...
Rice is one of the world’s most important crops, with at least three billion people relying on it worldwide. According to the Food and Agriculture organization of the United Nations (FAO), as of 2018-2019, the Philippines ranked eight in the top rice producing countries in the world, producing...
It’s well known that the Philippines is a biodiversity hotspot, its 7641 islands holding a vast array of flora and fauna, many yet unrecorded, all of them rapidly disappearing. But despite this being common knowledge, the importance of this doesn’t usually hit home until a new species is...
Farming is a precarious venture, as it is (mostly) subject to the elements, not to mention market forces. The seaweed farmers of Caramoan, Camarines Sur are no exception to this. Caramoan island is known as a beach destination, it and its surrounding islands hosting various nature-themed tourist...
Honey has been an important food source since the dawn of mankind. It is delicious, nutritious, and has a long shelf life. Humanity’s love for honey continues to this day, with beekeeping being a popular hobby and source of livelihood that can be cultivated in the city or province, as long as...
As told to Yvette Tan Wilfrido “Jonji” S. de Jesus Jr. of Two Bees Apiary in Iloilo City has been keeping bees for more than a decade. His small batch honey sells for about P4,000 a gallon and is always sold out. READ: Apiary in the City: Bee farm in the middle of Iloilo City consistently...
Two Bees Apiary in Iloilo City is a small urban apiary with aout 16 hives. Aside from being a beekeeper, its owner, Wilfrido “Jonji” S. de Jesus Jr., runs an artificial insemination (AI) lab for European honeybees (Apis mellifera), one of the handful in the country. He ventured into AI...
Ube, or purple yam ( Dioscorea Alata ), has long been a favorite Filipino flavor. The last decade has seen his common but popular tuber achieve worldwide recognition as one of the most recognized flavors associated with Philippine cuisine. The ube plant is a vine that is grown for its tuberous...
AVANT GARDENER Yvette Natalie Tan I was in a meeting where someone joked that I have the ability to link anything to agriculture. I replied that this is because ultimately, everything that has to do with human civilization was made possible through farming. Agriculture isn’t just about planting...
