AVANT GARDENER Yvette Tan Two weeks ago, I sat down with Chit Juan, president of the Philippine Coffee Board to discuss the state of Philippine coffee, especially after two years of pandemic lockdown. Last week’s column focused on producers. Now, we focus on consumers. Even as Philippine coffee...
AVANT GARDENER Yvette Tan I sat down with Pacita “Chit” Juan, president of the Philippine Coffee Board to discuss the state of Philippine coffee, especially after two years of pandemic lockdown. There are two ways to look at this. One is, from the side of the producers, which for this purpose...
AVANT GARDENER Yvette Tan The passing of veteran actor Susan Roces has left many people in mourning. Roces was not only a stalwart of Philippine cinema, she was also a kind soul who touched the lives of many. A reader sent us a photo of Agriculture Monthly’s 15th Anniversary issue which featured...
If you see an orange 1973 Volkswagen Type 2 Kombi parked in a food park, that’s Kombi Brew (sometimes spelled KombiBrew), a mobile coffee shop whose unique creations has been steadily gathering a loyal fanbase that began with the biking community, but now includes everyone else. Budz Badua runs...
I’ve been out on the field a lot these past few months, in the sun at all hours of the day, with almost no time to pay attention to skincare, except for sunscreen. Had been noticing some sagging in my jowls and tiny lines cropping up that hadn’t been there before, so when I got a call from the...
AVANT GARDENER Yvette Tan This year will mark Agriculture magazine’s 25th anniversary. The magazine’s first issue appeared on the newsstands in October 1997 with the headlines “Alfredo Rivera: He developed his market before going into full production” and “El Nino and our Fisheries.”...
AVANT GARDENER Yvette Tan One of the most unexpectedly popular article types in Manila Bulletin’s agriculture section is of agriculturally-inclined Filipinos based overseas who have successfully managed to plant Filipino vegetables in their adoptive/ new countries. Vegetables that are taken for...
AVANT GARDENER Yvette Tan Though the Agriculture Section of Manila Bulletin likes to highlight successful farm businesses, we would like to stress that running a farm business is not easy. It takes capital, planning, and proper management, among many other things that include sales, marketing, and...
AVANT GARDENER Yvette Tan Emie Estialbo is a 25-year-old hydroponic lettuce farmer from Capiz. After losing her job as a teacher during the pandemic, Estiablo tried her hand at hydroponic farming. She won P50,000 in capital from the Department of Agriculture’s Kabataang Agribiz Competitive Grant,...
AVANT GARDENER Yvette Tan Filipino cuisine may be gaining popularity in the global food scene, but there’s still a lot of myths to dispel about what, to many people, is still a new way of dining. “A lot of the foreigners still think that Filipinos still eat with their hands. There is nothing...
AVANT GARDENER Yvette Tan Happy lunar new year! Feb. 1, 2022 marked the beginning of the Year of the Water Tiger. In the Chinese zodiac, the tiger is associated with fierceness, a competitive nature, and growth. The animals of the Chinese zodiac also represent different days of the month and...
AVANT GARDENER Yvette Tan Social media can be an effective way to market your farm business. If you plan it right (and if you have adequate internet connection), you will have the ability to show loyal and potential customers your products without having to leave your farm. Investment doesn’t...
