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...
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...
AVANT GARDENER Yvette Tan Last December 2021, I was honored to be asked to talk about digital storytelling in ATI (Agriculture Training Institute) Region 4A’s Techno Gabay Program. I spoke about how we started, grew, and continue to maintain Agriculture.com.ph, which is a trusted online resource...
AVANT GARDENER Yvette Tan The textile industry can become a key player in the agriculture industry, and the Philippine Textile Research Institute (PTRI) is leading the way. The PTRI is a research and development institute, one of seven, under the Department of Science and Technology. They conduct...
