Specials NEWS

George Callora, 28, is a fan of anything spicy. In hopes of consuming spicier chilies, he collected seeds of superhot chili varieties and grew them in containers, then on farms.

Countless indigenous vegetables deserve to be acknowledged, yet many of them are forgotten, underutilized, or driven to extinction. 

Dragon fruit (Hylocereus undatus), also referred to as pitaya or pitahaya, is a tropical fruit that belongs to the cactus family. It is popular for its oblong fruits that come in colors red, yellow, or pink. 

Elnino Garden grew from a small collection of flowering plants like orchids and yellow bells to a diverse range of ornamentals and crops.

The Philippine Coffee Board Inc. (PCBI), a non-profit organization founded in May 2002, launches a long-term planting program called ‘Plant Coffee, Pilipinas!’

Azienda Gracia is a 1.8-hectare farm in Sitio Cambilog, Barangay Guba, Cebu City that is aligned with the rhythms of nature. 

Bryan John Dizon, 38, worked for various companies in the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) and banking industries prior to his involvement in poultry farming. 

When Joanne Blanco isn’t working in the clinic, she’s attending to the needs of her plants at home. She is the woman behind the Facebook blog “Grow Girl” with over 16,000 followers to date. 

Wilfredo Obrador, 39, a pastor, didn’t engage in beekeeping until November 2017, when a church mate encouraged him to raise bees so they can produce honey for consumption. 

Jade C. Calingasan, 33, and her husband Ruel B. Calingasan, 34, were able to make a business out of a 40 square meters space by turning it into a mushroom growing house that can accommodate up to 6,000 mushroom fruiting bags. 

Local farms can leverage their fresh produce by not just offering them as raw ingredients, but also by incorporating them into a wide selection of value-added products to increase profit. Here are a few farms that did just that.

Found in Camarines Norte, the surfing capital of Bicol, Baluzo Farm sits on a 1.3-hectare land that is solely devoted to natural farming. It was established by Eduardo B. Baluzo, a family’s patriarch, after his retirement in the military in 2009. 

Bienvenido “Ben” A. Rara, 78, owner of BARFARM Agroventures, was exposed to farming at an early age. Owing to his upbringing and affinity for nature, he took a career path that’s close to his roots. 

To work hard, save up, and spend their days on a farm is a common end goal for many Filipinos. Many retirees achieve this during their golden years, but there are also young folks who pursue their farming dream earlier in life. 

Strawberries are usually associated with highland areas such as Benguet. Analiza N. Alonso, a housewife, defies this as she grows several strawberry varieties in her Cainta residence. 

Esguerra Farms boasts a scenic view of animals grazing on a large expanse of pasture with Mt. Malarayat or Malepunyo in the background. But not only guests and farm people get to relax on it because even the farm pigs are provided with exceptional care and treatment by means of classical music, a steady water and food supply, a roomy pigpen, a paddock, and a mini swimming pool. 

A lush garden in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, is not just filled with potted plants sitting on the ground because even the walls of this garden are exquisitely covered with ornamentals. 

In the province of Isabela, you’ll find a farm that is more than just an area for food and animal production.