PERMACULTURE SITE IS A SIGHT TO SEE IN THE CITY

ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS have existed even before the 21st century. However, it was not prevalent as it is today. Due to the emerging environmental threats, many organizations, agencies, and individuals are taking actions to revive the planet.

AN AQUAPONIC TEST FARM PROVES TO BE A SELFSUSTAINING ENTERPRISE FOR THIS MILLENNIAL FARMER

WHAT USED TO BE a test farm for a few microgreens proved to be a self-sustaining enterprise for Franz Chung, 32, a Communications Technology Management graduate from Ateneo de Manila University.

BRANSON: A MULTIFUNCTIONAL TRACTOR SUITABLE FOR FARMING ALMOST ANY CROP

LAND PREPARATION is vital to ensure that the rice field is ready for planting. The field must be well-prepared in order to control weeds. It also makes the soil soft and ready for planting, whether by direct seeding or transplanting. It balances the soil and recycles plant nutrients in order for the plants to grow well.

A FAN INVENTED FOR CHECKING EGG YOLK COLOR

EGG YOLKS come in different shades, ranging from pale yellow to deep orange. Darker egg yolks may mean that the chicken that laid is healthy. When chickens are healthy, the eggs they produce are also healthy. Several studies have shown that chickens that have access to outdoor pasture, as well as insects like worms produce darker egg yolks that contain greater nutritional value. In a study by Cambridge University, higher levels of vitamins A and E are observed in pasture-raised chickens compared to chickens in cages or chickens who don’t have access to any grass that adds nutrients to their diet. There are also cases of growers of caged chicken putting natural additives like marigold flowers in chicken feed to enhance egg yolk color. However, a pastureraised diet is said to produce better eggs with higher nutritional value.

BRIGHT JEAN: A SWEET CORN VARIETY AFTER A FARMER'S HEART

GROWING SWEET CORN can give farmers much satisfaction. There’s something special or magical about a handsome, sturdy stalk of homegrown sweet corn. But the real deal really lies in harvesting it, particularly the way to harvest it. Waiting for the cobs to get fully grown and picking them really makes it exciting and thinking of peeling it back the sheath to reveal those yellow, full, creamy and juicy kernels is just magical! And I bet that there’s no other better treat than cooking them straight for the sweetest possible taste!

A FERN AND LYCOPHYTE EXPERT DISCOVERED AN ENDEMIC PITCHER PLANT

FERNS (Polypodiopsida or Polypodiophyta) are non-flowering vascular plants that have true roots, stems, and complex leaves. Another difference that it has from flowering plants is that it doesn’t reproduce through seeds but rather through spores.

EXPORT-READY SUCCULENTS GROW AMIDST THE COLD

OVER THE YEARS, succulents have grown popular among budding and seasoned gardeners because of their various shapes, sizes, and colors that delight its growers. But what people like the most about these plants is their ability to withstand prolonged periods without water, making them suitable for those who aren’t exactly blessed with a green thumb.

ROAD TO RABBIT FARMING: GUIDE IN RAISING RABBITS AS AN ALTERNATIVE MEAT SOURCE

RABBITS make great pets, but they can also be a source of meat. The rabbit industry in the Philippines is not new. However, it is not well-known as well.

PUT UP A FARM SCHOOL AND EARN MILLIONS

FARM OWNERS might as well convert their farms into a farm school or learning site and get an extra income of R140,000 a month even by just training a batch of 25 scholars of TESDA (Technical Education and Skills Development Authority) or the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) of the Department of Agriculture (DA). Of course, they can even earn millions if they can train more.

WITH KURIKONG, PLANT JACKFRUIT OR POMELO INSTEAD OF MANGO

WITH THE RECENT kurikong (cecid fly) infestation, what can we plant instead of mango? That’s the question of a budding agripreneur from Tarlac. Really, the kurikong menace has discouraged a lot of carabao mango growers. They are reluctant to buy expensive fertilizer and crop protection chemicals because these will only go to waste if the crop is attacked by the cecid fly that causes the damage.

Vanilla, Vanilla, How Pricey Art Thou?

If there is one plant I would recommend planting among hobbyists or even to serious gardeners, it would be vanilla orchid, which is the source of the very pricey vanilla. Would you believe that a grower here in the Philippines sells a kilo of these vanilla pods at R45,000 and R0.65 to a gram? Yes, you read that right!

SYLVIA, A NEW GREEN LETTUCE VARIETY

DID YOU KNOW that the ancient Greeks believed that lettuce induced sleep, so they served it at the end of the meal? It is also known that eating lettuce for dinner can be calming and help reduce stress.

I WILL NOT GO INTO BIG TIME TURKEY PRODUCTION

IN A PREVIOUS ARTICLE, somebody asked me what project I would propose if I were given the grant of R500,000 for start-ups in agribusiness from the Department of Agriculture. My choice for a flagship project is sheep for a number of good reasons.

WASTELAND TURNED INTO FLOWER FARM FOR AGRITOURISM

WHAT USED TO BE a wasteland where no crop would grow for many years is now a one-hectare flower farm that is attracting local and foreign visitors. This is the Girasoles Farm, put up in 2017 by Ma. Vivian Cornejo-Dean, 46, along the Diversion Road in Candelaria, Quezon.

HELP FOR UBI GROWERS AND PROCESSORS AVAILABLE AT DMMMSU

WHEN WE MENTIONED in a previous column that ubi production is a possible venture that may be considered for the R500,000 grant from the Department of Agriculture for upstarts, we got this good news.

GRANT & ZERO INTEREST LOANS FOR YOUNG AGRIPRENEURS

IF YOU HAVE a viable idea that you can pursue, the Department of Agriculture will give you a grant of R500,000. Yes, that’s free! This one is for upstarts, one of three new financing programs that the DA launched in January 2020 to encourage young people to put up agricultural enterprises. Any determined aspiring farmer is eligible for the grant. No educational qualification is required. What is important is that he has the passion and focus to pursue his idea. He will be coached by a mentor to make sure he will succeed.

SECOND GENERATION FilAm FINDS HER ROOTS (AND MAKES MONEY) IN SUPPORTING PHILIPPINE SEA SALT

SALT is an important part of the dinner table. This condiment has become so common, it tends to get taken for granted. But what many people forget is that behind each salt grain lies not only a livelihood, but a culture.

ABALONE FARMING

THE ABALONE is a sea snail with a single shell that is in demand in seafood restaurants here and abroad. Its edible soft body is a highly-priced delicacy, while its shell is made into jewelry. It is found attached to rocks in coastal areas. The Philippines exports dried and frozen abalone to Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, China and other countries.

MEYER LEMON: VERY JUICY, BUT NO SEEDS!

IN EARLY JULY, 2019, an ambassador who is busy traveling to different places all the time felt it was better for him to leave his Meyer lemon under our care so it will not deteriorate. The plant was planted in a medium-sized rubberized container for about a year when it was delivered to us. Before leaving it with us, he scattered two handfuls of slow release fertilizer on the surface of the growing medium.

A PIONEER IN THE FRUIT AND VEGETABLE INDUSTRIES ENGAGES IN OKRA PRODUCTION FOR EXPORT

OKRA (Abelmoschus esculentus), also known as “lady fingers” in English-speaking countries, is a herbaceous annual plant grown for its edible capsule-like seed pods with pointed tips that can grow up to 10 inches long.

UPSCALING WILD GRASS INTO QUALITY HANDWOVEN ACCESSORIES

WHEN IT COMES TO ACCESSORIES like bags, we tend to opt for those made from quality material so the item can survive the inevitable wear and tear. However, a social enterprise based in Leyte uses natural materials such as a special reed grass to create products that are both eye-catching and durable.

SUCCESS COMES FROM CONVERTING LANDS AND TRANSFORMING LIVES

AS A SAGITTARIUS born on November 23rd, Jonathan “Joni” Sanchez is well known for being adventurous, positive, and direct. By doing many sorts of blue collar jobs – that is from being a janitor, messenger, tricycle driver, “pulot” boy in a tennis court, cigarette vendor, and kitchen boy during his younger years, this 50-year old did not wane on hope that someday, he will become successful in life.

SILKWORMS GENERATE INCOME IN NEGROS OCCIDENTAL

SERICULTURE, also known as silk farming, has a long and colorful history. It is said to have begun in China around 4,000 years ago. The process involves rearing silkworms and harvesting the fibers they produce.

RIZAL COMMUNITY MAKES A PROFIT SELLING ORCHIDS

PLANTING CROPS and raising livestock and their products aren’t the only ways to make money in agriculture. For a Gawad Kalinga (GK) Federal Land community in Pililia Rizal, cultivating orchids are a good way to make a living.

MAVERICK THAI MURRAH DAIRY MAKES MONEY FROM MILK AND FUN ACTIVITIES

THAILAND has the most developed dairy industry among the Asean countries, with more than 400,000 dairy cows producing more than 2,800 tons of milk a day. There’s one lady businesswoman, however, who believes that the Murrah buffalo is the better dairy animal for milking in Thailand. That’s why in 2003, she imported 50 Murrah buffaloes from India to put up Murrah Dairy Company in Chachengsao province northeast of Bangkok.

LOOK! A GARDEN CALLED LITTLE AMSTERDAM IN THE CEBU CITY HIGHLANDS

EVERY SATURDAY and Sunday, one to two thousand people line up and pay R100 each to be able to enter what they call Sirao Garden Little Amsterdam up in the hills of Cebu City. The same number also visit the place during holidays. During ordinary days, 300 to 500 flower-loving enthusiasts troop to the place, according to Merlyn Maque, general manager.

FROM WASTE TO WEALTH: DEVELOPING NEW PRODUCTS FROM ONION LEAVES

MANAGING AGRICULTURAL WASTE continues to be one of the key challenges in the agriculture sector; it accumulates as more crops are being grown to produce food for the growing population.

FORMER SCHOOL TEACHER FOUNDED ONE OF THE BIGGEST SEA WEED EXPORTING FIRMS IN THE COUNTRY

FILIPINOS have always prided themselves on being an agricultural country, with numerous land and marine resources. And yet, only a select few know about the bounty that can be harvested from our waters.

ANGIE KING'S CASTLE: HOTELIER TURNS BATANGAS REST HOME INTO A FARM

ANGELINA “Angie” Mead King is a woman with many titles. She’s a hotelier, restaurateur, car shop owner, race car driver, vlogger, TV host, and model. She’s also a farmer.

TWENTYSOMETHINGS START AGRITECH BUSINESS THAT LINK FARMERS TO CONSUMERS

YOUNG PEOPLE have always been at the forefront of entrepreneurship and innovation, and in the agriculture industry, it’s no different.