Mary Ann Cogollo, 57, faced a lot of hurdles before she successfully developed her flower farm that has multiplied into three separate sites. Out of a love for plants and flowers, Cogollo established a farm and named it Dafalongs Flower Farm. The name “Dafalongs” was coined by her priest friends, and means “dapa ilong” or flat nose in Hiligaynon.
From being an educator, she now runs her three gardens full time. Cogollo took a rest from teaching due to an ectopic pregnancy and used the time to develop the property that her parents gave her.
“They were actually worried if we will stay at this place because at that time, it’s just the house and cogon grasses all over. No electric current, no water source, and few motorbikes are passing by our area,” said the farmer. When Cogollo saw the lot, she knew that there could be more to it than just cogon grass. “From the moment I saw the place, I remembered I smiled; there’s an instant connection,” she added.
Her late parents were both farmers. At 12, she helped in the farm and worked as a ‘kabo,’ a person who helps people in the sugarcane and rice fields. Her mother used to collect orchids as well, which is what influenced her love for plants, particularly for flowers.
In the beginning, she planted veggies and fruit-bearing trees, but she eventually filled the garden with flowers. “I plowed the place with the help of Rudy, a farmworker who’s raising our carabaos. From there, I started planting ‘tam-is’ (a variety of yam), gabi, and kamote. My husband used to fetch water 220 meters away from our house every day in the late afternoon,” said Cogollo.
This story is from the January - February 2021 edition of Agriculture.
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This story is from the January - February 2021 edition of Agriculture.
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