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OUR FARM BY EARTH FLORA INC. VIBRANT AND LIVING PRODUCE, SUSTAINABLY GROWN.
* Home
* Our Story
* Sustainable Farm
* Biodynamics
* Flower Depot
* Visiting the Farm
26 Feb
REGENERATIVE FARMING: THE SECRET IS IN THE SOIL
Posted by oysteronahalfshell in Uncategorized. Leave a Comment
We have lost 80 billion tons of carbon from our soils. The carbon lost is now
hovering over our atmosphere and warming the planet. That may be why it barely
rained in November, and why it feels like summer in February.
But there is hope according to some earth warriors, who are now practicing a
system of agriculture that aims at putting carbon back into the soil-
Regenerative Farming. Already, there are too many systems of sustainable
farming; organic, permaculture, biodynamic, and agroecology. But soil farmers
claim that regenerative farming trumps them all. What is this innovative method?
And is it in fact, a reapplication of the ancient wisdom that the ground beneath
our feet may just save the dying earth?
The IFOAM Regenerative Agriculture Course
Students from Chile, Japan, Germany, Taiwan, England, Ireland, Sweden & the
Philippines.
Along with a small group of 10, I attended the IFOAM Organics Academy internship
course in Somerset, England. We were farmers, students, entrepreneurs and
educators, all eager to be fed the definition of Regenerative Agriculture.
However, because it was a novel, innovative, and still budding system, we had to
unearth it ourselves.
Healthy Soil, Healthy Plants
More than a hundred years of chemical farming have left us with depleted soils-
compacted soils that can no longer capture or hold water. Farmlands are dug,
tilled and plowed, removing all vegetation so another crop can be grown. What we
are left with are barren lands starved of microorganisms and nutrients, and
prone to wind and water erosion.
Enter Regenerative Agriculture. Regenerative farming seeks to build healthy,
carbon-rich soil. Its focuses on soil life and soil health. Farmers feed the
soil with compost, mulch, cover crop cocktails or green manure (legumes or some
plants grown on the soil to feed soil life.) Beds or plots are not tilled or
kept to a minimum. When land is not tilled, soil organisms are able to
establish a healthy ecosystem. The practice has proven benefits such as
increased nutrients and organic matter, soil fertility, fewer diseases, less
erosion, more moisture and better soil aggregation. The carbon-rich humus also
keeps excess carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere.
No Dig or No Till Farming
The Somerset region boasts a terrain of vast pastures dotted with grazing
Herefords and Angus cows. At the time I visited, the weather was muggy and
misty gray. We explored farms in rain boots and trudged through mud, puddles,
even 2 inches of snow. I kept wondering, how does anyone grow anything here?
What is regenerative farming for these farmlands when the land is waterlogged,
and soils are mucky and cold?
The misty roads of Somerset
We spent time at the farm of Charles Dowding, Somerset’s No-Dig farming
legend. In a 1000 square meter backyard, this farmer was harvesting 21 tons of
produce, and as he proudly exclaimed, without weeds! The secret, he said, was in
the soil. Weeds, according to Dowding, was just an agent of soil recovery.
> “When soil is looked after, by leaving it undisturbed as much as possible, we
> reap the rewards of healthier crops, less weeds, better carbon conservation
> and good drainage.”
Charles Dowding’s No Dig Garden
Dowding improved the damp clay of Somerset by mulching and composting on raised
beds. He applies as much as five inches of compost and wood chips per year for
his beds. In the summer, when green grasses and legumes are abundant, Charles
ensures that he has an abundance of brown wood chips or dry leaves, which he
uses to make a compost cocktail. He does not use any other fertilizer but sprays
with Biodynamic 500 horn manure preparation. He remarked: “If you disturb the
soil, it has to recover, just like us!“ And so Dawding opts to let the soil be.
No digging in this lush garden! So simple, and yet so much sense.
Feed the soil with compost and mulch. Allow every microbe, bacteria, worm and
fungi some elbow room to thrive. Your beds will be teeming with life. The mulch
acts as a coat of armour, protecting the soil from erosion, keeping the weeds
from taking root and even providing food for the living organisms. Healthy
living soil shall then feed plants with the nutrients they need. What you have
are healthy plants, increasing yields, and subsequently, nutrient-rich food.
Charles also practices multiple cropping. A lush mixture of plants on the bed
means a lush community of microbes beneath. If you grow only one crop, you
promote pathogens specific to that variety. If you grow a multitude of crops,
you allow diversity, and pathogens will not find a host in such array of plants.
Charles showed us how he sows salad greens in celled trays. He explains that
how plants are harvested are crucial to the amount of food you can get. For
example, for lettuces, Charles does not cut the whole plant to within an inch or
two of the ground. Instead, he picks a few leaves from the outside of every
plant. He then does the same only a few days later.
Nursery
He also told us that to sustain a small acreage, one must learn to be picky with
crops. In his case, Charles only grows high value vegetables and crop varieties
that can be cropped multiple times. In a bed, he is able to grow 100 kilos of
produce, crops like onions, beets, carrots and Charlotte potatoes. Additionally,
he practices multiple sowing, and will have lettuces, French beans and tomatoes
in one bed. Charles usually maintains about 10 vegetables per cropping season.
High Value Crops polytunnel
Managed Grazing
Another farm we visited was the 1000-acre Dursdale farm, where Hereford and
Aberdeen Angus crosses were managed sustainably. The herd supplied the grass-fed
meat of the farm’s restaurant. The farm carefully monitored grazing times and
ensured that the cattle had a healthy fresh diet. They also raised chickens and
sheep. For Dursdale, livestock was managed not only for food production but also
to build soil health.
This is another feature of Regenerative Agriculture: the use of livestock to
draw and store carbon. The practice is called mob grazing. Domestic animals
are moved through a landscape mimicking ancient herds that in the past, helped
build grasslands. Picture this. Ancient herds would forage in pastures. They
would pack tightly together to protect themselves from predators. They graze
over a small area, which are later filled with urine and dung. As they won’t
feed on their own wastes, they would transfer instead of overgraze in the same
patch of land. Their hooves break up the hard surface of the soil, trampling
grasses and causing these plants to release carbon sugars into the soil. Add to
that dung and urine, and you’ll have a healthy build-up of insects and
microorganisms in no time. As they forage new areas, they would eat the most
nutritious plants, and then move again leaving their hoofprints, dung and
nitrogen-rich urine. This system of grazing enriches the land naturally. Their
impact on the land restores a healthy soil micro-biome and creates carbon-rich
soil.
Holistic Grazing
Healthy Landscapes
We spent many days in the 42 Acres Retreat Farm, a landscape of permanent
pasture, vegetable garden, woodlands, lakes and ponds. The owners hope to
restore the health of the earth, so as to restore the health of those who walk
on it. Recognising how human gut and earth gut are synonymous, their philosophy
is:
> The health of our soil, is the health of our self.
We were a lucky bunch feasting on fresh beets and salad greens, oats and nut
milk, and just hatched duck eggs. My gut was delighted, having no processed
food, soy or white sugar for days.
The hermitage sits on Oxford clay, a rich loamy and heavy clay soil. Hannah is
the farm manager. She shared with us how she has in a year, learned to listen to
the land, and be a doctor of soil health. Hannah occupies her time surveying
and monitoring lumps of soil and brooding over ways of to manage the land while
raising cows and ducks. The Retreat Farm has asked her to produce enough food
to feed its guests. Its kitchen would like to whip up Soil to Gut food that is
80% percent sourced from just within 50 miles. For now, Hannah and Arek, the
gardener, have managed to raise a few beds of organic vegetables using only open
pollinated seeds. They also incorporate biodynamic preparations. They collect
spring and rainwater, using as much as 80% of harvested water for the farm.
Over 95% of the energy used and consumed is renewably-sourced. The farm also
follows the no-dig system.
The Polytunnel and a tool used to loosen soil
Our hands held the wet and cold chunk of clay and wondered how anything can grow
in this terrain and misty gray conditions. I gaped at the acres of pasture, the
surrounding forest and thought about grass-fed cows and forest foraging. Hannah
spoke about their land management plans. They hope to follow a system of
holistic planned grazing for the 25 hectares of permanent pasture. Almost 80%
of the animal feed is grown on-site. Holistic grazing looks at the grasses
available and weighs it against the needs of the cattle. A third is grazed,
another portion trampled, and another third left to fallow. Again, it follows
mob grazing, mimicking the way that buffalos and grasslands evolved together.
The business of the Farm Retreat as a haven of solitude limits how much Hannah
can do for the farm. Hannah knows she has to balance the needs of the Retreat
Farm with the gifts or challenges of the land.
Hannah, showing us the clay soil of 42Acres
Saving our Soils, Saving Ourselves
At the beginning of the IFOAM course, our teacher asked us why we took the
course. My reply was; To regenerate myself. I looked at the breadth of the 42
Acre Retreat Farm and felt overwhelmed. How would I work this land so I can
harvest a bounty from it, and yet, feed it back more than what I take? I
looked at the breadth of the earth and felt engulfed by the immensity of its
degradation, the loss of carbon, the quality of our food. How does one listen to
the already exhausted earth? How do we remain stewards of the landscape, the
animals, and yet also, stewards of ourselves? How do we work the land so that
we harness the magical powers of the millions of microbes, fungi, roots and
plants that can remove carbon dioxide from our atmosphere, convert it to plant
material and organic matter for humus, and even bequeath us with good food?
We have tried countless times to address the food crisis, the global climate
crisis, and have already designed, developed, standardised a great many systems
(and words!) for it. It may be that Regenerative Farming is just another
terminology, call it the true version of organic agriculture, the refinement for
where organic agriculture went wrong. I have my hopes up. Because at last,
healthy living soil is now included in our conversation about food production.
I felt the ground shift under my feet. The crisis is in our soil. And yet, our
salvation may be in there too.
> Even the broken letters of the heart, spell earth. -Daniel Thompson
26 Feb
URBAN FARMING: A GIY (GROW IT YOURSELF) WORKSHOP
Posted by oysteronahalfshell in Uncategorized. Leave a Comment
This workshop is especially for those interested in starting their own urban
kitchen garden in a patio, veranda, or even indoors, while practicing
sustainable, organic and biodynamic methods. We are combining the wisdom and
hands-on expertise of real farmers and homesteader. For would-be and aspiring
farmers, this is a rare and powerful learning opportunity.
During the workshop, you will have the opportunity to:
* Learn to grow healthy food to eat and also have a kitchen “farm-acy” for
herbs and medicinal plants;
* Gain a basic understanding of biodynamic growing, permaculture, agro-forestry
and sustainable agriculture practices. In particular, we introduce a method
of transforming your small space into an urban garden.
* Making compost for small spaces;
* Learn practical skills to grow food in your small space or even indoors;
* Plan your kitchen garden, including the edible plants that you may
successfully grow; and
* Start to culture and raise earthworms in your home
* Sprouting and using plants for continuous planting and harvesting cycles.
In collaboration with SLOWFOOD MANILA.
DATE AND TIME: The Urban Farming Workshop will be held on October 26 Saturday.
The Workshop starts at 9:30 AM with a short break in the morning. Lunch is
from 12:30-1:30. It ends at 3:30. Some practical work is included. We will
discuss building soil and composting, growing your garden and vermiculture.
VENUE
The workshop will be held at the 2nd Floor, DowntoEarth Farm Store Cafe, 7433
Makati Curb Holdings, Yakal St., Makati.
Map to our Venue
MEALS: All meals are included in the workshop fee. Healthy yet scrumptious meals
made of local, organic or sustainable ingredients will be served. Please bring
your own water bottles, plates and utensils. If you have any food allergies or
preferences, please inform us so that we can discuss how your food needs can be
met.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER:
Nicolo Aberasturi is the President of Flower Depot, a flower grower and retailer
of organic and bio-dynamic flowers, and the President of DowntoEarth, a grower
and supplier of biodynamic vegetables, and pasture-raised meat, pork, dairy,
poultry, smoked and cured meats. He is a Trustee of the Organic Producers Trade
Association of the Philippines and a member of the Philippine Biodynamics
Association.
Nicolo has been in farming for 20 years and began practicing sustainable
agriculture in 2004, while applying bio-dynamics in 2007. Today he manages Earth
Flora, a vegetable and flower farm in Dahilayan, Bukidnon, using sustainable and
humane agricultural practices. In 2011, he returned to his roots in cattle
farming and is now working or networking with small family farms, to raise
animals in the pasture.
DowntoEarth grows vegetables using bio- dynamics and sustainable practices. It
raises livestock sustainably and works with a network of sustainably family
farmers and ranchers in Mindanao. All of DowntoEarth’s animals have been raised
on pasture. DowntoEarth is dedicated to ensure traditional, all-natural, humane
and sustainable methods for growing crops and raising animals for food.
PAYMENT OPTIONS
FEE: P2500 (includes lunch, snack and all course materials.)
Group Discounts are also available.
To ensure your place, please send full payment by Oct. 20 2019. You can pay via
bank deposit or personally at our shop (Makati Curb Holdings, #7433 Ground
Floor, Unit J, Yakal St., San Antonio Village, Makati City. Alternatively, you
can pay us at our DowntoEarth booth in the Salcedo or Legaspi markets on
Saturday or Sunday.
Bank Deposit Details:
Deposit to BPI Account (Arnaiz Ave. branch) Account Name: Earth Flora Inc.
Account Number: 9661-0147-65
Checks are accepted. Please issue the check under the name of Earth Flora Inc.
> Early registration is advised, as slots are limited. If you have deposited,
> please scan the deposit slip and email it to info@downtoearth.ph. Once your
> payment has been received, confirmation will be sent with a receipt and
> further details about what to bring.
*Cancellation Policy
If for some reason you cannot make it to the workshop, a fee of P500 will be
charged to cover administration costs up to two weeks prior to the commencement
of the workshop and the balance will be refunded to you. Within 1 week of the
workshop commencing however, a 50% cancellation fee will be charged. If for some
reason the workshop is cancelled, you will receive at least 2 weeks notice and
your full payment will be refunded.
If you have other questions, please let us know or SMS 0917-6731947
Name(required)
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Δ
Test
28 Apr
IHOLA PATOLA!
Posted by oysteronahalfshell in Uncategorized. Tagged: cuisine, heirloom,
heritage, local, regional, slow food. Leave a Comment
The way to the every man’s heart is through the pleasure of his stomach. And
just this weekend, our native and indigenous fruits, flowers and vegetables,
bearing with it a distinct Filipino tradition, won quite a number of hearts.
Recovering Tradition
Our deepest sense of identity lies in our food. A fistful of sampaloc in our
soup, a nip of sili in patis, even a whiff of vinegar rising from a simmering
Adobo, these carry snippets of memory, a time, and a place. Except that we have
forgotten a handful of our flavors, have chosen to import grapes and Gruyere, or
now fancy that a banquet is only a banquet when there’s a carving of imported
roast beef. And so we pressure our farmers to grow temperate plum tomatoes or
chunky lettuce heads, and then snub the lean and mean Southern Yellow cow. Our
Ligaw cherry tomatoes seem puny and unworthy of a salad and our cows? Well,
“tough” luck.
But this weekend offered hope in a platter. Suddenly, the chefs only fancied
local produce. Suddenly, consumers were getting all worked up on the Pancit
Pancitan growing in their garden. And suddenly, the small family farmer, the
piaya artisan, even the Manong who traditionally concocts sinamak, took center
stage. It was an entire weekend of haute cuisine and there we were, exchanging
stories about seed and grain, and the food gardens and kitchens of our
grandmothers.
More than the food porn, the moving feasts, and the parade of ogle-worthy chefs,
Madrid Fusion Manila opened our eyes (and our bellies) to new gastronomy: one
that was based on biodiversity; on reviving local tradition; and on
rediscovering our native, indigenous and once-loved fruits, flowers and
vegetables.
National Treasures
The spotlight was on the unsung Sua and the stony Tabon Tabon, as chefs pinched
and smelled, grated and squeezed, knocked and cracked open the secret
ingredients for Mindanao’s killer kinilaw.
And then there was our flamboyant grain. Foreigners and Filipinos were gushing
over the Igorot black rice from the uplands, where they still flood 2000-year
old rice paddies and thresh the grain with their hands. The colors were
ravishing: dark and multi-faceted. The flavor was nutty. I had to write
“Precious sample. Please do not steal,” as these grains were only available six
months in a year. Though once I gave in and went home to feast on Pata Negra. as
I finally bartered our precious grains for the Espanols’ precious tapa, 2 for 2.
And they were wild about our wild flowers too: hibiscus, pigeon pea (kadios),
the Butterfly Blue pea, and even the wild berries we had just foraged off our
garden. There was a quite a buzz about our “Buzz Buttons,” and I’d notice one
guy bring back one, two, and a whole enchilada to sample the buzzing of the
buttons on their tongues.
Then there’s the Adlai, the chefs’ manna from heaven and I believe an answer to
our food sovereignty and security. This ancient grain has been cultivated for
centuries by the indigenous people of Mindanao- the Talaandigs and the Bagobos.
Aptly named as Job’s Tears, the grains are tear-shaped, with a texture similar
to risotto or quinoa. I munched my way through lunch with Adlai croquettes and
had a bite too many of the Black Heritage pork belly over Adlai.
Shorter Chain a.k.a. Farm to Fork
Today’s cliché in the culinary world is “Farm to Table” or “Farm to Fork.” I
often gripe about the injustice or the charade, because often it still is the
trader that gets the food to everyone’s table. But this gastronomy weekend gives
us grounds for hope. Hope for local farmers and small family farms: for those
without the trucks and the forklifts; for those who choose to grow food enough
for only a few baskets; for those who harvest and plant their own seeds; for
those who choose to work the land as their ancestors; and for those who take
pride and joy in keeping the earth. Perhaps now or a few years hence, they won’t
have to sell short their treasures to the trader at the farm gate. They won’t
have to trade their bounty for peanuts. And because chefs and consumers now have
a heart for the unsung Sua, the lean Southern Yellow cow, the tear-shaped Adlai,
and the multicoloured rice, our farmers won’t give up tradition, and a bounty of
national treasures can stay at the table.
20 Nov
OPEN POLLINATED OR HEIRLOOM SEEDS: NOW AVAILABLE
Posted by oysteronahalfshell in Uncategorized. Tagged: heirloom, open
pollinated, seedbank, seeds. Leave a Comment
Open-Pollinated, from True Seed. Open pollinated means the plants are pollinated
naturally, by insects, birds, the wind. Plants that grow from open pollinated
seeds will give you seeds that will again produce new generations of the same
plants. These seeds are untreated and free of pesticides. They are also not
genetically-modified.
An heirloom seed is one that has been passed down from generation to generation,
usually for over 50 years.
We are making available these seeds so you can plant and sow them, save seeds
and hopefully, grow them so we can keep seeding the planet.
27 Aug
A SENSE OF HUMUS
Posted by oysteronahalfshell in Uncategorized. Tagged: Backyard Farming, organic
farming workshop, workshop. Leave a Comment
We just capped a weekend workshop of backyard farming. There we were, mostly
urban dwellers raised on store-bought vegetables and Chippy. We were out in the
sun for practical work. I had warned them about hats and garden boots but the
urban dwellers fancied sneakers or sandals, an umbrella and Rayban sunglasses.
We gawked at the farmers with their shovels of earth. They layered the compost
pit with dried-up leaves and horse poop like lasagna. A flabby milk-white worm
wriggled out of the compost that was supposedly every farmer’s manna from
heaven.
Someone blurts out: “What’s that? Someone replies: “A snake?”
They were probably wondering how on earth they were going to build the same
biodynamic compost in their backyard. It entails hours of stirring a pail of
water to the infinity sign, months of watching the lasagna turn to mush, and
keeping the pit moist until it smells like the earth after a rain. And that’s
merely the compost.
A couple tried their hand at breaking and turning soil. “Use your left foot! Not
too deep! Not there!” the spectators gave counsel, their arms defiantly folded
over the chest. A volunteer protests: “But it looked so easy when you (the
farmer) were doing it!”
When you grow up in the city, you tend to have an idealized notion of farming.
It’s the man with a cowboy hat and, in our tropical world, wearing slippers.
It’s a life of rolling plains, of sowing, of having nature take its course, and
of one day harvesting a row of lettuce heads and rosemary. It is pastoral and
slow paced. You read a book with a cup of coffee until your seeds germinate and
the flowers wake up.
Now you have a weekend of theory and an hour or so under the sun and you see it
is neither pastoral nor slow. You’re not just reading a book with coffee, you’re
trying to grasp every plant and why peppers won’t thrive where you live. You’re
sensing the woolly bug and keeping up with his life story. Farming is abuzz and
fierce. You have a trillion things thriving, multiplying and dying: bacteria and
microbes, bugs and earthworms, aphids and leaf miners, and in the midst all
these- a tiny sprout that’s trying to break free. And then intensify that with
the mighty elements, the phases of the moon, the unrelenting rain, and humus
that you need to keep alive.
You now understand why some farmers will snap up a magic pill. It gives them
twice or thrice the yield with a flick of the wrist. They wouldn’t have to dig
pits and layer it up to their waists. There’s no getting down on their knees to
cover beds with mulch, or to line it with canals. They don’t have to wait for
ladybugs to visit and eat aphids. They don’t have to lose sleep over holes or
black spots, as they can pellet disease with pesticide spray. They don’t have to
agonize over what to plant, where, or when. There’s no brewing of manure, worm
castings or fish waste for tea compost. And without fail, they get shiny and
plump vegetables that look (and taste) like plastic every time.
(Except that a year hence, the patch of ground that bequeathed the bumper crop
is half-dead and needs a cocktail of chemicals to keep alive. And the bugs have
borne bugs resistant to poison, which are back with a vengeance. The farm goes
bald losing precious topsoil. The water is tainted. And, as the beds lose
its hold on water and minerals, all manner of life- the microbes, the worm, the
bugs, the birds, the bees, take exodus. The handful of dirt is no longer teeming
with life. It’s just a handful of dirt.)
And so you begin to appreciate the drudgery and toil of growing food, and doing
it without magical formulas and cure-all sprays. You catch sight of farming, and
how, from compost to a first crop, it is a way of life. The devoted farmer is
far more than a man with a cowboy hat. Farming seeks out those who delight in
humus, the smell of dung or rotten peels, and invisible things that may one day
poke their heads from down below. It seeks out those who can be intimate with
the intangible, with the forces that sprout seeds and make flowers bloom. The
select few who get down on their knees digging, weeding, picking grubs, praying
for sun and fearing too much rain. The handful that choose backbreaking labor
over a magic pill, just so they can keep the earth alive. Especially, you see
how all these hours end at the farm gate dependent on a market that does not
fully appreciate working with the land. On a market that insists on temperate
crops in a tropical country. On consumers who pressure farmers to grow the most
difficult vegetable, and then frown at its commensurate variable in price.
I do not know much about the work at our farm. I often just behold the fruits of
the harvest, in crates, each tomato wrapped in banana leaves. Except that a
weekend of backyard farming has given me a glimpse of how the crate gets to my
farm store, and the toil needed so I could earn a living from working with the
land.
I see you now. And this girl who grew up buying vegetables at the supermarket
will now pause and give grace before every meal. Especially because you opted
for backbreaking labor over a magic pill, and still managed to keep your sense
of humus.
26 Jun
BUILDING A RAISED BED WITH PALLETS
Posted by oysteronahalfshell in Organic, The Farm. Tagged: Pallets, Raised Bed.
Leave a Comment
We have been harvesting tomatoes, peppers and eggplant from our front yard. We
grow these crops in raised beds.
If you have a some soil where you live, the best way to grow food is to plant
using a raised bed.
What is a raised bed? It is nothing but a bottomless construction with soil like
a sandbox. Raised beds give you the following advantages:
* Provide you with rich soil allowing your vegetables to grow healthier
* Easier to weed
* Fewer pests
* Drains quickly
* Plants are protected from pets (and kids)
Pallets
How do you make a raised bed?
1. Find the space for it. You should have plenty of soil and sunlight (6 hours
of sun.) It should be narrow enough so you can reach all of it from all sides.
If you have enough space, you can have multiple beds. If you do, leave some room
in between for a pathway.
2. The height of your bed should be from 1 to 2 feet. We use 4×8 rectangles.
3. Use anything for the walls that will stand up to water. We use pallets. These
are discarded tomato crates, which we have in abundance.
You can use slates, scrap wood, or sustainably harvested wood. Now build a box.
Any kind of construction of a walled enclosure will suit your purpose for a
vegetable bed. The box will have four posts for the corners and you affix the
wooden boards to the post.
If you are building using pallets, break the pallets and reassemble them with 4
planks side by side. Affix the 4 planks to make the sides of your bed. You do
this by placing 4 planks side by side and then using another plank as a base at
the back. We used No. 2 nails to nail the plank to the base. Leave an inch or
so of the base board protruding so you can use this to bury the assembled planks
(fence) to the soil. We kept the fence steady by burying it a little deep and
by supporting it with a cement brick on the outer side.
This might help if you’re buying lumber:
Planks assembled together
6 pcs. 2”x8” boards, eight feet long. Leave four as is for the sides, and cut
two in half for the ends
1 pc. 4”x4”, six feet long. Cut into 4 equal parts.
4. Make sure to poke or break the soil where your bed goes a little.
5. Fill the bed with good soil. We combine the soil from our with biodynamic
compost we have saved. If you do not have your own compost, buy the best soil
you can afford. It is crucial that your beds have good soil. This will determine
the health of everything you will grow in it. Fill the bed all the way up to the
top.
4. We cover our beds with aviary netting to keep out our native hens and dogs.
We just used long sticks on four corners of the bed to hold the netting in
place.
Raised beds using pallets
5. You are then ready to plant. We start our seeds indoors in a nursery until
they sprout. We then keep them in the nursery until the true leaves appear and
are looking sturdy.
8 Apr
SEED BANK
Posted by oysteronahalfshell in Natural, Organic, The Farm. Tagged: heirloom,
Saving seed, Seed bank. 6 Comments
“Seeds are more valuable than guns and bullets. –Lucinda Bailey a.k.a. The Seed
Lady”
She might be right. Whether it be war or a disaster, seeds may be more valuable
than guns and bullets. You can feed your family with seeds you have sown, or
with a small patch of vegetables nearby. I still remember the last calamity.
Entire communities were going hungry, cut off from the rest of the world. What
if they had a homestead, or a community garden nearby?
We ought to start saving seeds. Call it survival packets.
Seed saving is an age-old practice. Traditionally, farmers would select the most
robust and disease-resistant plants and then save the seeds during a season.
With the advent of hybrid seeds however, farmers have stopped the practice of
saving their own seeds. This is because seeds harvested from hybrid plants
produce seedlings that are unlike and inferior to the parent seed. Also, most of
the seeds you purchase are treated with fungicides.
Our small farm has started a seed bank. (Biodynamic practices require the use of
untreated seed. One way to ensure that seeds are not treated is by saving the
seeds yourself.) We bank on heirloom seeds that are open pollinated. These are
seeds that have been handed down and successfully cultivated for generations. A
vegetable variety can be considered an heirloom once it has been cultivated for
over fifty years. Heirlooms have a different flavor. We have heirloom seeds for
tomatoes, eggplant, and some varieties of corn. We even have seeds for purple
corn, a locally adapted variety that we got from individual farmers. Heirloom
seeds reward us with better tasting produce. Unlike the hybrid varieties,
heirlooms can be saved and replanted every year. (Hybrid varieties require
planting new seeds every year.) Additionally, heirloom seeds adapt to the
location over time and what you have are resilient seeds that will grow
abundantly where you are. They are more resistant to disease or to harsh
weather.
We’re looking to save more and more varieties of heirloom vegetables, flowers
and herbs. We’re trying to find and collect heirloom varieties and then grow
these on site. And then we collect seeds when they are fully ripe and dry. Easy
seeds to collect are from tomatoes and beans. As our climate becomes more
erratic, seeds that have been passed down, adapted to our soil, and grown
resilient over time, will thrive and produce better crops.
Saving seeds gives us the means to grow our own food. It is the key to food
sovereignty because you know how to get food and exactly where it comes from. A
huge chunk of the seed market is already controlled by big companies like
Monsanto and Bayer. These seeds are treated with pesticides, herbicides or are
even genetically-modified. If you are able to save your own heirloom, local,
open pollinated variety seeds, you are able to replant and regrow them every
year, without being dependent on the big companies that patent and control
hybrid varieties.
7 Feb
TO EVERYTHING THERE IS A SEASON
Posted by oysteronahalfshell in Organic, The Farm. Tagged: Agriculture, Climate
Change, Food Security. 1 Comment
What happens now, when farmers have lost the rhythm of the seasons? When there
is no longer a time for everything: to plant; and to pluck what has been
planted? And what happens when farmers give up on the land?
Every year for the last 20 years, we had sown seeds on December and then
harvested a predictable volume on February. It was perfectly orchestrated. The
plants would shoot up, bud, and then burst forth in blossom for Valentine’s
Day. There was a season for everything: a time to plant; a time to pluck up
what is planted.
Except this year. Up until February, our farmers were still waiting for the
flowers to bloom. By then, we had lost half of our harvest to the unusual
cold. The dependable season of wet and dry had gone awry. For the first time in
20 years, clouds blanketed the sun for days. And the cold lingered. Before
that, farms had to take on the epic winds of Pablo and Yolanda, or the
torrential rains of Sendong.
The changing climate. You hear about melting ice caps and rising sea levels and
yet there’s very little said about agriculture. You trust nature will find a
way. And perhaps, if there was a threat to agriculture, it wasn’t going to put
farmers at risk soon.
Except that climate change doomsday for farmers is already here.
Extreme weather. And not only that, extreme AND unpredictable as well.
Mindanao, the country’s breadbasket, the fortunate south that used to be spared
from storms, that is where our farm is. With the shifting weather patterns, we
now have to bear the full brunt of storms. You give all you’ve got for one
planting cycle, extreme weather visits, and it’s pfft to 3 months of farming.
Toss in the changing rhythm of seasons and we could no longer foresee warmth or
rain. We previously timed sowing and harvesting to nature’s cycle of wet and
dry. Except that the only predictable thing these last few years is that of
torrential rains and violent winds. Everything is just up in the air!
What about small family farms everywhere? The farmers plant for weeks. Wait for
weeks. Weed, water, and reap. They are cash strapped and fall prey to usurious
financiers who lend at high interest rates. They enter into contracts with
onerous traders who snatch up their crops at rock bottom prices. They are
beholden to landlords, financiers, and traders, working on land that’s quite
often not theirs. Except now they also have to weather the likes of Pablo,
Yolanda and Sendong, and bank on a temperamental Mother Nature. It is no wonder
we have aging farmers. Who wants serfdom, muscle and sweat, with almost nothing
at the farm gate? They would rather go to the city and sit on a desk.
Drought and rain. At the wrong time. Crops that wither or wash out. And famine
or food prices that soar to record highs.
Perhaps it is none of your affair. The poor vulnerable farmer, at the mercy of
an extremely erratic Mother Nature. Who cares? You can enjoy the unusual cold
with a cup of cocoa, or the hot day with a summer salad.
Except. It is this poor vulnerable farmer who actually supplies you the cacao
that makes you hot chocolate. It is the poor vulnerable farmer who tends to the
lettuces and carrots that make your salad. And when your farmer is not secure,
the food on your table is not secure either. You can only reap what they sow.
Far removed from the seed, the sprout, the produce that magically settles on our
plate, we take farming for granted. We cannot appreciate the daily grind of the
farmer who works the land. We cannot grasp the medley of earth, nature, seasons
and the farmer that bestows us fruit, flower, vegetable and grain. And because
we can buy the fruit, the salad, and the rice at ease, in nice packages at the
supermarket, we forget that it takes at least three months of industry to get
anything from seed to plant.
“This magical, marvelous food on our plate, this sustenance we absorb, has a
story to tell. It has a journey. It leaves a footprint. It leaves a legacy. To
eat with reckless abandon, without conscience, without knowledge; folks, this
ain’t normal.” –Joel Salatin
What happens now, when farmers have lost the rhythm of the seasons? When there
is no longer a time for everything: to plant; and to pluck what has been
planted? And what happens when farmers give up on the land?
The doomsday scenario for agriculture and food security has arrived. The climate
is already changing. Along with mitigation strategies that would take the edge
off doomsday, farmers will now have adapt to the changing seasons and the
shifting weather that is already here.
More than these, we have to recognize that the unusual cold and the impending
hot summer means more than just buying a scarf or air conditioning. Extreme and
unpredictable weather will hit us at the dinner table. Aside from our annual
saga of waist-water floods and relief packs, climate change will threaten the
food on our table. We all have a responsibility towards the land, the people who
grow our food, and what we consume. This vulnerable country, our poor farmers,
and our insecure food system will be hit the hardest. It is hard hit already.
And we are running out of time.
“The average person is still under the aberrant delusion that food should be
somebody else’s responsibility until I’m ready to eat it.” –Joel Salatin
28 May
ECOLOGICAL PEST MANAGEMENT
Posted by oysteronahalfshell in Backyard Farming Series, Natural, Organic, The
Farm. Tagged: Ecological Pest Management, Organic Pest Control, Pest Control.
Leave a Comment
This is the 6th of a Series on Backyard Farming. This article deals with
natural methods for pest and disease management and control.
We practice ecological pest management in the farm. This means that you manage
the ecology of your farm and not just get rid of pests by toxic pesticides.
* Build a strong ecosystem with healthy soil, mulch and organic fertilizer.
Your first line of defense is a healthy soil. Your plants will be healthy if
your soil is healthy. Healthy plants will be able to resist insect and
disease attack.
* Mulching is a good way to control pests. The mulch will house beneficial
insects and earthworms.
* Crop rotation will keep your soils healthy too. Make sure that plants and
not planted on the same spot every time. Multiple cropping or companion
planting also helps rid you of pests and diseases. These too methods will
provide a continuous source of food and encourage beneficials insects to
remain in your bed. See article on Crop Rotation and Multiple Cropping.
* We practice cover cropping in our farm. The legumes boost our soil’s
nutrient content, build more organic matter in the soil, and prevents
erosion.
* Make sure you have plenty of earthworms too!
* The kind of plants you have will be crucial for pest/disease management and
control. Make sure you plant varieties that are resistant to the diseases
that are common where you are. Also, plant the kind of plants that thrive
well given your topography and weather conditions.
If despite a healthy ecosystem and healthy plants, you still have pests/disease
here are some tips and physical controls:
1. For temperate crops, keep the leaves dry. This is because insects and
fungus thrive on wet leaves. Wet leaves also spread disease. In the farm, we
use drip irrigation to make sure that our leaves are dry and there is not too
much water.
2. Your best control is BIOLOGICAL control. This means you need to understand
the life cycle of insects or pests so you can control them. Also, the more
variety of insects and animals you have in farm, the better your Biological
Control.
3. We rely a lot on Beneficial Insects. These are using insects, microbes, or
bacteria to control pests and disease. They keep the population of damaging
insects under control. Unlike pesticides, they only kill the BAD guys. IN our
farm, we use ladybugs, lace wings or stingless wasps that feed on pests. For
example, ladybugs are able to eat up to 1000 aphids a day. Lace wings eat more
than 200 pest eggs a week. Wasps (Trichogramma) are able to control up to 28
species of insects. You can read more about nurturing and making use of
Beneficial Insects here.
4. We also make Homemade Controls and Sprays. Here are some of what we use:
* Flypaper
* Do-it-yourself Sticky Traps: Hanging sticky traps in trees or posts can help
capture a lot of flying insects.
* Neem Citronella: Neem does not immediately kill the insect. Instead, it
alters an insect’s behavior or life. Eventually the insect can no longer feed
or breed or metamorphose, and cannot cause damage.
* Fish Emulsion (Fish Amino Acid/Foliar): More than a pesticide, it doubles as
a great fertilizer. Fish emulsions are wonderful sources of nutrients. Read
about Fish Emulsion here.
* Coconut oil tobacco
* Raw milk and Raw whey
Common Pests: These are the common pests you will find in the garden and our
recommendations:
* Worms and Caterpillars: They eat the larvae of plants and eradicate
seedlings. Effective controls are beneficial insects, multiple cropping and
crop rotation.
* Aphids: Aphids feed on the sap of the plant. They also transmit disease. You
get aphids usually from too much nitrogen in soil and too much water or over
fertilization. Control aphids maintaining balance in soil. You can do this
by lessening water use and in our case, spraying BD 501. We also us Neem
Spray and alternate it with Coconut Oil Tobacco. Another way is to flush
aphids with high pressure sprayer (fish emulsion/milk)
* Leaf Miner- You can prevent Leaf Miner if you spray Fermented Fish waste and
Milk. You can also use sticky traps. Crop rotation is recommended for
prevention.
* Flea Beetle–These insects attack during summer months and usually Asian
vegetables. They like dry environments. Control these pests by wetting beds
and mulching.
* White Fly- You can use a spreader sticker (sticky traps) or coconut-oil based
soap spray to control White Fly.
* Diamond Back Moth–These moths will attack cauliflower, broccoli and cabbage.
To prevent outbreak, control the moth that lays the eggs through light traps,
ordinary mosquito traps or have sacrificial beds.
Common Diseases
Note that with healthy soil enriched with biodynamic compost, most of your
disease problems will disappear. However, these are common diseases you may
encounter:
*Always remember to prune or remove diseased plants.
* Mildew is a fungal disease and includes white patches on leaves, discolored
or yellow leaves and wilting. Remove the infected areas and dispose it. Do
not add to your compost pile.
-Powdery Mildew- During dry season, you may experience powdery mildew. To
control or prevent this, keep leaves wet. You can also use milk spray or neem
oil.
-Downy Mildew- During wet season, you may experience downy mildew. Don’t wet
leaves at night. You can also use milk spray or neem oil for prevention.
* Blight– This is bacterial damage that causes rotting stems and roots, black
or brown spots and lesions. Trichoderma can suppress blight. Once you have
it, make sure to remove the plant and dispose. Do not put in your compost
pile. To avoid the disease, practice crop rotation and plant resistant
varieties.
Good luck! You will be able to manage pests and diseases with a combination of:
(1) Strong Ecosystem; (2) Attentiveness; and (3) Good use of organic controls.
21 May
STRUCTURES FOR BACKYARD GARDENING
Posted by oysteronahalfshell in Backyard Farming Series, Natural, Organic, The
Farm. Leave a Comment
This is a 5th of a series on Backyard Farming. This article discusses simple
structures for your garden and water conservation techniques.
A backyard farm or a kitchen garden will be usually small. Most of us will have
a small yard, a patio or even some space with a window. Here are some of the
structures you can use:
Yards: Instead of having a lawn, create space for an edible garden. This means
you should have space in your lawn or yard for a bed or two. Use the borders of
your spaces for vegetables too. We recommend you use raised beds for your farm
or garden. Make sure they are at least 24 inches deep.
Containers: You can grow vegetables in containers too. Just make sure they get
enough sun. Make sure your container is big enough for a full grown plant. You
will also have to always water as containers dry out quickly. The soil will
also have to be fertilized and changed every planting cycle. In our patio, we
grow some of our vegetables in large black bags.
Small structures:
While you can already grow vegetables outdoors in raised beds or containers, you
can put up small and cheap structures using bamboo, pipes or wood. Screen
houses will protect your plants from insects and from nature: too much rain,
wind or sun. You then use mosquito nets for your sides (buy these from general
merchandise shops or those that sell fishing gear.) The rooftop is often made
of UV treated hard elastic plastic. You can buy these from Hobee Packaging Co.
Our farm has built Bamboo Greenhouses. (Read more about our greenhouses.)
Bamboo is treated with borax and boric acid. It is important to sit your post on
cement to avoid termites and rust. We then use thick elastic plastic as a
cover. We use Use U.V. stabilized greenhouse film. A short term structure can
last you from 6 to 8 months. You can also build long term structures of 2 to 3
years.
SIMPLE IRRIGATION
As we have consistently stated, you need rich living soil with plenty of organic
matter. The irrigation technique we recommend is TRICKLE IRRIGATION. This is a
system where water drips slowly directly to the roots of plants through pipes
(with small holes.) The mechanism allows the water to drip directly where it’s
needed. You also do not have runoff or wasted water. The technique also
reduce evaporation, soil erosion and deep drainage. More importantly, it gets
rid of many foliar or root diseases that spread through the water.
When to irrigate
Irrigate plants closer to the evening so you decrease the loss of water through
evaporation (except if you water by sprinkler. If sprinkler, do it in the
morning to prevent fungus). Some other techniques we follow:
When it is a Full moon, there is an increase in the water element. We sow seeds
two days before a full moon to take advantage of the water.
When it is a New moon, there is more water in the soil. Two days before a new
moon, we do transplanting to take advantage of the soil’s increased water
content.
Water conservation techniques
Here are other water conservation techniques we use:
•RAIN HARVESTING AND CANALS
Catch the rain. You can do so by having rainwater catchments like basins, ponds
or canals. When it rains, the water falls from the rooftops to micro basins or
canals, which catch them. What you can also do is line the canals with thick
mulch (4 inches at least) to ensure less evaporation. It is best to take
advantage of slopes in your garden so the rainwater gently seeps towards and is
absorbed by your beds.
•NATURAL WINDBREAKS
Plant legumes in between and at the boundary of your beds to act as windbreaks.
The windbreaks again reduce evaporation.
•CONSERVATION TILLAGE
Raised beds get more aeration in its roots so you do not need to till as often
and protect topsoil. Also, a good topsoil won’t be washed out by rain.
•MULCHING
Mulch your beds to conserve on water. Read more about Mulching.
Next article: Integrated Pest Control
13 May
SOWING AND TRANSPLANTING
Posted by oysteronahalfshell in Backyard Farming Series, Natural, Organic, The
Farm. Tagged: Backyard Farming, Sowing, Transplanting. Leave a Comment
This is the 4th of a series on Backyard Farming. This article discusses sowing
and transplanting. We will give you tips on how we ensure that are seeds are
able to germinate and that plants are able to survive well before they are moved
to plant beds.
You have prepared your beds, started to make your soil healthy and put in your
compost. It is now time to sow your seeds or set out your seedlings.
Backyard Farm Nursery
Sowing
Seeds should be allowed to germinate. Seeds only germinate when they absorb
enough water (moisture), light and air.
When to Sow?
If you want to follow the Biodynamic calendar, the right time to sow is right
before the full moon. This is when water (including the water in your ground)
rises because of the influence of the moon. This is also the time when seeds
will be able to absorb the most water. Thus, the best time is two days before a
full moon. Note though that when it is the rainy season and you already have
too much water, you do not have to follow this process.
Also, as this is just a backyard garden, it might be best to sow seeds every 2
weeks so you have a steady supply of your crops.
How do you sow?
Waking up Seeds
Sowing your seeds
We recommend that you sow in multi-celled trays. The procedure we follow is
this:
1. Make a Potting mix: Mix together 1/3 rich top soil, 1/3 compost and 1/3
river sand;
* You can use the soil that is silted down from your beds and that goes to your
drain canals as topsoil
* River sand is dark gray and comes from a riverbank, not the sand for
construction
* Put the potting mix in multi-celled trays
2. Wake up your seeds. Put seeds in damp tissue. Mist it thoroughly overnight.
Cover for protection and keep in dark to wake up the seeds.
3. Put seeds in potting mix, which are in the trays. We recommend 2-3 seeds per
cell. As you put the seeds, cover it a little with your potting soil.
4. As soon as your trays are ready, put them in your nursery or seedling house.
Transplanting
Transplanting is the method where you uproot your seedlings from a seed tray,
and then replant them to a new location. What we do is that a few days after
sowing, we prick the seedlings or small plants and first transfer them to small
transparent plastic bags. The plastic bags ( 1.5×3 inches) are big enough to so
plants will be able to develop secondary roots in 2 to 3 weeks.
Transplanting
Moving to beds
When the seedlings/plants are ready to be moved to beds, we transplant them. We
recommend you do so on a cloudy day, especially when there is not much wind.
Transplant late afternoon so it is not too hot and your plants can adjust the
whole night before the are exposed to harsh elements during the day. Also, water
your beds a day before you plant.
1. Make plant holes in your bed, big enough for the root ball of your plants
but not too deep. The lowest leaves should be above the topsoil but make
sure that it is not too shallow so that the plant bends. Always try not to
disturb the roots.
2. Firm up your plants by pressing the surrounding soil towards the roots.
3. Water the bed.
* The distance between plants should be that the leaves do not overlap those of
the next plant when they have grown.
You have sowed and planted, now the real fun begins!
Next article: Building Resilient Structures for your Backyard Farm or Kitchen
Garden; Water Conservation
Coming Up: Integrated Pest Management
6 May
GROWING YOUR GARDEN: COMPOST, FISH EMULSION; AND MULCH
Posted by oysteronahalfshell in Backyard Farming Series, Natural, Organic, The
Farm. Tagged: Backyard Farming, Composting, Fish Emulsion, Mulching. 2 Comments
This is the 3rd of a series on Backyard Farming. This article will discuss how
you can grow your garden. We offer you tips on composting and using fermented
fish waste, and also Mulching.
Remember that you need healthy soil. You don’t feed the plants. You feed the
soil. Thus, the key to having vibrant plants would be to have fertile soil.
And feeding the soil means that you enrich it with organic matter or compost.
In the farm we do this by: (1) Composting; (2) using Fermented Fish Waste; (3)
Applying Biodynamic Preparations; and (4) practicing Mulching.
While preparing your vegetable beds, you will have to dig the soil, get rid of
weeds and enrich it with compost before you start planting. In the farm, we
apply Biodynamic Preparation 500 to your soil. The preparations bring back
balance to the soil and make the soil a rich place for micro organisms.
COMPOSTING
Note that you will have to start composing way before you plant. Compost will
take 2 months to mature. Biodynamic or organic compost can replace any chemical
fertilizer. Biodynamic compost especially builds the soil and reduces pest
attacks. Your compost will increase your yield and improve the life of your
soil in the long term. Our flowers and vegetables derive more than 90% of its
nutrition from our compost. To learn how to make biodynamic compost, please
read a previous article here: Biodynamic Composting.
GREEN MANURE
You can also improve your soil’s fertility and texture by growing legumes, and
then cutting them and putting them back into the soil or composting them. This
is called Green Manuring. These are string beans, baguio beans, monggo or
peanuts. These plants have rhizobium, a microorganism that is able to capture
nitrogen from the air and deposit it to the roots. We grow these legumes as raw
material for our compost, and also in the beds between cropping seasons to
improve our soil fertility. To learn more about this process, please visit our
old article on Green Manuring.
FISH EMULSION
While planning your garden, you should also prepare fermented fish oil. Our farm
uses a lot of fish emulsion as natural fertilizer. Fish emulsion has high
organic nitrogen. It’s a great soil conditioner and provides bacterial food to
feed the soil’s microherd. Fish emulsion is nothing but a concentrate made of
saltwater and fish scraps. We spray the fish emulsion to our plant leaves or
pour it in the beds. Here is a link on how to make fish emulsion.
If you want to further enrich your soil with earthworms, here’s a previous
article on it: Vermicompost. Earthworms aerate the soil and create worm
castings, which contain nutrients, minerals and a lot of beneficial organisms.
After the application of compost and the application of BD 500 to your soil, we
recommend mulching.
MULCHING
Mulch is a layer of dried weeds, grass, or leaves placed over plant beds. It is
best to mulch during rainy months; beds are protected from erosion, which would
otherwise remove topsoil.
HOW to MULCH:
1. Gather the weeds, leaves, twigs you have.
2. Can also use rice straw, dried napier grass, wood chips or sunflower leaves.
3. Dry them under the sun.
4. Grass clippings must be dried and without any seed before application.
5. Cover the beds with 4 to 6 inches of mulch. Place the “mulch” on top of the
soil and around the base of your plants.
•Note that it is best to water your beds in morning to allow the leaves to dry
up before night, this will discourage fungus problems in the evening.
Some benefits of mulching:
•Attracts Earthworms: Mulch attracts deep soil earthworm that go down as deep
as 5 meters to aerate the soil.Earthworms love mulch. As they feed on the
mulch, they create air tunnels. Earthworms also eat dead plants and can produce
up to 10,000 kilos of castings per hectar in one year. Earthworms also
increase the water holding capacity of sandy soils.
•Conserves the soil’s moisture: Water is lost through evaporation because of
wind. A good mulch cover prevents a lot of evaporation
•Prevents weed growth: At a depth of at least 2-3 inches mulch can smoother the
weed seeds so that they don’t germinate
•Improves the soil’s aeration: Mulch prevents crusting from hard rain. The
plant roots can have continued access to air.
•Provides a home for beneficial insects: Some beneficial insects are able to
live under mulch
•Prevents soil erosion: Mulch protects your bed by preventing rain from
removing topsoil.
•Insulates the soil
•Adds organic matter to your soil: As the mulch decomposes, it adds organic
matter to the soil.
With composting, fish emulsion, biodynamic preparations and mulching, you will
have healthy soil in no time.
Next article: Sowing, Nursery and Transplanting
Coming soon: Building Structures
29 Apr
PLANNING YOUR BACKYARD FARM: WHAT TO GROW
Posted by oysteronahalfshell in Backyard Farming Series, Natural, Organic, The
Farm. Tagged: Backyard Farming, Edible Garden, Kitchen Garden. 6 Comments
This is the 2nd of a series on Backyard Farming. This article will give you tips
on a garden plan, what to grow, crop rotation and multiple cropping.
What to plant? What you plant will depend on: (1) What you need; (2) Where you
are; (3) The needs of the plant; and (4) How much time and patience you have.
If you want easy vegetables, here’s an old article: Easy Vegetables to Grow in
the Tropics. Remember that there are crops that you can plant in the lowlands,
and crops that will only grow in lower temperature or in the highlands.
CROP ROTATION
We practice crop rotation in our farm and in our kitchen garden. This means you
plant different kinds of vegetable in your garden bed every cropping season.
Why? Crop rotation will prevent pests and diseases from building up in your
soil. If you keep planing one kind of vegetable in the same bed every time, you
will be attracting the pests and diseases that are common to that plant. These
pests and diseases will then keep building up on your soil. However, if you
rotate your crops, you will have a different set of vegetables that do not
interest the pests/diseases from the last crop.
Another reason for crop rotation is that different crops have different demands
on the soil. For example, salad greens, tomatoes or eggplants are heavy
feeders. Carrots and root crops are light feeders. Planting legumes will add
nitrogen to your soil. A crucial part of biodynamics is the need to allow nature
to follow its own pace and not force growth or impede it. Do not try to force
the soil to produce as much as it can just because it can. Thus, alternate the
vegetables you plant to allow the soil some breathing space in between crops.
Some tips: Follow Give and Take in succession.
* Cabbage plants are heavy feeders. They are TAKERS. Do not plant them on the
same plot one after another.
* Fruit crops need plenty of compost but very little nitrogen. They are
moderate takers.
* Root crops and legumes require very little fertilizer. They are GIVERS. They
actually ADD nitrogen to your soil. In our farm, we use legumes for the
nitrogen-fixing qualities. We plant the legumes and then cut them leaving the
roots under the mulch. (Note that one hectare of legumes can fix up to 500
kilos of nitrogen per crop.)
The roots of legumes also have other micro organisms that destroy
pathological bacteria in the soil.
* Foliage crops need plenty of nitrogen and compost. They are TAKERS.
* Following biodynamic farming, you should be inter-cropping leafy vegetables
with root vegetables and legumes.
DO NOT:
* Plant the same veggies in the same bed in succession.
* Have cabbage crops succeed each other
MULTIPLE CROPPING
Another practice we follow is multiple cropping. On the same bed, we plant
vegetables that support each other. Some plants may house beneficial insects,
which the other plant needs to control pest. They ward off each other’s bugs or
thrive well together. You can also use companion planting to make better use of
your soil or so you have windbreaks that protect sensitive crops.
Some tips:
* Marigolds emit a strong fragrance that confuses pests. You can plant
marigolds all over your garden. They are pretty too!
* The strong aroma of herbs like dill, rosemary or thyme also repels pests and
attracts predators (insects that eat pests) and pollinators.
Next article: Growing your Garden: preparing your beds, mulching, sowing,
nursery and transplanting.
26 Apr
PLANNING YOUR GARDEN
Posted by oysteronahalfshell in Backyard Farming Series, Natural, Organic, The
Farm. Tagged: Backyard Farming, Edible Garden, Kitchen Garden. Leave a Comment
This is Article 1 of the Series on Backyard Farming. Before you start though,
go easy on yourself. Leave your dread at the garden gate. We will try to make
gardening easy for you. Enjoy getting dirty!
The first thing you have to do is plan your garden. What this means is that you
determine where you will be planting. What will be the layout, orientation and
planting areas?
Evaluate the area where you are planning to build a kitchen garden or backyard
farm. Remember that gardens are ECOSYSTEMS!
Some questions to answer:
* Where are you growing your vegetables? For example, what is the type of soil
you have.
Clay-soil may be problematic as it does not drain well. Dry soil close to the
sea should also be avoided (except for certain crops that do well in dry soil
such as bananas and papayas.) The best soil is loamy soil with a good balance
of sand, clay and organic matter. Whatever the soil is, it will always benefit
from a lot of compost (Biodynamic Composting.)
* Do you live in the lowlands or highlands? (A list of lowland and highland
vegetables to plant will be discussed in the next article.)
* How big is your area?
Plan out the space so your planting area is not too far from your compost pit or
water source. Also identify if there is space for a small nursery.
* Is there a slope?
If your area is slightly sloping, make sure that it is not prone to flooding
during the rainy season. A steep slope will wash top soil right away. If you
have a low lying area where the rainwater collects, consider turning the lowest
lying area into a small fishpond or reservoir for water. When you have to
garden in a slope, it will be best to restructure the slope into terraces.
THE ESSENTIALS for a KITCHEN GARDEN OR BACKYARD FARM:
* SUN: Almost all vegetables and fruits will need at least 8-10 hours of sun
every day to thrive. Pick a place that gets enough sun and make sure it is
not too close to existing trees. Trees will place a shadow on your vegetable
beds most of the time.
* WATER: Find a place that will allow you easy access to water. During the
summer, you will have to water your plants more so you might want to have it
closer to the tap or water source.
* SOIL: Good soil will be the most crucial. Where is your best top soil
found? You will need to build the quality and structure of your soil with
good compost and in our case, biodynamic preparations. One of the most
important thing you will have to do is to build healthy living soil.
* PROTECTION: Make sure that it is protected from wind drafts and too much
water. As we live in a tropical country, we often suffer from strong winds
and heavy rain. These factors should always be considered when planning the
garden. For example, if your area is prone to strong winds, it may be best
to have windbreaks. These are structures that will slow down the wind like
hedges, rows of ipil-ipil trees, bamboo fences, or a net. You can also have
bamboo sticks as support for plants. More on windbreaks and protection from
rainfall here. Find the area where the water runs if it rains and make sure
your beds are not there.
Once you have these questions answered, and have the essentials figured out, it
is time to plan what vegetables to plant.
Next article: What to Grow.
Related articles: Growing your Garden: Composting and Mulching
Sources: Decades of farming wisdom imparted by experience, Grocery Gardening by
Jean Ann Van Krevelen and Growing rich, tasty veggies in harmony with nature by
Jef Van Haute
26 Apr
BACKYARD FARMING SERIES
Posted by oysteronahalfshell in Natural, Organic, The Farm. Tagged: Backyard
Farming, Biodynamic Backyard Farm, Starting a Kitchen Garden. Leave a Comment
We will be writing a series of articles on Backyard Farming. People often
comment on how much work farming must be. But they also want to start their own
gardens and have started asking questions. We have been getting so many queries
about how to grow food for small spaces, that we thought we should just share
the joys of farming. The articles will focus on the basics of backyard farming,
how to plan your garden, building simple structures, sowing and transplanting,
organic pest and disease management, and even harvesting and preserving your
produce.
The Joys of Growing your Own Food
Drop by every week for a new article! This week, we will begin with: Planning
your Garden using Biodynamic and Permaculture Principles. We will cover the
basics of where to plant, what vegetables to plant and grow, nourishing your
soil and building simple structures for a tropical climate.
23 May
WHY YOU CAN STILL EAT MEAT AND SAVE THE WORLD
Posted by oysteronahalfshell in Natural, Organic, The Farm. Tagged: Grass Fed
Beef, Sustainable Meat. 1 Comment
“[I]t is doubtful that you can build a more sustainable agriculture without
animals to cycle nutrients and support local food production. If our concern is
for the health of nature … then eating animals may sometimes be the most ethical
thing to do.”
— Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma
Well, some people have opted to go vegan. They say the way animals are raised
(cows, pigs, chickens, a.k.a. factory farming) is fraught with evil. The animals
suffer in cramped spaces, force-fed, dehorned, castrated, and injected with
antibiotics, hormones, living in cruelty and deprivation.
But as it often happens, the ones who truly care find a way. They don’t shake
their heads in disgust and look the other way. Instead, they go into the system
and change it.
That’s what sustainable meat is. It is supporting a system that raises animals
in an ethical and sustainable way. A simple definition: it’s a way of raising
animals on open pasture, grazing as nature intended them to be, and without
hormones or antibiotics.
For us, there are several reasons why sustainable meat is the answer to the
problems posed by eating meat: animal welfare, economics, the environment and
your health.
Animal Welfare
Everyone knows how factory farming treats animals: cages, hormones, antibiotics
and cheap feed, sometimes even animal by-products and oftentimes GMO.
On the other hand, sustainable meat come from animals raised on pasture. The
animals eat grass and live as they would in the wild. The Philippines can boast
of an even more humane treatment of animals. For example, DowntoEarth sources
its pasture-raised meat from small family sized farms with as few as 1or at the
most 4 cows. Local, small-scale animal farming works on many levels. With a
small-scale system, the animals are never confined in small spaces. Why? It is
simply not practical for small-scale farmers. They cannot afford it. Instead,
they let the animals stay outside, grazing in the open field. More importantly,
animals are treated in a much better way than animals on factory farms. In fact,
the animals are treated almost like pets. Animals are not stressed. There’s no
need to castrate or dehorn the bulls, for example, because they’re tame. What
you get in the end are meat products from animals that have been raised
humanely.
Environment
We all know how much havoc factory-farming has caused the environment:
greenhouse gases, harmful air and water pollution and destruction of
ecosystems. Aside from the that, factory farming transports its meat over large
distances, using valuable fossil fuel and causing further air pollution.
On the other hand, sustainable meat, will do little harm to the environment.
“When raised on properly managed pastures, ruminants [cows] don’t compete with
humans for grain-producing acreage; in turn, they supply us with bountiful
nutrients and leave the earth better for having walked upon it. On
intensively-managed pasture, they have been shown to restore vegetative cover,
increase biodiversity, and improve soil fertility, thereby making our fields
more resistant to both drought and flood.”
(http://eartheasy.com/blog/2010/07/the-case-for-sustainable-meat/)
Farmers who raise their animals sustainably will often see the entire system as
interconnected. They will see the need to make sure that the soils are healthy
and that the grasses grow abundantly. Also, animals are slaughtered in ways
that cause minimal environmental harm. You also don’t have to worry about
waste. The manure acts to fertilize the portion of pasture they leave behind
(and again don’t need to use synthetic fertilizers to keep their pastures
lush.) Small-scale farmers also do not have the money for large-scale trucking
or transport. Thus, meat is sold locally.
Support for the small farmer
Sustainable meat will often be from small family-owned farms. By supporting and
buying meat from these small farmers, we help them find marketing and
distribution channels for their meat. Local, grass-fed beef used to be the meat
no one wanted to sell or buy. Farmers had to sell it at a very low price.
However, with the increasing consciousness on the benefits of grass-fed beef, it
has since climbed up the ranks and has now won a niche market.
Health
If you are still not convinced, think about what you are eating. You are what
you eat. “Grain-fed, factory-farmed, industrial meat is pumped full of hormones
to increase the amount of meat that can be produced from a single animal and
antibiotics to counter the unsanitary conditions on factory farms. The animals
are fed cheap grain and waste in order to decrease the cost of raising the
animal and increase corporate profit margins.”
(http://www.saisriskandarajah.com/happymeat/why.php) Also, imported meat, even
if partly grass-fed will most likely be still grain-fed, simply because grass
isn’t as readily available in colder climates. In cold climates, grain feeding
becomes economical and practical because in winter there is no grass and hay is
more expensive than subsidized grain. Some countries also get several months of
drought because they have dry weather.
Again, this is where small-scale local farms in the Philippines have an edge. In
the Philippines, not only do we have an abundance of grass, we also have good
rainfall patterns all year round. This makes local grass-fed beef production
sustainable and economically viable. Small-scale farms will let their animals
roam free, and let their cattle eat grass. And because the cows were fed grass
as nature intended them to and have lived stress-free, happier lives, there is
no need for antibiotics. What you have then is food that is low in fat, and a
great source of Omega 3 and the cancer fighting CLA.
Some Sources:
www.examiner.com/article/sustainable-food-101-what-is-sustainable-meat
www.eatwellguide.com
www.sustainabletable.com
www.eatwild.com
http://grist.org/sustainable-farming/farmer-responds-to-the-new-york-times-re-sustainable-meat/
2 May
PIG HEAVEN: WHAT MAKES FREE RANGE PIGS DIFFERENT
Posted by oysteronahalfshell in Natural, Organic, The Farm. Tagged: Organic
Pork, Pastured Pork. Leave a Comment
More and more people are loving our free range pork. The favorites? Pastured
Smoked Bacon and Canadian Bacon, even our Smoked Farmer’s Ham. What makes our
pastured pork products different?
Pigs living on pasture
FEED: GREENS, COCONUT MEAT, WHEY
Our pigs live out their entire lives on pasture! Look at their 5-star pig pens!
Our pigs are never crowded in small dark pens. They have access all day to
vegetation and a lot of fresh air and sunshine. They even have their own mud
pools! The pigs live happy healthy lives. Aside from what they eat out in the
pasture, we give them cassava, copra cake, chopped greens and coconut meat. We
do not feed them corn or soybean. We make the feed ourselves so we know exactly
what the pigs eat! The pigs have NOT been fed animal by-products, given growth
hormones or therapeutic antibiotic treatment. They have not been fed genetically
modified corn or soybean.
PROBIOTICS
Our pigs get a daily dose of raw whey. This gives them a daily dose of
probiotics, making them healthier and less prone to disease.
DURATION
Commercial pigs are raised to a size that’s good for the market, in barely 4
months. This is because of the heavy feeding of commercial feed, and because
the pigs are kept in small pens, unable to move. Naturally-bred pigs or natural
pork are from swine that are raised also in just 5 months. While they have more
space to move and fed chopped greens, they are still fed corn and soybean. This
makes it possible for natural growers to raise their pigs to a marketable size
in barely 5 months.
DowntoEarth pigs take at least 10 months to grow! This is because of the feed
we give them and because they are always outdoors. The duration is similar to
the Iberian pigs in Europe, which are fed a lot of acorn (in our case, we feed
them coconut meat). We follow slow food principles, and thus our pigs take so
much longer to raise to a good size.
THE END RESULT
Rolling in the muddy outdoors
Raising pigs on pasture adds real nutrients and flavor to the meat. A pig is by
nature, born to root, dig, and run in pasture. And because they are able to
live as nature intended them to, their quality of life is tops, and the quality
of the meat is improved.
Our pork is darker in color with good marbling. A darker color in pork means the
meat has a higher pH score. A higher pH score relates to low cooking loss,
better water holding capacity, loin firmness, less drip loss, improved
processing quality and a richer flavor.
Our version of Pig Heaven is definitely heavenly! DowntoEarth just does not
raise pigs, we raise happy and healthy pigs.
Check out our Pasture-raised pork products.
30 Apr
PASTURE-RAISED V. FREE-RANGE CHICKENS
Posted by oysteronahalfshell in Natural, Organic, The Farm. Tagged: Free range
eggs, native chickens, Pastured eggs. Leave a Comment
We have been receiving a lot of inquiries about “the difference between native,
pasture-raised chickens and free-range chickens.” Are “pasture-raised” the same
as “free-range?”
NO they are not. Here’s why.
Free range– The USDA free-range label (which we assume most Philippine brands
also follow) requires that poultry be “allowed access to the outside.”
However, the USDA does not require the hens to be actually going outside (only
access is required), nor does it define what outside is. They also do not have
any requirement on the size or type of the outdoor space. “Free range” can
actually include a chicken coop with a small door that leads to just a small
outdoor pen, or a patch of dirt or concrete (even without grass.) In fact,
Michael Pollan, in Omnivore’s Dilemma, describes a free-range CAFO as thousands
of birds packed into windowless, military barrack like buildings with one or two
small doors to a 10×10 outdoor pen. He also doubted any of the chickens actually
ventured out for fear of the unknown. The hens may spend their lives inside
the pens, not have enough sunlight or breath natural air.
Additionally, free-range poultry are usually fed grains, which are not the
natural food of hens/chickens. Hens/chickens are omnivores, and naturally eat
seeds, insects, and grubs. They can also consume small lizards, mice, and frogs.
Healthy eggs and meat come from poultry that were able to eat green plants,
seeds and bugs, and exposed to sunlight.
Thus, if you buy “free-range” make sure your farmer or supplier does it the true
“pastured” free range way. That is, the hens/chickens have actual time outside
eating grass and grubs, and exposed to sunlight and fresh air. The best ones we
have found are those hens that are housed in mobile structures so you can move
the houses around and give the hens constant and easy access to vegetable and
bugs.
Pasture-raised-
Pasture raised poultry mean the hens/chickens actually stay outside. They are
able to eat bugs and vegetation. These hens/chickens eat seeds, green plants,
insects, and worms. The chickens and eggs laid tend to be more nutritious
because these chickens have exposure to sunlight, which their bodies convert to
Vitamin D, and pass it on to their eggs. Eggs from pastured-hens have three to
six times more vitamin D than eggs from hens raised in confinement.
Read
more: http://www.motherearthnews.com/Real-Food/2007-10-01/Tests-Reveal-Healthier-Eggs.aspx
Native and Pasture-raised
DowntoEarth poultry and eggs are native and pasture-raised. The reason why we
choose native chicken and eggs is because the native breed cannot be confined.
By nature, they cannot be placed inside cages as they are wild animals. They
also cannot be kept together in enclosed quarters, as they fight other
chickens/hens and have a tendency to fly. These chickens/hens have to be placed
outdoors, given full access to vegetable and grubs, and be under sunshine. We
have made several comparisons of native v. free-range v. commercial eggs and
have seen a big difference in taste, color and consistency.
Photo from:
http://forums.mukamo.com/health-fitness/18523-eggs-cage-free-free-range-pastured.html
30 Apr
UNDERSTANDING MEAT LABELS: GRASS-FED, PASTURED, ORGANIC AND NATURAL
Posted by oysteronahalfshell in Natural, Organic, The Farm. Tagged: Grass Fed
Meat, Organic Meat, Pastured Meat. 1 Comment
Confused about all the novel terms for meat? There’s “organic” and “grass-fed,”
or “pasture raised.” What does it all mean?
Grass-fed Beef
This really means your cow are raised on pasture and fed grass. The cattle’s
diet consists of grass, the natural diet of cows. You are what you eat. Cattle
that spend their lives grazing on pasture, compared to those that are fed grain
(which is really NOT their natural diet), are always healthier. The meat is
richer in Omega 3 (because Omega 3 lives in the green leaves). Meat is rich in
Vitamin E and beta carotene, and is a good source of conjugated linoleic acid,
or CLA, a powerful cancer fighter. Usually, farmers who raise their cows on
pasture strive to keep it organic or follow sustainable farming practices. This
means no chemical fertilizers, pesticides or antibiotics. This is also because
cows are typically healthier and thus do not need hormones or antibiotics.
However, there is (yet) NO standard for Grass-fed. The only requirement is
access to grass during its life. There is also no restriction on the use of
antibiotics or hormones. In fact, cattle could be kept in feedlots and fed
grass, and the beef they produced could still be sold as grass-fed. The cattle
can also be raised for part of their lives on grass (pasture) before they are
sent to feedlots and can still be described as “grass-fed”. This is sad because
the healthy qualities of grass-fed beef come from the constant movement of the
animals in the pasture as they graze, not just on their grass-based diet.
Another issue to watch out for is grass fed dairy cows. According to Sally
Fallon, Nourishing Traditions, “modern day cows are a freak of nature. Holstein
cows [cow breeds you usually find in the supermarket, including those from
Australia and New Zealand] have been produced by selective breeding to produce
cows with abnormally active pituitary glands and by high-protein feeding. The
pituitary gland not only produces hormones that stimulate milk production, it
also produces growth hormones. A superfluous amount of growth hormones can
result in grown abnormalities. Excessive pituitary hormones are also associated
with tumor formation and some studies link milk with cancer. The
freak-pituitary cow is prone to many disease and almost always secretes pus in
her milk and thus needs frequent doses of antibiotics.” Note that about twenty
(20%) percent of the beef in Australia comes from dairy cows and about 40%, in
New Zealand.
“Cattle are healthiest when they are eating the food they evolved to eat (grass)
under the conditions they evolved to eat it (grazing).” True grass-fed, even
pastured, should be fed grass from start to finish, and without antibiotics or
hormones. When looking for healthy, quality beef, look for beef that is 100%
grass fed and raised only on pasture. These animals are not given any animal
bi-products, antibiotics or hormones.
Pasture-raised
This only means that the animals were raised outdoors on the pasture. Again, the
term is not regulated. As of now, there is no requirement on how much percentage
of pasture is needed to properly label a product pasture-raised. According to
Dr. Aaron Grass of Farm Forward, “All cattle are ‘pasture-raised’ for the first
few months of their lives before they are sent to feedlots, so even the most
confined beef can be described as ‘pasture-raised.’” Thus, most animals will be
raised with some pasture but may still be with a lot of access to grain. They
can also be raised on pasture but finished on grain. The animals can also be fed
antibiotics or injected growth hormones. True pasture-raised should be cows on
pasture from birth throughout their entire lives, with no feedlots. 100%
Pasture-Raised” (like 100% grass-fed) indicates that the animals were never
confined in feedlots, spent their whole lives outside on pasture living cow
lives.
Organic Beef
Organic has actually very little to do with the animal’s quality of life and is
mostly just about their feed. USDA Organic meat is derived from animals that are
fed organic vegetarian feed (no animal by-products) and had “access” to pasture
or the outdoors. No hormones, antibiotics or cloned animals can be used.
However, USDA Organic animals, for the most part, DO NOT require a grass-only
diet. The animal can still be fed an unnatural and unhealthy grain (even GMO
corn and soy) and raised in feedlots. So, unless it is labeled grass-fed,
organic cattle is fed organic grains. This is again the problem. Cattle raised
on grain, even if it is organic, is not as healthy as cattle raised on grass.
Therefore, it produces meat that is lower in omega 3s, vitamin E, and CLA than
its grass-fed counterpart does. Without Antibiotics & No Antibiotics Added Only
means that the animals were raised without any antibiotics or hormones (for
growth.) Again, this has little to do with the animals’ living conditions or
their diet.
Natural
According to the USDA, a product containing no preservatives, artificial
ingredients, colors, and minimal processing can be labeled “natural.” Natural
doesn’t tell the consumer anything about an animal’s living conditions, whether
antibiotics or hormones were used, or what it ate. The animal can still be fed
an unnatural diet of grain.
100% Grass Fed. 100% Pasture-raised. 100% Native breeds.
DowntoEarth cattle are raised the traditional way: grass and grazing. They are
raised by small family farms with one or two cows. The cattle have never been on
a feedlot nor are they fed antibiotics, grain (GMO corn or soy,) or hormones.
They always eat grass and graze all-year round in the green, abundant pastures
of Mindanao. More importantly, they are treated humanely and are not castrated
or dehorned. DowntoEarth Grass-Fed Beef comes from the the native Bali or
Banteng and Chinese Yellow Cattle cross-bred with Nellore or Ongole and
American Brahman cattle. The cattle is native, hardy and have been bred and
raised for use as draft animals in small farms. Because of this, they are
entirely raised on pasture, fed grass and without the use of any antibiotics or
growth hormones. DowntoEarth desires to promote local, native and indigenous
cattle breeds. By doing so, we are able to ensure not only optimum health
benefits in the food we eat.
Graphs from http://www.eatwild.com/healthbenefits.htm
17 Mar
EASY VEGETABLES TO GROW IN THE TROPICS
Posted by oysteronahalfshell in Uncategorized. 5 Comments
We’re sensing a whole lot of passion on farming. Suddenly, friends,
acquaintances, even strangers have come to us, asking for tips on how to grow
food. Everyone is home, with the time and space to garden. We now see how food
is the very stuff of life and that the supermarket is fast becoming a
wasteland. Slowly, we are changing our fundamental relationship to food and the
act of sourcing and putting it on the tables ourselves. With an entire summer
lockdown, slow hours and nothing else to do, people want to try their hand (and
green thumbs) at growing some vegetables.
We recommend you do multiple crops in a few beds and then later practice crop
rotation. Multiple crops give you the advantage of having different plants that
have different needs and benefits. For example, some plants may be home to
beneficial insects that would kill/eat the pests of another plant.
Inter-cropping will also give you higher yields. Following biodynamic farming,
you should be inter-cropping leafy vegetables with root vegetables and legumes.
As a guide, leaf crops are heavy soil feeders. Legumes are light feeders and
improve the soil because they are nitrogen fixing. Root crops are also light
feeders.
Here are our recommendations on what you can try to jump-start your farming
venture. These are some of the easiest vegetables you can grow and are a good
mix of leaf, root and legume (fruit) crops.
Beans and Peas
One thing you can do is to put a trellis where the beans can climb. Give them at
least ten hours of sun per day and regular watering twice a week. Some examples
are sitaw and patani.
Bulbs, Roots and Stems
Turmeric is an easy crop to grow. Place the bulb in a small pot of container
until you see the shoots start growing. Once you have this, plant the shoots in
beds. Eggplants are annuals that need full sunlight for about 10 hours a day
and need pruning. Okra is another annual crop which adapts well to low
elevations.
Leafy Greens
The easiest to grow would be leafy greens like talenum, camote tops, kangkong,
watercress, amaranth, malungay, saluyot and mustard leaves. Arugula is also
easy to grow.
These can be grown in beds or even in containers for a small kitchen garden or
backyard. Just make sure you have good soil with plenty of organic matter or
compost, regular watering twice a week and full sun.
Lettuce
Lettuce can grow well if your soil is healthy. Make sure your soil is rich in
organic matter. You also have to water them at least twice a week. You can
place them under full sun although some afternoon shade would also be good.
Best to choose loose leaf varieties and oak leaf lettuce that are hardy and
better adapted to our hot climate. Here’s a great resource on growing lettuces
(permaculture) in a tropical climate.
Herbs
La Buena Mint, Thai and Holy Basil, Italian flat leaf parsley, Tarragon, Italian
Oregano, Coriander, and Lemongrass thrive well even under tropical conditions
and without needing a high elevation.
Legumes
Mung bean is the easiest to grow and will make a great cover crop. You will
also need the legumes to moderate the soil feeders (leaf crops) and for its
Nitrogen fixing properties (with nitrogen fixing bacteria, nitrogen in the air
is converted into nitrogen in the soil.)
Pigeon Pea (kadios) is another legume you should plant for its nitrogen fixing
properties. The peas can end up as nutritious food for the table, and you can
use the plant’s leaves, flowers and pods for animals. Its flowers attract the
bees too.
Sweet Potato
Sweet potato is a good root crop for your multiple crop bed or small garden.
They grow well with the hot sun, have little need for water or fertilizer (don’t
over fertilize.) In fact, you might just have too much as they grow like vines
on the ground. (Tip: they also need some space.) They also are resistant to
disease. Not only that, you can use them as ground cover and use it for
mulching as well.
Adlay and Corn
Adlay or Job’s Tears is a perennial grass. You can later harvest it and get its
grain. Hulled grain can be eaten like rice, cracked as oatmeal or made into
flour. Another annual is corn. Plant your corn with bush sitao.
Fruit Trees and Shrubs
Calamansi is a small ornamental tree and is drought resistant. Malunggay is also
a perfect crop because you can eat the flowers, the tender leaves, and pods.
The roots may also be ground and used to substitute for horseradish.
Medicinal Plants
Have your own pharmacy and plant kulitis, damong maria, oregano, sambong,
tawa-tawa or turmeric.
10 Jan
WEATHERING THE STORM
Posted by oysteronahalfshell in Natural, Organic, The Farm. 2 Comments
The recent typhoon that hit Mindanao was unusual. Our farm was built with the
assurance that tropical storms do not reach Mindanao. They just never did. Not
until December 2011 when the weather went around the bend and caught everyone in
Mindanao unaware. And while our farm was spared the brunt of the storm, still,
we woke up with the stark reality of extreme weather, and the realization that
unpredictable was now normal.
Our Bamboo Greenhouses
The damage to our crops was minimal. Our bamboo greenhouses rolled with the
strong winds. Our robust plants were able to withstand more than usual water in
the beds. Although lost a few crops that drowned with too much water (carrots
mostly), these were quite negligible. We met with our farmworkers and realized
there were quite a few practices we did in the farm that had helped us weather
the unusual storm. These were some of the practices that helped us in the farm.
We have decided to develop these practices further, as we prepare for more
rainfall, stronger winds, and prolonged droughts.
Bamboo Greenhouses
Our greenhouses are made entirely of bamboo, without nails or screws. Instead
we use pegs. These greenhouses were built and positioned to use natural
ventilation, with sloping roofs that cascade water down to the canals near our
plant beds. As bamboos are naturally flexible, and because we only had wooden
pegs as attachments, our greenhouses did not break with the powerful winds. The
bamboos merely swayed with the wind, protecting our plants inside. Rainwater
also merely flowed on a slope, straight down to canals and ditches.
We are planning to further improve these greenhouses to accommodate stronger
winds by redesigning the structure so it could allow more wind to pass through
instead of directly impacting the structure.
Mulching and Cover Cropping
Our tiny cannals
Mulchingprotected our beds from too much water. When rainwater falls on the
beds, the mulch acts as a cushion and absorbs the water so that the excess water
seeps slowly into the plants without drowning them. Cover cropping does a
similar thing. The cover acts as a barrier, protecting our soil from wind, water
and nutrient loss. Not only that, mulching and cover crops are also fertilizer,
and thus improved our soil by helping break down nitrogen and releasing more
nutrients.
Canals and DitchesRainwater falls from the rooftops of our greenhouses straight
to micro basins or canals, which catch them. These canals are also lined with
thick mulch (4 inches at least. Since our greenhouses are constructed on a
slope, the rainwater would gently seep towards the plant beds and the beds will
only slowly absorbed wat
er.
We are planning to have more canals around the beds to accommodate the impending
heavy rain.
Terraces, Contours and Micro Basins
Our farm takes advantage of natural sloping topography to direct precipitation
run-off to our plant beds. To prevent soil run-off however, we have planted
legumes to act as breaks.
Natural Windbreaks
We have planted leguminous plants in between our greenhouses and trees at the
boundary of our farm to act as windbreaks. These acted as a sort of barrier
from what would have otherwise been very powerful winds that might have toppled
our structures. As we are preparing for more unpredictable weather, we are
planning to plant more trees along the farm’s periphery.
Sloping roofs
Organic Matter in Soil
Good soil makes bigger and stronger plants. Most of the plant’s nourishment
comes from the soil. (Read about Composting.) When they have ample and the right
amount of minerals and nutrients from the soil, plants are more robust and
resilient. They also perform better in wet and dry weather. Most of all,
healthy soils with abundant organic content can hold more carbon and more water.
Read more about Good Soil, Healthy Plants, More Water.
As you can see, some of the practices we did for the last few years helped our
farm. I see sustainable agriculture as a mitigation and adaptation approach to
unpredictable weather. In our case, biodynamic farming ensures a thriving and
unbroken ecosystem. Treating your farm as an ecosystem will ensure that each
and every part works for itself and for the whole. And following the wisdom of
nature, everything works together seamlessly. We need to find ways of
adapting to the changing weather that is already here. Unpredictable is now the
new normal. But we can ride out the storm if we have prepared for it.
26 Sep
PEPPERING AS A METHOD OF PEST CONTROL
Posted by oysteronahalfshell in Natural, The Farm. 2 Comments
Another method unique to Biodynamic farming is Peppering. No, it’s not the use
of pepper, but the use of ashes (produced after a method) that is sprinkled over
affected areas in the farm like pepper. Peppering reduces weeds, insects and
rodents. Because peppering is quite powerful, we only use it as a last resort.
This is because it completely eradicated something from a treated area, and
cannot establish or maintain a healthy balance, especially when what we aim for
is a healthy, ecological and interdependent ecosystem.
What is peppering?
Peppering excludes a specific pest from the area you treat by getting the pest,
burning it and putting it back to the soil.
How do you make the “pepper?”
Capture the pest and burn it to ash. The ash is then sprinkled like pepper
around the perimeter of the affected area. The timing is specific to the type of
pest and what planetary influences rule their reproduction:
Animals – when the planet Venus is in the constellation of Scorpio.
Winged insects – when the Sun is in Gemini, and the Moon is in a water sign.
Hard shelled insects – when the Sun is in Taurus and the Moon is in Taurus.
Snails and slugs – when the Sun is in Cancer and the Moon is in a water sign.
Weed seeds – at full Moon or moon is in Leo.
Some tips:
1. Collect the pest first. If you are getting rid of small insects, you might
need a lot of small insects. If you are dealing with weeds, you need the
ripe and viable seeds.
2. Store it in cold temperature (freezer) until the proper burning time.
3. Put in a tin and burn completely to a grey ash on a very hot fire. Sprinkle
the ashes like pepper around the affected area. You can mix the ash with
fine sand, wood ash or make into a homeopathic preparation which can be
sprayed out.
Some additional tips from other farmers:
1. Put out on three consecutive days.
2. Apply at full Moon (associated with fertility).
3. Avoid times when Mercury is retrograde.
4. Use all stages of the life cycle of an insect (egg, pupae and adult).
5. Repeat the application every six months or yearly.
Taken in part from http://backyardbiodynamics.com/
18 Aug
GREEN MANURING: USING LEGUMES FOR YOUR PLANT BEDS
Posted by oysteronahalfshell in Natural, Organic, The Farm. Tagged: Biodynamic,
Green Manure, Natural, Organic Compost, Sustainable. 4 Comments
We use green manuring to help with our composting. Green manures allow us to
fertilize and add more organic matter to our soil. Green manuring is a method
of putting back into the soil living plants at the peak of their growth. We do
this by using leguminous plants (like mung bean, kadios, peanut and other wild
plants) or we also use wild sunflowers. The plants are harvested at their peak
or right before they flower, and then the plants are ploughed back into the
soil. This process brings in more nitrogen, organic matter and living plants
into the soil. Legumes for example take in a lot of nitrogen from the air
through the bacteria that live in their roots. Grasses also create green
matter, which breaks down into humus. So what we are doing here is a method of
composting on the bed itself.
The limitation of green manuring though is that you are not able to control the
quality of humus in the soil. It also does not necessarily improve the soil’s
structure long term. In fact, the wrong use of green manuring can decrease the
soil’s organic content.
How to Green Manure:
1. Plant your leguminous seeds. Water until germination occurs. Then water
constantly.
2. When the plants begin to flower, it is time to turn your legumes or plants
into green manure.
3. Using a hoe or other material, chop, mow or cut the green manure plants at
its base. We allow our cuttings to wilt for a few days.
4. Incorporate it into the soil by digging or by shallow cultivation. You can
dig a trench 4 inches deep, 6 inches long and as wide as the bed size.
5. The time it will breakdown will vary from 6-8 weeks.
Green manure can be sown almost anytime but the best would be at the start of or
the end of the rainy season. This is because you need a lot of water for the
green manure to decay properly. The middle of the rainy season on the other
hand is too wet and tilling the soil at this time might destroy your soil
structure. We also do green manuring each time we start a new bed, to prepare an
unused or exhausted soil for the next planting.
12 Aug
BIODYNAMIC COMPOSTING
Posted by oysteronahalfshell in Natural, Organic, The Farm. Tagged: Biodynamic
Compost, Making Compost, Organic Compost. 11 Comments
Here’s something you should remember. You don’t feed the plants. You feed the
soil. Thus, the key to having vibrant plants would be to have fertile soil.
And feeding the soil means that you enrich it with organic matter or compost.
Our flowers and vegetables derive more than 90% of its nutrition from our
compost.
Biodynamic or organic compost can replace any chemical fertilizer. Biodynamic
compost especially builds the soil and reduces pest attacks. Your compost will
increase your yield and improve the life of your soil in the long term.
If you would like to start your own composting, here are a few tips:
1. Gather materials that you already have around you. You can use any animal
manure you can find near your area. It is best to use fresh animal manure.
If the manure is dried, moisten it first with water and pulverize before using.
Gather and shred the weeds you have or the grasses that are around you. You can
also use rice straw. Our farm uses shredded fallen leaves, aged manure, chopped
up straw and dead seaweed, plants, compost and sawdust.
2. Identify your compost site and take some time to build a simple composting
shed with a roof made of natural materials, or a compost bin. To make a bin,
enclose an area of about 1 square meter.
3. If you can, it would be great to add earthworms. If you already have some
earthworms, just put them in the bed. If not, just have the compost piles and
the earthworms will come once the piles are composted. See Vermicomposting.
4. Place a layer of plant materials like leaves, grasses and weeds about 15cm
thick. If your material is courser, make the layer thicker. If you have
materials that tend to compact make the layers thinner. Next layer is 7cm of
animal manure. Then layer with 7 cm of lime or ash (you can do away with this
layer.) Lastly, add a thin layer of topsoil, enough to cover the surface of
plant materials. This is one complete later.
Repeat the layers (plant, ashes, soil) until your pile is 1.5 meters tall.
5. Biodynamic compost is different from other composts because of the
biodynamic preparations or specially prepared weed and herbal materials. There
are 6 preparations used: 502 (yarrow), 503 (chamomile), 503 (stinging nettle),
505 (oak bark), 506 (dandelion), and 507* (valerian.) The preparations do not
add bacteria or fungi but instead stimulate the life energies of pile so
indigenous bacteria and fungi will be attracted to the pile and break it down.
These 6 preparations have been included in one preparation called the Prepared
500. We get ours from Greg Kitma of PhilBio. Our process is just to sprinkle
or spray the prepared 500 over the compost pile.
6. Keep the compost bed moist all the time. You can do so by watering the area
at least twice a day, one in the morning and another before night falls. To
retain moisture, you can put shredded cardboard or newspaper on top of the area
or heaps of dried leaves.
7. If you followed the layers, you should have no problem and your compost
would be ready after 6-7 weeks. You will know it if your compost pile begins to
heat up after 3 days. Just allow it to continue decomposing until the
temperature falls. There is no need to turn the biodynamic compost or to place
air channels.
8. How do you know it is ready for use? Your pile would have shrunk to ½ or
1/3 its original size. You will also not see the original materials and it will
have a sweet woody smell. It would appear like normal soil when it is ready to
be used. Just put it around your plants, the way you apply fertilizers. The
compost produce should serve as a significant and wise replacement or
substitution for chemicals and commercially available fertilizers. In no time,
plants will be more productive and healthier than ever.
*You may want to plant some compost plants. Corn, sorghum, napier and wild
sunflower are good compost plants.
11 Aug
STARTING YOUR OWN KITCHEN GARDEN
Posted by oysteronahalfshell in Natural, Organic, The Farm. Tagged: Organic
Garden, Organic Kitchen Garden, Starting Backyard Garden. 6 Comments
Food is healthier, tastier and more satisfying when picked from your own farm or
grown in your own garden. You get to eat food at freshest and choose the ones
you exactly like too. Imagine growing some of your vegetables and sharing these
with family or friends. The best reward is the pleasure of knowing they were
grown in rich soil without chemicals or pesticides. But since not everyone can
have the luxury of having their own little farm, here are some tips on starting
your own Edible Garden.
1. Decide where you want to grow your vegetables. Whether you live in the
lowlands or highlands will determine the kind of vegetables you can grow.
2. Ideally, a kitchen garden would be the best. It should be close to your
kitchen door so it’s easy to just get what you need when you need it. If you
don’t have enough space, you can grow your vegetables or herbs in between gaps
in your flower beds or plant them in containers and grow them in bags. You can
even use hanging baskets.
3. You need a plot that is not a slope so you won’t have a problem of soil
erosion. Find a sunny spot that gets enough sun (8-10 hours of sun a day.)
While it is in open spaces, you also need to make sure it is sheltered enough so
it is protected from wind drafts. You might also want to make sure it’s close
to a water source.
4. Start small and aim to grow more as you get more confidence. What will
your family eat? How much time do you have to spend in it? A bed that is 60-90
cm wide with paths of 30 cm is a good size.
5, Your soil should be fertile, healthy soil. If you already have healthy
plants growing on your soil, it should be good enough. Dig the soil, get rid of
weeds and enrich it with compost before you start planting. Your soil should
have rich organic matter (compost.) Our best tip is that before you plant,
build your soil fertility by applying Biodynamic Preparation 500 to your soil.
(We make our own but we can help you source them as well, just let us know.)
The preparations bring back balance to the soil and make the soil a rich place
for micro organisms.
6. Make your beds square or rectangular. This allows for easier planting and
weeding. Make sure you can reach the center from either side. Also make sure
your taller plants will not shade your smaller plants.
We suggest you use raised beds. Raised beds are filled with clean topsoil and
then compost, and then mulched. The only disadvantage is they drain fast so you
would have to water your plants often.
6. Mulch the vegetable bed. This will improve your soil carbon, soil structure,
help you conserve water and reduce the amount of weeding you need. You do this
by placing dried plant material like leaves, clippings, twigs, or barks on top
of the soil and around the base of the vegetable plants.
Mulching Materials like Dry Leaves, Bark, Cuttings and Twigs
7. You can get seeds from a garden store or from friends who have seeds. The
seed packets would usually have a description. Take note of what plants are
good for small spaces, disease resistant, have good yields, are tolerant. But
your best resource will always be yourself after you have started planting, and
gardening.
8. In the beginning, it would be good to plant several varieties of vegetables.
Keep a journal and plan what seeds/plants go where. Note down what plants were
resistant to pests, grew well with minimum organic fertilizer, or other aspects
like taste, and storage. Take note of what worked so you know what varieties are
best for you.
Lowland Vegetables you can plant (easy to take care of): Malunggay, squash,
pechay, papaya, string beans, kangkong, camote tops, okra and leaf type lettuce,
Highland Vegetables you can plant (easy to take care of): cauliflower, mustard,
brocolli, salad greens, chinese cabbage, radish, carrot, peas, beans, tomatoes,
cucumber, pepper and the like.
9. Some vegetables can be bought from a garden center, already started. For
example, you can buy herbs in pots.
10. Practice multiple cropping so you do not exhaust your soil. Multiple
cropping allows for different plants with different needs to use the soil. Some
plants may house beneficial insects, which the other plant needs to control
pest. Multiple cropping also produces higher yields than monoculture.
Some combinations:
Beans grow well with cucumber, early potato, lettuce and carrots.
Carrot grows well with peas, leaf lettuce, and chives. Sage, rosemary, onion and
wormwood repel carrot fly.
Cucumbers grow well with corn, lettuce and celery. Radish and tansy repel
cucumber beetle.
Lettuce grows well with carrots.
Peas grow well with radish, carrots, cucumbers, spinach, turnips and lettuce.
Potatoes grow well with beans and peas. You can repel potato bugs by putting a
border of malunggay. Garlic and marigold also helps prevent blight in potatoes.
Tomatoes like basil and parsley. Garlic can combat tomato blight. Fava beans
repel tomato wilt causing organisms.
11. Practice crop rotation. This means that you do not plant the same crop in
the same area between two planting cycles. For example, you can start with
Chinese Cabbage, Carrots and Baguio Beans. The next planting, rotate where you
planted them. Note that leaf vegetables usually do well after a legume crop.
Fruit vegetables often perform well after a leafy crop. Root vegetables grow
well after a fruit crop.
12. Water when the top inch of soil is dry. For in ground crops you might have
to water once or twice a week. Raised beds are faster and may require watering
every day. Just make sure you don’t water too much so that the soil is lumpy
when you hold it.
13. Remove weeds when you have them with a hoe or a fork to lightly stir the top
inch of soil. Mulching is also good.
14. Fertilizing your crops through composting is best. (See How to Make
Biodynamic Compost.) You do this every cropping cycle. We also hasten the
decomposition of our compost by applying Biodynamic Preparation to the compost
pit.
Compost Pit
14. Harvest your produce when they are ready. Leaf lettuce can be picked as
young as you like; snip some leaves and it will continue to grow and produce.
The general rule: if it looks good enough to eat, it probably is. Give it a try.
With some vegetables, the more you pick, the more the plant will produce.
15. Now, EAT.
8 Aug
THE REAL MEAT OF THE MATTER
Posted by oysteronahalfshell in Natural, Organic, The Farm. Leave a Comment
I haven’t been eating a lot of red meat for years (well, except for an
occasional big fat juicy steak.) With all the articles on fat and heart disease,
the inhumane treatment of livestock, and the mammoth carbon footprint of animal
feedlots, a supposedly conscious consumer (who wants to keep the fats off)
shouldn’t dream of eating so much red meat, right? I mean, red meat=saturated
fat=clogged arteries=heart disease right? Still, I had to indulge a few times,
especially since I ironically married into a family of farmers and cattle
ranchers.
However, early last year, we started hearing about grass-fed beef. I didn’t
think much about it. In fact, I even asked my husband, “Why the need? Don’t all
cows eat grass? Surprisingly, he said, “most don’t” and he began his treatise on
beef.
Where’s the Beef or Where does your meat really come from
Here’s the rundown: I will just discuss three of the most common kinds of beef
in the Philippines: (1) Local grain-fed; (2) Imported Beef; and (3) Local
grass-fed.
The kind of meat we have in the market, the meat we grew up with and have grown
to love, and what ends up on our table, has a lot to do with economics or the
business of meat.
Local Grain-Fed
Almost all cattle operations in Luzon (except for some dairy and breeding
operations) raise cattle for the supermarket trade. Supermarkets pay a premium
for beef and thus farmers who sell to these markets are able to get more money
for their meat.
However, supermarkets will only get meat that measures up to a certain weight.
This is so that the supermarkets are able to maximize meat to bone ratio. And,
since the supermarkets will only accept this bulky weight, farmers have to make
sure that their cows weigh at least 420-500 kilos when they bring them to the
market. Now, to get to this weight that supermarkets will buy, the cattle
farmers will have to fatten their cows. If they left the cows on its natural
diet of grass and allow them to leisurely graze, they won’t get the required
weight in time and so they lose on the sale.
How do farmers make sure they have fat cows in a short time? They fatten it up
with grain and grain by-products. Cows are kept in feedlots and fattened up
with grain. Since grain is quite expensive in the Philippines, they substitute
also with grain by-products such as factory food rejects, brewers’ grain
by-products, sweepings, and the like. How much grass does the cow actually
eat? It varies from farm to farm. The bigger the farm, the more capital it has
to supplement with grain. Smaller farms cannot afford a lot of grain or
by-products. On the average, local fattening operations use about 60% food
concentrate and 40% grass. Economics dictate: the bigger and faster, the better
chances at the supermarket. Farmers are often forced to implant growth-inducing
hormones to make sure the cows are fattened in record time.
Imported
The steak we grew up with and love to eat, that fat juicy one with the white
marbling, those come from imported breeds like Angus and Hereford. These are the
breeds that are able to put on more fat. The cows are raised in large farms with
highly mechanized farming operations. These cattle operations have a farmer to
cattle ratio of 1:100 up to 1:1000 heads. That means having only one farmer to
1000 cows! The U.S. also heavily subsidizes grain and thus cattle farms are able
to get very cheap grain to feed livestock. (They also have to feed during the
winter or a drought using grain.) They feed cattle more than 90% grain. Now,
since the cows don’t feed based on their natural constitution and on the pace
that they should, they easily get sick. Farmers then have to give them
antibiotics. They are also implanted growth-producing hormones. Not only that
(this is exactly where the vegans bellow: animal cruelty!”) they are dehorned so
they can be easily handled, and castrated so they gain weight much faster. Also,
the calves do not stay in the farms for long. Farmers send the calves off to
feedlots when they are only 6-8 months of age. They do this so they keep their
pasture free for producing more cows. Note that a large percentage of imported
beef comes from dairy operations and dairy operations generally use more
supplements like milk replacers and medications for young calves.
Local Grass Fed
Local grass fed beef used to be the beef no one wanted to sell or buy. For the
large-scale farmers, it was simply not economical. For the consumers, there was
not enough fat! But with the increasing consciousness on the benefits of grass
fed beef (good fat, high in Omega 3 and CLA, and leaner than skinless chicken),
it has since climbed up the ranks and has now won a niche market.
Local grass fed meat comes from very small farms, mostly family farms. The
breeds are of the Indian breed, which are hardy, suited to our tropical climate,
and leaner than the temperate breeds. The farmer to cow ratio is usually 1:1 or
1:2. Small farms with a few cows don’t need extensive land, fertilizer,
pesticides, or heavy equipment. The cows do the work. They are tamed almost like
a family pet. This is again, the most practical thing to do. Tamed animals are
easier to handle. The family farms will also not feed it anything but grass.
Feeding it grain is overly impractical, almost absurd. With the amount of
rainfall we get, green grass is readily available all year round. So the cow
feeds on grass and lives outdoors, in the pasture. The cow is not dehorned or
castrated. There is simply no point in doing so. Also, they feed on their
natural diet of local grass, building up their immune system so there is no need
for antibiotics at all. Eighty percent of local grass fed cattle at their market
age, will only weigh between 320 to 350 kilos live weight, way down the mark of
supermarkets. The smaller animals get slaughtered in the local wet markets
because the cost of transporting them to major markets is too expensive (Cost of
shipping a 320 kilo cow is the same as the 500 kilo cow.) The remaining 10%
(those with better weight) are sent to a fattening operation in Batangas to be
finished on a ration of grass and grain by products.
The healthier, more humane, ethical, and sustainable choice is really local,
grass fed beef. The cows were fed grass as nature intended them to, without
medications, and have lived stress-free, happier lives. What you have then is
food that is low in fat, and a great source of Omega 3 and the cancer fighting
CLA.
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/07/18/why-do-exvegetarians-outnumber-current-vegetarians-three-to-one.aspx
The challenge however, is in sourcing the meat. Clearly, you won’t readily find
these in the local supermarkets. A wholesaler or butcher might claim he has
grass fed beef, but it is difficult to really ascertain where it comes from and
how it was raised. Yellow fat does not always mean the cow was fed 100% grass.
You can feed up to 80% of dry feed and still get yellow fat. What you need is
someone you trust and who knows where to find these small farmers and could buy
directly from them. (Now it’s very hard to pretend I’m not boasting or
hard-selling here but really, 99% of our grass fed meats come from these small
farmers, the other 1% we raise ourselves.)
Meat Comparison
So there you have it, my article about how they beef up your steaks, and where
the real beef is.
5 Aug
INDOOR PLANTS AS AIR FILTERS
Posted by oysteronahalfshell in Natural, The Farm. Tagged: Air Filter, Indoor
Plants, Ornamentals. 6 Comments
PLANTS as NATURAL AIR FILTERS
Our farm has been growing flowers for more than 15 years now. And we often
forget the foliage that grows around our greenhouses. The pretty flowers jut
out and call a lot of attention but really, equally important are the greenery
that surrounds us as well. Nicolo loves ornamental plants as much as he does
flowers, and farming. He can actually tell you the name, genus and species of
every plant and tree you see and can go on for hours.
Areca Palm
A lot of people count us lucky to always have flowers in the house. And we
are. But today, we would like to highlight plants as well. There’s something
delightful about going inside a home filled with plants. The air’s a little
bouncier, and you can actually breathe easy. And since you spend most of your
time indoors, it helps to have a breath of fresh air especially when you live
right smack in the middle of smoke city. In fact, indoor plants not only produce
oxygen, they also absorb benzene, formaldehyde, xylene, toluene and trichlor.
Mother In Law's Tongue
NASA made a study on the best indoor plant filters. I have come up with my own
list, adapting it to the availability of plants here and our tropical climate.
These are VERY easy to have. Indoor plants originate from dense shades in
tropical forests. The reason why they make good air filters is that they have a
very high rate of photosynthesis (that’s why they don’t need as much sun.) Below
are some of my comments based on growing them indoors in our home.
Plant Benefits (according to NASA) My comments Benzene Formaldehyde Tricho Peace
Lily
X
X
X
These are the easiest to take care of. They don’t need much sun and in fact
thrive beautifully indoors. You also get a pretty white flower thatreminds you
to om your way to peace. Chinese Evergreens X X These plants you can actually
see everywhere as they are the office and mall favorite. They are sturdy and
also do well indoors. I am not too fond of the plant though. They don’t look
pretty J but you can buy small ones to keep on a desk. Bamboo Palm X This
ornamental I really love. They have nice pretty stalks that look like red bamboo
and you can keep them for months. They also grow tall. I have had Bamboo palms
inside my house growing for more than a year. Mother in Law’s Tongue X For wives
who would like their mother in law always in the house, this is the plant for
you. Kidding. The name says it all, this plant just won’t wilt! It could go on
forever. Though I have relegated these plants to the bathrooms (no meaningful
reason, really) as they don’t need so much sun and could stay up and erect for
months even if you forget to water them. (This plant is also known as Espada in
the vernacular.) Draceana (Fortune Plant) X X Some people love this because it
supposedly brings good fortune. I tried my luck and have these plants at our
shop all the time.We bring this plant outdoors once a week. I try to water it
twice a week. But I’ve seen this plant thrive so long without sun exposure.
Ficus X Quite elegant and can grow quite tall. I haven’t been very successful at
keeping it for so long. I think it needs some sun. It is also sensitive to
drafts. After a few months the top branches wilt. The little leaves always fall
off too so you need to always sweep. Rubber Plant X A strong indoor plant that
tolerates drought. It has shiny leaves that almost look like plastic. Boston
Fern X I like how this plant looks but it is not as strong as the other plants.
I think it’s because this plant likes humidity and you should be misting it when
it gets too dry or hot. Could last a few months without a lot of sun. Areca Palm
No one pays much attention to this palm as it is quite very common. But I love
this plant and have had the palm for more than a year. It looks pretty indoors
as they grow to a good size. I usually buy 2 or 3 (P100 each) and have them put
in one big pot. Spider Plant This is the easiest to keep. You can neglect it and
still it will thrive. These are those common plants you see with the long thin
leaves that have a white stripe in the middle.
You supposedly need 1 plant for every 1 square meter of floor space.
Rubber Plant
You need not keep these plants near the window all the time nor do they need
direct sun. Bi-weekly by the window with some filtered sun does the trick. I
also water only once or twice a week.
I buy my plants from the Bulacan Gardens, Guiguinto, Bulacan. It’s quite easy
to find. Just take the exit that says Guiguinto and you’re apt to see gardens on
one side of the road. It takes me about 1 1/2 hours (from Makati) but it’s
definitely worth the time and the gas. The prices are 1/3 what you would pay
for them in other markets/gardens. You can get small plants for about P50-75 a
piece and large palms at P100-150. The more special ones (like an enormous
Peace Lily or Areca Palm) could go only as high as P550. Go with P2000 and
you’ll have enough plants to fill a small home. Another option is the Manila
Seedling Bank.
There’s also a wonderful book How to Grow Fresh Air: 50 House Plants that Purify
Your Home or Office. The book tells you about contaminants and toxins in your
indoor environment and how plants remove these from the air. It also tells you
what plants to buy and how to take care of them.
19 Jul
BIODYNAMIC GARDENING: APPLYING BIODYNAMIC AGRICULTURE TO A HOME, BACKYARD
GARDEN, OR A SMALL FARM
Posted by oysteronahalfshell in Natural, Organic, The Farm. Tagged: Biodynamic,
Biodynamic Agriculture. 4 Comments
(Article based on: Getting Started with Biodynamic Gardening by by Tom
Petherick)
First step: The clarity of your Intention is often the most important and a
necessary first step. It will be at the core of your gardening/farming. So make
a conscious intention to follow the biodynamic route.
Some basics: Most people who are drawn to biodynamic farming, already have a
passion for organic agriculture. You see the need for plants to grow and thrive
without chemical sprays or fertilizers. However, more than organic soil,
biodynamics also pays attention to subtle, unseen forces. One would be the
lunar phases. We know the effect of the moon on tides and in the cycles of
female mammals. This can help us recognize and understand that in the same way,
the gravitational pull of the moon is also moving the water in plants, in the
soil and in the air. As the moon waxes and wanes it influences the plants. Aside
from the moon, biodynamics recognizes the forces at work from the cosmos, so
other planets as well, the sun and astrology.
How do you start? What you have to do is to see your garden or farm with new
lenses. See it as an entire organism, with all its parts working individually
and together. “Rudolf Steiner saw the ‘farm organism’ as a self-contained and
self-supporting unit with all the different components of the farm acting as
microcosms of a greater whole.” So, see the soil as a crucial part, just like
you would see your heart as the center of your body organism. Look at the
plants just as you would your respiratory organs. See the farmers as the limbs.
Look at your farming methods as the brain. And always see the subtle forces in
the same way as you would the life force that surges through you and keeps you
alive.
What is important to know: These are the basics of biodynamics:
1. Biodynamic farming makes use of two field sprays BD 500 (horn manure) and BD
501 (horn silica). We have started making our own sprays but for those who
would like to begin by just buying prepared sprays, please let us know and
we will give where to get it from.)
2. You also use five compost preparations that are healing herbs added to the
compost heap.
3. You follow a planting calendar that gives clear indications when to carry
out tasks in the garden. (There are sowing calendars prepared by Bios
Dynamis in Kidapawan. We also follow a calendar from the Rudolf Steiner
store in Sydney but customized the calendar to make it more suitable to the
Philippine climate and seasons.)
These three methods are not hard to do. Anyone can do it. And there is a wealth
of information already available. We learned the basics from a Biodynamic
Farming seminar by Greg Kitma. There is also a local version for Biodynamics
written by Nicanor Perlas (let us know if you want a copy of the book.)
Some techniques:
For the biodynamic calendar: Using the biodynamic calendar, you will see a
correlation between the various different parts of the plant and the signs of
the zodiac. One way of using the calendar is by looking at the four elements:
earth, air, fire and water. Then match each element to a part of a given plant –
earth to root, air to flower, fire to fruit and seed and water to leaf. Next,
match each of those parts of the plant along with their element to the twelve
signs of the zodiac. You will see that as the moon moves through each of the
twelve on its 27 and a bit day journey around the earth every month it will
influence those parts of the plant relating to the zodiacal sign e.g.
Pisces=water/leaf, Capricorn=earth/root.
Building Soil Fertility: Soil fertility is crucial and helps in breaking the
life cycle of pests and disease. One important way is to practice crop
rotation. This means that you rotate annual crops around the garden. The method
allows you to plant a healthy mix of plants. For example, planting legumes
(fruit) will add nitrogen to your soil. After a cycle, plant flower crops. A
crucial part of biodynamics is the need to allow nature to follow its own pace
and not force growth or impede it. Do not try to force the soil to produce as
much as it can just because it can.
Composting: Recycle the nutrients round the garden. We use an open compost heap
with soil as the base, and the heap measures about 1 ½ meter. We do not turn the
heap as much as normal composting techniques require. It takes about four
months to cook. We then get the compost that we can and insert biodynamic
compost preparations (yarrow, chamomile, nettle, dandelion and oak bark).
Field Sprays: Once you have tried the field sprays, you won’t turn back and
will never go back to your other sprays. The sprays work like magic! It is
difficult to prove the effectiveness of the biodynamic sprays and all we have to
show for it is the quality of our soil. The sprays seem to change the energy in
the garden, lifting it a few notches up. And you see it not only in the soil and
the plants, but in the energy of the farmers as well. BD 500 works in the root
zone and BD 501 is active in the area of light and growth.
Seeds: It should come naturally for gardeners to save their own seed. It
happens in nature and it is easy to save the seeds such as heirloom tomatoes and
brocollinis. If you are not able to you’re your seeds, try and use biodynamic
seeds that have been produced in an environment where the biodynamic measures
are in use.
1 Jun
MICRO GREENS, OUR NEWEST BABY
Posted by oysteronahalfshell in Natural, Organic, The Farm. Tagged: Micro
Greens, Organic Greens. 21 Comments
We’ve had several bountiful harvests of micro greens. What are micro greens?
These are edible greens, lettuces and herbs that are harvested as young plants.
They are about a tiny 1 to 2 inches long, leaves, stems and all. The greens
have an intense flavor and are used for garnishes or to enhance the flavors of
dishes just like your herbs. Micro greens have been making the rounds of fine
dining restaurants and bistros, as they are beautiful and distinct. The more
common varieties are: Arugula, Beets, Basil, Cabbage, Celery, Chard, Cilantro,
Fennel, Kale, Mizuna, Mustard, Parsley, Radish and Tatsoi.
Micro greens are not sprouts. Sprouts are germinated seeds and are produced
entirely in water or in soaked cloth bags. The seeds of sprouts are in fact not
actually planted! Micro greens are planted and grown in soil, just like your
regular greens. They are grown outside, in high light, low humidity and good
air. We fertilize them with organic fertilizer. Most micro greens are ready to
harvest in 2 weeks while some take 4-6 weeks. These are when the greens have
developed their first set of true leaves. We cut them above the soil surface and
pack these without the roots. One reason why micro greens are often dubbed as
pricey is because we cannot get additional harvests of the planting of micro
greens. We always have to plant another crop after each harvest.
Micro Radish
Micro Arugula
Among our micro greens are: Micro Amaranth, Micro Cilantro, Micro Onions, Micro
Tatsoi, Micro Radish, and Micro Arugula. These are those tiny leaves you see in
upscale restaurants. Micros add beauty and flavor to dishes.
Micro Greens
19 May
EDIBLE FLOWERS
Posted by oysteronahalfshell in Chrysanthemum, Flowers, Organic, Roses. Tagged:
edible flowers. 26 Comments
We have ventured into growing flowers that you can eat. Imagine having a salad
of bright violet, yellow and fuchsia blossoms. Or having a cake strewn with
flowers you can actually eat. Flowers are just too pretty not to eat right? And
since our flowers have been grown without pesticides, they are quite the safest
to eat.
Pansies
There are a number of edible flowers. You can even grow them yourselves. Just
make sure that the flowers have not been sprayed or grown with chemicals. What
are some of the edible flowers that we grow:
Let’s start with the most common culinary herbs flowers: You can actually eat
the flowers of culinary herbs like thyme, sage, basil, rosemary, chives,
cilantro, dill, and arugula. Their flowers are as tasty as the herb, even more
attractive.
Nasturtiums
Next are the real flowers! Among our most popular edible flowers are the
Butterfly Blue Pea. The flower has been used in traditional Ayuverdic medicine
for memory and its antistress, anxiolytic, antidepressant, anticonvulsant,
tranquilizing and sedative qualities. In Southeast Asia the flowers are used to
color food or rice.. In Thailand, they use the flowers for a syrupy blue drink.
The flowers are also used in Burmese and Thai cuisine, dipped in batter and
fried.
We also grow those bright and pretty nasturtiums. These are quite beautiful on
the plate and the palate too. They taste peppery and a bit like watercress. You
can add these to salads, vegetable dishes and to make your herb butter, infuse
your vinegar or even vodka. Then there’s the pansy flower, with its mild and
minty flavor. The rose petals are edible too! There are different flavors,
depending on the kind of rose variety, some a very mild whole others are quite
lush you can use them for flavoring sweets and sorbets. Chrysanthemums have
been heavily used in Chinese cuisine and have a pungent, slightly bitter flavor.
They can be used for garnishes. Lastly, we grow snapdragons, which have a
bitter taste but is used as a garnish.
If you want to grow edible flowers yourself, they are easily grown from seed
(except for the roses and rosemary). Just buy the seed packets and grow them in
your garden or in pots. Make sure you examine the blossoms well as you pick
them, remove any insects or dirt and don’t go overboard. Use them in moderation
in your salads and soups and lavishly for garnishing.
The most important thing to remember about edible flowers is to be fully
familiar with them. Don’t go around the garden nibbling at everything- some
flowers are poisonous and make sure they are organically grown. – David Hirsch
Taken in part: Old Farmer’s Almanac, Flower Gardening Secrets
16 May
VISITING THE FARM
Posted by oysteronahalfshell in Flowers, Natural, Organic, The Farm. Tagged:
Bukidnon Flower Farm, Dahilayan, Flower Depot Farm, Organic Farm Bukidnon,
Visiting Flower Farm. 24 Comments
It seems like everyone’s heading to the South this summer. We’ve been getting a
number of emails asking if they could visit our flower farm this summer. If you
find yourself in Cagayan de Oro, and heading out to Bukidnon to do the Zipline,
then you’re surely welcome to come over and get dirty!
The way to our farm
How to get here
Our flower farm is blessed with a backdrop of the Kitanglad mountain ranges,
past the vast pineapple plantations of Del Monte and Camp Philips, onto
picturesque little barangays (towns) strewn with simple pretty houses with small
patches of flower gardens. You won’t be driving on paved roads but it’s a nice
bumpy ride of dirt roads but strewn here and there with a picturesque landscape
of Mt. Kitanglad. We’re on the foothills of the majestic volcano and mountain,
the fourth highest in the Philippines.
Earth Flora (that’s the name of our farm) is in Dahilayan, Manolo Fortich,
nestled between Malaybalay and Sumilao. You get here by driving up to
Malaybalay, 40km from Cagayan de Oro (about an hour’s drive.) Once you get to
the Alae Quarantine Station, take the roundabout, and go straight up to Camp
Philips. You know you’re headed up the right direction when you see an imposing
landscape of never-ending pineapples and the purple majestic mountain right at
the end of the seemingly endless road. Head for the mountain, we’re right at its
foothills. The next landmark would be signs pointing to Mountain Pines and the
Zipzone Adventure Park. Follow the signs and it will bring you directly to our
flower farm. You’ll see us right before you get to the Zipzone. You’ll see
bamboo poles sticking out, our rose gardens and chrysanthemums on your side of
the road.
Our Disclaimers
We’re really not a farm resort but a working farm. So please expect to see
nature at its most basic, unadorned (but we have flowers everywhere!), crude and
unfussy. We don’t have paved paths or walkways so bring boots (or shoes you can
get mud on.) You will have to walk on soil, over stones and rocks, sometimes
muddy. Sometimes, you’ll have to scrunch up your noses, as we compost and use
fermented fish scraps for our fertilizers. To the sophisticated nose, the smell
can sometimes be a wee bit nasty. The sun can be especially strong in the
summer and we’re in the uplands. Use a sunblock and bring a hat. We do have
some working boots and straw hats you can borrow if you’re not squeamish. And oh
the bathroom: our toilets are waterless. If you’re brave enough to try doing
your necessities in a handmade wooden urinal with just sawdust to catch it, then
do try using our toilets. We do try to manage the smells by treating the
sawdust with bacteria, and the bathroom is clean and kept clean, opens up to the
sky and is airy. But I’m making a disclaimer, just in case!
What you should see
Instead, you’ll see a garden adorned with the wonders of nature. See the
vibrancy of colors and be amazed at the wonder of seeds and plants sprouting
into buds, and then blossoms. You’ll be hearing an endless cacophony of bird
song. You’ll like the cool weather that brings spring to the air. Do say hello
to our farm creatures big and small: the teeny ones that are our pest busters
and the burly cows that help our composting. Watch our farmers chattering as
they sow, plant, harvest the flowers, and bundle them up. Talk to Toto and
Dadang (though Toto is the most talkative), they have a whole lot of stories to
share. Sometimes, Nicolo is there too and you’ll know him by his bulky dirty
boots.
You can even go up the bamboo house, rest a bit. It’s quite a view. If you’re
lucky, they might serve you tea or coffee. Maybe you’d like to see how our
greenhouses have been built with bamboo, see how composting looks like, get a
whiff of our fish emulsion, get dirty with the earthworms and see how everything
in the farm makes a seamless whole. It’s always a treat for me, going to the
farm. I go home with new eyes. I remember how to be a child again and
everything is just filled with awe and wonder. And sometimes, I actually do
hear the earth laugh in the flowers.
4 Feb
BIODYNAMIC FARMING
Posted by oysteronahalfshell in Flowers, Organic, The Farm. Tagged: Biodynamic,
Organic. 1 Comment
What is Biodynamic Agriculture?
Most people know what organic farming is, but only a few know what Biodynamic
agriculture is. Biodynamics was introduced in the 1920’s by an Austrian
scientist and philosopher, Rudolf Steiner. This manner of farming takes a
unified approach to agriculture by considering the interconnectedness of the
soil, the plants, animals, the earth and even the entire cosmos as a living
system. It is considered as one the most sustainable forms of agriculture. The
focus of Biodynamic Agriculture is developing and maintaining a healthy soil
organism through the use of manure, crop-rotation, cover-cropping and special
preparations. The farm is considered as an entire living organism, with the
farmer and his practices as playing a vital role to the farm ecosystem.
What makes it different from organic farming?
As in organic farming, there is no use of chemicals, pesticides or fungicides.
However, biodynamics goes beyond organic farming. It treats the soil as a
living organism and ensures the health of the soil at all times. Thus,
biodynamic farming looks at the farm in terms of forces that affect the soil and
the farm, processes that go into farming, rather than just the substances that
are put into the soil or plants. Biodynamic agriculture makes use of compost
(manure from animals already in the farm), cover cropping, ecological pest
management, and special preparations that revitalize life forces, stimulate the
roots and help in the production of soil microorganisms and humus. These
preparations are homeopathic substances made from herbs, minerals, plant and
animal, at very minuscule portions. Aside from the special preparations,
Biodynamic agriculture follows daily, monthly and seasonal patterns of nature,
such as the phases of the moon for sowing, fertilizing and harvesting.
Our farm
Our farm practices biodynamic farming in growing flowers (and vegetables too!)
We see our farm as an entire ecosystem. Our farm follows a biodynamic calendar
for optimum times for sowing, harvesting and transplanting. This is because
Biodynamic Agriculture follows daily, monthly and seasonal patterns of nature,
such as the phases of the moon, the movement of the planets and the stars. We
also use biodynamic preparations for our soil and leaves. These preparations are
homeopathic substances made from herbs, minerals, plant and animal, at very
minuscule portions. We have learned to follow the cycles and phases of the moon
in scheduling our pest management and control, taking into account that the life
cycles of these creatures that coincide with the moon’s phases. We also follow
crop rotation, and practice cover cropping.
Aside from flowers, our flower farm has now a vegetable patch, devoted to plants
that do not only adorn our tables but we can eat as well! The farm grows
lettuces, arugula, baby carrots, cherry tomatoes, broccoli, cabbage, peppers,
celery, alfalfa sprouts, spinach and several kinds of herbs. More than this, we
have planted the vegetables to create patches of ecosystems for all nature in
our farm. We do so by growing in all our vegetable beds, a mix of legumes, leaf
plants, root crops, annual and perennial plants in one bed. Thus, legumes will
provide nitrogen (fertilizer) through their roots. Root crops, taking nutrients
from the soil, help aerate the beds, benefiting all plants. Herbs and flowers
serve as homes for beneficial insects and also repel the harmful ones.
21 Jul
RETHINKING WATER USE IN AGRICULTURE
Posted by oysteronahalfshell in Flowers, Natural, Organic, The Farm. Tagged:
Sustainable, Trickle Irrigation, Water Conservation. 1 Comment
DAM, I wish you had more water.
No one seems to be thinking about a rain dance yet, but our taps are about to
run dry. They are rationing water in Metro Manila. Now who would have thought we
would have a shortage of water? Fresh water always seemed like a waterfall-
infinitely gushing out of rocks. It is July 2010 and our dams are dehydrated,
experiencing a historical record low. In the meantime, there will be 12 million
people in Metro Manila, drinking, bathing and washing from Angat Dam’s
reservoir. They have tightened our taps to give us 30% less and the problem
seems negligible. Don’t run the taps while I brush my teeth. No more soaks in
the tub. Change showerheads. Schedule laundry. Reuse gray water. But the
seemingly slight problem of having less water to bathe, drink and wash with,
dwarfs the bigger problem of Climate Change and food security, which has a lot
to do with water.
Agriculture accounts for drawing 70% of the world’s fresh waters. Fresh water
irrigates our lands and provides food for the world’s exploding population. As
our population grows, so will our food requirements, and so will our demand for
water. And as more water is drawn than is given, we will have to do with less
for growing our food. Our farm tries to be a conscientious consumer. We try to
draw just enough water to quench the thirst of our greedy plants. With a few
water conservation and harvesting methods that rely more on Green Water rather
than Blue, we would like to think our water does not just go down the drain.
SOIL FERTILITY
Good soils can capture, hold and store water better. The secret to needing less
water is having rich living soil. This we do by having more organic matter in
our soil.
TRICKLE IRRIGATION
Farms traditionally used elaborate irrigation systems, which were designed when
water supply was plentiful. Trickle irrigation is an innovative and efficient
method of irrigation. It is called “trickle” because water drips slowly directly
to the roots of plants through pipes (with small holes.) You save water because
water drips directly where it’s needed. There is no runoff or wasted water. You
also reduce evaporation, soil erosion and deep drainage. This method helps us
get rid of many foliar or root diseases that spread through the water. Trickle
irrigation also uses a lower pressure than other methods of irrigation, thus
reducing energy costs as well. Some people find the “trickle irrigation”
installation costs expensive. However, the initial investment is easily paid off
with savings in water, energy, and the priceless value of saving the environment
too.
IRRIGATION SCHEDULING
We schedule our work in the farm so we take advantage of the natural cycles.
Evaporation depends on the climate, temperature and humidity. As there is less
evaporation at night, we irrigate our plants closer to the evening so we
decrease the loss of water through evaporation. A full moon means there is an
increase in the water element. We sow our seeds two days before a full moon to
take advantage of the water. A new moon means more water in the soil. Two days
before a new moon, we do our transplanting to take advantage of the soil’s
increased water content.
MULCHING
Mulch on the beds
Our mulch consists of weeds, flower trimmings, legumes, rice hulls, and wild
sunflowers. We apply the mulch to our flowerbeds in layers of 2-4 inches.
Mulching saves our water by helping our soils retain much of the water they get.
I have read that a layer of mulch can reduce water evaporation by as much as
seventy (70%) percent! Not only that, mulching is also fertilizer, and thus
improves our soil by helping break down nitrogen and releasing more nutrients.
RAIN HARVESTING, GROUNDWATER RECHARGING AND CANAL LININGS
Raised beds for less tilling; Contour farming and Canals
Rainwater falls from the rooftops of our greenhouses straight to micro basins or
canals, which catch them. We also ensure that we line the canals with thick
mulch (4 inches at least) to ensure less evaporation. Since our greenhouses are
constructed on a slope, the rainwater gently seeps towards and is absorbed by
our flowerbeds.
TERRACING, CONTOURING and MICRO BASINS
We take advantage of the natural sloping topography of our farm to direct
precipitation run-off to our flowerbeds. To prevent soil run-off however, we
have planted legumes to act as breaks.
NATURAL WINDBREAKS
We have planted legumes in between our greenhouses and at the boundary of our
farm to act as windbreaks. The windbreaks again reduce evaporation.
CONSERVATION TILLAGE
We have raised beds our flower beds so our flowers get more aeration in its
roots. By doing so, we do not need to till as often, and we protect our topsoil.
A good topsoil won’t be washed out by rain.
WATER-FREE TOILETS
Why waste perfectly clean water and flush dirt down the drain? Our toilets are
water free. Waste is caught by sawdust treated with beneficial microbes to
hasten decomposition. And because the waste matter and sawdust has been treated
with microbes, there is no smell. People use about 6 liters of water per flush.
Since we opted to use a no-flush, water-free toilet, we save approximately more
than 8,000 liters of water per year.
WATER AS NEEDED
I believe there is enough water for everyone. There should be. But just like
money, just like oil, and just like any other precious resource, we do not know
how to handle it, splurging and exploiting it to excess, while denying it’s
wealth to the rest of the world. Our farm’s method hopes to improve on the way
we use water, drawing only as much as we need, and putting the water we get to
efficient and productive use. Take only what you need and pay it forward.
19 Jul
OUR FRIENDLY NEIGHBORS: BENEFICIAL INSECTS AND INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT
Posted by oysteronahalfshell in Flowers, Natural, Organic, The Farm. Tagged:
Beneficial Insects, Integrated Pest Management, Natural Pesticide, Organic Farm.
2 Comments
Our farm enjoys an eclectic mix of neighbors. A handful of ladies wearing red
with black polka-dots; nosy busybodies buzzing around, burly enough that our
farmers would sometimes stay out of our greenhouses for fear of their stings;
chirpy visitors, some of them laying pretty blue eggs in our leaves-turned-nest;
fairy-like creatures with golden eyes; and teeny-weeny ones, among the smallest
in the world. The unique bunch do a lot of work for the farm: they rid us of
aphids, mites, caterpillars, white flies and other nasty insects. Some say they
are part of the farm’s Integrated Pest Management. Others like to call them
Beneficial Insects. We would rather call them our FRIENDLY NEIGHBORS. We
highlight three of the most fascinating ones here:
LADYBUGS
Ladybug at Work
Don’t mess with adorable ladies in red and black polka dresses. They are quite
fearless. In our farm, they have taken on the heroic task of battling aphid
colonies, which feed on our young leaves, new shoots and baby buds. Don’t let
their tiny bodies deceive you because lady beetles are ravenous! They eat up to
1000 aphids a day. Even as larvae they can eat 500 aphids! And mind you, they do
it by stabbing the nasty aphids with their mandibles and sucking out the juices.
It is no wonder why the ladybug in ancient times, symbolized good fortune and a
bountiful harvest. One fun trivia about lady beetles: In times of danger,
ladybugs are able to roll over and play dead.
LACE WINGS
Lacewings, Commander in Chief
Another friendly neighbor is the Lace Wing. In an Insect-Eating Contest,
lacewings would be adjudged the champions. In a battle, lacewings would
definitely be commander. Lacewings are beautiful creatures with delicate netted
wings and golden eyes. They look ethereal and you wonder where they get their
voracious appetites. As larvae, they feed on aphids, whitefly, mealy bugs,
thrips, spider mites and caterpillars. The lacewings can eat 200 or more pest
eggs a week during their 2-3 week growth period! They are also our gutsy
crusaders against the whitefly. White flies are small insects that cluster under
our leaves and stems, and are especially bad for our roses. Not only these,
lacewings feed on other insect pests such as mealy bugs (that cause black sooty
mold on our plants), thrips (that make our leaves distorted or spreads diseases)
and caterpillars too (otherwise we have chewed leaves.)
Stingless Wasps (Trichogramma)
Recently moved in are the stingless wasps (Trichogramma). These are tiny insects
of about 1 millimeter and they control at least 28 species of insect pests.
These wasps are one of the smallest insects on the planet. We released 10,000
wasps and they are now roaming about our farm, parasitizing pest eggs. Our wasps
are busy “sowing their seeds” into the harmful eggs of caterpillars and moth
(the leafeaters,) among others. When the wasps hatch, the larvae will devour the
pest egg contents. During their 9-11 day lives, the wasps will seek out and
destroy about 50 pest eggs by laying their eggs into the pest eggs. I know it
reads like a horror movie but these are naturally occurring in nature. A trivia
about wasps: The adult females use their antennae to measure the size of the
host egg in order to determine how many eggs to lay in it.
These are just some of the biological controls we use in the farm, as part of
Integrated Pest Management. Biological controls eliminate the overuse of
chemicals, increasing biodiversity. Our farm is blessed with ladybugs,
lacewings, and most recently, are now the happy hosts of stingless wasps. Our
friendly neighbors are beneficial insects who pay their rent by ridding our
farms with pests while compensated with an abundance of good pests to eat.
http://www.myflowerdepot.com
31 May
OUR FLOWERS DRINK MILK
Posted by oysteronahalfshell in Flowers, Natural, Organic, The Farm. Tagged:
Flower Pesticides, Milk as Pesticide, Natural Pesticide, Organic Flowers,
sustainable agriculture. 5 Comments
Ainara watching the Cow giving us milk
There’s never an end to the wonderful discoveries we make everyday. Got fungus?
Or powdery mildew? Get milk. We’ve just recently discovered that milk is a
Fungicide! It’s as effective (maybe even more effective) as standard chemical
brands. How to do it? Get milk, mix with water (our solution is 1 part milk: 10
parts water) and spray twice a week. You can do trial and error and see how
milky you want your solution to be and how often you need to spray. We use fresh
milk as we have milking cows in the farm. You can use skim or whole milk though,
even reconstituted powdered milk. They say it is the phosphate in milk that
boosts a plant’s immune system and fights the fungi. The first scientist to
discover this was Wagner Bettiol, a Brazilian. Milk was found to be effective at
controlling fungus and also acted as a foliar fertilizer, boosting the plant’s
immune system. We have saved thousands this year by just spraying our crops
with milk instead of using synthetic chemicals and fungicides. Who would have
thought we would find the solution to our fungicide problems right in our
backyard? Or in your fridge?
21 Oct
ORGANIC FLOWERS: WHY SHOULD YOU CARE
Posted by oysteronahalfshell in Flowers, Natural, Organic, The Farm. Tagged:
flower farm, Greenhouse Gas, Natural Pesticides, Organic Farming, Organic
Flowers, Organic Flowers Philippines. Leave a Comment
Conventional agriculture uses chemical inputs and machinery.
Chemical fertilizers and pesticides are energy-intensive.
That is the rough equivalent of the emissions of 88 million passenger cars each
year.
That is more than the total number of cars in India, China, Australia, Canada
and Mexico.
=If everyone converted 10% of their diet to organic, we could capture an
additional 6.5 billion pounds of carbon in soil.
=That is equivalent to taking 2 million cars off the road each year.
In a Nutshell
DO THE MATH.
14 Oct
BETTER SOIL, BETTER EARTH
Posted by oysteronahalfshell in Natural, Organic, The Farm. Tagged: Climate
Change, Healthy Soil, Organic Farming, Organic Flowers, Prevent Storm,
sustainable agriculture, Sustainable Farming. Leave a Comment
It is alarming how in a few weeks, Metro Manila and most of our Northern
provinces were inundated. The storms have struck us in places that matter: our
homes, our loved ones, and our means of livelihood. Farms everywhere are taking
a brunt of the disaster. And people are only realizing now how essential
agriculture is to our way of life. When roads to Baguio became impassable, our
vegetables and fruits could not get to us. Restaurants, groceries and markets
were at a loss, they had too little supply, and thus could not feed everyone’s
need. Green beans soared to 300% more its normal price. And that’s just a small
bean! A few days more of the city being cut off from us and we would have
suffered an onslaught of high prices in basic commodities. It was the same
scenario in our flower shop, where I saw florists, restaurants and wholesalers,
panic buying, because flowers from Baguio did not come.
We rarely give our food sources a thought. Farming is not given its due honor,
as really, the source of what is basic to us: food. We are assured that food
will be at the markets and grocery stores, and prices will stay the same because
food is not scarce, and vegetables and fruits will always be grown, harvested,
and delivered to us. Except now we have a direct experience of how it is when we
are cut off from our food sources. We are to experience more and more of it as a
great number of farms were damaged by the storms and lost their food production
for the next few months.
And now, climate change and its devastating effects are looming on the horizon.
What happens if we keep having extreme rain, prolonged droughts, unusually
strong winds, and our farms are unable to keep up with our food needs?
Climate Change and Organic Farming
Our way of life has made it quite impossible for keeping climate change at bay.
“Three hundred fifty parts per million (350 ppm) is the recommended safe
threshold for carbon dioxide in our atmosphere. Today, at 386 ppm, we’re over
the limit.” That is why we saw the flooding in Metro Manila, a city that we
never thought would be submerged. And that is why, storm after storm came,
ravishing our farms and mountains too. “To avoid further expensive climate chaos
we must deploy the most creative and innovative technology in the world to
rapidly pull carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. And [sustainable, organic,
biodynamic,] regenerative farming is it.”
There is hope in climate-friendly farming. We need agriculture to pull off more
carbon out of our atmosphere. “Organic farming could pull forty percent of
global greenhouse emissions our of the atmosphere each year.” Picture that. And
that’s a whole chunk of help. “Farmers who are building soil organic carbon can
remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere at rates of 2 tons of CO2 per acre.”
When we practice sustainable, organic or biodynamic agriculture, we nurture our
soils with creative techniques such as crop rotations, cover cropping, organic
fertilizers, and mimic nature’s innovative but gentle methods. Compare this to
conventional farming where chemical companies burn fossil fuels to produce
synthetic fertilizers, which are flown all over.
Real farmers build real soils. Real soils hold more carbon and hold more water.
Real soils perform better in very dry or very wet weather. With good soil, we
build a better earth, resilient to the very uncertain climate that awaits us.
And that means more healthy food for our growing world.
Inspired and taken in part from Organic Farming Could Stop Global Climate Change
7 Oct
IF ONLY THERE WERE TREES, PLANTS AND GOOD SOIL
Posted by oysteronahalfshell in Natural, The Farm. Tagged: Biodynamic Farming
Philippines, Composting, Natural Fertilizer, Organic Farming, Organic Flowers. 1
Comment
Despite years and years of study, I realized I am as ignorant about nature as a
seven year old. Years spent memorizing mathematical precision and the science
of the heavens, and yet I know very little about what causes a flood. Why they
never taught me about nature’s wondrous cycles and interconnection, I still do
not know. Thirty years and a post graduate degree, and finally, I learned what
it takes for a city to be submerged in water and mud.
Picture this image: When it rains, the water that pours is drank by the soil,
trees and plants. The excess water, called a runoff, runs away to water
channels like rivers and streams. A flood occurs when two things happen: (1)
our soil, trees, and plants cannot drink all the water; (2) and this excess
water that runs off, cannot be carried by our water channels (or in modern
times, also held by our water reservoirs.) The water then runs to our lands.
The Great Flood in Metro Manila was thus the result of intense rains that poured
a huge chunk of water, which (1) cannot be drank in one big gulp by our teeny
weeny trees, puny little plants, and inexistent soil; and (2) the excess water
had no river or stream to carry them. In fact, our rivers and coasts had
overflowed, and our dams had to run off its excess water too.
I wish I could keep writing about the city’s lack of trees and plants, but this
is our Flower Farm blog and so I will write about an equal champion against
floods, the soil. Throughout history, we have created floods as a direct
result of soil erosion. Soil erosion is a natural occurrence. As long as there
are rains and winds, the soil will be carried off in pieces. But, nature is
wise and never wasteful. What the soil losses through erosion is always
balanced by new soil. If you look at virgin land masses, you will always see
how nature forms a mantle of vegetation to protect the soil. When rain falls on
this protective mantle of grass or fallen leaves, some of the water’s moisture
can still evaporate before it reaches the ground. Nature also has a troop of
trees, grasses and roots that help to hold the soil in place even amidst the
slaughter of rain and wind.
Calla Lily Buffers!
How do we learn from nature’s subtle but nurturing ways? I see now that when we
engage in commercial farming without regard to the soil’s natural processes, we
partially or wholly destroy nature’s protective canopy. Intense cultivation
digs up vegetative covers of the soil, removing the soil’s umbrella from too
much rain. When we dig up trees, grasses and roots that surround our farm, to
give way to our crops, we shoo away nature’s defenses. Our farm has a lot to
learn but we have started some methods that simulate the marvelous processes of
nature. One way to hold back flood is to restore the vegetation in our soil.
We do this through crop rotation, cover cropping, and using bulky organic
manure. We cover our crop beds with the leaves of legumes. To prevent the water
from running off, we plant nitrogen-fixing legumes and calla lilies beside the
water canals in between our greenhouses. These legumes and lilies act like
buffer zones to slow down run off and trap the soil, so that these are not
washed out by the rain. Our canals are dug at critical places on a slope so
excess water falls into the canals, and through the natural contours of the
land, the excess water irrigates the plants in the beds. These are some of the
methods we use and everyday nature readily gives us a clue. I admit I am quite
a beginner in understanding the mind-boggling ways of nature. But I am a
willing learner. Because who else would teach me about something so simple, and
yet so grand?
15 Sep
GET YOUR HANDS DIRTY
Posted by oysteronahalfshell in Natural, Organic, The Farm. Tagged: Composting,
Fish Emulsion, Healthy Soil, Natural Pesticide, Organic, Organic Farming,
Organic Flowers, Sustainable Farming. 1 Comment
The soil is teeming with life. In a handful of dirt, you will find earthworms,
centipedes, beetles, millions of fungi and bacteria, air and water. We truly
know that good soil makes bigger and stronger plants. Most of the plant’s
nourishment comes from the soil. When they have ample and the right amount of
minerals and nutrients from the soil, plants are able to defend themselves from
pests and diseases. This is because organic matter feeds the bacteria and fungi
in the soil. The bacteria and fungi, in turn, break down the compost into
compounds, and minerals, to small portions so the plants can absorb them. Thus,
the more minerals and nutrients in the soil, the more the plant can take up.
However, improper farming practices have taken a toll on our planet’s soil. We
only have thirty percent (30%) of farmable soil left in our planet. Thirty! Our
soil is rapidly being depleted. Not only this, nature takes approximately five
hundred (500) years to build one inch of top soil and a good crop yield takes an
average of six inches of good top soil. How do we destroy our important
resource? We lose or contaminate the soil by erosion, pollution, and through the
voluminous use of artificial fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides. For example,
in conventional farming, pests and disease are controlled with pesticides and
herbicides. These chemicals kill the bacteria and fungi, which reduces the
mineral content of the soil dramatically. To counteract this, they use a
chemical fertilizer that contains only nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium – NPK.
Plants can grow with these limited available minerals but they are less
nutritious and far more susceptible to disease. It becomes a vicious cycle of
more pesticides and more chemical fertilizers to sustain life. This method is
especially absurd when you realize that the same effect can occur naturally on
its own and provide us with a healthier outcome.
We need to recognize the fundamental role of soil in life and know that it is
crucial that we maintain and develop our soil’s fertility. How do we respect the
soil? Natural farming methods such as organic farming and biodynamic, when
practiced sustainably, nourishes the soil more than it destroys it. Some of the
methods we use at the farm for soil fertility are: (1) adding more nutrients to
the soil through manure, compost and green waste; (2) suppressing the use of
artificial fertilizers and pesticides; (3) composting through organic material;
(4) using seaweed and fermented fish waste as foliar spray; (5) using legumes as
cover crops. Cover crops protect the soil from wind, water and nutrient loss;
and (5) crop rotation because different crops put in or take out different
nutrients.
25 Aug
SOMETHING FISHY LURKING IN OUR SOIL
Posted by oysteronahalfshell in Natural, Organic, The Farm. Tagged: Fish
Emulsion, flower farm, Natural Farm, Natural Fertilizer, Organic Flowers,
Seaweed. 7 Comments
Our farm uses a lot of fish emulsion as natural fertilizer. Fish emulsion has
high organic nitrogen. It’s a great soil conditioner and provides bacterial food
to feed the soil’s microherd. You read it right, the soil eats. We always see
the soil as living. (Sometimes I feel sad thinking about how advanced we are in
science, knowing a lot about outer space, worlds outside our own, but we know
very little about our own soil. There are so many microorganisms in the soil,
thousands of them, still unnamed by science.) Fish oils also give a substantial
supply of beneficial soil fungi. The fish bones also supply extra calcium.
How do we make the Fish Emulsion?We use fresh fish scraps from the nearby
market, using the juices, sauces or oils that come with these. The liquid is
used to breed beneficial microbes and supply extra proteins to the emulsion. We
also use fresh seaweed, which has a lot of nitrogen. These parts are composted
in a bucket with other brown matter such as sawdust and leaves. We also add
molasses to the mixture build up microbes, and speed up decomposition. The brown
matter molasses controls the odor and absorbs organic nitrogen from the fish.
The bucket is stirred daily to get air into the mixture. Remember air allows for
better decomposition and better aerobic microbial growth. The bucket of fish is
then made to rot for at least one week.
When all this is over, we dilute our fish emulsion at a 1:1 to 1:5 ratio. The
fish emulsion is then used to spray on leaves and drench the soil. Whenever we
spray the leaves, we let in small portions of nutrients into the plant through
its leaves. Whenever we drench the soil with fish, we build up the soil’s
microbial activities, supplying lots of nitrogen to the roots and topsoil. What
more, using fish emulsion as our foliar spray helps us get rid of pests too.
They hate the fishy smell, no matter how miniscule. We poke holes in the soil to
get more oxygen in the soil too, and further increase organic matter
decomposition, while increasing the activities of microbes in the soil. Our
soils love their daily dose of fish meal. The earthworms too!
Don’t forget that you can actually make your own homemade version of our fish
emulsion for your house plants or garden. The resulting mix is as unique as
every flower farm or every garden.
14 Aug
PESKY POTIONS: GETTING RID OF PESTS THE NATURAL WAY
Posted by oysteronahalfshell in Flowers, Natural, Organic, The Farm. Tagged:
Beneficial Insects, Composting, Fish Emulsion, Natural Pesticide, Neem Extract,
Organic Farm, sustainable agriculture. 5 Comments
I recently wrote about the voluminous use of pesticides in plants and flowers.
We also loathe pests and insects. Through the years, we have learned a few
tricks to get rid of pests the natural way.
Healthy plants and healthy soil: One of the easiest ways to control pests in the
farm is to prevent them from coming in! We have learned that healthy plants have
healthy defenses. Just like us, when we are weak, we are more prone to sickness.
Weak plants are either already infected, or will attract even more predators.
What we do in the farm is pull out or dispose of weak plants. Do note that your
most important defense is to have a healthy soil. Healthy soils grow strong and
vibrant plants. We keep our soils in tip-top shape by natural composting methods
such as mulching and using compost or natural fertilizer to the soil.
Healthy vibrant chrysanthemums
In fact, a new study from Washington State University suggests organic growing
techniques offer better pest control and larger plants (published in the
respected journal Nature.)
> “Organic agriculture promotes more balanced communities of predators,” says
> David Crowder, author of the new study. […]”Our study does not tell farmers
> they should shift to organic agriculture. What our study suggests is that
> organic agriculture is promoting these more balanced natural enemy communities
> and they may have better, organic pest control.”
According to Nature: it is “the relative abundance of different species” rather
than the number of species present on a farm that may determine success. The
study found that the increased evenness of organic farms compared with that of
conventional farms led to 18% lower pest densities and 35% larger plants.
Here are some of the ways we get rid of our pests through organic farming, and
get larger plants because of it:
Minimize insect habitats: Make sure that you do not have breeding places in your
area for insects. In our farm, we regularly clean our greenhouses, making sure
they are free from debris and weeds, which are breeding places for insects.
Keep the leaves dry: Insects and fungus thrive on wet leaves. Wet leaves also
spread disease. In our farm, we use drip irrigation methods to water our plants.
Drip irrigation delivers the water to the plant’s roots without wetting the
leaves. How is this done? Tiny holes are inserted at various points in a hose,
allowing small quantities of water to trickle slowly into the soil over long
periods of time. Another advantage of this method is saving water. Unlike
sprinkler systems, we use 30-50% less water, applying these directly to the area
where the plants need it the most. Drip irrigation also prevents soil erosion
and nutrient run-off.
Take advantage of beneficial insects: There are actually some insects or pests
that are good for the farm or your garden. For example, LADYBUGS eat aphids,
mites, whiteflies and scale (the worst pests for flowers.) That is why we just
love ladybugs and take care of these insects in the farm.
Ladybugs are Welcome!
Make your own homemade pesticide barriers or sprays:
Flypaper: Do you know that ANY heavy paper or cardboard, painted with yellow and
coated with anything sticky can be an effective flypaper? In our farm, we use
recycled hard plastic containers, paint these yellow and then put sticky
substances on them. We just hang these in our greenhouses and catch pesky aphids
and whiteflies!
Do-it-yourself Sticky Traps
Neem Extract: We use a lot of Neem in the farm. Neem has remarkable powers for
controlling insects. Its extract is used as a safe and natural pesticide. It is
so unique because Neem does not immediately kill the insect. Instead, it alters
an insect’s behavior or life processes in ways that can be extremely subtle.
Eventually, however, the insect can no longer feed or breed or metamorphose, and
cannot cause damage. Because of this subtle method, our crops, people, and
animals are protected.
Fish Emulsion: We have replaced chemical pesticides with mixes of our fish
emulsion. What is it? Fish waste, yes you read it right, foul and messy fish
entrails! We gather all fish scraps from the markets, grind them, and mix them
with an enzyme. We screen out the bones and decant the oil, and what remains is
fish silage. Also, enzymes already in the ground fish continued to digest and
break down to amino acids. More than a pesticide, it doubles as a great
fertilizer. Fish emulsions are wonderful sources of nutrients!
So there. You can actually rid yourself of those pesky flies and insects without
spraying yourself and your pretty flowers with chemical concoctions! All it
takes is some creativity while you harness the wisdom of nature.
4 Aug
TRULY GREENHOUSES!
Posted by oysteronahalfshell in Flowers, Natural, Organic, The Farm. Tagged:
Bamboo, Bamboo Greenhouse, flower farm, Greenhouse Bamboo, Natural Greenhouse,
sustainable agriculture, Sustainable Architecture. 62 Comments
We have taken a step farther and have consciously built our greenhouses to be as
green as they could be. All our greenhouses are constructed in bamboo. Yes,
bamboo! Not those tall, rigid, imposing steel structures, not even concrete, not
even hard wood. We do not cut trees!
Bamboo Greenhouses with a View
WHY BAMBOO?
Prevents global warming: Our greenhouses made entirely out of bamboo captures
carbon dioxide and stores it. This is because planted bamboo gets CO2 from the
atmosphere. When a plant breathes in CO2 and exhales O2, the plant takes the
C-carbon atom and converts it into plant matter through photosynthesis, storing
the carbon in the plant. When the plant dies and decays, the carbon is eaten by
bacteria or insects. The greenhouses could then be seen as a carbon sink,
storing the carbon in the bamboo poles.
Grows 3-7 times faster than trees: Bamboo is not a tree. It is a grass. The
fastest growing bamboo can grow up to 4 feet a day!
Extremely strong: Bamboo has twice the compression strength of concrete and
roughly the same strength-to-weight ratio of steel. Imagine that! Our bamboo
poles are able to withstand strong winds and earthquakes.
Weather, termite and mold resistant: Our bamboo greenhouses are naturally
designed and treated with natural elements to be weather, termite and mold
resistant. Our bamboo poles are treated with non-toxic borates to prevent
termite and powder post beetle infestations as well as decaying fungi. Borates
have been used internationally for the past 60 years as a safe and effective
treatment to stop insects and decay.
One of our Greenhouses
Our walkpaths: Stones, sand and bamboo!
No nails! Just bamboo pegs!
HOW DO WE DO IT? Our bamboo greenhouses are made entirely of bamboo. The variety
we use is the local thorny bambusa variety. We cut from the bottom of the
trunk since this is the hardest part and very good for posts. We cut at the
right age , this is when the bamboo will start to have like a white powdery
substance around the lower portion of the trunk. These poles are usually at
least 2 years old. To secure the bamboo poles, we scorch it and then bore it
into the soil. We bury it to a height of 1-1.5 meters. To finally secure it,
we put a minimal amount of concrete into the hole. To put the poles together,
we do not even use nails or screws. The bamboo poles are held together by bamboo
pegs. Aside from sustainability, the pegs allow the bamboos to sway with the
wind. The greenhouses are then roofed with greenhouse UV plastic film. To
attach the plastic to the poles, we need to use nuts and bolts. An important
component is that the bamboo poles must be treated. We use borax and/or boric
acid to treat our bamboo poles. This is quite labor intensive but you can do it
with patience. (There are a number of Youtube videos you can check to guide
you.)
We have designed and positioned our greenhouses to ensure that we use the least
amount of energy for our crops. Our bamboo buildings use natural ventilation,
and rely on the direction, strength or gentleness of winds. The greenhouses are
8 to 10 feet tall, have open sides and vents in the center, and face the wind.
With this, we eliminated the need for energy-powered fans. Not only these, the
bamboo poles are designed in a way that we can harvest our rainwater, which we
in turn, use to irrigate our plants. The rainwater we get from the greenhouses
are channeled to a water impounding pond or to plant beds that are covered with
thick mulch.
We are the proud pioneers of these creative innovation in the Philippines. We
only have to thank nature and the creativity of our farmers for our brilliant
yet delightful bamboo houses.
31 Jul
HOW MUCH DO I LOVE THEE? LET ME COUNT THE WAYS…
Posted by oysteronahalfshell in Organic, The Farm. Tagged: Farm, Flowers,
Organic, Sustainable. 4 Comments
You adore nature. You intensely care about the environment. And that is why you
love flowers, those pretty buds that look up to you and tell you the world is
enraptured in love. That is why your heart flip-flops when you receive flowers,
or you go about giving everyone bundles of these wondrous gifts of nature. But,
did you know that cut flowers could have about the worst effects on the
environment and farmers? Definitely not sweet.
Pesticide use in cut flowers are common although not given so much attention.
There is a secret world you do not see, the act of dousing those pretty little
bundles with chemicals, poisoning the soil, and getting farmers sick in the
process. As an example:
In a 1995 report, Bittersweet Harvests for Global Supermarkets, the World
Resources Institute found that a number of rose and carnation producers use an
average of six fungicides, four insecticides, and several herbicides. The
situation is worse in certain other parts of the world, where flower-plantation
workers are exposed to 127 types of pesticides. Nearly two-thirds of flower farm
workers suffer from headaches, nausea, rashes, asthma, and other symptoms of
pesticide-related illnesses.
A study which monitors the use of pesticides in flowers have found that:
…[F]lower growers apply almost 800,000 pounds of pesticides each year. About
half is the fumigant methyl bromide, which was banned in the Netherlands ten
years ago because of concerns about air and groundwater pollution. (The rest is
primarily two other fumigants, metam sodium and chloropicrin, and several
carcinogenic fungicides.)…
Worse is the harmful effects these pesticides have on the farmers. Farmers are
said to suffer impaired vision, asthma, neurological problems, miscarriage and
the like. Pesticides on flowers can also be a problem for anyone who handles
the flowers—including consumers—since many pesticides are easily absorbed
through the skin.
The Philippines is yet to determine the amount of pesticide and fungicide use
for flowers grown in our highlands. It should be quite high, considering that
almost all of our cut-flowers are not local flowers or endemic. Farmers import
a lot of the seeds of our cut-flowers from temperate countries. This means that
they do not grow well under our tropical conditions. Farmers would have to use
a lot of pesticides to make sure they thrive in our environments, and look big
and robust too.
Sustainably Grown Roses
So what should one do? Of course, what would be perfect is to have your own
flower garden and make sure you grow your flowers organically or naturally.
Local tropical flowers and plants would need little to no chemicals. Then pick
from your garden and bundle up your flowers! Your other best bet is to buy
flowers that have been grown with a conscious commitment to the environment and
its farmers. Flower Depot Inc. is proud and happy to be growing, tilling and
harvesting its flowers with the least harm to the environment. We have
committed to grow our flowers sustainably, through practices that take care of
our soil, keep our flowers vibrant and our farm workers healthy. For example:
(1) Our farm has learned to rely on natural controls for soil-borne diseases and
to ward off pests. Among these, we use natural insect traps, neem tree extract
and beneficial bacteria and fungi to treat our soil; (2) We also practice
natural methods on cover cropping, composting, and crop rotation; (3) The flower
farm’s main source of soil fertility is legume cover crops, which provide
nitrogen, micro nutrients and organic matter. These are plants that modern
farming would have otherwise deemed as weeds. The natives have taught us to use
these plants as a viable source of fertilizer. Also, the cover crops provide
habitat for beneficial insects, keeping pests very low; and (4) We have learned
to follow the cycles and phases of the moon in scheduling our pest management
and control, taking into account that the life cycles of these creatures that
coincide with the moon’s phases. Aside from sustainable agriculture, our farm
encourages careful water use, energy saving initiatives, greenhouse gas emission
reduction efforts, waste management and product packaging minimization.
Birds building their nests on our roses!
Our farm is a happy and vibrant ecosystem. In fact, our farm is home to birds
(who build their nests on the roses!), toads, earthworms, snakes, bees (who have
built beehives inside our greenhouses!) and and many many more. Our ultimate
goal is to protect our environment and also enhance the lives of our workers, as
they are free from unhealthy and toxic pesticides. We hope to transform the
floral industry to growing and harvesting flowers that safeguards the
environment, ecology and the well being of farm workers.
So, if you really love giving or receiving flowers, make sure your bouquets are
vibrant and living, AND grown with the least harm to Mother Nature and flower
farmers.
4 Apr
ANCIENT ADLAI: AN ANSWER TO FOOD SECURITY
Posted by oysteronahalfshell in Natural, Organic, The Farm. Tagged: adlai, Food
Security, heirloom, Philippines, Sustainable, sustainable agriculture. Comments
Off on Ancient Adlai: an answer to Food Security
We’re running short of rice. But our country also has an alternative grain. This
is the tropical and indigenous ADLAI. It is also called “Job’s Tears.” It’s a
versatile grain. Our ancestors cultivated this ancient grain as a staple. The
aborigines of Mindanao, considered as the first inhabitants of Pagadian City in
Zamboanga del Sur, have been growing adlai as staple food in the highlands, the
same way those in the lowland eat rice. The use of adlai as a staple though has
diminished over time.
Adlai grows like grass. You can plant it anywhere and it thrives well despite a
harsh climate. After harvesting, Adlai continues to bear grains. When you cut
its stalk, a panicle appears again. It is also tolerant to pests and diseases.
Farmers can harvest 5 to 6 times a year!
Adlai has been included in DA’s food-security blueprint. It is also part of
the Slow Food International Ark of Taste. The grits can also be ground into
flour. It can also be made into crackers, rice cake and cookies. It also has 3x
more calories and 6x more protein than rice and is regarded as a cure for
diabetes. We should learn to eat this indigenous grain like we eat rice.
We grow two varieties: halayhay and Nomiarc dwarf. We’re saving the seeds of
this indigenous cereal and growing more in our farm. There could be enough seeds
for everyone. Not only is it a food staple, but we use it as a windbreak and
fence, in companion cropping, and especially as part of our ecological pest
control.
9 Mar
FOOD GROWING PEOPLE, SEE YOU THIS SATURDAY!
Posted by oysteronahalfshell in Uncategorized. Leave a Comment
Food Growing Peeps:
See you on Saturday! Some information to make sure you don’t chicken out!
VENUE:
The workshop will be held at Clubhouse of Hacienda Sta. Elena, Barrio Malitlit,
Sta. Rosa, Laguna.
FROM SLEX / SOUTHBOUND: Exit Cabuyao / Sta Elena. After tollgate, make a right.
About 500 meters is the Sta. Elena Village Gate. Enter there and follow the sign
to the Fun Farm. There is a gate at the end of the road (after Fun Farm,) exit
there. Turn left and follow the road until you see the Hacienda
Sta. Elena gate. Enter the gate and ask for directions to the Clubhouse.
FROM TAGAYTAY/STA ROSA ROAD: Make a left into Sta. Elena City (it is before
Nuvali). You will pass Fontamara homes, Mesa Homes, Augusta, then you will reach
Georgia Club Rotonda. Make right at the Rotonda. It is a long road. You will see
walled communities such as Belle Reve on the right. At the end of the road is
another Rotonda, make a left. Follow the long road until you see the Hacienda
Sta. Elena gate. Enter the gate and ask for directions to the Clubhouse.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT: Take the bus to Balibago, then take a tricycle ride from Sta.
Rosa exit (tricycle terminal) to Sta. Elena City.
MEALS: All meals are included in the workshop fee. Healthy yet scrumptious meals
made of local, organic or sustainable ingredients will be served. Please bring
your own water bottles. Please make sure you have submitted our Registration
Form so we can take note of any food allergies or preferences.
If you have a driver or other companions, there are restaurants and shops 15
minutes away from the venue.
ATTIRE: Please wear appropriate attire for a workshop. Come in your
casual/everyday wear. While the presentations will be in a covered pavilion,
some field work may require us to go outdoors and get dirty. Bring a hat or a
shawl/scarf. You might want to wear rubber shoes or flip-flops, or carry your
garden boots.
TO BRING: Please bring what you need for note-taking. The weather is
unpredictable. Come prepared for rain or heat at mid-day. Waterproof boots might
be good! Seed packs, potting soil or Biodynamic preparations may be available
for sale so bring extra cash if you are planning to buy.
See you in a few days!
Paula and Nicolo
26 Jan
GROWING FOOD NOT LAWNS: A DAY OF BACKYARD FARMING
Posted by oysteronahalfshell in Backyard Farming Series, Natural, Organic, The
Farm. Tagged: Backyard Farming, sustainable agriculture, Workshop Backyard
Farming. 20 Comments
This workshop is especially for those interested in starting their own backyard
garden, urban kitchen garden or small farm while practicing sustainable,
holistic and biodynamic methods. We are combining the wisdom and hands-on
expertise of real farmers. For would-be and aspiring farmers, this is a rare and
powerful learning opportunity.
During the workshop, you will have the opportunity to:
* Learn to grow healthy food to eat and also have a backyard “farm-acy” for
herbs and medicinal plants
* Gain a basic understanding of biodynamic growing, permaculture, agro-forestry
and sustainable agriculture practices. In particular, we introduce a method
of transforming your backyard into a food forest.
* Make a compost heap
* Integrate chickens in your garden and learn how to produce your own eggs
* Learn practical skills to grow food in your backyard or small farm
* Plan your garden for the year
* Learn ways of managing insects, attracting beneficials and controlling
disease through organic methods
* Start to culture and raise earthworms in your home
* Use vermi-compost for your farm
In collaboration with SLOWFOOD MANILA.
DATE AND TIME: The Introductory Backyard Farming Workshop will be held on
January 28 Saturday. The Workshop starts at 9AM with a short break in the
morning. Lunch is from 12:30-1:30. It ends at 4:30- 5:00. Some practical work
is included. We will discuss building soil and composting, growing your garden
and pest control. You will also see our homestead and how we grow our garden at
home.
Want to know how the day will go? Take a peek: backyardschedule-jan28
VENUE
The workshop will be held at Clubhouse of Hacienda Sta. Elena, Barrio Malitlit,
Sta. Rosa, Laguna.
EXIT ETON: Turn left on Sta. Rosa-Tagaytay Road (you will see Paseo de Sta. Rosa
on your left.) Go straight until you see Vista Mall on your right. On your left
will be a sign “Sta Elena City.” Make a left into Sta. Elena City (it is before
Nuvali). You will pass Fontamara homes, Mesa Homes, Augusta, then you will reach
Georgia Club Rotonda. Make right at the Rotonda. It is a long road. You will see
walled communities such as Belle Reve on the right. At the end of the road is
another Rotonda, make a left. Follow the long road until you see the Hacienda
Sta. Elena gate. Enter the gate and ask for directions to the Clubhouse.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT: Take the bus to Balibago, then take a tricycle ride from Sta.
Rosa exit (tricycle terminal) to Sta. Elena City.
MEALS: All meals are included in the workshop fee. Healthy yet scrumptious meals
made of local, organic or sustainable ingredients will be served. Please bring
your own water bottles, plates and utensils. If you have any food allergies or
preferences, please inform us so that we can discuss how your food needs can be
met.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER:
Nicolo Aberasturi is the President of Flower Depot, a flower grower and retailer
of organic and bio-dynamic flowers, and the President of DowntoEarth, a grower
and supplier of biodynamic vegetables, and pasture-raised meat, pork, dairy,
poultry, smoked and cured meats. He is a Trustee of the Organic Producers Trade
Association of the Philippines and a member of the Philippine Biodynamics
Association.
Nicolo has been in farming for 20 years and began practicing sustainable
agriculture in 2004, while applying bio-dynamics in 2007. Today he manages Earth
Flora, a vegetable and flower farm in Dahilayan, Bukidnon, using sustainable and
humane agricultural practices. In 2011, he returned to his roots in cattle
farming and is now working or networking with small family farms, to raise
animals in the pasture.
DowntoEarth grows vegetables using bio- dynamics and sustainable practices. It
raises livestock sustainably and works with a network of sustainably family
farmers and ranchers in Mindanao. All of DowntoEarth’s animals have been raised
on pasture. DowntoEarth is dedicated to ensure traditional, all-natural, humane
and sustainable methods for growing crops and raising animals for food.
PAYMENT OPTIONS
FEE: P2500 (includes lunch, snack and all course materials.)
P2000 Students/Seniors
Group Discounts are also available. Scholarships are available.
Fee includes
• Lecturer, all course materials, healthy and delicious lunch, tea, coffee and
water
TO REGISTER: registration-form-jan28
To ensure your place, please send full payment by January 18, 2017. You can pay
via bank deposit or personally at our shop (Makati Curb Holdings, #7433 Ground
Floor, Unit J, Yakal St., San Antonio Village, Makati City. Alternatively, you
can pay us at our DowntoEarth booth in the Salcedo or Legaspi markets on
Saturday or Sunday.
Bank Deposit Details:
Deposit to BPI Account (Arnaiz Ave. branch) Account Name: Earth Flora Inc.
Account Number: 9661-0147-65
Checks are accepted. Please issue the check under the name of Earth Flora Inc.
> Early registration is advised, as slots are limited. If you have deposited,
> please scan the deposit slip and email it to info@downtoearth.ph. Once your
> payment has been received, confirmation will be sent with a receipt and
> further details about what to bring.
*Cancellation Policy
If for some reason you cannot make it to the workshop, a fee of P500 will be
charged to cover administration costs up to two weeks prior to the commencement
of the workshop and the balance will be refunded to you. Within 2 weeks of the
workshop commencing however, a 50% cancellation fee will be charged. If for some
reason the workshop is cancelled, you will receive at least 2 weeks notice and
your full payment will be refunded.
If you have other questions, please let us know or SMS 0915-8979044.
Name(required)
Email(required)
Comment(required)
Submit
Δ
8 Jan
YOU CAN BET THE FARM
Posted by oysteronahalfshell in Uncategorized. Leave a Comment
They say: “You’re living my dream.” They have fantasies of moving to the country
and growing their food. They picture sitting in the patio nestled in green with
a breakfast of just-hatched orange yolk eggs, a salad of sun-warmed tomatoes, or
a fluffy omelet of just picked herbs and arugula. They imagine waking up to the
chirping of birds, the whiff of fresh air, and then tending to the sprouts in
the garden with a nice straw hat and a cotton tee. Later, they will sit in their
lawn chair and sip iced tea made from the climbing blue vine, take an afternoon
nap, and then read a homesteading book in a cozy garden nook, with magnificent
dragonflies dancing.
Not.
This idyllic life does not exist. Alright I’m eating just hatched golden eggs.
But to get to that, I rouse to 7 roosters crowing- when the sun rises. And
right, I do get a crisp salad with the colors of the rainbow. But to get to
lunch, I need to get a whiff of manure, listen to the hens every clucking minute
as they lay the golden egg, and the dragonflies? They dance alongside flies the
size of of raisins. There’s no sound of quiet. Instead there is a cacophony of:
the bee humming; the noisier buzz of the fly who deems best to buzz in my ear;
the white noise of the grass cutter; someone sawing and hammering; workers
chattering (and playing sad love songs); alright a bird chirping; and chickens
squawking. So what, if backyard chickens are the new “it” pet?
> Honestly, someone has to lay it bare. And who else but a girl from the city
> who married into farming and is now living with 70 chickens and 4 compost
> heaps.
Like you, I didn’t think farming required such drudgery and dirt. My father was
a farmer. Well, a farmer from Negros, where hacienderos didn’t do a great deal
except have long conversations about vast landholdings over gin and and hunt the
fields. And like you, I fancied a countryside home with a kitchen garden.
Except that there’s a huge gap between browsing through hipster farm pictures
and shovelling compost.
First, you will never have your garden back. The chickens will scratch and dig
up your lawn and even your ornamental plants. The chicken coop is only cute on
Instagram. It’s dark and messy, and it has you breaking your back every day as
you clean it. And months before I got my leafy beds of turmeric, corn, okra and
eggplant, or the climbing vines of squashes and beans, I lived in misery. I
would stare at beds that resembled burial mounds, and mourn a garden that was
now a dirt yard with black seedling trays. You can dream all you want, but that
pumpkin won’t turn into a coach. It won’t even become a pumpkin so easily.
Second, no one gardens with a nice straw hat and a pretty shovel. (Even when my
yard work consists of just weeding and keeping the garden neat and trim.) You
need to wear pants and long sleeves or you’re all bites and scraped knees. You
don’t wear flip flops or nice boots either. It’s the cheap water-resistant ones
you need. The hat is a hindrance and so I’ve cast it for a bandana instead. It’s
not for shade, it’s for the leaky faucet on my head.
> Third, there’s no hobby farm. Farm life, the one that gives you golden eggs
> and salad days, is tedious. It’s muddy boots that houses a frog. It’s the same
> shit on different days. It’s a hallway of dirt tracks, and where tracks lead
> to the bathroom, to the yard, and back again. It’s a truck, a van, a car caked
> with soil. It’s a backyard hobby that gets out of control. It’s the whole
> gamut of an ecosystem: climate change, and soil, and seed, and sapling, and
> tree and fruit. And while I admit the rewards are worth their weight in golden
> eggs, still you will need a shitload (pun intended) of patience, some tears,
> the ringing of ears, muscle power and spotted legs.
And so this is my advice to you: urban dweller, city kid with a tract of land
somewhere, hipster, or another gal who wants to save the world one food garden
at a time: To embrace this idyllic life, you will need grit and you will need
soul. You’ll need to be bitten hard by the farming bug. And I know the hubby
will shoot me for nipping some people’s farming dreams, but I daresay: before
throwing it all for the farm life, try it first. Muck around with it. Don’t
quit your day job until your feet are long wet. Perhaps spend days in a working
farm, the School of Hard Knocks. Try ingesting the daily rhythms of a farm life
(try ingesting the dung too.) If there’s no way to volunteer or apprentice,
start with a small parcel and befriend soil and sweat. Small and slow. Do it for
a year or two. Then, you’ll know if you’re infected by the bug and if eggs are
worth all the trouble; if you prefer flocks to your gadgets; or collecting eggs
to collecting antiques; or the bitter smell of manure to air-conditioning.
Your gut will know. And especially, your heart will know if it’s the right
place. You should yearn for it the way you crave black coffee or the sea. The
way you don’t mind a racing heart and being revved up all day. The way you won’t
mind sunburn and welts, or stings and sand mites. I have a husband whose eyes
light up when he sees a brood of chickens, and whose nose will follow the scent
of manure anywhere. He wakes up at 4:00 AM to shovel earth, and yes he yearns
for it like an exquisite cup of coffee. Otherwise, throw away well laid-out
plans for the vegetable beds, let the farm go, and return to watching nice farm
videos.
And I’ll bet the farm on this one.
« Older Entries
Earth laughs in flowers. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
A LITTLE ABOUT US
* Biodynamics
* Flower Depot
* Our Story
* Sustainable Farm
* Visiting the Farm
OUR RECENT WORK
* Regenerative Farming: The Secret is in the Soil
* Urban Farming: A GIY (Grow It Yourself) Workshop
* Ancient Adlai: an answer to Food Security
* Food Growing People, see you this Saturday!
* Growing Food not Lawns: A Day of Backyard Farming
* You can Bet the Farm
* iHola Patola!
* Open Pollinated or Heirloom Seeds: Now Available
* A Sense of Humus
* Backyard Farming Workshop
LINKS TO SOME OF OUR GROWING PRACTICES
* Building our Greenhouses with Bamboo
* Biodynamic Farming
* Using a Sowing Calendar: Stars and Planets as our Guide
* Building Healthy Soils
* Making Biodynamic Compost
* Natural Fertilizer: Fish Emulsion
* Green Manuring
* Vermicompost: Earthworms!
* Milk as Fungicide
* Sunflowers as Fertilizer and Pesticide
* Natural Pesticides
* Integrated Pest Management
* Starting a Backyard Garden
* Rethinking Water Use in Agriculture
* Good Soils, Healthy Plants and Water
* Better Soil, Better Earth
* Backyard Farming Series
* Planning your Garden
* Planning your Backyard Farm: What to Grow
* Growing your Garden: Compost, Fish Emulsion & Mulch
* Sowing and Transplanting
* Structures for Backyard Gardening
* Ecological Pest Management
LIFE AT THE FARM
Life at the Farm Select Month February 2019 February 2018 April 2016 March 2016
January 2016 April 2015 November 2014 August 2014 June 2014 April 2014 February
2014 July 2013 May 2013 April 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 June
2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 January 2012 October 2011 September 2011
August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 March 2011 February 2011 July 2010 May
2010 December 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009
WHERE TO FIND US
Makati Office: Makati Curb Holdings, 7433 Yakal St., Makati
Farm: Earth Flora, Dahilayan, Bukidnon (near Dole Plantation)
Weekend Markets: Saturdays- Jaime Velasquez Park (Salcedo Market), Makati;
Sundays- MOMs Organic Produce (Legaspi Market
Call Us:
632-8140854
63922-8165145 (Mobile)
Email: flowers@myflowerdepot.com and info@downtoearth.ph
Twitter: FarmstoHomes and DowntoEarthPh
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Flower-Depot-Inc/100691851429 and
http://www.facebook.com/pages/DowntoEarth/185062881523648
Yahoo ID: myflowerdepot
Ecommerce Website: www.myflowerdepot.com and www.downtoearth.ph
BLOGROLL
* Buy from our Online Store: MyFlowerDepot.com
* Find us on Facebook
* Grist: Environmental News
* Local Harvest.org
* Our Vegetables: DowntoEarth Biodynamic Vegetables grown in living soil
* Treehugger
* WWOOF – World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms
TOP POSTS
* Easy Vegetables to grow in the Tropics
* Regenerative Farming: The Secret is in the Soil
* Visiting the Farm
* Planning your Garden
A GLIMPSE OF OUR FARM
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THE FARMER SAYS:
* When you have a mother like no other. Early bird gets at least 10% savings.
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He who knows the most; he who knows what sweets and virtues are in the ground,
the waters, the plants, the heavens, and how to come at these enchantments, is
the rich and royal man. Only as far as the masters of the world have called in
nature to their aid, can they reach the height of magnificence. -Ralph Waldo
Emerson
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