This was my second time joining Department of Agriculture tour, first time was in Benguet/Sagada (posts right here) and this time was in Bacolod!
First stop is May's organic Garden and Restaurant. This is also the place where we will be spending the nights of our 4 day Bacolod trip. The organic Garden was first a family farm owned by Ms. May Uy. It opened to the public last 2010 when they saw the potential of it being a tourist attraction. It was that time that the humble farm became a resort.
We arrived there around lunch time and was served with a very nice set of lunch. So organic!
After lunch, we settle into our rooms. We stayed in a 2-storymy building with 12 rooms which can accommodate up to 60 guests. Check out the rooms. Our room is the on on the right. I got dibs on the big bed. :) Really nice place for those who want an organic getaway :)
We freshened up a bit then headed downstairs for our organic agriculture briefing. The talk was given by the husband of Ms. May Uy, Mr. Ramon Uy. Mr. Uy shared to us how the farm started and a short story on why they went organic.
"We have been using the wrong technology in farming and we end up producing bad quality products. The answer to that problem is going organic." shared Mr. Uy. "Non organic farmers spends around 60% of expenses on fertilizer. But in organizer, they would be spending a lot less on fertilizer and will be getting better income."
Since realizing that, they have personally devoted themselves in training and supporting farmers. It is true that the backbone of every country are its farmers. But these farmers who is our backbone are mostly the one who don't have enough food to eat and support their family and even send their kids to schools. "Those people who work the whole day everyday should be rich, but why is it that most of our farmers are poor?" challenged Mr. Uy.
That is one of the reasons why Mr. And Mrs. Uy wanted to help the farmers and encourage them to go organic with their farming. They started teaching farmers how to produce organic crops, some medicinal plants and how to raise organic farm animals.
On their livestock area, they have chicken, goats, horses, turkey and odorless hogs. You wouldn't believe that their hogs are fed with greens! That's the reason why they don't smell. They are big and healthy! :)
One of the main trade and business of the Cauayan town there is producing charcoal. But the process is so hard and the profit very small. That is why Mr. Uy convinced the neighborhood to start planting Lemon trees. Now, these small farmers produce lemon grass that they sell for the production of Oil.
One of the main trade and business of the Cauayan town there is producing charcoal. But the process is so hard and the profit very small. That is why Mr. Uy convinced the neighborhood to start planting Lemon trees. Now, these small farmers produce lemon grass that they sell for the production of Oil.
They also ventured tried extracting oil and some nutrients on some existing plants and trees that they have laying around on the farm and also on nearby farms.
One of the many things that Mr. Uy also shared as an example of their support to farmers is with its Vermiculture. They lend farmers vermi-compost and when farmers begin to earn, that's the time when these farmers can return the vermi-compost to them. most of the time, double on what was lent.
In vermi-compost you have very low investment. Vermi - composting is the process of composting using various worms and some vegetables or food waste. The process reduces levels of contaminants and increases nutrients of the soil. It is an excellent (natural) organic fertilizer and soil conditioner.
Mr. Uy also proudly shared the types of shredders that they have. Because these are his machines and was made by his machine shop. (RU Foundry and Machine Shop Corp.)
They have machines for extracting oil, for shredding plants, shredding plastic, glass bottles, and rocks! It was amazing that anything around this place and anything that they use and consume can be used somewhere else. Now that's amazing recycling.
They also have a machine that can make charcoal like pellets that can fire up a stove for cooking rice and other food. Talk about ingenuity!
After the short tour around where they showed us the livestock area, the composting area and also went around their organic farms I realized that every place is connected to each other. Its just amazing how each and every compliments and gives purpose to another. The place was huge, it is around 4 hectares of land. They plant organic rice, some corn, lettuce and herbs like mint and rosemary.
The whole organic Garden idea started out from a hobby. It was ms. May's favorite past time and also her passion for gardening that led her to open their home to everyone who shares the same passion as hers. The place has an entrance free. Not for the owners but this is for the feeding program that the host is having on some nearby village every week.
Meet the owners and my Ninong and Ninang.
Meet the owners and my Ninong and Ninang.
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| Mr. Ramon Uy and Ms. May Uy. |
May's Organic Garden and Restaurant was developed to showcase organic products and also offer organic farming technologies to existing farmers and to share with others the benefits of organic farming. Watch out for the second part of my Bacolod Organic Farm Tour. :)
May's Organic Garden & Restaurant
Sitio Aning, Brgy. Pahanocoy, Bacolod City, Negros Occidental
Tel. No.: (034) 444-1751
Telefax : (034) 444-1337
This is Mix signing out!
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