Our goal is to have a farm that is as low maintenance and highly productive as possible. Development of our farm is guided by zoning principles of permaculture – keeping the ecosystem as natural as possible with the least human intervention. Zones are defined by: the house; the gardens & its walkways; the garage & work sheds; public spaces and the forest. We aim for our farm to be as environmentally friendly as possible, keeping in mind the 3R’s of going green: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.
Our power needs are supplied by both Meralco and our solar panels backed up by our generator. We dug collection ponds that can be a source of grey water with the biggest pond earmarked to be a natural swimming pool. For clean water we dug a well and hit water at 470 feet.
Further down the line we hope to establish livelihood activities not only for ourselves but also for the immediate community around us. First on the list of income generation is to sell our harvest from the land and offspring of our small farm animals.
Meanwhile we are planting every rainy season. We have planted forest trees (Almaciga, Bagras, Dao, Kupang, Molave, Bignay, Narra, Bitaog, Kalumpit, Malabayabas,Tuai, Yakal), decorative trees (African Tulip, Flame tree, Ilang-ilang) and fruit trees (Mangosteen, Sampaloc, Macadamia, Durian, Atemoya, Avocado, Lansones, Rambutan, Macapuno, Salak, Marang, Pomelo, Aratiles, Katmon), to name a few.
Thanks to friends whose farms we visited in Jala-jala, Quezon and Laguna, we learned that salt was good for the coconuts. We got ideas for drip-irrigation. We were taught companion planting that was beneficial for newly planted seedlings and the soil: plant a banana tree on one side of the seedling and kakawate on the other. The banana would shield the seedling from the sun and the fallen leaves of the kakawate would nourish the soil. From our own experience we decided to ring the seedlings with old tires to protect them from the blades of the brush cutter and also as a receptacle of fertiliser. Our very wise uncle told us that the best fertiliser are your footprints. All these wholehearted sharing of experiences and insights among fellow farm enthusiasts -- proof that the Bayanihan spirit is truly alive!
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