BACKYARD FARMING

September 19, 2018

Barangay Hall, Barangay Tibig, Lipa City

Who said you needed a green thumb and a large green house to plant. With the current situation of the Philippines. Probably, planting in your own backyard can be the solution. If you haven't been living under a rock, you have already heard the term inflation almost everyday these past few weeks. And yes, vegetables have been at the top lost of increased prices. And with the sustainable efforts by the Council of Student Organizations and the inflation, a planting seminar was conducted.

Based from the organizers, they have had backyard farming a year before the one that I attended. That time was really hands on, this year was a bit more on awareness. It focused on the different terms used in farming and possible ways to apply it.

A few insights in the conduct of the seminar:

1. A note to speakers, know your audience. The words used in the discussion should be understood by the majority. Best to use their vernacular language or use layman's terms.
2. You can plant anytime, its just a matter of having some patience and giving off some tender loving care.
3. You can plant anywhere, creativity stretches with this belief. Some planted outside, others inside, and some have also successfully grown some vegetables in the cup for instant noodles.
4. Wintermelon is kundol. Who would have thought such a tasty flavor for milktea comes from a vegetable looking like a cucumber.
5. The Department of Agriculture and other sectors provide many free supplies for farming, like soil, vermicomposite, seeds, and even machinery, as long as you provide the needed papers, or you can just drop by their office.

The talk was informative, the place was a bit crowded, the practice was never done, but at least they gave us some free seeds. Perhaps it may be time to start planting.