Buro Buro Springs Vermi Farm

Buro Buro Springs Vermi Farm (www.vermiphil.com) is our family farm,  a highly integrated organic farm located in Talisay City, Negros Occidental. It is a premier agro-tourism destination in the Philippines and the first organically certified farm by NICERT in the country. It is considered as the primary resource and training center of Vermiculture in the Philippines and produces organic rice, fruits, herbs as well as high value vegetables. It also produces Vermicompost, Bokashi Organic Feritlizer and Liquid Foliar Fertilizers, mostly from agricultural waste matter. The farm also produces a line of herbal supplements from medicinal plants soon to be registeredwith the FDA for commercial sale. In the last 10 years, this farm has advocated the practice of Vermiculture through training and consultancy services for farmers, local government units and private organizations – to date supplying over 6 tons of African Nightcrawler worms all over the Philippine archipelago. This was my home for over four years, during which I learned the basics of sustainable farming methods and eventually became an organic farming specialist. It is a host farm of the international organization, World Wide Opportunities in Organic Farms (WWOOF), which links farms to volunteers around the world interested in learning a sustainable and organic lifestyle.

Amanpulo

Amanpulo is an exclusive resort in Pamalican Island, North Cuyo, Palawan. Famous for its A list clientele and its immaculate white sand beach, it is arguably one of the most beautiful islands in the Philippines. Reachable through its own private airport and airline company, it is literally in the middle of nowhere between mainland Panay and Palawan. I started working here in 2008, introducing vermicomposting and soil preparation techniques for a tiny garden they already had. This area was eventually overhauled and farmscaped, greenhouses were constructed and a liquid fertilizer laboratory was created. Today, Amanpulo Organic Garden produces most of the resort’s salad greens, herbs and vegetables that are served in their various outlets. The farm is in the process of certification, eventually making Amanpulo the first island resort with an organically certified garden in the Philippines.

Sangat Island Dive Resort

Sangat Island is located off Busuanga Island in Northern Palawan. Accessed through the town of Coron, it is a 700 hectare island with limestone cliffs and dense forest cover. It is a nature reserve as well and located near four of the wrecks that this part of the Philippines is known for. Sangat has a small 5000 square meter farm planted to local vegetables and garden greens. It has a vemicomposting facility and fements its own fertilizers from waste products as well. It will soon be used as a model farm in teaching the native Tagbanua of the area sustainable farming methods.

Lazy Greens

Lazy Greens is a small organic farm located in Nabaoy, Malay, Aklan. Started in 2009, it supplies organic vegetables for a restaurant and a deli owned by Binggoy Remedios of the famous Dos Mestizos Spanish Restaurant in Boracay. It has a vermicomposting facility and also produces its own fertilizers from waste products. Its vermicomposting process uses agricultural waste products from nearby rice farms as well as animal waste gathered around the area It supplies their restautant requirements as well as produce for Boracay’s Saturday community market at Plazoleta Square.

Sunnyvale Eco-Farm

Sunnyvale Eco-Farm is located on a 5000 square meter property in the traditionally rice-growing area of San Miguel, Iloilo. Started by a retired lawyer and real estate executive, it was the fastest farm I ever developed and finished after 4 months from breaking ground. It produces organic lettuce, arugula, tomatos, basil and other culinary herbs which are supplied to restaurants in Iloilo City as well as to top hotels in Boracay Island. All its fertilizers are made from agricultural waste products such as rice straw, rice hull and carabao dung, making it a sustainable food system in its own environment.

Farm on a Cliff

Farm on a Cliff is a small garden I helped set up in Yapak, on the Northeast end of Boracay Island. Set in a 2000 square meter area, it is probably one of my biggest farmscaping challenges. When we were planning the farm in April 2011, it seemed as the most improbable area for building one. It was sloping, rocky and had clayish top soil. Water is also an expensive commodity in the island, as this is pumped from the mainland by a water and sewerage company. We eventually made terraced plots, a rain catching system and vermicomposting beds. Three months after breaking ground, we harvested our first crop of arugula. It is planted to pineapples, salad greens, basil, herbs, tomatos and cucumber.