BUKIDNON, Region X – Farmers may soon become more acquainted with the saying “The More, The Merrier,” as this had been the new slogan among corn coordinators who recently joined the benchmarking activity in the province of Bukidnon from January 10-13, 2022. Out of the many farms they visited, the value of Integrated Farming System (IFS) - which produces both crops and animals instead of just one commodity in a farm - has been their key learning throughout the trip.

The coordinators cum Agricultural Technologists (ATs), who work at the city/municipal Local Government Units (LGUs) of Agusan del Norte, were the prime movers in the successful conduct of the School-on-the-Air (SOA) on Corn last May to September 2021. As an incentive, the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) granted their proposal of a benchmarking activity in Learning Sites for Agriculture (LSA) in Region 10.

On January 10, the group visited the Abellanosa Farm in Don Carlos which is into dairy buffalo production, milk processing, and other value-adding ventures. They grow forage and grasses as feed sources and crops and animals to meet the needs during lean or flush periods in dairy production.

The following day (morning of January 11), the group headed to the Mushroom City farm in Malaybalay City. It is owned by the Quemada family and managed by its two young sons, Ted and Bong. While Brazilian fire trees, bamboos, corn, coffee, cacao, vegetables, and animals are grown in the farm, the main source of income there is mushrooms. The spongy fungi are sold online as fresh products or as chicharon in stores, canteens, and resto bars.

In the afternoon, the group dropped by at the Northern Mindanao Agricultural Crops and Livestock Research Complex (NMACLRC) which is a research center under the Department of Agriculture (DA). Then, they headed to Atugan Nature Farm in Impasug-ong where crops and livestock are also grown and corn is turned into a sweet delicacy called Binaki.

In the evening, the weary travelers slept at Alomah’s Place and Nature Farm in Manolo Fortich - an LSA, School for Practical Agriculture (SPA), Farm School, and farm tourism site rolled into one. The following morning (January 12), the group was toured around the sprawling farm by no less than the owner himself, Benjohn Mahistrado. The farm is complete from herbs to horses. Its edible garden is fortified with nutrients from vermicompost. High-value crops such as lettuce, Chinese pechay, and herbs are sold through walk-ins or via social media.