The intricate leaves in shades of green and purplish red, tucked in small cups and lined perfectly with a continuous water system, are a sight to behold inside Blake’s greenhouse.
Blake’s Agritourism Techno Farm traces back its humble beginnings in 2022, within the four corners of the family’s rooftop in Brgy. San Mariano, Roxas, Oriental Mindoro.
“We started as Blake’s Hydrofarm. It was named after my daughter, Blake,” owner Carl Benedict Yap De Guzman recalled.
Carl, born and raised in Manila, fell in love with farming when he decided to stay in Roxas to help in the family business after graduating from his Master’s degree in Business Administration. They own a restaurant where lettuce is a main ingredient in most of their cuisines.
“It was after the pandemic when the price of lettuce went high that we thought of growing our own. We started planting in pots, but when it was time for us to go back to Manila, we had a problem taking care of the plants. No one was available to water the plants daily. That’s why we decided to start hydroponics,” he shared.
Hydroponics is a technique of growing plants using water-based nutrient solutions instead of soil. Aside from not needing soil for plants to grow, hydroponics promotes water conservation, ensures year-round harvest, boosts fast growth and high yield, saves space, and requires less labor- making it a promising technique for farmers.
In Oriental Mindoro, most farms grow leafy vegetables, herbs, and spices organically or in an open field. In terms of scale, Blake’s is considered at the forefront of hydroponics farming in the province. Among the frequent clients of Blake’s are restaurants in Roxas and nearby towns, and individuals in the province who can purchase their produce at an average price of PhP 200.00 to PhP 250.00 per kilo year-round which is relatively cheaper. The usual market price ranges from an average of PhP 300.00 to PhP 350.00.
From the rooftop, Carl decided to expand and establish a greenhouse inside their family-owned nine-hectare land, which was initially a coconut plantation.
In a 385-square-meter greenhouse, Blake’s lettuce, herbs, and spices, including basil, thyme, tarragon, mint, and rosemary, are grown hydroponically. The farm uses hydroponic systems such as the Nutrient Film Technique and the Ebb and Flow (flood and drain) systems, while water and irrigation sources are solar-powered.
For Carl, starting is not always easy, especially on the operational aspect of managing a farm. He shared that there was a time when he experienced losses because of negligence. However, he was able to manage when he considered it as a learning experience and part of the process. He believes that one of the biggest assets in fulfilling his goals is the people he works with. Training his people and monitoring them closely helped him navigate through it.
“If we want good results, we need to invest. Invest financially; invest in education; invest in our people. It is inevitable for us to give extra time, effort, and money,” he said.
A year after continuous operation, Carl became acquainted with the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) in MIMAROPA. Through its training programs, he learned about the Learning Site for Agriculture (LSA), for which he eventually got certified.
“The LSA certification helped us build our credibility as a farm and training site. Those who visit us can be confident that we are credible to teach and train them on our available technologies because we are a certified LSA,” he shared.
Aside from hydroponics, Blake’s now offers other attractions to visitors, including a flower garden, farm animals, and fruit-bearing trees. Visitors can also learn about sustainable practices in cattle, poultry, and hog farming. They are also into growing Japanese melons which they found to have excellent potential market in the province and neighboring areas.
Carl also shared that, through time, they learned what would draw more visitors to the farm- they valued the feedback they received. Ultimately, their goal is to offer visitors and clients a holistic agritourism techno farm experience.
“To all aspiring farmer-entrepreneurs, start small and know your market. Listen to your market. Learn from others, and benchmark with another successful farm,” he stated.
Carl believes that there are a lot of things that need to be done to propel his farming endeavors and advocacies. In general, farmers need the help of the local government, government institutions, private sector, and other individuals to achieve sustainability in farming. For instance, the government might need to look into the policies to help farmers transport their produce from the island province of Oriental Mindoro to other regions or Manila efficiently and economically.
Currently, Blake’s farm also welcomes students, researchers, government employees, and enthusiasts for tour and hydroponics training. Carl is also closely coordinating with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority and the Department of Education to discuss future collaborations for the establishment of a farm school, implementation of training programs, and educational tours.
“Our business model goes beyond selling and earning. We envision that we will not just be any other farm. We want people to visit us not just to enjoy but also to do benchmarking and be inspired to do farming,” he said.
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