The ATI-RTC-CAR team of Organic Agriculture headed by Edwin Dicksen conducted their first quarter monitoring among the Baguio-Benguet first batch grantees of the Youth Scholarship Grant on Organic Farming from March 18 to 20, 2024.
The activity aims to monitor the grantees' accomplishments for the past three months after the release of their project fund last November 2023.
The grantees are Elias Estol from Happy Hollows Baguio City; Anthony Page-et from Itogon; Jennilyn Vicente from San Pascual, Tuba; Reyden Bosaing from Taloy Norte, Tuba; and Ivan Talbino from Bakun.
As of March, most of the grantees already procured and planted their seedlings which include beans, lettuce, spinach, pepper, and edible fern. On the other hand, for poultry integration, chicks and hatchers are set to be delivered from their co-grantee Mr. Page-et from Ucab, Itogon.
Also, through the project, grantees were able to build and repair greenhouses; nurseries; and housing for their poultry and composting areas.
However, during the project implementation, grantees cited challenges they encountered especially on the lack of water supply for irrigation. Hence, other grantees purchased rubber hoses to improve the water supply on their farm projects.
In addition, the monitoring team revisited the farm partners who served as mentors to the scholars, including the Cosmic Farm located at Beckel, La Trinidad, and the Lily of Valley Organic Farms in Wangal, La Trinidad.
Moreover, as mentioned by the farm partners, grantees are being monitored by their respective mentors through text messages and video calls from time to time.
Through the mentorship of the accredited farms, the grantees were able to integrate organic technology practices including bam formulation, mokusaku technology, and concoctions on their farm projects.
In her interview, Ms. Vicente expressed her gratitude towards their mentors as they were greatly empowered through their shared knowledge and insights towards them as young agri-preneurs.
βActually, isuda nagbalin nga guide tapnu marugian daytuy nga project. Kala ijay farm nga napanak, nu anya ti practice da ket mabalin nga-adapt ko,β Vicente expressed.
Meanwhile, Mr. Talbino shared that through this scholarship program, he was able to put up his start-up farm project and build a greenhouse for his crops.
Furthermore, the monitoring for the other scholars in other provinces is set to be conducted this April 2024.
