A team from the ATI-RTC-CAR went through the Cosmic Farm's operation, and how it implements its farm activities in compliance with Organic Agriculture guidelines. The monitoring activity on March 18, 2024 is part of the Center's initiative to follow through with its interventions.
Cosmic Farm, perched about 1,300 meters above sea level, is located at Barangay Beckel, La Trinidad, Benguet. The farm is one of the first organic farms in CAR. It is about 8 kilometers away from Baguio City. The farm owner, Mr. Rogel Marsan, operates the one-hectare family farm with the assistance of his family.
The farm follows several organic practices such as green manuring, crop rotation, and intercropping. It produces various highland vegetables such as alugbati, bitter gourd, amti, arugula, basil, beans, beetleaf, broccoli, brussels sprout, cherry tomato, cabbage, calunay, sweet potato, carrot, celery, chingkang, cabbage, chives, dill, eggplant, flowering pechay, french beans, physalis, gotukola, heirloom broccoli, Japanese cucumber, kale, kangkong, leeks, lemon, lettuce, madeira vine, malunggay, native tomato, etc.
It also produces its own seeds and planting materials for yacon, bush beans, cherry tomatoes, romaine and red wave lettuce, potato, arugula, and garden peas. Committed to promoting organic agriculture, Mr. Marsan trained his family members on his farm practices. At present, the family shares their practices with farm visitors, and those conducting training at their farm.
The farm is certified as a Learning Site for Agriculture II (School for Practical Agriculture) and also accredited by TESDA as a Farm School offering organic agriculture production NC II, and DOT as an Agri-Tourism site.
