As the sharing of John Muir says, "Between every two pines is a doorway to a new world”- a great example is the Salt and Pepper Farm owned by the couple Andrew and Safe Pekas.
Few minutes away from the national highway at Kin-iway, Besao, Mountain Province, the Salt and Pepper Agricultural Learning Center Inc. (SPALCI), a certified learning site on agriculture (LSA) by the Department of Agriculture -Agricultural Training Institute Cordillera and a TESDA partner in implementing scholarship programs NC II on Organic Agriculture Production, bread and pastry production and events management services.
The farm is surrounded by pine trees making the soil acidic. For certain years, the couple planted several crops hoping that these will produce a good harvest. However, few crops only thrive. Dedicated to make the area a productive one, they deliberately sought knowledge and skills to make it happen. They reached out to several well-known farmers and organic practitioners to help them realize their plan. At first, accordingly, they did several experiments in the area to make it productive. Investing their finances and other resources did not matter as long as they will learn more about sustainable agriculture.
After some time, the area is slowly becoming into the farm they are envisioning it to be. In 2019, it was certified as LSA naming it SPALCI and was provided with enhancement support in 2020.
For the couple, operating the farm strengthen their relationship as they complement each other- Andrew is involved in the hands-on and technical aspect of the farm while Safe is more into administrative and coordination-related works.
As LSA, ‘For us to have an authority and opportunity to share’
The couple placed it in their heart to open the area as a learning avenue for others. When learning about the LSA program of the ATI, they did not hesitate to apply as they are looking for an ‘authority’ to teach.
“Sunga dakkel ti panagyaman mi iti ATI ta naikkan kami ti authority to share, with us being LSA certified, we have the confidence to train others, as it is our passion to impart knowledge”, says Safe.
Little did they know that a financial support to augment their farm operation is part of being a certified LSA. Although they are happy to receive supports and interventions from ATI and other agencies, these taught them something,
“Nagdakkel ngay insuro na kanyami jay interventions kasla daytoy enhancement. Honestly ket maen-enjoy mi (as farmers) nga priority kami ti enhancement ken ada times bigla kami nga maik ikan ti additional supports (from various agencies). Kaya lang gayam, narealized mi nga ada koma gayam ti akin bagi ijay da ngem naipan kanyami. Sunga mas nakar-karu nga nakita mi jay obligation mi to give back to the community ken opportunity to share” Safe shares.
On that, both Andrew and Safe is committed not just to train the participants but to facilitate them to become an organization so that they can do more after their trainings. “After the training, we made sure nga haan mi ibati isuda”, adds safe.
It was during the pandemic that they started to organize their participants. To date, they were able to organize three groups: Og-Ogbo, a women’s’ group; Bangaan- Fidelisan- Tanulong-Aguid- Madungo Farmers’ Association (BFTAMFA); and the Green Economist, composed of the displaced workers from various sectors like tour guides, weavers and sewers. Although the members of the Green Economist returned to their original works, they are still into farming particularly livestock production.
Partnership is always been a part of their operation. Aside from maintaining a strong link with the provincial and municipal local government unit, they were able to forge network with DA-RFO-CAR and BPI BNCRDPSC that provided planting materials to their trainees.
Micro-organism dependent: Towards sustainable farming
The place used to be a camping area and accepting visitors who would want to enjoy its serene and cold environment. For some, they are geared towards farm tourism, but the Salt and Pepper Farm wants to concentrate more as learning avenue on sustainable agriculture. Further, they also want to establish a seed bank of open pollinated varieties for they believe that these seeds have already built resistance suitable in the area.
At the farm’s entrance is the composting facility that produces inputs that help in adding and sustaining the organic matter that will define the farm’s productivity. They are convinced that thru microorganisms in the soil and feeding these with organic matter - the soil can be made productive especially in their case that their farm’s soil is acidic.
Now, they can attest that a fertile farm is possible under the pines.
For two years, they practice zero tillage in their farm. They only add layers of compost every time they start a new cropping season that in way not to disturb the relationship already built among the microorganisms, soil and the roots of the plants.
Indeed, Andrew puts his heart in teaching about the importance of beneficial microorganism and their symbiotic relationships with the soil.
Before teaching some production technologies, Andrew points out the principle of farming anchored in the saying ‘feed the soil and the soil will feed the plant…and the plant will feed you’… so that the trainees will really understand the need to give importance to the soil and to the thousands of beneficial organisms living in it.
Same principles of understanding the organisms living in the area applies in managing the pests and diseases of the crops. As such, they do not use commercial fertilizers and pesticides in their farm production.
Presently, the Salt and Pepper Farm is continuously producing vegetables in their farm in Besao as source of raw materials for the restaurant in Sagada, which they also opened as venue for trainings.
The couple knows that they need to endure more challenges especially that they opened their lives to help fellow farmers in ways they can. Despite listening to many ‘adu la amin’ from others, these are not comparable when they hear ‘isu la gayam’ especially from the younger trainees knowing that in one way or another, they have imparted valuable teachings to them.
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