Known for its Rhino fossils, the municipality of Rizal is also the home of Green Valley Farm. The owner is Johnny 0. Carillo, 64, father of three, and a Gawad Saka Awardee for Outstanding HVCC farmer (Fruit category) in 2016. It is a 4.5 hectares GAP-certified mango farm, the Learning Site of ATI-RTC- CAR and DA CAR partnership.
Each success story has its own ups and downs, each has their good practices worth sharing. And the story of Tang Johnny is one of them.
The flower inducer: tilling the land himself
The land was bought sometime in 2004. It was once an idle area but he slowly developed it to become one of the pilot areas of good agricultural practices (GAP) farms in the province.
Tang Johnny recalled he was still working with a bank at that time when he acquired the first parcel of the land. He was privileged that he started his farm at the right time when he had easier access to the lending institution. Tang Johnny and his fellow bank workers were encouraged to borrow money from the bank they worked themselves which he did and used the money to expand the area.
Tang Johnny first let his brother cultivate the land and planted it with rice. Surprisingly, that certain parcel of land gave them a produce of 100 cavans, which at that time was a great harvest. With that, he was inspired to personally do farm works and till the area.
In 2006, because of his receptiveness, the Kalinga-Apayao State College (KASC), now Kalinga State University (KSU) chose him as their farmer partner cooperator for an agroforestry demonstration area project. The College provided technical assistance, planted leguminous crops to improve the soil of the area, and implemented other activities as specified in their Memorandum of Agreement. Courtesy of the project, the land was subjected to soil analysis and it was affirmed that the area is suitable for mango production.
As a counterpart to the project, Tang Johnny bought grafted mango seedlings to be planted in his area. To him, he does not usually remember the exact dates of his important farm activities but made sure that those days will be special to him. In order to remember the dates of his major farm activities, he usually organized these with important events. Like for example, the very day when mangoes trees were planted was the same date as the wedding of one of his children.
Decided to pursue mango production, he has attended training. With his trainings on flower induction, other mango producers are requesting him to spray their mango trees, as he said, “adu seminar nga napnapanak nu kasanu agpabunga ti manga, haan ko napupuotan, adu metten agdamdamag kanyak, siyak metten sursuruten da”. And he willingly shares this knowledge and skills acquired with those who ask for his help.
The sprout of the green valley farm, Tang Johnny recalled his college days with his friends when they are doing their thesis as agriculture students at the Cagayan State University. They were given a certain area as their theses’ site which he described as a little valley. For quite some time they have cultivated the land and planted it with different kinds of vegetables which they also harvested and ate. The area became a haven to them and they named the area the Green Valley Farm. Thus, when applying for GAP certification for his farm, he called it the Johnny-Lina Carillo Green Valley Farm.
When mango flowers seem not to Bloom: Challenges Turned to opportunities
Tang Johnny vividly remembered and openly shared the uncertainties and challenges of his life.
When he accepted the challenge as a farmer cooperator of KASC, at first, he did not have a full grasp of what were expected from him. What he only wanted was to improve his farm. That move opened the doors of opportunity for him to showcase the technology shared with him by the KASC and to impart good farm practices to the younger generation. Until now, he sustains his partnership with the school.
Encompassing, he shared that there was a time when part of his farm was burned which led to financial losses, yet he continued with his farming activities.
There was also a time when he was encouraged to make his farm better thus, he bought rolls of barbwire to fence his farm. He decided to spare the Gmelina from his fencing project so he did not nail the wires to these trees. Came the following day, the barbwires were stolen. Downhearted, he almost gave up and decided not to continue with his fencing activities. However, he still needs to fence the area as stray animals keep on disturbing their farm activities. Seeing his low countenance, his children gave him money to buy another roll of barbwire. For this time, he made sure that the barbwire will be there for a longer time. As advised, he painted them green. Accordingly, when fencing materials like barbwire were painted with a chosen color, it conveys that a certain material is already owned by a particular person. Thus, other people cannot use that color or get those materials. Further, he had no choice but to use six inches of iron nails to secure the barbwire to the Gmelina trees he once spared.
Next to this worth sharing experience was related to his political life. Tang Johnny recalled that after seeking a second term as a member of the Sangguniang Bayan Council, he lost by eight points. Dismayed and to avoid negative feedback from other people, he then turned to his farm. The farm became his refuge to deal with the feeling of downheartedness.
Tang Johnny gave his full attention to his farm. He planted more mango trees that he carefully designed the plantation. Accordingly, these patterns can be visibly seen on the top view. More crops were planted as well. Surprisingly, his farm improved.
With the good testimony of his farm, other farmers were inspired to go into mango production and expand their existing mango areas.
Sometime in 2015, the Office of the Municipal Agriculturist and Office of the Provincial Agriculturist came for a visit and invited him to subject his farm to GAP certification. His farm is one of the pilot GAP farms in the province of Kalinga.
In early 2016, he was endorsed to ATI-RTC-CAR as a learning site on GAP for his mango production. It was approved and provided with fund support to construct a holding area. This strengthened his partnership with DA CAR and ATI-RTC-CAR.
In the late part of 2016, almost his crops were destroyed by typhoon Lawin. Most of his mango trees were uprooted from the ground. He willingly accepted the effect of that strong typhoon and managed to continue on with his farm activities. He started from what was left behind by the typhoon, and the most important thing for him, he rose up again.
With the right inducers: The GAP journey and good practices
The earlier days of his farm production employed intensive farming. But this changed when he became one of the pilot GAP farms in the province of Kalinga. He said that mango production still relies on chemical- based insecticide but for this time, he uses chemicals acceptable to GAP guidelines.
Similar to other GAP-certified farms, the journey was not an easy one. But because of his interest, he successfully followed the GAP requirements. He attended GAP orientations and training workshops conducted by DA ROS and ATI-RTC-CAR. He was able to visit the Rosa Farm at Zambales and that gave him the confidence to push through with the GAP certification process. As he said, “I can also be a GAP certified-farm as we have the same facilities found in the farm”.
The certification of his farm was made possible by the full assistance of the OMAg of Rizal and OPAg Kalinga. The staff from these offices diligently monitored his GAP process and they made sure to implement the GAP– related activities as scheduled in his proposal.
Tang Johnny smiled while he continued his story, “When my name is flashed on the screen as one GAP-certified farms, a 64-year- old was able to do it, how much for the younger generation”.
Sharing the right amount: farm practices worth sharing
Presently on his 4.5-hectare land, he practices intercropping mango-banana-lowland vegetables. A separate area is apportioned for rice, cacao, and mulberry tree production.
Intercropping is one of the farm’s best practices. Still, mango serves as his main commodity. The banana serves as shade for smaller crops. He sustained the production of leguminous crops like mongo and snap beans to improve the soil. Also, decomposed waste serves as mulch for the mango trees.
Around the farm is the Madre de cacao which serves both as a natural fence and buffer. Accordingly, this kind of landscape is one of his winning points to get the Gawad Saka in 2016 because of natural fencing to his farm. He advised that Madre de cacao is best planted during summer, not the rainy season when the soil is damp.
As of GAP, before, farm workers used only short pants and t-shirts on. But now because of his strict instruction and monitoring, they are now using masks with cover-all clothes on. Aside from this, he keeps on reminding them not to go against the wind when spraying. Tang Johnny now uses water from
a clean source. Previously, he just get water from any sources, but now he takes time and effort to get water from a clean source, which is farther away from his farm.
To guarantee that the mango produce is of its best quality, he usually harvests them at 146 to 150 days after flower induction as the fruits are mature enough.
Although he already established his market outside the community, he left some of his produce for the local market.
Tang Johnny made sure to have a remembrance from his harvest. He gave his very first harvest for free as part of promoting his products. From his second harvest, he bought a chainsaw, the third harvest provided him with an engine rice mill and the fourth gave him a mini tractor.
Sustaining the flowers: Present Partners Tang Johnny, even at his age maintains his good disposition in life. It is not a surprise that his partners keep him as their farmer- cooperator in their projects and activities. As said, he is a favorite OJT site of Kalinga State University (KSU) students.
He expanded his partnership with government and private companies for his rice and mango production.
Presently, he is also venturing into mulberry production with the assistance of one government agency.
His fellow farmers entrusted him that he is elected as president of the Rizal Mango Growers Association and Macutay Famers Association. Leading the group, they can propose a processing center for mango, which they are awaiting its approval.
He will always be grateful to KSU, OMAg Rizal, and OPAg Kalinga for trusting him to highlight agricultural good practices for other farmers to imitate.
More than the fame or whatever, Tang Johnny smiled and said, “My reward of being a LS, is that you are coming to visit me. It is my joy that other farmers or agencies come for visits”.
As a Learning Site cooperator of ATI and DA, I am motivated to keep on doing research and share more knowledge. “Imbes matorog jay ammuk, mapilitan ak ag-adal, ken agsau ti Tagalog”.
To keep the flowers bloom: Future plan
His farm keeps on serving as a meeting and training place for the farmers’ association he is connected with. He plans to complete the construction of his training area to include rooms for accommodation. He persistently followed up his request for a solar pump project so that he can also go into a fish farm as part of his farming enterprise. This will also be a water source for his other crops.
He is the only one involved with farm activities. His wife and children are all into teaching and he understood the time requirement of being a teacher. Although his family members are not physically helping him in his farm activities, they are fully supportive of him.
Admittedly, he said that is my fear, from among my kids, who will “inherit’ or continue the farm activities when physically he no longer cannot do it on his own. However, hope sparked when he remembered that his grandchildren loves doing farm works with him.
And when asked how can he see his farm years from now- “haan ak maum-uma, haan ak agpatingga ngem nu ibaga yu kanyak haan ak en mabalin ngem agpabunga ak ladta ti manga.
Acknowledgments and references:
Dr. Ernesto Miguel, Dean, College of Agriculture, KSU for other documents as Reference materials
OMAg Rizal for the scrapbook
Story by:
