Visiting the couple Roberto and Thelma Bacani of the Bacani Integrated Farm provided us with another experience of hospitality and kindness- the characters they have that allows the continuous pouring in of blessings to their family-which they also willingly share to others.
The Bacani Farm located at Bananao, Paracelis, Mountain Province is certified by the DA-ATI-CAR as Learning Site for Agriculture (LSA) in 2022 showcasing rice as the main commodity. It was the Office of the Municipal Agriculturist of Paracelis encouraged them to apply as LSA as they see the potential in them to become one.
When asked why did they apply as LSA, with a shy smile, Thelma answered, “Kuna da met gamen nga pag -adalan ti daduma nga farmers, jay maadal mi ket i-share mi kanyada”. (We were told that LSA is a learning avenue for other farmers and that we should also share what we know.)
Will you still continue your being LSA if your certification ends, the follow up question asked to them.
Confidently, they answered, ‘Wen ah, tapnu maka train ti daduma pay nga farmers, (Indeed, we will, so that more farmers will be trained through our LSA).
With the trainings they attended, the couple testified that learnings gained from trainings helped improve their farm production. And in return, they want to use their farm as area for knowledge sharing.
What messages or sharing do you want to share to fellow farmers, we asked.
Thelma remembers a resounding statement from one of the DA trainings attended “dakayu nga farmers, haan yu sayangen ti daga nu ketdi mabalin nga mulaan ti dadduma (saba) jay ig iged na tapnu pang lap-ped ti soil erosion tapnu haan maanod ti dag daga. Jay babbaba mabalin mulaan ti legumes. (Utilize every area, plant other crops like banana to serve as soil erosion control. You may also plant also leguminous crops to available spaces).
They added, “nu linmakay en jay saba, sukatan mi, i-crop rotation iti corn jay mabalin nga mulaan. Nu agsubli jay dam-eg ti daga, mabalin mi mulaan manen ti saba ken dadduma nga prutas jay bakbakras. Jay daduma nga mabalin, mulaan mi ti pagay”.
(We do crop rotation, if the bananas are old, we will replace them with other crops like corn and rice (to areas applicable). After sometime, we will replant banana and other fruit trees.
“Agmulamula ti naduma duma nga crops tapnu kasbilang bumaba ti presyo ti bagas or saba, ada dadduma apit nga mangsupusop”, says the couple. (We need to plant diverse crops so that when the price of rice and banana is low, there are other crops to augment the income.)
“Nasursuro mi ijay training nga bawal ti agpuor ti garami, isupay nga fertilizer sunga nu ada agpuor- bagaan mi suda nga haan da agpuor”. (We learned from the trainings that we should not burn the rice straw but instead we can use them as fertilizers (by integrating them back to the soil). So, when we see farmers doing such, we usually tell them not to burn rice straws.)
As said, they usually employ traditional ways of farming. But because of trainings, they have a new mindset and positive acceptance of better farming practices and technologies.
It was Thelma who mostly participates to trainings, seminars and other activities being invited to them (facilitated by DA and its bureaus). She diligently shared these learnings to her husband. And in response, Robert applies these to the farm activities. Seeing the benefit of applying these knowledges, they also want others to have the same learnings as they have.
Their before:
Robert and Thelma both grew in a farming community. After getting married in 1995, they started to till and develop their own farm.
Some land areas were inherited and personally bought by Robert when he was still single. Knowing the value of farming as source of living, they decided to acquire more lands. With little fund on hand, they joined a cooperative and availed loans to buy additional lands to expand their farming production.
The couple shared, they just focused to their farming activities. When farm machineries were locally available and seeing the advantage, they also acquired machineries though loans. Slowly, they were able to pay all the credit loan.
Remembering those times that they relied on credit loans to secure properties; they needed to double their efforts to have more income to pay for the loans at the same to provide food and other needs of the family. The couple shares, “Dakkel yaman mi ken Apo, haan mi namalayan, nabayadan mi gayam en. Dakkel nga agpasyu tulong ti maki miyembro ti cooperative”. (We thank God, unknowingly, we are able to pay all our credit loans. Joining a cooperative is a big help).
Up to now, both of them are active members of the cooperative.
Their Now:
The couple owns hectares of lands located in different areas. Of which, a total of 7.6 hectares is dedicated to rice farming-both for irrigated rice and rainfed rice production. Aside from rice farming, the farm expanded to become an integrated farm engaged into rice and corn production, lowland vegetable farming, banana intercropped with cacao, and fruit trees like rambutan, pomelo, lanzones. As for animal production, they are into raising different livestock animals (swine, goat, carabao, cow); poultry (native chicken, duck, turkey) and into fishery.
The farm utilizes various machineries to help them in the farming activities. The farm is actively operating with basic facilities such as multi crop dying pavement (MCDP) with shed, piggery, hand tractor, thresher, combined harvester, turtle hand tractors, plow, and comb-tooth-harrow.
During the visit to the Bacani family, they are currently conducting a Farmers Field School class being facilitated by the DA-RFO CAR in their holding area. The Bacani Farm accepted to become the Techno Demo farmer partner on corn production.
That same day, the couple is also set to accommodate staff from the Technical Education and Skills Authority (TESDA) to discuss about the possibility of becoming a farm school. They are confident to accept the responsibilities of becoming a farm school as they are already hosting trainings and wanted to provide wider opportunities for farmers to learn more.
Furthermore, they can now be assisted by their daughter, a BS Agriculture graduate. Their eldest son, who finished vocational course on auto machinery, decided to help them in the farming activities to operate and maintain the farm machineries.
Serving as LSA reflects their love for others-opening their home to bring people together to have the same chance as they have. In this way, fellow farmers will have avenue to acquire knowledge and skills on farming to help them to have better lives.
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