NOVALICHES, Quezon City—An urban agriculture project in a neighborhood in Barangay Bagbag, Quezon City continues to grow and supplement the food supply within and its nearby communities.
The Kingspoint Homeowners’ Association urban agriculture garden was established in 2021 through the national urban agriculture initiatives of the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) and Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI), in cooperation with the local government of Quezon City.
Some of the group’s produce are eggplant, okra, string beans, radish, and lettuce. They are also planning to grow bitter gourd, sponge gourd, chili, and ginger.
“Most of the produce are for the food consumption of the volunteers [who maintain the garden]. Whatever is left is used to feed the chickens, ducks, and rabbits that we also raise,” Kingspoint Joy of Urban Farming Association president Bert Nolasco said in a radio interview.
At present, the volunteers maintain two garden plots which are a total of 1,400 square meters in size. They also have a greenhouse where they grow lettuce, for which they also receive orders online.
Through the training, seminars, and technical assistance provided by the ATI and BPI, the group learned urban agriculture practices such as the use of a cropping calendar and use of natural fertilizers and insecticide.
“We should pay attention to the soil. It’s important to read, observe, and ask questions about how to properly fertilize it,” Nolasco added.
Kingspoint Homeowners’ Association is the first group of homeowners that was launched as an urban agriculture partner of the ATI. To date, the ATI has more than 70 urban agriculture partners in Metro Manila which include schools and non-government organizations.
Check out more of the association’s urban agriculture story on the ATI’s teleradyo program “Agri Asenso” on DZRH. Visit https://fb.watch/i8Hbqk0Onn/ for the full episode which aired on January 7, 2023.
