Bacolod Here We Are

We had been needing a vacation.  A long one is being planned, but our bodies and minds need one soonest.

Bacolod it is, to visit friends.

We can't be totally away from farming and the advocacy...with the coordination of Pam Henares, see you if you want to learn about pastured chickens :)

WHAT:  Raising Pastured Chickens
WHEN: August 15, 2-5pm
WHERE: NISARD Office, Provincial Capitol
WHO: Doc Rey will give the seminar

This will be free and open to all.

Naturally Farmed White Layers

After experimenting and getting good results with pasturing white broilers, Doc Rey decided to try raising the white layers in natural farming conditions.

We didn't pasture them, as they will mix with our broilers, as the ranging chickens can't be stopped from visiting neighbors in other ranging areas.

Trial of white layers, we used the HiSex brand of Console Farms. Housing was airy and gave them a lot of room and sunshine. There were fed the same way the pastured whites were. Last week, on week 19, they started making their "clacking" sound. Then, their diet was supplemented with calcium....snails and egg shells.

On week 20, the first drops...notice their size and the color?

Look how deep yellow the yolk is and how thick the egg white is :)

The cleanliness of the chicken and the eggs is not based on the color of the feathers, but it is in how it how it was raised.

Charcoal Heater

When I was doing an interview for an article, my question on what beddings and manner of brooding came up. I was expecting the normal brooding practices of either conventional or natural farming, but this was a nice blend of science and natural.

Charcoal Heater: Using this kind of artificial heater is a big advantage to natural farmers because it  is very cost efficient and at the same time the smoke helps repel mosquitoes that is the carrier of fowl pox. The heat is very much scattered equally at the brooder that even if you are standing at the edge of the brooder, you can feel the heat that is produced. One heater can be used for up to 1000 heads of chicks.   If you used it for just 14 days for brooding time, you can re use it for as much as 5 times for 14day cycles. It is made of  thin galvanized plain sheets, so it burns over time as you use it.

Cost: P380 per piece in Cagayan de Oro

Description:  Heater is made of plain sheet, charcoal powered. 

It has own ash collector at the bottom.

How to use it:  Use wood charcoal around 2kls. 

If you start around 9pm it will last around 4am.
Cost to use:  PHP300/sack contains 9kls. 

Approximately PHP67.00/usage 

Natural Farming Family

After being given a column on natural farming in Agriculture Magazine, we knew we wanted to go beyond the topics of simply natural farming. We wanted to show the people behind it, what it takes to be a natural farmer, who are the ones that have the sustainability....natural farming requires dedication and patience :)

A topic that played on our minds is the family as a unit...a natural farming family. Rare time that Doc Rey and I will be on the same wavelength, but we were one on this...the Glinogas.

Mid June, after I rushed my July2011 debut column, I met the Glinogas for an interview. Gold, the younger son, was sick but he patiently obliged and quietly waited. Silver, the older one, animatedly intermediated during the interview. These are 11 and 14 year old boys. I told Doc Rey he missed the wonderful vibes of the family!

Bittie Glinoga, an airforce pilot meets a nurse, Weng Fortun, during a course for paramedics/rescue, where she was the teacher.  One had a land, the other was raised by a farming family. Years later, they wanted to revive the denuded farm and give jobs to Pitogo, Quezon folks.  Glinoga Organic Farm was born.

I won't preempt our column for August 2011, but just a preview of things:

Lubi Lubi or Niyog Niyogan cooked as guinataan

Lagikway used as anti-hypertensive in the Pitogo, Quezon community.  Cooked like Camote Tops.

The Glinoga Organic Farm has a stall at the AANI FTI Weekend Market every Saturday and Sunday.  I told them that I wish that MM of Market Manila discovers them there.  That was in June.  After two (2) weeks, read this post :)  Good things are hard not to be noticed!

Read the full story soon:)

Going to Alaminos

Doc Rey will do a seminar in Alaminos, Pangasinan on August 8, 1pm.  Cityhall.  

Join us if you are interested to learn about pasturing chickens....it is FREE :)

Purely Fruits and Vegetable Fed

We are proud of our pastured, free ranging native pigs.  They are on a purely Azolla, fruits and vegetables diet, not having been given grains.  The pigs are such big grass eaters too and are natural tillers, as they nose their way around and all through the area.

This is exciting for us as we learned the ropes.  Expanding this line in the farm. The butcher himself can't believe that he has seen backfat that "thin".  Clients said they had never had pork taste this good, and they were getting our regular naturally farmed white pigs already. 

Probably the pure fruits and vegetables diet and the exercise they got being pastured :)

We roasted a pata the other day. Take note of the bottom of the rack....no oil!

View from the top, as the Roasted Pata was to be taken out of the rack.  You can see how clear the bottom was.  The yellow hue of the picture is the color of the table top.

Care to order?  PHP350/kilo for the frozen cuts.

Agriculture Magazine July 2011

Our column "Natural Farming w/ Sandy and Doc Rey" debuts in the Agriculture Magazine for July 2011.

Mr. Zac Sarian makes an announcement in his Agripage of Manila Bulletin:

Breakthrough for natural farming. Great opportunity for Philippines for Natural Farming Inc :)

My Wild Harvest

Doc Rey brought me this gift from the farm. It was intentionally meant for me to sell at my weekend market stall as the clients gobble up what we produce in the farm.

But I remember that he needs his supply of Fermented Amapala. So why let a good produce go by. I decided to give back the gift of health and love by making a him a good batch of Fermented Wild Ampalaya.

Learn how to make it here.  Very good to control blood sugar.  It really works wonders.

Natural Farming with Sandy & Doc Rey

This was what kept me excited yesterday as it was confirmed that my 1st article

was accepted with minimal revision (2 words!) and that please send our photos

for showing beside the name (sounded real already) and if we can write the next

article already (am still not yet over the awe that it is real).

Someone told me last week that I should have sent several so the editor may have

a wider selection, if not, my material may just be set aside. I shrugged my

shoulder and thought, we wrote what we thought was best for the 1st :)

Final, Mr. Zac Sarian is giving Sandy and Doc Rey a column. I submitted my copy

with SUNSHINE w/ Sandy and Doc Rey as the original column name. When the final

copy was sent back to me, they changed the column title to "Natural Farming

with Sandy and Doc Rey".

Very good timing when Zac asked us, as it was the perfect venue to market PNFI. 

He didn't give me parameters and I can write about anything. Breakthrough for

marketing of PNFI :)

Background:

Long ago, Rey and Zac were going to do a series of books. Soon after we met

Andry, and the idea came to me about the "He saym She says"....why not "natural

farmer says, Vet says"! Great! But, the natural farming protocols came later,

after that probably when it did, our interest on the project waned or Zac was

preoccupied and didn't want to write it. Can't be sure what was the real

reason.

Last week when we were talking....I didn't even mention yet about PNFI as I was

going to give press releases to market PNFI.....he said he wanted me and Doc Rey

to write a column on livestock and poultry. I asked if he was serious and if he

was, can it be about something that was encompassing and closer to our hearts

now...natural farming. Then he said...perfect to bring back my original idea of

"natural farmers says, Vet says" now perfect!

Look at my article's last line :)

join the Philippines for Natural Farming, Inc on FB

https://www.facebook.com/Philippines-for-Natural-Farming-Inc and on the Yahoo

group http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/philippinesfornaturalfarminginc/

I am lining up already next articles....Mabuhay ang natural farming. Mabuhay

ang PNFI!

Mr. Sarian just called now...waiting for the photos as the July issue is being

laid out, and asking about next article submission....totoo na nga ito.

Food Bowl Organic Market

This used to be the Food Bowl Night Market.

 The organizers saw the strength of the advocacy, the member farmer groups sticking out late nights Fridays and Saturdays.  Now, they are rewarding the group a Sunday morning market, and now be known as the Food Bowl Organic Market at the Centris Walk at EDSA cor Quezon Ave.

Very convenient and easy to go to.  You can even make a drive thru purchase.  Covered area so safe from rains and on cemented flooring so no muddy feet :)

Now it'll be Fridays and Saturdays at 4-11pm then Sundays at 6am-2pm.  This June 19, Sunday, Father's Day will be opening for the Sunday morning.  It will start off with a Thanksgiving Mass, so for those who would like to join, please come.

Seminars on natural and organic farming are being scheduled.

Please support natural farming!

Breakfast at the Farm

Entering the gate of the farm, we go by fruit trees. The one that we had been waiting for excitedly is the Duhat at this is very sweet and meaty. Doc Rey just had to stop and get some. You think we can wait to eat it?

As soon as he got off the car and put some on his cowboy hat, I got off too and we both enjoyed the sweet and juicy Duhat. We got all that we can reach out to. Whewhhhh...that was a lot of exercising as we stretched up our arms to pluck the coveted fruits.

You think that was enough? Nope. He had to climb and I was there acting as his arm's GPS...navigating and steering as he can't see where the fruits were. Even while peeking around, we really got good exercise here.

See how good my vantage point was :)

By the time we were done walking around the farm, we sat down to a heavenly meal that was from the farm. Naturally farmed fish, kamatis, manggang hilaw, dayap with bagoong, wild ampalaya, boiled talong, okra and kamote. We ended that breakfast with Suha we picked off our tree too!

All in Santiago City, Isabela. We hope more people here see the importance of safe food on the table and do natural farming.

Philippines for Natural Farming Inc, Yahoo Egroup

Does natural farming interest you?

Join this yahoo egroup, Philippines for Natural Farming, Inc.

Great way to exchange info and ideas :)

Oh Sunrise

Let the Sunshine out to pasture!

The demand for dressed chickens had gone up since March.  We thought that Holy Week will dampen the orders.  So glad for the turn from when we started 10yrs ago :)

So today, early at the farm again to check on pens and new loading areas and possible pasture areas.  

Photo above was taken to assess areas when we discuss.  After I downloaded it, the photo struck me as very fresh, clean and alive!

The Sunshines led us to a ranging area for their soon to be new siblings on the farm....but then, they won't meet them, as this is part of the batch to go today :)

Gizzard Of A Pastured Chicken

Chickens don't have teeth to chew on their food.  They peck on their food, gets stored in their crop. The strong muscles of the gizzard grind the food who's nutrients get to the system.

You can't see these in caged chickens, but for newly released pastured chickens, notice how they go to pebbles and eat them? Don't be alarmed, it is normal :)  They will need the small stones to grind the food, with the help of the strong muscles of the gizzard.

This is the gizzard of a newly slaughtered Sunshine Chicken.  Obviously pastured well into time.  Gizzard is big, strong and matured with age. The stones found inside have sort of polished as they worked and ground food that the chicken ate :)

Multipurpose

What is this?

 

Originally, we had several of those made as battery type brooders.  They are the brooders that are like condominiums. Space saver, yes.  But, hard to clean among other things.  

At the farm, we do litter type (on the floor) brooding, inside the poultry building....that works best for us.

The battery types are kept for emergency brooding, or works well  as isolation pens for chickens and even piglets......and is a seedling nursery, safe from predators ;)

Say It As It Is

Make it easy for caretakers to understand.  

Our farm concoctions are made by our store crew, as they are much easier to receive instructions and monitor what the farm needs, basing from population of poultry houses and timeframes.  If the ordering is left to the caretakers, it will always be delayed as they love to wait for the last minute when the supplies were needed yesterday.

When the concoctions are sent, we make sure everything is labeled in big letters and say exactly what it is for.  The farm had been using it for years, but they mix up datas and informations.  Great that the natural farming concoctions are safe to use, but we want to make sure that the animals are getting what they need :)

Think like them, so work will be easier for all.

Wild Ampalaya

Doc Rey had been motivated by his test results as his sugar, cholesterol, uric acid etc had been going down.  Thanks to 3C , OHN (with video in our links) and Fermented Ampalaya, that he now takes religiously.  People who are privy to our refrigerators know that we are always fully stacked with those natural concoctions.

In our discussion on FB with some of our natural farming advocates, the existence and or the absence now of Wild Ampalaya came up.  I was asking our farm's caretaker to watch out for it as we need it to make our herbal concoctions.  She said she has seen those in the garage.  The drivers had been picking their Ampalaya supply from there as it was so good.  

Hearing that, Doc Rey who now vouches for the concoctions, was excited as he hasn't seen them for a long time now.  He drove by the garage and came back with these  Wild Ampalaya:  The orange ones are not flowers.  They are ripened Ampalayas that pop and show their seeds.  Nature knows how to take care of oneself.  The wild and plants of yore, ripen, pop and replant themselves.

Fermented Ampalaya to lower your blood sugar :)  Be guided by this proportion:

3kgs Ampalaya (wild ones are better because they are more bitter, if none, settle for pesticide free ones)

1kg Coco Sugar or Honey

Slice the Ampalaya and layer the vegetable and sugar/honey in a container.  Layering makes sure that you are able to coat the vegetables well, ending with sugar/honey.  Cover and keep in a cool, dark place to ferment for 7days.

You can take about 30ml 2x a day.

Doc Rey takes all three:  3C, OHN and Fermented Ampalaya...mixes all up in one glass :)

Stay healthy!

TLC

TLC is not an abbreviation for a natural farmer's concoction.  Yes, you know it all along...tender loving care :)

We spray our soil with IMO, our trees with FPJ and when during the turn over stage to flowering and fruiting, we use FFJ so that their fruits are large and sweet.

The last typhoon feel almost all our Mango trees.  Thought they were all gone!  But I guess our soil was good and trees were healthy :)  They didn't die on us.  We didn't prop them up anymore as we let the course of the wind tell us how we should plant in the farm.

The Chico is far from ripe.  The fruits are soooo big and still getting bigger :)

Our Duhat fruits are almost like plums and tastes so sweet :)  The Guayabanos are  juiciest I ever tasted and is a lot more sweet than sourish.

Another one we are so proud of is our Langka.  We had pruned the fruits already, to give way to better nutrient distribution, but we still got a very good yield.

In our other farm, we have just been diligent in IMO there to revive the land.  Our citrus trees have started to give us Oranges.  Not yet juicy, but over sweet....I can imagine what it will be like after we focus on those trees there.

Water Lily, Quiapo and Azolla

I got a call yesterday asking if what he has in his pond, that looks like small flowers, are Azolla?

Promised I will post a photo here soon so he can distinguish.  Fate had it that when we parked at our farm in Santiago, Isabela this morning, they were all there....

Water Lily, Quiapo and Azolla :)

Fermented Oregano

Tastes great and does wonders for you if you have cough or asthma.  Try it as a drench for your pigs, goats...and add on to drinking water of your chickens when they are at the onset of colds or difficulty breathing.

What do we need?

3kgs oregano leaves, tear it apart
1kg or 1lt honey (my personal choice), coco sugar if you are watching your bloodsugar, or muscovado.  If for farm animals, use molasses.

That is the ratio, so if you are using 600g of oregano, then you will need 200g molasses.

Place it in a container, layering oregano then molasses, oregano again then molasses. To ensure that the leaves are coated well....ending with the molasses.  Or you can have the leaves in the container and add your honey/sugar/molasses and mix.  Problem with this is that you put to waste some honey and molasses that will stick to your mixing.  Better to do layering.

I make sure that all leaves are submerged and check on every 2days to spin the container :)

Ferment for 7days. After 7days, you may transfer it to the refrigerator for a refreshing throat remedy (for human consumption). Some use it as sweeter for their Tarragon tea :).  For animal consumption, you can leave the harvested fermented oregano in a cool dark place.

I take 2Tablespoons when my throat is itchy. I find no need to remove the sludge of oregano leaves as they have been reduced in size and adds a bite to my remedy when swallowed. 

For our pigs, we drench with 10ml, 3x a day.  Don't include the sludge when you drench as the small leaves may clog the syringe.