TJ's Agri Gimik

On May18, TJ is hosting an affair that coincides with Mika's bday. He will include seminars for his rare fruit member friends for high value crops, vermiculture, goat raising, and free range chicken.

Am not sure if this will be open to all to attend, but he said he has posted this event in sites...so I am presuming free.

WHERE? Baliuag Bulacan

Naked Necks, TJ Of Baliuag Bulacan

I asked TJ 2weeks ago how his Sunshine naked necks were doing. "Maganda, kasi pangit sila" Brought a smile to my lips. Can't blame the description, because true, the naked necks are not the cutest chickens to see. As bald, day old chicks, maybe....but as adults...well look at it this way , they seem easier to slaughter :)

Louis of SASSO of France says that it is sturdier and will do better under our Philippine conditions. The skin of this strain is thin, and the trained tounges will know that it is better.

We have alloted our Naked Necks to our growers, who have seen the benefits over our regular full feathered ones. Sometimes we have some left and our Solraya stores carry it on retail.

Today, Zac Sarian revisits Baliuag, Bulacan. He had featured TJ several times in the past in the Agriculture Magazine of April2008, Manila Bulletin, Bannawag and Panorama. Time to listen to what TJ has to say. He has good comparisons as before he loaded with the naked necks, he was just through harvesting his full feathered ones. Also, he fostered some 300 chicks for a friend taken from another stock. So he was able to compare three batches.

Look at TJ's Feb22 batch of the new line of Sunshines. They were just supplemented with unmedicated feeds, left free to range on living grass...no antibiotics nor hormones. Not even vitamins nor probiotics.


TJ got a lot of interest going for the naked necks. Yes, true, the strain is sturdier...BUT then, TJ has always proven to do well with his wards.

Today at 6weeks...he is thinking about loading the same bald ones soon.

SASSO Visits Breeder Farm and Farmer TJ

Holiday today. Perfect time to weave in and out of commercial districts and drive out to visit our Sunshine's breeder farm. Louis Perrault of SASSO is shown.

Next stop was to drop by Farmer TJ in Krukukuk Farm. The chicks shown were from his March14 batch, and the bigger ones were hatched Feb15. If you check back on the pictures from Zac Sarian's interview with TJ, those were the chicks then. He's been able to harvest about 100 from that batch already as it reached 2kilos in 55days.

Agriculture Magazine, April 2008

We are happy to be on the cover of the latest issue of Agriculture Magazine.

Two of the growers (Maawi Farms and Krukukuk Farm) visited are featured with us in the April 2008 issue.

He Found A Niche Market For Chicken Sans Antibiotics

Have you read Panorama of March 23, yesterday? Normally Manila Bulletin posts in their online issue. I guess due to the Holidays, their online site isn't updated.

Remember when Zac Sarian visited Farmer TJ's Krukukuk Farm?

This was the result of that meeting.

Watch out for Agriculture Magazine's April issue, to come within the week :)

Zac Sarian Meets Farmer TJ

Zac Sarian, Editor for Agriculture section of Manila Bulletin, wanted to meet a cross section of Sunshine growers.

First stop of a series of farm visits: Farmer TJ of Krukukuk Farm, Baliuag Bulacan. They now load 700 heads every 3weeks. Going up to 1000 level after TJ is able to plan his ranging and palay production schedules.

Tj was sick, but shaked off feeling under the weather after Zac engaged him in Sunshine talk. Basing from the number of pics taken, they spent a great deal talking...lead to rare fruit trees, making CRH, vermicomposting, niche they had developed, his plans to expand etc etc etc

After we left the walang katapusan kwentuhan....we had to grab Razon's halo halo near by :)

Lechon Manok At Rare Fruit Nursery

See more of the Sunshines enjoyed

Mam Sandy,

Here are some few pictures of our family get together party
in Angeles City today.  My mom ordered 7 dressed chicken
from Krukukuk Farms (TJ) last week to make lechon manok from
sunshine grown chickens today.

My caretaker prepared bamboo stick to grill the chickens
and marinated the sunshine chicken with Knorr seasoning
and many more.  And we ordered special sarsa for the lechon
manok from one of the best lechon baboy retailers here in
Pampanga.

All I can say is that the chikens are superb in quality in
every way. Taste, size, texture, and most importantly
grown naturally.  And with special sarsa, we could serve it
already in a high end restaurant even in Manila.  By the way,
Iam the one who tasted it first! haha

Reactions from the party about the Sunshine lechon manok:

1.  The size of the chickens never reverted even though it
was already grilled. The size stayed the same.

2.  Taste was natural because it was grown naturally!
Lasang native with bigger size.

3.  They look exotic because they are bigger than
lechon manok served and sold in the highway.

4. Taste good even without any condiments or sauce used.

5. MASARAP! I texted TJ to say they are great tasting. 
I told him they are good because of the grower itself has
a good growing management.

Mam Sandy, please indicate I got the dressed chickens
from TJ's farm. :)

Regards,

Verman Reyes - Rare Fruit Nursery

Aloe Vera As Growth Promotant

TJ of Krukukuk Farm had a pleasant text of getting 500g on his 2week old Sunshines....he thanked the Aloe Vera pots he got from us.

We went by his place yesterday, to drop off his copy of Kwentong Negosyo Feb-Mar2008. I forgot to acknowledge in that posting of mine that the pictures we used were from Joey Lacson of Bacolod and TJ of Krukukuk Farm.

Too bad we didn't see his present brooding. Maye next weekend.

You might want to review the article about Aloe Vera as growth promotant.

Farmer TJ's Chicken of Krukukuk Farm

This is how we were greeted by Farmer TJ and his Sunshines


After a while, they left us to roam outside :)

We made a visit to TJ in Bulacan yesterday morning. This was supposed to be scheduled early December but all our timetables went wayward when the 12th month of the year showed in the calendar.

He has rested his other housings, ranging areas and have planned to make pocket grows in several ranging areas around the vicinity. That way, he will be able to practice range rotations, biosecurity, and still monitor as he will go around his farm around.

Instead of making one time grows, Krukukuk Farm has decided to do small but frequent loadings.

May be more work intensive...but will have fresh and constant supplies. Easier to predict and keep up with supply and demand.

This was funny...I took TJ and Doc Rey's pictures in three (3) different angles. Previewing it, thinking that I was taking against the light...I moved around...we all laughed when I realized its not the light! They were both dark :)

Pampanga

Went around Pampanga today. Visiting sub dealers and potentials.

Have you tasted camaro? Those large ants? Sarapppppppppppp

We ate at Everybody's Cafe in Angeles City. Had that, Dinuguan, Tapang Kabayo...and take home of two orders of Camaro. Dinner was? Obviously :)

Next week, we go North again.

Tomorrow, we hope to visit Krukukuk.

TJ's New Range

TJ emailed me this photos showing his new ranging area.

Basing from his pictures from day1 of his load of 23 Sunshines...he has steadily improved his community of rangers.

Agrilink 2007 - Good Coming Out

We were not prepared for the response we would be getting during Agrilink 2007.

The pictures shown were taken before opening time on Oct4 and some snatches on the last day as I can't let go of the proper theme of the Solraya and SASSO booths, at the same crossroad, under the arc of the French Pavilion :)

Right after opening on Oct4, Zac Sarian, Editor of Manila Bulletin came to us to say he featured us in that day's issue. He wanted to interview for an article. Much as I wanted to get engaged in more talk w/ Mr. Sarian, I just can't with all the people around the booth.

The cocktails that night for the French Pavilion was really a break. Too bad TJ and company had to leave as they were delivering early the next day.

We were so busy entertaining inquiries for all three days.

Friday was the 1st seminar schedule. Jop and I got to the seminar area thinking that the preceding talk was not yet done. Good thing I asked registration what time she exected that we came back. She said people were just waiting for the "Sunshine" seminar to start! There we were lugging our laptop, tarps etc. Jop hanged everything pronto, I called for Louis (SASSO), Doc Rey and TJ as they were the speakers. The room we thought was full, soon became SRO. The organizers had to turn down people from entering :( No time to even take photos of that event.

There were four of us to man Agrilink and we were assisted by three members from Krukukuk Farm. I remember just eating a single cookie for the whole of Friday. Thank you very much to Raiza, Jop and TJ. I can't miss Mary and my PR team of Mitos and Margie.

We enjoyed this whole experience tremendously. Glad to have had SASSO booth right across from the aisle. There was a symbiotic relationship formed and it was as if we were one big booth.

The photos will not show how chaotic and enjoyable the three days were for us....but then, trust my words...they were!

Masarap nga talaga

TJ had been getting texts that the chickens he delivered last Sunday were really good.

Jop, the other half of Krukukuk Farm was also texting me how to cook it "inihaw".

Last Sunday, I bought four dressed chickens from Krukukuk Farm. Two of which I gave my mom and the other two we had for dinner, cooked two ways :)

The first: Tinola. I had simply boiled in low fire with three stalks of tanglad (lemongrass) that we had pots of in the driveway, some ginger and salt to season. Just before we turned off the heat, we added a bunch of sili leaves. Sarap, the meat was firm but tender, you know no liquid seasonings, just real chicken taste.

The second was an experiment: Never did inihaw before, but since we had sure Tinola already, experimenting was allowable. We rubbed it with rock salt and freshly ground black pepper. Set it on hot coals (not fire). Juiciest inihaw chicken I had ever tasted. And the taste...simple and good.

I wanted to take pictures....but I opted not to spoil my momentum in eating for that first try :)