Organic Seminars, March 10 & 11, Hongkong

SPREAD ORGANIC AGRICULTURE in the PHILIPPINES (SOAP)  

Goes to Hongkong

FREE SEMINARS: Organic Seminars, Mar 10 & 11, Hongkong

FOR: Agriculture Livelihood Projects (ALP), but will be open to all to join

WHERE: FILIPINO WORKERS RESOURCE CENTRE, 650 2/F POST OFFICE BUILDING, CHEUNG SHA WAN ROAD, CHEUNG SHA WAN, KOWLOON. contact number 90102198 or 61296301.

PROPOSED SCHEDULE

OPENING REMARKS: Sec Proceso Alcala

MARCH 10 am: Sustainable Organic Agriculture Practices (ASEC Dante Delima)
MARCH 10 pm: Hog Raising (Teresa Saniano)
MARCH 11 am: Pastured Chicken (Rey B. Itchon, DVM)
MARCH 11 pm: Rabbit Raising for Meat Production (ASEC Dante Delima)

OPEN FORUM with Sec Proceso Alcala both afternoons

We'd like to be able to design the courses according to your needs and interests. 

Please email spreadorganicagriculture@yahoo.com with subject: HONGKONG.  Let us hear from you to spread the word better :)

Agriculture Magazine November 2011

Now available!

We are honored to be able to write about Sec Proceso Alcala in a different branch :)

True, it wasn't about agriculture, but knowing the man behind it.

The Secret Is In The Soil

Flor Tarriela had been excitedly talking about this book....a child's and beginner's guide to natural gardening...makes them graduate to natural farming :)

Delays were blessings, because it allowed her to create the team to bring out he book she really envisioned it to be.

I am not into socials, more when I go alone.  But Flor took time out to invite and I knew how excited she was with this project.  I had to go.  Went early to make sure I can position myself when there aren't many there yet.  

Glad I did, as everyone was pleasant.  Most were relatives and family friends and they made the others like me feel at ease.  Name tags were used and when some asked me what I did....surprise...some were customers of ours already for the Sunshine Chicken!

Relief, I saw common faces: Tere, Dante and Sec Alcala of the Department of Agriculture.

The star of the night though, was really the book. 

Today I had the luxury of time to go over it.  Really a nice read for a farmer and getting to review what is elementary.  You can't get there without going through the basics :)

A Naturella Farm Store has this available for pick up at our QC address at PHP300, or we may send to you by LBC for a total of PHP550.  This will be  nice present this Season.

Casual

Today was the opening of AANI Harvest Festival. Very casual day for us as we knew friends will be there and the event was our homebase group :)

L-R: Pol Rubia, Gerry Manaoag, Pio Rodriguez, Zac Sarian, Doc Rey and Rene Almeda

There were new products and exciting exhibitors so I had fun meeting some people. Different vibes. You know it when its not about agendas :) I hope this new generation is in time to really make changes.

We also looked forward to the seeing again the new Department of Agriculture's Secretary Procy Alcala. This will be our first time to see him after he was named for DA.

We all had good laughs as he saw familiar faces and knew that the "hellos" had no strings attached :) See how honest laughters are!

Department of Agriculture Secretary Procy Alcala

Dialogue With DA Sec Alcala

We were advised last night that DA Sec Procy Alacala had confirmed to attend AANI Harvest Festival opening on July 16 at 8am. Following will be a dialogue with Sec Alcala, that will be open for all.

Join us in this opportunity to meet our new DA Secretary! Open to all. No entrance fees.

AANI Harvest Festival
Quezon Memorial Circle (use Commonwealth gate)
July 16, 8am

File photo taken in 2008. Then Cong. Alcala was always open to discussions and consultations.

Time For Getting On The Ground

Yesterday, it was confirmed that Cong. Procy Alcala will be the new Secretary of Department of Agriculture.

Early this morning, Tere texts that she and Dante are on the way to Manila to do initial support work for Secretary Alcala. Rare time that we can all get together, she calls to ask if time permits, will Zac Sarian and I have time for coffee after work?

The strong rain late afternoon didn't deter us from meeting up. Over dimsum and pots of tea, we shared laughter and just assuring ourselves who the real people are.

Its been sometime now since we all met. As usual, started with Zac and my itchy soles....wanting to get out of Metro and visit farms. For Doc Rey and I it is learning. For Zac, more often than not, in search for stories to tell. We went to Quezon and met the Earthkeepers (search tags Earthkeepers). In one trip to Davao, Tere led us to meet Dante and Tibaw...she said "they are True Blue Farmers".

Rest is history and it started a real respect of one another....not just because of the experience in natural farming...but more of natural people.

I didn't want to miss this...over long conversation, taking photos. I was able to capture the core group of Secretary Alcala.

Dante and Tere were the major movers and researchers for the Likasaka book on natural farming.

They credit the push and spreading of their work, to a lot of support from Zac Sarian of Bulletin.

I am thankful for the opportunity of being with them on a relaxing note. We were not work, we were their break from it all...it was for us all to get grounded. Tomorrow, it is time to get the feet on the ground to do the work.