Dressed In AANI FTI

We are going to secure our booth at AANI FTI Weekend Market (behind Sunshine Mall as you enter FTI compound) to include poultry supplies and equipments. Backyard farmers find it difficult to go to poultry supply stores for their needs and we want to make it easier for them.

Since we are fixing it, we have decided to look into our requests lists from customers and we will be setting up a freezer there to accommodate the dressed Sunshines clients.

Yes we still deliver...but people do want to shop around and walk :)

Sunshines In Eden

Years ago, I got a call to call a "room 911"..I thought it was a joke! Same thing now, I wasn't sure about going to Eden :) The trip was fun filled because of the company we had and going through the winding road of the mountains seeing Mt Apo was a clue to what we will see. I was enjoying eating my whole Marang, drumstick style....just gorging on the fruit while holding on to the stem. Wasn't sure if I wanted to put down my Marang, but equally excited to see the chirping chicks.

The farm is perfectly nestled on the slopes of a very cool and quiet Eden. The Sunshines have a perfect view of the city.

No wonder they were weighing in perfectly when we saw them at 21days. The ranging area as being prepared. As of today, they were happily sipping their water, viewing the fantastic view

Market

Where's the market?

A grower is literally going to the market....not wasting time looking nor waiting for the middlemen to find him.

They are getting a space at the local market in Antique and sell their dressed produce there.

He wants the locals to experience our claim of the taste of bisaya manok, in the Sunshine Chicken.

Don't Just Feel It. Taste It!

Remember that commercial for a shampoo? As I was reviewing photos taken in Ilocos Sur of this very pretty girl, I recalled that Alice Dixon ad :)

During the lunch breaktime during Monday's dispersal, we decided to hie off to Sinait. That is the last town of Ilocos Sur, boundary of Ilocos Norte.

Led to the recipients of the 1st dispersal in December, saw us looking at almost 2 kilo Sunshines :) It was 1.5k around Christmas time, but recipients thought that the project coordinators needed to check on it before they are able sell. Some other recipients were apologetic that they have started to sell.

That is the point! Gov DV and I chorused that "that is what we want"! Starting next week, recipients will start to give back eight (8) adults, so they may qualify to get 100 21day old chicks again.

One Morning

Does the title sound like I am here to write a novel? One Morning. Its actually the title of the morning TV show simulcast over Channels 4, 9, 13 and Radyo ng Bayan on radio. The hosts are Niki Jimenez, Bobby Yan, Clauding Trillo and JM Rodriguez.

Yesterday, at lunch, I got a call if we may guest on One Morning. When I was talking with Lorna, one of the producers, it wasn't apparent to them what the theme for today will be. I guess when we agreed to guest, that's the time the organic and clean up theme was conceptualized because the other guests said they were called later.

On the way to the NBN studios, as we were tuned in, I heard that the theme was now organic and cleaning up of the Pasig River.

As I was waiting for Doc Rey to park, I thought who the other guests may be. Guess who drives by and gets off? Lina Tan of the OPTA Cooperative. YES! She herself thought the same way and said she was glad she saw me.

As usual, I can't have photos of ourselves being interviewed, but I got pics from behind cameras.

They may do a photo shoot at our AANI Urban Farm site...that will be fun.

Merry...

Holiday schedule for Market At The Hills' night weekend market...I can't just be there and sell dressed Sunshines!

Elena of Manna Specialty Bakery, gave us Liver Pate that she made from my chickens' livers. It was heaven. Pure liver, no additives, no other meat ingredients. We finished our bread and 2 packs of pate, between three ladies..,and taste tests to Mary Ann and Candy. We can't get over how delicious it was, simply liver pate.

Pricing was discussed. It will be pricey compared to others. We walked over to the deli and bought a jar of what was labeled as liver pate. Just reading the label we knew already why it may be priced as such, being not pure liver. Opening it, they took a sniff and knew... we had a good product coming up from Elena. We still did a taste test among the 5 of us, and voted that we should pack some of our own :) I should tag it.. Pina-MANNA!

I want to come out too with viands from our naturally grown chicken and pork. Vacuum packed, ready to be stored, easy to pack in luggages for pasalubongs, ready to be heated and eaten!

In all the frenzy of my activities: seminars, opening Organikasyon, Christmas season...am like a merry go round! Hmmm which brings me...I want a rotisserie!

Getting several for the stores now. Excited to have a Merry Chicken wehehhehe.

Think Simple

The most asked when we displayed these Sunshine Chicks during Agrilink 2008, "What are those things for their water, mineral blocks?"

No sir/mam, they are stones, nothing more. Plays an important role though. In that picture, they actually need more stones for their waterer.

When day old chicks get to you, they are thirsty. They will rush to get their drink. In the process they get too excited and almost bury their heads in the water. We don't want that to happen, as they will get wet and will feel cold. When they chill, they will bunch up amongst one another to get the heat they need. They will end up pushing against one another and trampling on some chicks :(

Just this morning, on the way to work, I was telling Doc Rey about the question if the stones were mineral blocks or vitamins :) He shouldn't take it for granted that small matters need not be explained. What is natural for a veterinarian/farmer will be greek to a budding farmer.

Think simple, think practical. That was all our forefathers needed to do to survive and eat.

NEW Breeders, NEW Motivating Factors, NEW Print Materials

We are agog with our new production of Sunshine Chicks from the ever dependable name , SASSO of France.

We are committed to what we have started. Now on our third poultry building, own hatchery, tunnel ventilation being discussed and our continued all out support to our regular Sunshine growers.

This early, unscrupulous traders say, they are like "SUNSHINES" if not blatantly they are "SUNSHINES". We have always transported in chick boxes, but we are redoing it to make our markings more visible even from afar.

1st Philippine International Flora & Fauna

When we were invited to participate for the July 18-20 show, I was also very busy planning for our scheduled Cebu Food Expo, as they were just a week apart.

I looked forward to this event as it meant seeing friends in the industry everyday....but I ended up seeing friends and co workers from like 30yrs ago :)

The show went well, the organizers were on their toes from ingress to end, making sure we were all OK. I have to credit ICE, Inc for that.

The show was very successful for us. Got across to our target markets, and were able to educated consumers on having Sunshine in their lives.

Corn & Soya

Amy & Allan...just like Corn & Soya....they simply go together :)

Amy & Allan wanted this first batch of Sunshines as an experiment, just walked in with excitement that started in another continent, from just reading about sustainable farming. No expectations...just to see how they will do w/ no commercial feeds at all.

Instead of commercial chick boosters for the 1st 3weeks, the Sunshines were just fed corn and soya. 21st day onwards, they were just given corn grits as supplement for am and pm. They were just let free to forage during the day.

Amy & Allan are not in for the weights contest, but they are just so happy that they are raising healthy and happy Sunshines w/o any commercial feeds nor growth promotants.

But of course, what the soil and the denizens there, offer natural growth promotants :)

At the end of a long fruitful day, I surf to my favorite sites....this was my treat for today.