May1's Radyo Negosyo

We are guesting tomorrow at Radyo Negosyo. Hosted by Carl Balita, this is over DZMM-Teleradyo, at 7pm.

See you on air :)

ANC's Shop Talk

We got a call from ABS-CBN today for a guesting at ANC's Shop Talk for Friday, April 30. We had a previous commitment for a visit to friends' farm activity on that day. But, it is a very good opportunity to be invited to Shop Talk. We can split that day and Doc Rey and I can go separate tasks.

This show is hosted by Pia Hontiveros, and is geared for those who want to succeed in business, yet live balanced and fulfilled lives.

Come to think of it...yes I am happy and generally contented. My needs are met. My wants? Well, hmmmmm I can have it if I want to :)

Please join us for April 30's Shop Talk. I hope it gets shown over TFC too. This interview will be our promotion for IFEX 2010.

Where Do I Retire?

After all the relaxing moments I get when we are on the road for seminars ( we treat those trips as vacations), talking with friends about the need for a retirement place for us as a group, so you know you will enjoy the same activities and circle of friends...it led me to look for the these photos to show my friends.

This property was bought by my parents in the 70s and it eventually went to me. It used to be part of Alaminos, but is now part of Baybay Norte in Sual, Pangasinan. Picture a "letter U" jotting out from a shore of white sand. I didn't appreciate it before as a kid to have a hill because it took time to run to the water. But now I see how lovely it is to own a hill with a beach almost all around, 360degrees view of water.

This is the left side of the property taken from afar to appreciate the elevation of the land and the view it can get from all sides. This side is the salvage area. May not be a tempting sight for most, but as a child I loved this area. I would go there by myself and those rocky formation gave me my own small pools with colorful fishes as company. Still does today, although I can't say I will still fit into those small pools.

As you walk towards the property, before you climb to the top, from the left side...this is your view. No obstructions, you get the view of the beach beside you. Close to still virginal state. Seaweeds are the only conceived dirt on the sand. The people you see there is the crew of surveyors we got, to map out and make sure of the concrete posts.

I took this photo as I emerged from thr right side of the property, now facing the beach proper. To my right, will also be water view..remember this property stuck out..sort of a tongue shaped.

We climbed back on the left side of the property. Now I appreciate the hillside, not really a cliff, as I can maneuver the climb up :) If I built a house at the top, I think I want to have sort of pier or terrace that extends to the sea, from this elevation. This beach area is so calm. If you walk in the water, you walk for a long distance at knee deep. When the water decided to get deeper, you won't notice the very gradual way it did.

Not yet quite at the top :) But the photo gives you a clear idea of the possibilities in terms of developing, and the view of 360degrees. At the back side, at the top, you see mountains, but still get a view of the still and expansive waterscape.

Thankful that my father chose this. He should have the eye for beach property, granting that he was from Alaminos, the home of Hundred Islands. 30yrs after, the property is still far from the chaotic life.

Unsaved

We, in Santiago City, have been experiencing whole day brownouts. 2nd day today....thanks to generators.....I am pleasantly cool in these hot days.

What irritated me was my own doing.

Yesterday, I typed up this long post about a common mistake of allowing a ranging area to go dead, as in no life seen, no living grass...nada. It showed a vivid photo of the ugliness of death. Just seeing the picture, you will not want to step on that area, some sort of respect for any possibility of a living creature there.

I clicked a wrong button and there went my browser...it died too!!!! Opened a new window of browser, but I can't find it in my blog's drafts :(

The topic was very important than someday I will write about it again. For now, much just like range rotation, it will have to sleep for some days. It was just frustrating...my error. Can't blame anyone.

That topic had a moral lesson. This post has one too. Type and save first on a word file. Then just cut and paste when you are about to publish in your blog. You just add one more step. Stop being lazy by short cutting and typing and publishing in one click.

You thing I learned? I just typed this and will publish in one click. Habits....

PS: Just as I clicked publish, I got an ad to try using Goggle Chrome for blogging to avoid losing whatever :) That I will look into.

Use What You Have

Dinner for three last Sunday and Ididn't have anything stocked in my pantry nor freezer.

What did I have?

1) Dressed Sunshines - We haven't had our chicken for the longest time!

2) Olive Oil, Garlic, Salt and Pepper are staples in a kitchen.

3) Pack of Rosemary. I keep herbs handy. If not for culinary, they are great for scents :)

4) Gallons of Vanilla Ice Cream. Leftover from a dinner we hosted some three weeks ago.

5) Almonds, hazelnuts and Pistachios in the freezer. Again, leftover from dinner party.

6) Newly bought Strawberries. I thought I will use it with my homemade Caramel sauce.

7) A bag of freshly picked lettuce. My neighbor just came from her farm and brought us organically grown lettuce.

8) Store bought Rasberry Walnut salad dressing.

That was all I needed.

Night before, took out a 1.5kg of chicken from the freezer...I have to make a mental note now to deduct that from my inventory! Let it thaw inside the ref. Next morning, did a salt and pepper rub all over. Got two garlic heads and halved them. Stuck them inside the chicken's cavity and let it sit inside the ref. Just before I slow baked the chicken, I stuck a big branch of fresh Rosemary inside the cavity. Dripped some Olive Oil around and inside. Set the turbo at 300 and cooked the chicken for 1.5 hrs. The Rosemary really made my kitchen smell sooooo goood! This was wiped out to the bones by three people.

While that was baking. I sliced my package of Strawberries into four, lengthwise. Thought of using all for salad.

Dinnertable set. Chicken done. I take out from the chiller the lettuce. Tore it up, put in a bowl and tossed it with the salad dressing. Topped the salad with Strawberries and I decided on just Pistachio nuts. I had to do this salad a second time as the first batch went fast.

As I had to slice a new batch of Strawberries, I decided to have some for dessert too. Vanilla Ice Cream, Strawberries and Pistachio nuts again in generous amounts. No Cherries for this Sunday's Sundae....but a good amount of drizzle of Bailey's. yummmmmmmmmm We had seconds, and bigger portions for second serving.

Oh yes, add Bailey's to what we have. We got big boys and I try to keep the bar stocked for their friends. Better to drink at home rather than go out and drive intoxicated.

I was really tempted to take photos. But felt embarrased as it was supposed to be a simple dinner for three. We were going to view the videos taken of the graduation three weeks ago, and taking photos of our dinner spread was sort of OA :) But, after the very good and filling dinner...and while writing about it now...I should have had photos to feed your eyes.

Point is:

Its not what you have...but HOW you use it. Same with housing materials for your brooders and ranging areas. It is not how new or expensive the materials need be. Using properly and achieving the goals are important. So go ahead, look around and use and make do with what you have :)

Summer Jobs

The new farm is right across the elementary school of the Barangay and the thought of training and giving allowance to the older students entered my "thought balloon" when we were starting to develop the area.

It will be offered to those interested and able to carry the jobs of feeding, watering and cleaning pens. It will teach them the basics of poultry management, entrepreneurship, discipline, and following the chain of authority. Aside from poultry management, I think all those traits are very important to an individual.

Most times, when students are made to do projects, they feel heavy about it as it is a task that is a "have to do". In this case, they will go into it only if they are interested. Plus, they will be compensated in some manner, depending on work done....somewhat like a grading.

The education is on the young minds level. They should also learn the value of agriculture based jobs and take pride in it. Not "just a farmer" but "A farmer" :)

BTW, this post was titled Summer Job only because that topic is all over the radio, TV and print media. But, I had this "thought balloon" before Summer and wanted to implement it during school year. By Summer next year, the project would have been in place. Then maybe, it will be ongoing for Summer break.

Make Way

Went to the farm after office. I was just left in the car, as Doc Rey was viewing the concrete posts buried on the new area we were developing.

Still caught the last rays of the Sun, excitedly took out my camera to practice. It was after I was downloading to my "practice" album, that limited spaces and drought may have been captured subjects in some photos I took. Looking through the lens, the aim then was to get comfortable with my camera. The pictures taken, showed me a different focus :)

In this dry season, when you can't plant rice due to the fact that your water is dependent on irrigation that they cut off...you should have planned or at the very worst, be planning what to do. Problems are no reason to stop moving and working :)

We are based in Isabela, where I will say 90% of farming is Rice and Corn. So I will talk from my vantage point.

You know the passages in rice paddies? Pilapil...am not sure how they are called in English. It doesn't have to be just that...a passage or border. Put it into good use. Widen it and you can use it to plant vegetables, fruit trees...and yes, even use for ranging of Sunshines.

Want to raise Sunshine but no space?

If you have a fishpond, you may set part or the whole house on top of the pond, on stilts. The Sunshine's waste will go to the pond and the fishes may feed on them.

Okey, no fishpond...then just build the housing on the widened pilapil. Let them range there too. Of course, don't forget to plant fast shading trees. We did plant a lot of Sugarcane, Bamboo, Aratiles, Papaya etc.

Handling of Eggs

I came across this from one of my bookmarked sites.... Proper Egg Handling.

It will be of help to those of you who have flocks and want to go into egg production.

Fencing

It is not the espadahan, it is about fencing as in building a fence. But true, sometimes, several people end up pulling out their swords when borders are discussed and fenced off permanently.

Discussions about our new ranging area had been posted here several times. Dry season is the perfect time for construction as you can segregate and fix irrigated land and identify low areas to zero out development there.

This was a former ricefield so the borders now that are used are just the paddies or the "pilapil". We can't find a reliable supplier for those concrete posts, so we asked a crew to make them from scratch at the farm. They prepared the number we needed. Now we can fence off.

To make things easier for all, Doc Rey advised the neighbors that we will install a fence. The most convenient way was to follow the "pilalpils" that was there since heaven knows when. It gets repaired and widened in some areas, but that should just be negligible already.

"NO"....no way they said. "Have it measured". People always think that when you offer simple solutions...you are going to get the better deal of things :)

Ok, we got a surveyor to do that. Guess what? All around, we earned areas! Now they can't complain and have to stand by the surveyor's report. Because we went through expenses etc, we will want to get what was ours now. Its not right anymore to go back to the original offer. It was theirs to accept but they refused.

I think I heard Doc Rey saying we will assist in rebuilding the "pilapils" although not our obligation, its just sort of teamwork effort.

Borders and territories....are to be kept. So no issues.

Kabuhayang Swak na Swak Goes Sunshine Chicken

I still have to get my copy from the producers of Kabuhayang Swak na Swak, so thank you to Enri who was able to record this from TFC and uploaded it to youtube.

Because of editing, there are misleading points, as the thoughts were cut and joined at logical sequences but distorted some facts. But, overall, it was good. Shown for the Easter Sunday episode, April 4.

Or this:


Anyway, you are here at our website...get the correct info here as you read through, for free range chicken in the Philippines.

How Do You Like Your Veggies?

Since we have a chemical free farm, best for me, are the ones freshly picked before you eat them. Some can be taken raw. If they have to be cooked, I like them boiled and then with some bagoong w/ Dayap, or salt on the side.

But, Manila is 8hrs away from the farm. The temperature in Manila is steaming hot. I can get locked up in airconditioning but that is no fun. Last night, I wanted to eat good salad, and airconditioning was a major ingredient :)

Now where do we go for our salad when in Manila? I used to love the Oriental Chicken salad at CPK, but they changed the recipe. Then, some years back, we discovered the salads at Cyma, the Greek restaurant at Shangri-la Mall and at Trinoma.

This is my all time favorite: Roka Salata

How Can You Forget?

Must be the exciting life? The endless activities? The never ending reinventions?

How could we have forgotten that we were going to be featured in Kabuhayang Swak na Swak for Easter Sunday????

Late Saturday night at about 11pm, we attended mass that that we thought was Salubong mass. When they announced that Salubong was at 4am, we agreed to wake up for that. So we did.

As we were having breakfast, our phones were ringing like gongs! My cellphone was almost going to "hang" with all the texts coming in to inquire. Calls from everywhere, even overseas.

Then Doc Rey gets a text from his sister that "you looked good"...then we looked at one another and ... "Oh no! Swak na swak!!!"

Even today, the day after, people everywhere says they saw the episode.....I have to be patient. I still have to receive my copy of that episode.

Thank you to Kabuhayang Swak na Swak, aired over ABS-CBN. I think they really believed in the episode as they want to attend a seminar too :)

BTW, not just the phones got affected. The website stats doubled since Sunday.

Batangas Caravan

Extended trip around Batangas in April, culminating with the Lipa Seminar on April 28.

For the growers in the area, good opportunity for farm visits and questions answered.

We will also be in lookout for prospective dealers in the area for day old chicks. Contact us if interested.

Learning

Painting is something I've wanted to take up before. My freehand is terrible, so the thought of taking up the brushes remained a dream.

Photography also excited me before and even as a kid, I remember to have had good cameras...or ok, my dad had good cameras. In recent years, the small digitals were my companion. But the dictates of the business led me to get a good DSLR and playing with it is my swap to painting. If I can't freehand, then best is capture what my eyes see :)

Some time ago, I took a food writing course and the food photographer speaker was Mark Floro. I sort of reconnected with him as we were neighbors in Philam, and our fathers played tennis daily. Now that I want to go into Photography, it is but senseful that I search for him.

You might be interested to take up Photography :) Here he is.

Great Trip

From Vigan, we were off for La Union.

The moment we checked our bags, we decided to go up to Baguio for dinner. Met with our long time dealer in the area, Doc Karen. Discussed schedules for deliveries and talked about marketing her growers' produce. We also asked a friend to join us for some coffee and talked about future projects.

We went to Gilligan's in Legarda. You have to go see the group Smooth, that is at Gilligan's Mondays and Wednesdays. I was so enamored with their music. The selection and the blending of voices....really my type!

Meetings, dinner and music done...it was time to leave Makati, errrrr Baguio (it was so crowded and the faces you see are the Manila group too). It was fresh oxygen, when the thought of driving down to La Union was started.

Holy Week is not my time to travel. I prefer that these days are taken in solace. This year was different. One of my friends, Mitos, is celebrating her 50th. So, it was agreed to be all together. Good that La Union was the meeting place, as it was near my work appointments for the week.

Great opportunity to practice my new Canon DSLR! After all those clicks done, I think I want to take a course in Photography :) My friends are just so happy now that they have tons of photos.

Watching the sunset...

Later on, Doc Rey comes back and said we should stay a little more on the beach as a floating Stations of the Cross will start as soon as the Sun sets....it was a sight. Simple but it made you pray in the calmness. By that time the Churches were busy with the Visita Iglesia.

Last day for Mitos' 49th. In transit....not dragged, but moving and getting there :)
You wouldn't want to see her 1st photo as 50...

Thunderbird Resort in Poro Point. It was like an Oasis. A refreshing site in the middle of the dessert. The Blues and Whites all around was calming and you are transported to a time in Greece.

Doesn't my friend Jessica make a double take for Jackie O?

View from the Resto/Bar of Thunderbird Poro Point. If you want peace and quiet from it all, this may be a place for you. No beach area in front, you have to walk to the right side a bit for a swimming area, or you may enjoy the resort's swimming pool.

A very productive week indeed....Next stop...search for Mark Floro!

As For Dressed Chickens...

....which means the ready to cook :)

The deliveries continue to most areas of Metro Manila, until Alabang to the South and Fairview area in the North. Come to think of it now, that is like a bus route :)

For a minimum of 5kgs order for dressed Sunshines, we can deliver to you the frozen and vacuum packed meat, together with eggs if you require them too.

We have varied sizes for the different market needs. Normally, deliveries are made on a weekend. If there are impromptu needs, we try to serve you. If not, you may pick up at our QC outlet with advance notice.

Slowly developed the market...for consumer awareness. The people have to know what is available in the market and easy to be found. It creates then the market and encourages the small farmers to raise them.

Because of the land requirements and the expectations of profit, the big farmers are not really lured into doing the colored free range market. The farmer's capital is secondary to the passion and advocacy to go into raising Sunshines. So we pave the way for the smaller , colored free range chicken farmers in the Philippines :)

Help us in this vision. Buy dressed Sunshine Chickens! Share the info with your friends please.

Email info@solraya.com or text us (0917) 847-2639.

New Set Of Breeders

Our production of colored free range Sunshine F1 Chicks are up and there will be no more long waiting time for booking orders. The Certified Breeders from SASSO of France arrived in September 2009, day before Ondoy.

Also, logistics have been more cooperative and our network for Northern Luzon is getting back on the road. The South Luzon will follow shortly.

Thank you for the trust and support, that the colored free range industry in the Philippines, has shown. The Government and private sector made us go farther each year.

Patrons

My mom had a constant companion for some Eight (8) years before she passed some months ago. She has had several changes of nurses, but a constant was her Flowerhorn. Another companion she had, long before I came to life was an image of Jesus with a Sacred Heart. She transferred residence in her later years. This was one of the very few things she took with her. She practically changed all furniture, but brought the Sacred Heart with her. I grew up with this image in the corridor leading to bedrooms. As a child, I thought it was God looking at us from Heaven. The original had clouds and angels in the background.

Devotees of the Sacred Heart of Jesus are promised of a peaceful death. My mother had that. She decided the "when". The "how", was peaceful and quiet. After which, one of the things I inherited was Flowerhorn. It was so interactive and would almost do cartwheels for us. The times we are out of town, Benny the feeder will say it was sad and was always alarmed. When we got back, we don't see any problem as she always greeted us with splits and head turns.

Last Thursday, we decided to hang the Sacred Heart above the aquarium. This photo was taken Thursday late night. We had a party....maybe she wasn't used to the crowd? The last photo taken of her in the background, as we were wrapping up "to go" for guests....

This out of town trip was no different. Benny told me yesterday that she was sad again. I wasn't alarmed as it was always the case. I knew that when we got home Saturday, she will greet us with hugs.

This morning, Tita Pilar called and told me the bad news. Flowerhorn died. They walked into the living room to feed, but found her dead. I hope the Sacred Heart also gave her a peaceful death. She was really part of the family. When you visit Mommy or Lola, you were also like visiting the Flowerhorn. We saw how she grew!

I really felt so bad. Even Doc Rey felt inutile as a veterinarian. We have pet shops and we should have seen the signs. But, no, there was none!

Over breakfast, we were discussing. Much like a meeting with our vets as we discuss cases as a group. Doc Rey was thinking out loud...hybrid...new...no real known data...he asked me to search on lifespan. I did "8-10 yrs" :(

There are patrons and companions in life. Much like sponsors. Mommy had the Sacred Heart and Flowerhorn.

My patron is St Jude. Ever since I was a in High School, it was St Jude who assisted me in desperate cases. I had been visiting an image in the Cathedral in Vigan. I am glad I was able to visit my St Jude today, as I have so many blessings to thank for.

My post has no chicken...but there will be no chickens in my life if I didn't have my patrons.

SM, Kabalikat sa Kabuhayan

Can't get away from SM. It may not be me...it is that, SM is all around...for consumers and to uplift lives of those around them :) They have the power to make it work in bridging livelihood for others and giving the best to consumers.

I grew up with SM North EDSA near our house. As a child, I'd walk around Cubao where my grandparents stayed and hop to SM. With Sunshine, our Fairview outlet is right across SM Fairview, which made me decide not to give up the location and just renovate now. We are making a new outlet in Cubao, again peeping at SM Cubao....My father always kidded that SMC stood for his initials.

Then we got calls to supply SM chain of supermarkets with our dressed Sunshines. Now another SM arm wants us to straighten out the free range chicken project they have started and the logistics for marketing, since we have been asked to supply dressed chickens.

Doc Rey did the first in a series of visits and seminars for SM Foundation last week. Because of the projection of the program, this will be an exciting endeavor.

Nice uniforms for SM Foundation's members.

Yesterday, we got a call from them, saying that the feedback was very good on our visit. The members learned a lot and understood the WHYs in their previous grows.

I had the best Guinataan Bilo-Bilo ever during the seminar. Then lunch was with the family of SM Foundation's agriculturist. Sweetest water from a deepwell, and a great meal that used vegetables they grew without pesticides.

We will see more of Batangas :)

Region 1

Headed for the week, to Ilocos Sur and La Union.

If you want to meet up for questions, you may text us at (0917) 847-2639.