Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Finding out there’s money in organic farming


By: 


RU Foundry’s main products are shredders for paper, plastic and other biodegradable and nonbiodegradable wastes. These shredders are mostly purchased by local government units nationwide.
BACOLOD CITY—Ruby Suiño, 43, was busy arranging vegetables and fruits in her small stall inside the Negros Organic Market on a rainy Wednesday afternoon.
Prospective customers, both foreigners and locals, were checking her produce and Ruby put on her best smile while explaining to them how bananas, potatoes and eggplants are raised without using chemical fertilizers in her village.
“There is a big movement here in Negros to produce more organic products because it is better for people’s health. Farming also continues because the soil’s natural qualities are not altered by chemicals,” she tells the Inquirer in Hiligaynon.
Selling the fruits and vegetables of their labor in a market used to be a far-fetched dream for farmer families like the Suiños, who have relied on the bulk-buying mechanism of traders for the longest time.
The traders go the village’s Thursday market and buy their produce by bulk at lower prices. These are then sold in the city markets at higher prices.
It was only in 2006 that they experienced retail selling inside the organic market, a concrete result of the first Negros Island Organic Farmers Festival.
The market is located at the back of the Negros Provincial Capitol and also houses an organic restaurant serving home-cooked vegetable and meat dishes.
RAMON Uy, president of RU Foundry & Machine Shop Corp., shows how essential oil is extracted from lemon grass. Uy showcases this technology inside May’s Organic Garden, a one-hectare property, serving as a one-stop shop for appropriate technology in organic farming. CRIS EVERT B. LATO/INQUIRER VISAYAS
The move to go organic is strong in Negros Occidental and the city of Bacolod serves as the main venue for promoting organic products, says Aladino “Nonoy” Moraca, executive director of Ecological and Agricultural Development Foundation, Inc. (EcoAgri).
Entrepreneurs have already recognized organic farming and organic products as viable business opportunities that can transform the lives of farmers in the province.
Ramon Uy, president of Bacolod-based RU Foundry & Machine Shop Corporation, is one of them.
Uy, an undergraduate mechanical engineer, says his “organic awareness” started when he produced shredders in 1999, an accidental invention after a friend asked him to repair his shredder.
ENTREPRENEURS have already recognized organic farming and organic products as viable business opportunities that can transform the lives of farmers in the province.
The shredder could not be repaired as most of its spare parts are not found in the country. He then offered to design a shredder using local parts. He was able to create the right model after a year.
He started selling them in 2001, about the same time when RA 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act was signed into law.
He designed several shredders for papers, grass and biodegradable and nonbiodegradable wastes. Most of them are purchased by local government units which have started implementing solid waste management practices.
From the shredder, he improved his knowledge on vermi-composting. Biodegradable wastes are shredded and are placed in composting beds. The result is an organic fertilizer called vermicast.
“From there, we decided to develop appropriate technology that will encourage farmers to go organic,” shares Uy.
From RU Foundry, the family opened three subsidiaries, Puro Organic (which process organic products), Negros Occidental Design and Packaging Center and Fresh Start (sells organic products).
It also gave birth to foundation, Eco Agri in 2008 which aims to engage more farmers into organic farming through training and capacity-building.
They established May’s Organic Garden, a one-hectare property, which functions as a one-stop shop and showcases appropriate technology for organic farming.
Hydraulic ram pumps, lemon grass distiller, biogas digester and vermi-composting are featured in the park. Unintentionally, the organic garden also became a venue for weddings and birthday receptions because of its unique set up.
OUT of the lemon grass, essential oils can be extracted which later on can be developed into hand sanitizer, insect repellant and mouth wash. CRIS EVERT B. LATO/INQUIRER VISAYAS
Through EcoAgri, Uy says they have provided avenues for farmers the capacity to determine the value of their produce.
Uy says they have established a network of farmers from all over Negros who supplies them with organic products. EcoAgri conducts regular visits to these farms with the farmers themselves checking on each other.
“A person who wakes up at 4 a.m. should be rich. Without the farmers, this entire country will be hungry. The (current) price of rice is even cheap compared to the dedication, effort and the hard work put in by these farmers,” he stresses.
Palay (unhusked rice grain) normally bought at P14 per kilo by traders is bought by Puro Organic at P16 per kilo. This is sold under the brand Fresh Start.
They have also installed a lemon grass distiller in Barangay (village) Camalanda-an, Cauayan, Negros Occidental to produce essential oil.
Farmers raise lemon grass on the periphery areas of their farms typically planted with rice.
The essential oil is also sold to Fresh Start, which mixes it with other oils and are made into mosquito repellant, mouthwash and hand sanitizer among others.
“You have to show the farmers the economics of being a farmer. You have to give them their real worth. There is money in farming. Once they realize that they can earn through organic farming, and then later on they will be able to see that they can be more competitive than the traditional form,” he says.

Friday, June 17, 2011

Chinese cows churn out "human breast milk"



By HAZE FAN and MAXIM DUNCAN
BEIJING (Reuters Life!) - Moo-ove over, Mum.
Chinese scientists have produced a herd of genetically modified cows that make milk that could substitute for human breast milk -- a possible alternative to formula in a nation rocked by tainted milk powder scandals.
Researchers at the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology of the China Agricultural University introduced human genetic coding into the DNA of Holstein dairy cow embryos, then transferred the embryos into cow surrogates.
In 2003, after years of testing on mice, scientists managed to create the first cow that could produce milk with the same nutritional properties as human breast milk, but with a taste even stronger and sweeter.
"The genetically modified cow milk is 80 percent the same as human breast milk," said Li Ning, a professor and the project's director as well as lead researcher.
"Our modified cow milk contains several major properties of human milk, in particular proteins and antibodies which we believe are good for our health and able to improve our immune system."
Over 300 cloned cattle now live on an experimental farm in suburban Beijing, with new calves delivered every week.
Li's team, which is supported by a major Chinese biotechnology company, aims to have an affordable form of the milk on the market within three years.
Behind their efforts is a series of poisonings and toxin scandals that have shaken consumer trust in China's dairy sector and its products.
In 2008, at least six children died and nearly 300,000 fell ill from drinking powdered milk laced with melamine, an industrial chemical added to low quality or diluted milk to fool inspectors checking for protein levels.
Commercial use?
Before the milk can be marketed, for other people as well as babies, stricter safety tests are needed, Li said.
"In fact, we still need to conduct clinical trials on human beings with volunteers and finally prove that the cow milk is good and safe for the elderly, infants and the ill, especially those suffering from chronic diseases," Lid added.
"Only after these steps are completed can the government examine it and approve a certificate for its commercial use."
Despite the potential, the team's breakthrough has drawn criticism from opponents of genetically modified food who question the safety of the milk for humans. Others worry about the impact on the cows' health.
Greenpeace notes that China has been investing considerably in genetically modified food research in recent years, despite the lack of a credible, independent system of supervision and inspection.
It also insists that genetically modified products should not be allowed to enter the human food chain.
Chinese parents had a mixed response, with some wary but willing to give the milk a try while others were far more cautious.
"I won't try it. Even if it's similar to human breast milk, it's still genetically modified," said a woman who gave her family name as Lu, the mother of a 14-month-old girl.
"I think natural products are much better. I don't know what might happen if my daughter consumes genetically modified things.
"

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Look at the farmhouse now



By DENNIS LADAW

The house is composed of three connected beehive-like domes made of steel and covered with local wood materials. (photo by Willy Saw)
The house is composed of three connected beehive-like domes made of steel and covered with local wood materials. (photo by Willy Saw)
MANILA, Philippines -- Farms aren’t what they used to be. Today, some of them can be found in gated communities, where the “farmhouses” are architectural showcases. This new breed of farms is called the leisure farm. They’re composed of several lots that have enough space for a house and for the residents to grow various vegetables and fruits.   At Leisure Farms in Lemery, Batangas, for instance, every house on each lot can occupy only 20 percent of the total lot area. The rest of the space is reserved for farming. Developed by Landco Pacific, the place is more of a vacation spot for its residents, who have the option to till in their own properties.
Among the more prominent residents of Leisure Farms are Lilia and Eric Abad Santos. This retired couple is best described as “Sunday farmers.”   They don’t do the actual cultivating. After all, they don’t look like your usual farmer; Lilia Abad Santos is an elegant lady who once worked as a real estate broker. Husband Eric looks very distinguished  and was the director of purchasing, distribution, and personnel departments of Proctor & Gamble Philippines and consultant in P&G’s Asia-Pacific companies. Instead, the staff of Leisure Farms does the farming work for them.  Leisure Farms can also sell the produce for the residents but the Abad Santos couple opted to waive that service. “We just  consume the produce ourselves, so we don’t need to shop at the palengke anymore,” says Lilia Abad Santos while laughing. “And we also give to the children and friends.”
The Abad Santos farm produces Indian mangoes, calamansi, and kalabasa, among others. These agricultural products, however, often take a backseat to the farmhouse, which is an architectural marvel. The home is composed of three connected domes, which house the living room, dining area, and kitchen. From afar, the domes resemble three giant mushrooms or beehives. This overall look is the result of the many ideas the couple and their architect Danny Ibay had.
“When we bought the lot, we just wanted to have a pavilion built,” says Eric Abad Santos. “We already have a vacation house in Tagaytay, so there was no need to build another house in Lemery, which is just an hour’s drive away from Tagaytay. The pavilion would just be a place to rest in whenever we visited the farm. But later on, we told Danny to add a living room, and then a kitchen and dining area. The place just expanded as we planned the house!”
Lilia Abad Santos marvels at their architect, who is known for his unique concepts. “But we always let it be known that we have our own ideas and what we wanted to build was a very Filipino house, using bamboo and nipa.  I said I wanted to build a replica of the classic Ifugao hut. I liked the concept of having the living quarters on the second level, while the first level is used for storage,” she says.
Architect Ibay then thought of designing a circular house, as he suddenly became inspired by the igloos of the Eskimos and the shape of the beehive. Thus, these three ideas were fused together to form what is now the distinctive Abad Santos residence at Leisure Farms. As it was agreed that a living room and a kitchen would be included in the plan, three enormous beehives were built. Each of them stands roughly two storeys high.
To make this concept a reality, the couple hired contractor Mark Taylor to build the house. To turn the design into an actual house, Taylor used steel to build the three beehives. He then covered the steel with hardwood.  Inside, the steel is hidden by bamboo nailed to the steel. “It took more than three months to install the bamboo on the ceilings of the three domes,” says Eric Abad Santos.
While the look of the house is one of a kind, the architecture actually follows today’s concept of a modern house.  Huge windows were installed to allow natural light  and  the breeze to enter the place. “Cross ventilation is always our requirement,” says Lilia Abad Santos. “The house has to be cool at all times.”
The house is indeed literally and figuratively “cool.”  It’s an avante garde take on the traditional bahay kubo; a circular version. Its domed ceiling makes the place feel airy and this is enhanced by the extensive use of indigenous materials like bamboo. It’s also awesome. Looking straight up at the ceilings, one can imagine Michelangelo standing on a ladder and painting another masterpiece in the house.
The place and its interiors are works of art in their own right.  Most of the wooden furniture is locally made and many of them were designed by Ibay. Attracting attention are the long, circular sofas that line almost every wall of the main beehive. Ensconced by the windows, Lilia Abad Santos says they’re comfortable enough to sleep on.
A real bedroom is located in a loft, located above the dining room in one of the beehives. This is where the couple stays. “This was a late addition to the house,” says Eric Abad Santos. “It was never in the original plan.”
“We call it our nest,” adds his wife. “The children are comfortable in the living room. We have our living quarters above. Bu there is still enough room to add more rooms and lofts.”
Like the rest of the house, the loft is sumptuously furnished and decorated with Filipino pieces. It’s a room that certainly fits the gracious queen of these beehives