AGIO-7 Members Visit Organic Farm in Alegria

Members of the Association of Government Information Officers (AGIO) in Region 7 visited the Sustainable Agriculture Techno-Demo Farm in Alegria, Cebu.

This two-day activity led by the association’s President Dr. Eddie Llamedo of the Department of the Environment and Natural Resources (DENR-7) in cooperation with the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI-7) of the Department of Agriculture, and Philippine Information Agency (PIA-7).

The visit aims for the government information officers to learn and in turn communicate the essence of urban farming to their respective agencies and apply the gains of their learning in government offices that have ample space and in respective households to create a revolution in urban organic farming.

Agricultural Training Institute IO Jun Oliver gave a lecture on Nature Farming Technology System which is a  basic agricultural natural farming that is sustainable.

Natural Farming makes all inputs from natural materials, observes the law of the nature and respects the rights of crops and livestock.

Natural Farming heals the soil slashed by chemicals, herbicide, and machines.

Part of the visit was the tour in the organic farm where the members are taught on how to raise organic swine and other animals.

There was also a hands-on activity on how to prepare Fermented Plant/Fruit Juice which is an organic fertilizer for plants and gardens.

St. Peter of Academy of Alegria Foundation, Inc. (SPAAFI) personnel also discussed the Integrated Diversified Organic Farming System that is being practiced in their farm.

The farm is strategically structured in distinct components that are designed to maximize one another.

A nutrient recycling system generates a virtuous closed loop process on the farm, and biodiversity is intensified to multiply key ecological functions and processes within and among the components such as natural pest management and optimal use of sunlight, rainfall and soil fertility.

Organic farming is a technique which involves cultivation of plants and rearing of animals in natural ways and make use of pesticides and fertilizers if they are considered natural and avoids the use of various petrochemical fertilizers and pesticides.

This process involves the use of biological materials, avoiding synthetic substances to maintain soil fertility and ecological balance thereby minimizing pollution and wastage.

With this organic farming, the local government unit (LGU) of Alegria, Cebu was awarded as the Most Outstanding Organic Municipality in Region 7. (rmn/hfg/PIA-7)