More Then String

A Toast to No Broken Bones

After five months of hopping, jumping but mostly falling over our site's construction string, we can now rest easy and celebrate the final removal of the "trip wires". Although helping keep our garden paths, drains and edging straight and horizontal, its fair to say each and every visitor has experienced a close shave with the maze of string running throughout the garden. The string will not be missed.

Having endured many hours hauling, designing, researching, constructing and convincing it may seem strange to focus so much attention on what can honestly be described as the easiest task to date. 

However, it is clear that this simple act of cutting string is filled with a much deeper symbolism which marks a milestone for our progress.

As a team and as individuals the garden has been an honest reflection of our own strengths and weaknesses. At times each of us have been frustrated and overwhelmed with what often feels like a David and Goliath battle, each of us have questioned ourselves and the likely success of this project, but at the end of it all each of us have sought out the positives and kept on going. The significance of cutting the string is not lost on our team, this simple act moves our work from a vision to a reality. We have constructed the basis for a beautiful garden, there is no stopping us now.

A toast, 

cheers to everyone supporting us

 and supporting the Philippine Organic Garden Project

What came first the rice, or the rice straw

Growing Our Soil

At the Philippine Organic Garden Project we like to think our garden is a response to the world around us. From the soil up we base our decisons on our climate, our geography and our community. 

For most of the year we experience scorching sun, broken into steamy intervals by the pouring rain. For the rest of the year its scorching sun, broken only by the arrival of night. Hot wet and hot dry, this is the tropics. 

Under our feet is the heaviest clay soil, sculpting a landscape of rice terraces throughout our floodplain geography. We see our earth crack in the sun and melt in the rain. As a people we consume an average of 129kg of rice per person per year.  That’s breakfast, lunch and dinner. This climate, this landscape, this culture, begs to grow rice. Rice undoubtedly was going to mark our garden. As we mentioned, our garden is a response to our world.

During rice harvest the floodplain landscape is dotted with hills of rice straw. Perceived to be a waste product, the rice straw is often burnt to the ground, and the conversion of this valuable nutrient resource into a suffocating cloud of smoke is a common sight. So, the race on...with keen eyes and fast hands, and as every contributor to the Philippine Organic Garden Project knows, we must get that straw before it is left to smolder. Like the rice feeds us, the straw will feed our soil.

Layering rice hull, rice straw, rice ash, grasses and manure we intend to create our own soil on the surface of what is there at present. Over time these materials will decompose forming a rich layer of biologically active compost in which we will plant our first season crops. As roots penetrate through the layers we will see the old mix together with the new, slowly repairing the structure and therefore the life of the soil.

With 600m^2 of no dig garden beds created with our very own rice waste recipe, our site will actively demonstrate the use and the importance of rice straw as a mulch and highlight the importance of soil conservation.

We hope the principals of recycling and the use of local materials advertised within our garden will be adopted more widely within our own community. 

We hope to see the continued progression of farmers feeding their soil as well as their community, because as the saying goes, “it’s only a snack without rice”.

A Break From the Shovel | Pala

A Moment to Boast

We should and we will take this opportunity to celebrate our latest victory, Best Booth award at the 6^th Bicol Organic agriculture congress. Our award winning tip? All hands on deck to get your master piece assembled, and we shouldn't forget..a bottle of wine to accompany the process.

Our fresh produce set out ready to win over some hearts and minds at the 6th Bicol Organic Agriculture congress.

 A sample of recycled materials from the Organic Garden Project were used to display our beautifully fresh produce and our broad range of seedlings. Mustard sat crisply next to our hand picked lettuce, protected and bright green inside old tyers stacked as shelving units. Our love for all things recycled was justified as our custom made shelves of alternating gin bottles and pallets gained us attention while proudly displaying our rare varieties of sweet potato.  

Central Bicol State Universities very own delicacy Basil Calamansi Juice was available for sale and taste on the day (minus a few glasses which provided the team with enough energy to keep up with the busy schedule). Meanwhile the sweet smell of our robust lemon grass certainly kept us smelling fresh against the odds of the hot sunny days.

An all round success for us and also for organic agriculture in the Bicol region