Living soil

MANILA, Philippines - With the dangerously low water levels in our reservoirs and the lingering El Niño phenomenon, measures are being undertaken to conserve water. Addressing the dire need to learn more about conserving water, the FINEX Foundation Environment Committee, chaired by Manny Duenas, partnered with Flor’s Garden, an earth school and nature learning center, to promote its advocacy of saving and protecting the environment with a seminar on natural farming.

Participants came from as far as Palawan, Isabela, Mindoro, La Union, Laguna and Tagaytay. These included two staff members of Sonia’s Garden; Ysmael Valdez and others from the Municipal Agriculture Office of San Juan who promised to share what they have learned from the seminar with their constituents; Marlyn Go of Ayala Heights who postponed her business trip to Bangkok just so she could attend the seminar, as she really wants to develop her backyard garden; and Mary June Ileto who wants to develop her farm in Pililla. Andry Lim, the DA Secretary Awardee for Outstanding Organic Agriculture Initiative: Individual Advocate Category 2009 was the main speaker.

To date, more than 150 participants have benefitted from the Natural Farming and Gardening seminar. The reponse is always enthusiastic, especially during the open forum on rice production, the techniques of which are also applicable to ornamental plants and fruiting trees as practiced in Flor's Garden.     

 In the seminar, participants learned that "living soil" requires much less water than the typical rice field or vegetable farm with yields much better and cost of inputs significantly lower than the conventional farming.    

What does it take to have living soil? It only requires that the soil be made up of 45 percent earth, 50 percent organic matter and 5 percent microorganisms – all off which are readily available in our surroundings and are practically cost free. Farmers just need to be equipped with the skills and knowledge to work with living soil.

Living soil is soft while ordinary earth is hard. In rice fields, the rice stalks need not be burned after harvest season. Burning produces carbon dioxide that is why it is a big no-no. Instead, rice stalks should be made part of the soil by simply leaving them there to become compost.

The use of Indigenous Microorganisms known as IMO hastens the decomposition in time for the next planting season.

The IMO revives soil nutrients, speeds up growth of plants, enables garbage to decompose with no smell.

The need for chemical-based fertilizers can be done away with. Natural farming includes using Fermented Plant Juice (FPJ) as growth hormones and Fermented Fruit Juice (FFJ) makes the fruits sweet. Eggshells can be used to give plants calcium. Fish Amino Acid (FAA) is a good substitute for urea. The carbon footprint of one bag of urea – known as NPK – is reportedly equivalent to the carbon emission of three cars.

As Dr. James Hansen of NASA reported, the safe amount of carbon dioxide present in the atmosphere is 350 parts per million (ppm). But today it has already reached 387 ppm due to our unabated way of life. Carbon dioxide traps the heat from going out of the atmosphere contributing to climate change.

Natural farming follows the Mineral and Organic Materials Cycle in nature that has been there since earth’s creation. It makes use of beneficial microorganisms in bringing back the soil and the environment back to its original form without need for insecticide or fungicide with their harmful effects following our natural ecosystem.

Natural Farming makes use of home wastes normally thrown away such as fish gills, bones, eggshells, sea shells fruits and vegetable peels. Raw vegetable scraps, fruit peelings, etc. can also be left in the soil to act as natural fertilizer – a process called mulching. Mulching also minimizes water evaporation and controls weeds. Earthworms or vermin can be tapped in tilling the soil as it can plow   up to 7 meters below the earth surface as compared to a plowing machine that can, at best, reach only 20 centimeters.

This will even reduce your garbage and reduce the clogging of our rivers and canals and yes, even cockroaches at home.

Incidentally, do you know that cockroach hate the smell of pandan leaves? So have fresh pandan leaves in your drawers and rooms. Flor Tarriela and many others have tried this and it really works!

On a smaller scale, I myself have been throwing my fruit peelings in potted plants for some time now and I could see the difference in their growth even with just a slice of papaya peeling per pot. Flies are not a problem, provided they are under soil directly under the sun.

There is really a need to change their mindset, Agnes Escalante of Antonio’s Garden related to us on why she brought her staff to attend the seminar. She plans to expand their organic farm to meet the growing demands of Antonio’s in Tagaytay.

It is very important for the farmer to manage his soil properly, as this affects his income. Damaged soil means less income. Natural farming is believed to be the answer to our farmers’ plight. In natural farming, four of the most notorious works in farming are no longer necessary – there is no need for weeding as this is controlled by wild grass mulching. Tillage is unnecessary as nature will till itself. Chemical fertilizer is not needed as natural fertilizers are produced adequately on the soil and pesticides are unnecessary as insects are controlled naturally.

Water is a gift from God. They say future wars will be fought because of water. Bottled water has now become more expensive than gasoline. It is even more expensive now than soft drinks especially since people today are becoming more health-conscious.

With the increase in temperature because of global warming, more water will be needed both by plants and animals alike including man to survive. The challenges of global warming are now a responsibility of everyone – rich and poor alike – for the present and for future generation. If our households, local government units and farmers will work together in enforcing the waste segregation law and make use of   these wastes to make living soil, much can be achieved.

Flor’s Garden is at Km 35 from Masinag Market via Marcos Highway just after Touch of Glory. Flor’s Garden can be reached through Fely Sadio at 635-6092/0919-5567121. For information on seminars, call the FINEX Secretariat at 811-4184/0917-4309863.