From the Editor

Dear Reader,

Cultivating crops or raising livestock requires physical work, and a lot of the time, this requires strength, flexibility, and endurance. But casual farming and gardening can also be relaxing and is also used as stress relief. We’ve seen a resurgence of gardening both food crops and ornamental plants during the pandemic specifically because of its ability to calm the mind while keeping the body active.

In this issue we feature stories of farmers and gardeners of different ages growing either food crops or ornamental plants for both business and personal reasons. The farmer on our cover gave up a job in Japan to start a farm in Pangasinan despite being told that it was a bad idea. Seven years later, he is one of the more recognized names in local natural farming. There are also stories of retirees who have rediscovered the joys of gardening, as well as families who have started growing food for their own consumption.

Speaking of natural farming, getting third party organic accreditation so one can lawfully call their produce organic can be very expensive, especially for small farms, but the Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) hopes to change that. The PGS is a community-based certification system that doesn’t cost a lot of money and also helps build farmer solidarity. This issue includes a primer on the system and how to avail of it.

Also included are tips on how to get DOT accreditation as a farm tourism site. The pandemic may limit travel, but it’s also the perfect time to prepare for life after the virus is eradicated.

We hope you enjoy reading this issue as much as we enjoy putting it together.

Stay safe, stay healthy!

Yours,

YVETTE

Editor-in-Chief