And, along with this "back to nature" theme, farming is becoming quite a favorite hobby, especially among the executive types who want to live a simple, yet comfortable, life. At least, this is what we gleaned from our recent visit to Leisure Farms, the first residential and hobby farming community development in the country.
Blessed with 123 hectares of rolling terrain and rich soil ideal for farming, Leisure Farms is located in Lemery, Batangas, just minutes away from Tagaytay. The farm’s developer is Landco Pacific Corporation, which is also the company behind the Ponderosa Leisure Farms, a flower garden village in Silang, Cavite.
Leisure Farms’ main attraction is that homeowners can develop a part of their lands into a small vegetable patch, a flower garden, or whatever they have in mind. So far, Leisure Farms has sold 615 lots (with an average size of 1,000 square meters). "Ninety-percent of the lots are sold," says VP and Strategic Business Unit head Alfred Xerex Burgos III, adding that most of the owners are corporate people who want to get away from it all, at least on weekends.
According to farm operations director Dexter Banzali, homeowners need not be afraid of starting their own backyard farming. Through their Farm Management Services, these future farmers will be assisted through the whole process. That is, from the conceptualization of the farm lot to determining what kind of plants are best to choosing the right farming tools and the maintenance of the lot. "We help them tend to their farms and assist them in selling their produce. We give them technical assistance and even harvest for them if need be," he says. "We provide planning and design services, arrange for installation of structures, as well as customize your farm according to your preferences or what’s necessary." With a BS Agriculture from Silliman University and an MBA from the University of Queensland under his cap, Dexter is the person to approach in farming matters.
To further help the owners in making up their minds about what kind of crops to plant, and other farming techniques, Landco Pacific has set up the Demo Farms, which showcases various agricultural technology such as organic farming and hydroponics. In a nutshell, Dexter explains that organic farming – where no synthetic fertilizers are used – is mostly used for vegetables. The idea is to recycle, recycle, recycle. For instance, fish scales, fruit and vegetable peels, can be used as compost. Or they can try Buro-Buro Farms’ earthworm culture, or vermiculture. This method encourages the production of vermicast, which comes from earthworm excreta, believed to be the "best, purest, and most effective organic fertilizer." And the best thing about it? It’s odorless.
"Eighty-seven percent of our lot owners are into organic farming," offers Dexter.
Hydroponics, on the other hand, makes use of a technology from Israel and which works for people who don’t have much land. "Hydroponics, which is being supplied to us by Netafim, is a soil-less irrigation technology that cultivates different crops such as tomatoes and bell peppers," says Burgos as he led us into a greenhouse-like structure. There, tomatoes and bell peppers are held upright by wires and are rooted in volcanic cinder instead of regular soil. This technology also uses fertilizers to protect the plants from weeds and other pests.
The Demo Farms produce huge bell peppers, as well as the greenest lettuce, broccoli and cauliflower. An amazing sight is the rows of tomato plants heavy with ripe fruits. According to Dexter, one tomato could grow as big as 1/2 kilo. Buro-Buro Farms is also responsible for growing various herbs such as cilantro, thyme, rosemary, basil, parsley, to name some. If you’re interested in developing hybrid vegetables such as yellow watermelon, round eggplants, purple and white bell peppers, the Demo Farms is there to teach you how.
For those who love growing flowering plants, Leisure Farms has no less than Timmy de los Reyes of Flower Farm as consultant. At the demo farm are rows upon rows of anthuriums and other ornamental plants. "Flower Farm helps us in growing, as well as selling, these flowers," says Dexter.
Owners can have livestock, such as chicken and fish, at the Farms, but raising pigs is not allowed for obvious reasons. In fact, the Farms has a Fish ‘n Pay area, a natural magnet for kids who want to try their hand at fishing.
Leisure Farms is also home to fruit-bearing trees such as mangoes and one of the sweetest papayas this side of the world. Watermelon, honeydew, pomelo and pineapples also abound in the area. Coffee lovers would love the Farms’ barako coffee trees planted with the help of the Figaro Coffee Company.
The farm’s recent launch of the Village Store, a one-stop gourmet goods, seed and supply store, clearly signaled that this residential and farming community is well on its way to having a sustainable and self-reliant future. With the Village Store, owners can now sell their backyard produce with the help of Landco Pacific’s team of consultants.
One part of the Village Store is devoted to selling fresh produce such as broccoli, arugula, several kinds of lettuce, bell peppers, onions, herbs, string beans, radishes, carrots, tomatoes, potatoes, sweet corn, to name some. Another part has garden and farming tools while a small corner offers bottled fruit juice concentrates, fruit preserves, sardines in oil, and others, which come from different communities nationwide. On the walls of the Village Store are posters featuring gardening and farming tips. Located just outside the store are live plants up for sale such as ornamental plants and potted herbs.
Nature lovers would also love the Farms’ pathways and nature trails, as well as its fishponds. Soon to rise, are the 195-sq.m. clubhouse, complete with function rooms, an infinity pool, basketball court. According to the plan, the clubhouse will have a neo-Filipino concept and will use anahaw leaves for the roof and Vigan tiles. Along with this, the camping grounds are also in the works.
So who says that the bahay kubo has the sole right to have various plants around it? The houses at Leisure Farms are definitely not the bahay kubo type but we won’t be surprised if the homeowners-cum-farmers start singing "…ang halaman doon, ay sari-sari…"