Piso Day Sale at Arid and Aroids Farm

It is a rare opportunity to know that one can still buy something out of One Peso (Php 1.00). This was proven at the Piso Day Sale and Great Discount Sale at the Arid and Aroid’s farm in San Rafael, Bulacan province.

Arid and Aroids farm entrance

One Peso Sale

portion of the farm

A last minute decision made past 9:00 pm on April 30 while chatting with an online friend who will be visiting the farm. I manage to wake -up by 3:30 am and left our home by 4:00am.

long lines of buyers

It was early dawn when people began to arrive at the Arid and Aroids farm located in San Rafael in Bulacan province.

Hundreds of people have flocked from different areas  and provinces to buy rare and hard to find plants and cacti. Some arrived before 5:00 am.

variegated sanseviera

dykia hybrids for sale

buyers at plant area ( photo courtesy of Mr. Marlon Valdellon)

There are several buyers which went to the Php 1.00 , Php 2.00 and Php 3.00 area.  Most of the plants were sold out even before noontime !

all smiles from Mr. Joshoua Banzuela ( photo courtesy of Mr. Marlon Valdellon)

different types of grafted cacti for sale

We were able to arrive around past 8:00 am and registered at the booth. We were given a haworthia cutting upon registration and some stubs which can be use to purchase some 1 and 2 PESO worth of potted plants like cacti, aglaonema, episcia, rhipsalis, sansevierra, tillandsias, adenium and among others.

Rhipsalis cacti

Aglaonema hybrids

variegated pineapples

I cannot help but to splurge in buying episcias, rhipsalis, aglaonema and cacti for token gifts (pasalubong) to some of our neighbors. They would give us some of their vegetables produce and would lend their 7 feet ladder whenever we needed them.

variegated sansevieras

BIG SALE

Some of the much rarer plant varieties like variegated cacti, succulents and foliage plants were sold between 30 to 70% discount.

different tillandsia

Just like any event, there were on the spot raffles, short talk on cacti grafting, chit-chat with fellow plant lovers and pocket meetings.

resource speaker

The generous host also fed all the visitors with pancit, banana cue, sandwich for mid-day snack. While they also prepared a lunch which consisted of mix vegetables, pork and beef barbecue, lumpiang shanghai and softdrinks.

blooming aloe hybrid

Plant enthusiasts from Taytay, Cainta, San Mateo in Rizal province even brought some foods and juice which they shared with participants.

( Photo courtesy of Mr. Timothy Laurie Ang -The Haworthia Guys)

There were several plant and cacti groups from Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga and even from Laguna and Quezon provinces.

Another hot item for sale was the A&A magic drops . This is a type of hormone can induce growth for cacti, succulents and other plants.

lucky visitor winning a variegated sanseviera

Those who does not have time to visit the farm got hooked over the FB page of the farm, since online discount selling happened several times a day.

online selling

Everyone was happy and glad to have went to the big sale.  For those who were not able to come at the great big sale, There will be another round of PISO Sale and Great Discount Sale at their Silang farm sometime September 2019.

group photo

Try to save money, time and save the date for the great big sale and PISO sale.

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Amazing Array of Mushroom Products at Buenas Diaz Mushroom Farm

Buenas Diaz Mushroom Farm used to be a poultry farm then converted into a mushroom production farm early part of this year.

Buenas Diaz Farm

“Buenos dias” is Good Morning in Spanish,  The proprietor use this wonderful greeting and play of words then incorporated their surname “Diaz” and not “Dias” and that “Buenas” would refer to the evolved Tagalog word for good luck.

tarpaulin poster

They get the technical training including the sourcing of spawns and mushroom production and processing know-how from the Central Luzon State University. DTI and TESDA Bulacan is also helping them thru their trade bazaars and shows.

oyster mushroom production area

Majority of the of their production were oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) in fruiting bags and their by-products. The production area also includes misting system, which help regulates the temperature and humidity inside.

out of youth children earn part time at this farm

Buenas Diaz farm produce is worth patronizing aside from  of their various food preparations is their contribution to providing livelihood opportunities to local residents either as hired labor or as contract growers.

oyster mushroom

They also hired some out of school teenagers which the parents cannot afford to send them to school. The farm is slowly increasing their output and joining the bandwagon of farm tourism.

chocolate cake, puto, baked lasagna, pancit malabon

chocolate cake

The mushroom farm offers the local farmers off-season labor opportunities in the preparation of fruiting bags which is quite labor intensive.

mushroom chicharon in different flavors

This farm came up with various mushroom products. like the crispy mushroom “chicharon”, it came in various tastes – the plain, cheese, garlic, spicy barbecue, salted eggs, sour and cream. There were few combinations like spicy garlic and cheese barbecue.

mushroom sisig

The group also enjoyed first hand the culinary skills as the host prepared dishes using oyster mushroom that are freshly gathered from their farm.

fried mushroom

This is everyone’s favorite, their version of fried mushroom ala chicharon style. These are freshly prepared with the use of fresh oyster mushroom, batter mixture  and other ingredients.

mushroom patty

The dehydrated products could be ground, converted to powder can be used in soups and even medicine.

They are also joining other local bazaars and trade show in order to further promote their products.

group photo ( photo courtesy of Buenas Diaz farm)

Note: We visited the farm upon the special arrangement made by Mr. Ervin Garcia, Diaz family and local government.  We are also careful by not entering the production area to avoid contamination.

Buenas Diaz Mushroom Farm

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Buenas-Diaz-Farm-1055535507929760/

Address: 797 Magdangal,  Camias, San Miguel, Bulacan province
Contact : 0917-136-9075/ 0977-825-5899/ 0936-168-8857

Story Behind Duran Farm in San Ildefonso, Bulacan

Duran Farm Agribusiness and Training Center Association, Inc., The farm specializes on quality and affordable vegetable seedlings sourced from East West Seed Company. The seedlings are sold to farmers and backyard hobbyists who do not have the luxury of time growing them. This makes planting easier and the survival rate of these seedling is higher compared to manually sowing the seeds directly on ground plots.

seedling trays in various stages of growth (photo courtesy : Ms. Daryll Reese Villena) 

Inspirational Story

Mrs. Desiree ‘Daisy’ Duran started growing tomatoes at 1,000 square meter plot in the humble backyard of Daisy Duran who worked as a fish ball vendor in 2001.

She is also the coordinator of the San Ildefonso Vegetable Growers MultiPurpose Cooperative. The proprietor of this farm is a model story and their rags to riches story inspired many people to set their own farm in their community.

Mrs. Daisy Duran

17 years later, Mrs. Daisy Duran now dubbed the “Seedling Queen” has transformed the farm into “The Vegetable Paradise of Bulacan.”

She recalled the times when her family struggled to make ends meet in the slums of Payatas and how she spent 12 years selling street foods like fish ball and isaw to support her family. Duran also recalled how difficult it was in the beginning when she had to borrow money from several people to finance her capital, in order to upgrade and expand her business in the agriculture sector.

A short audio-visual presentation was shown to the group and was met by Mrs. Desiree Duran.

Training Institute and Tourism Farm

Duran Farm has carve a niche market by being a pioneer in seedling production by producing high-quality, low-cost vegetable seedlings. It also promotes sustainable agriculture through organic vegetable production,  TESDA accredited agricultural training subsidized by the government through scholarships  of rural disadvantaged youth, and farm tourism. Duran Farm also imparts knowledge to communities in the form of workshops on urban gardens, backyard vegetable gardens set-up, organic poultry and vermicomposting.

Different kinds of flowering and ornamental plants are also planted within the area. These provide year round flowers and adds colors to the farm.

As of June 2018, over 18,000 individuals were educated on the benefits of sustainable agriculture through the agri-trainings Duran Farm provides, 350 events were conducted that imparted knowledge on agriculture through agriculture tours and workshops, and 25 recovering drug-users were provided with agriculture training as part of Duran Farm’s partnership with the national drug rehabilitation program.

sinampalukang manok ( chicken tamarind soup) 

Aside from being a farm training site, They also serve good regional dishes like sinampalukang manok, steamed corn, fried liempo, crispy mushroom sisig.

bloggers, vloggers and media group  (photo courtesy : Ms. Daryll Reese Villena) 

There is also a mini fish pond , where tilapia fishes are grown.

Website: http://www.duranfarm.com/

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/iloveduranfarm/

Address: 124 Luciano St. Basuit, San Ildefonso, Bulacan

Contact number: 09178909406

Exciting Visit at Daily Bread Farm Resort

Daily Bread Farm is 3. 1 hectare farm, resort and venue center at the heart of the town of Bustos, Bulacan province.

capuchine pigeon

The farm is not just known for their mushroom culture but also vermi composting, ornamental plant production, herbal plants, native pigs and other poultry products which uses the organic way of caring them.

The farm was owned by Ms. Luzviminda Tancangco ( a former COMELEC officer), organic farm, health and wellness advocate.

wedding venue

The center had a library, restaurant, greenhouse, swimming pools , club house, conference area and several cottages which reflect several architecture of different styles.

Dendrobium anosmum and Dendrobium aphyllum mounted on tree trunks

The farm resort had been featured in several television shows and ideal venue for weddings and convention.

Mr. Gilbert Dino together with vloggers, bloggers, online writers and media 

The group had a wonderful stay at at the farm resort. We enjoyed the early morning dip and sumptuous breakfast together with other bloggers and local government officers from Mindoro, Ilocos Sur and San Ildefonso, Bulacan.

For those who are interested in having a different kind of experience and its different kind of hospitality. Please try to visit the this farm:

Address: Daily Bread Organic Farm and Resort -Don Claro Santos Street, Bonga Menor, Bustos, Bulacan 

Contact Person: Ms. Anna  Katrina D.C. Tangcanco -0999 883 0779

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/DailyBreadOrganicFarm/?rf=104503639662998

Great Mushroom Dishes at VC Teodoro Farm

VC Teodoro Integrate Farm is not your typical farm. This farm had mushroom, rabbits, fruit trees, vegetables,poultry and ornamental plants within the property.

Ms. Vicky Teodoro picking osyter mushroom 

This is our first stop at the Lakad Pamana advocacy and farm tour. The farm is slowly getting noticed by local government units, schools and private individuals. There are also guided tours and package meals that are available.

l-r mushroom sisig, mushroom lumpia ( deep fried mushroom spring roll),  fried mushroom and mushroom goto. (photo courtesy of Ms. Jenny See)

Among the specialties served was mushroom goto, deep fried lumpia ( made from mushroom) , mushroom tempura and mushroom sisig.

The fried lumpia and fried oyster mushroom is best paired with Paombong vinegar ( Sukang Paombong) dip. It is crispy and one will not know that it is made from mushroom.

vloggers, bloggers, media group photo ( courtesy of Ms. Jenny See)

The group had a short tour of the farm and had a great time picking some mushroom. The farm had some mushroom chicharon, fresh mushroom which can be bought at farm gate prices.

The farm also have some rabbits, native chickens and pigs.

VC Teodoro Integrated Farm

Address: San Pedro Highway Bustos, Bulacan

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VCTeodoroIntergratedFarm/