Thanks Nature Farm: Go Organic!

Location: Sta. Ana, Pampanga

“NO FILIPINO SHOULD GO HUNGRY!” I heard this said by Mrs. Flor Tarriela of Flor’s Garden in Antipolo, Rizal.  Flor used to be Chairman of Philippine National Bank (PNB) for many years. Her farm is registered as a Learning Farm. I got inspired by her beautiful herb garden, and her commitment to food safety and the environment. I and my husband were invited to join a group of farm consultants – bee experts, a Global Bahay Kubo proponent, green toilet expert, hard wood experts, etc.  We were the only non-farmers. It was then that a dream began to form, that we should contribute to our economy, by growing and providing safe, healthy, and purely organic products.

With God’s grace, it is now becoming a full reality.

In August of 2022, Speed Japan Consulting Services, Inc., acquired a 10 hectare mango farm in Sta. Ana, Pampanga, with 1,000 mature, certified carabao mango trees.  A lot of work had to be done, from cleaning up the whole farm area, pruning the trees to have more sunlight, to diversifying production to include vegetables, Cambodian bamboos (as fence and also for the bamboo shoots), lacatan bananas, calamansi trees, papayas, and free range animals (chickens, rabbits, goats, pigs, ducks for a start).  It is envisioned to be a purely ORGANIC, integrated farm.

This year, the hard work of Nature Farm’s Managing Partner, Nardo T. Pineda, and our loyal and dedicated farm hands, coupled with the full support and backing of SJCS Inc.’s Founder, Isabelita Manalastas-Watanabe, has started to bear fruit. Mangoes – all organic – have started bearing fruits, and harvesting for 1 ton a day continued until February 2024. Next fruiting will be in April 2024, and hopefully will be able to do harvesting throughout the year, and onwards (except during typhoon season).

The mangoes planted by the late Edwin T. Manalastas, A UP Los Banos Plant Pathology graduate, who later on became the core agriculture officer of the US’s Homeland Security in charge of the screening of entry of agriculture products at the border of Mexico and the US, are very sweet, with very thin skin and very thin seeds. We claim that they are better than the famous Philippine Guimaras mangoes. Those who have tasted them can vouch for this.  Unfortunately, Edwin passed away without being able to taste the fruit of his labor and expertise.

Nature’s Farm will also be a Learning Farm where seminars and lectures will be held for free to school students, local farmers, and even business people. The seminar room has been completed; the nipa hut, where lunches are served when friends/guests/potential buyers visit, was put in place well in advance. The kubo will function as the venue for serving lunches using the farm’s produce like grilled fish from the farm, vegetables in season, fruits in season, and rice wrapped in banana leave as the normal fare.

There will be a chapel built beside the seminar house, where we hope we can have ecumenical services. Permission from the pertinent Archdiocese of Pampanga will be sought so that (Catholic) retreats may also be held.

It is also planned that there will be regular visits to the farm of medical doctors/personnel to give free consultation and advice to the local people in the farm’s surrounding areas. Thanks Nature will be very happy to welcome medical missions not only from within the Philippines, but also abroad.

WELCOME to THANKS NATURE Integrated and Organic FARM!