STRAWBERRY PICKING AND GLAMPING IN ONE

by HENRYLITO D. TACIO

the farm was far from the town proper, visitors who came to pick strawberries also requested food. Fortunately, Jenny is a good cook.

Then the time came when the visitors also requested for a place to sleep as the place was very far from Davao City. And so, the scenic glamping site came into existence.

The rate per night is pricey but it’s worth it. You get to spend in geodesic dome tents that look like they were imported from a Hollywood sci-fi flick. These tents have all the comforts you long for: power, comfy beds, hot-and-cold shower, and an outdoor jacuzzi. We stayed in a tent that resembles an igloo with an outdoor swimming pool.

There are several things you and your friends can do if you stay in one of the domes. You can sit by the fire and share stories. Or, you can watch the sunset and be amazed by the beauty of the surroundings. At night, you can gaze at the stars and wonder how far or near the clouds are.

To avoid overcrowding, only six guests are allowed per tent. Don’t worry about what to eat in the morning. A free mouth-watering breakfast is already included in the package.

In the morning, visitors can do strawberry picking at its 1.5 hectare farm not far from the glamping area. It’s about a 10-minute walk.

“Guests can pick strawberries at our strawberry field for a fee as part of the activities that can be done at the resort,” Atty. Taglucop said. “For the experience, they pay P650 per basket.”

Before they do strawberry picking, guests and visitors are oriented first on how to harvest the fruits. “The plant will be damaged if harvesting is not properly done,” he explained. “Some guests would just pull the berries and the plants all together, uprooting and damaging the strawberry plant. This explains why picking is more expensive than buying harvested fresh strawberries.

They are actually paying for the experience.”

When it comes to strawberries, nothing is wasted as the Taglucops make them into different products: ice wine, pure strawberry jam, strawberry juice, strawberry shake, chocolate truffles with dried strawberry inside, strawberry trifle, strawberry chocolate fondue, strawberry panna cotta, burnt strawberry cheesecake, strawberry salad dressing and strawberry toron.

Other products they produce from strawberries are strawberry soap, strawberry lotion, and strawberry recovery set.

“We did not actually plant strawberries with profit for business in mind,” Atty. Taglucop pointed out. “It was just a hobby and a joy for the family until it morphed into a worthwhile business enterprise. We paid for our tuition, so to speak, before we learned how to make our farm sustainable.”