Green Spaces in the Concrete Jungle Spaces in theJungle

BY KARLO N.B. SAMSON

Spreading the gospel of urban agriculture with Urban Farmers

Dr. Dar named ‘Foreign Fellow' by the NAAS of India

CITED FOR HIS VALUABLE CONTRIBUTION in agricultural and rural development not only in the Philippines but also in semi-arid countries worldwide, former agriculture secretary William Dollente Dar was recently named as a "Foreign Fellow" of the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS) of India.

Dar — the first Filipino given said prestigious international recognition — led the Philippines' Department of Agriculture under former presidents Joseph Estrada and Rodrigo Duterte, and served for an unprecedented three five-year terms as directorgeneral of the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), based in Hyderabad, India, from 2000 to 2014.

NAAS President Dr. Himanshu Pathak handed the Foreign Fellow conferment certificate to Dr. Dar in a ceremony as part of their 2023 annual conference in New Delhi, on June 5, 2023.

As NAAS Foreign Fellow, Dar will share his vast experience and wisdom to further enhance and develop agriculture in India and the rest of the world, including the Philippines, said Dr. Pathak.

The NAAS is a reseach agency established in 1990 and funded by the Government of India, focusing on crop and animal husbandry, fisheries and agroforestry.

During the event, Dar was also requested by the NAAS to deliver a special lecture on regenerative agriculture, where he discussed the need to shift to regenerative agriculture as farming and fishing communities worldwide are facing adverse challenges due to climate change, and scarce, dwindling land and soil resources.

“Regenerative agriculture is not merely a benign method of farming. It actively contributes to the improvement of our natural environments and resources,” Dar said in his lecture.

“It now benefits from advancements in technology. There are fears, however, that recent inventions and disruptions in farming could be antithetical to our sustainability drive, but these fears could be unfounded,” he added.

“To date, precision agriculture and molecular breeding have addressed both food security and biodiversity, without reports of significant harm,” Dar concluded.

WITH A POPULATION of almost 15 million during daytime, Metro Manila qualifies as a megacity. It is highly urbanized, with one of the highest population densities in the world. Yet, despite its congestion, pollution, traffic, and the ever-expanding sprawl of concrete and steel, green spaces are taking root.

The urban farming movement is growing, as more people seek to connect with nature, live healthier, and provide a positive impact on their communities. Leading the way is Urban Farmers, the accidental brainchild of Louie Ocampo Gutierrez, founder and managing partner of the Philippines’ biggest sterling silver jewelry chain, SilverWorks.

Accidental Origins

“We started farming during the pandemic, around July 2020,” says Gutierrez. “SilverWorks had just opened two new stores before everything closed due to COVID-19 lockdowns.” At that time, their total headcount was over 500. “With all our stores closed, we had to find a way to help our employees. We could not keep giving them salary advances when we realized the lockdowns would take a while.”

With the responsibility for his family, his business, and his employees weighing heavily on his shoulders, Gutierrez found himself walking around the village he called home, Bel-Air, Makati, pondering ideas to overcome these challenges. He came across an empty lot overgrown with weeds.

“I called up the owner and asked if I could borrow the land. I told him that I could turn the lot into a farm and give some of my employees jobs. He said I could use it for two years.”

The only thing is Gutierrez wasn’t a farmer.

“We didn’t know anything about farming! I looked online, looked for people who could help. I found Erwin Belen, an agriculturist who was doing community work for barangays. We got in contact with him and he started teaching us online. Wala kaming kaalam-alam.”

Initially, the Bel-Air residents were skeptical. “How are you going to put a farm up inside a village? Baka malamok, baka mabaho, hindi namin kilala yung magtatrabaho dyan. I had to ask permission from the neighbors, barangay, and homeowners’ association. I’m actually a very private person, but the idea that someone had already allowed me to use his property, I needed to follow through and do something. Lumakas ang loob ko, pakapalan. I’m usually very shy when it comes to talking to neighbors. Pero wala naman mawawala sa akin if I try. If they say no, I’ll find another place. I wrote them a letter explaining what we wanted to do. They said yes. It was like small miracles happening.

“Sabi ko sa iyo, matutulog na lang ako, may iniisip akong problema. Gigisingin ko si Maye, yung wife ko ng 3AM kasi may mga idea ako na ayaw kong makalimutan. The next day, we would come up with solutions. Nakakatuwa. Kaya sinabi ko, I have to continue this. This is a sign from above.”

Under the vision of Gutierrez, the guidance of Belen, and the hard work of SilverWorks employees-turned-farmers, the urban farm started taking shape. “It was a trial and error thing for us but by December 2020, we were able to make something nice out of the lot in Bel-Air.” The farm’s first harvest was given away to the village’s kasambahays, security guards, and residents, which helped the community catch on. “This was the only place where you could walk freely without a mask because it was an open-air area.”

Gutierrez named the project Urban Farmers of Bel-Air. As petchay, mustasa, talong and kamatis grew on that 500 square meter lot, so, too, did the idea blossom in the community. Soon enough they were being asked to create small garden plots in the yards of their neighbors. So, too, were they able to sell their produce to neighboring communities in Rockwell and Salcedo Village. “Later on we were able to recognize what crops the community wanted. They wanted arugula, they wanted basil, kung ano yung hinahanap, that’s what we planted.”

It wasn’t easy going, though. “When we were starting, it got really emotional at one point. From knowing nothing to the point where you had something growing, right? It was like having a baby,” said Gutierrez. “During the pandemic, I started having stress-related palpitations. Hindi mo kasi alam kung ano mangyayari. Family, business, and mental health. I was just always on the phone. ‘Sir, wala na kaming pagkain.’ What do you do when your stores are closed? Nobody was prepared. You really had to find a purpose. You had to find meaning in what was happening. This was something good to have come out of the pandemic. We learned to adapt to the situation. You find ways to spend your time and find purpose.”

BGC Community Farm by Urban Farmers

Fueled by the success of the Bel-Air farm and his newfound advocacy, Gutierrez looked for other urban spaces to transform into green spaces in the metro. At first, he was eyeing the Ayala Dolphin Park in front of Glorietta 4 and asked his leasing manager to broker a deal. But then, “the Fort Bonifacio Development Corporation offered this BGC property. FBDC lent us this property to create community engagement for the BGC community.”

This 1,500 square meter space is located a stone’s throw away from the St. Luke’s Medical Center in Bonifacio Global City, smack dab in the middle of a central business district whose population explodes during office hours, but also serves as home to a huge number of condo residents. “The first one was called Urban Farmers of Bel-Air. This one is the BGC Community Farm by Urban Farmers,” said Gutierrez. “Urban Farmers is the brand, so whatever farms we open will have ‘By Urban Farmers.’”

First-time visitors are often amazed by what they find on the farm. Rows and rows of various vegetables set against a backdrop of buildings and vehicular traffic, punctuated by festive (and informative) art and decorations. Most of these illustrated pieces are the work of Robert Alejandro, artist and designer and the “RO” in the iconic QC stationery store Papemelroti. “I didn’t know Robert, ha?” says Gutierrez. “Out of the blue, I asked him, ‘pwede ba? If you just keep talking about the project, people get inspired to help.” Alejandro also did their brand design and brand book.

A closer look at the structures here reveals that they are mostly built from recycled materials. “I wanted this to be sustainable project, so 80 percent of the materials we use here are recycled and repurposed. Pallets that came from CW Home Depot. Again I didn’t know them, I just asked. I had to tell our story. Totoo naman yung story. Malalaman naman ng tao kung hindi totoo yung story.”

The “you don’t ask, you don’t get” mentality of

LOUIE OCAMPO GUTIERREZ

If we inspire people who come here to build farms in their own cities, then that’s a success. Hindi naman namin kaya gawin lahat.

Gutierrez has gone a long way in supporting his vision for green spaces. “When we were starting in Bel-Air, we had a neighbor who baked. I asked him for his eggshells to use as fertilizer and he gave them. Itatapon lang naman nya iyon, might as well mapakinabangan,” says Gutierrez. There’s nothing wrong with asking. I’m just asking for stuff that they’re just going to throw away. Ask and you will receive. But you have to approach them with very clear intentions.” Of course, not everyone says yes, but Gutierrez is okay with that. “I don’t feel bad anymore when someone says no. I just keep on looking for ways on how to connect people with the project we’re doing.”

The BGC Community Farm brings diverse people together. Its volunteers mostly come from the denizens of BGC, including residents and those who work in the area. “Natutuwa ang FBDC because a lot of the volunteers come from BGC. We have a plot specifically for the security guards and maintenance workers here. Whatever they grow, it’s theirs. A lot of them come from the province and miss that kind of life. One of the marshals swings by here every day to check on his vegetables. Another regular is a bank manager from Security Bank who also misses the vibe of his province.” From Japanese grade school students to practicing physicians, the farm gets its fair share of visitors and it is the mission of the farm’s volunteers to inspire them to take up urban farming.

To spread the gospel of urban agriculture, the BGC Community Farm conducts training for volunteers and offers workshops for corporate teams and other organizations. Their main program is Farming 101, which teaches you the basics of agriculture. It engages the community, encourages them to come to the farm and get their hands dirty. “They get to see why we do this. They can see that farming can be exciting and fun. We want to shift the mindset.”

As a non-profit NGO, the farm is open as a venue for special events. “We don’t have money to do marketing. By holding events, we can show guests what we do and inspire them. Then, word of mouth and media write our stories. That’s how we get known. These events let guests know who we are and what we do.”

Connections, Not Competition

Urban Farmers is by no means a solo effort of Gutierrez, nor is it just the husband-wife tandem of Louie and Maye. True to its roots, Urban Farmers is a bonafide community effort, the hub that connects dozens of volunteers and organizations who make their own contributions to the endeavor. “This isn’t a work just by us. We have many different partners who give support.” This includes even companies not related to agriculture at all, such as apparel company Bench, which produced and sold Urban Farmers shirts, with a portion of the profits going back into the farm. Its design was also by Robert Alejandro. “I’m bringing in the retail idea of collaborating with anything. Lagi kong icoconnect. That is something that can excite young people to get into farming. Normally, people see farming as something that’s boring or it’s all about the produce. I want people to realize that it’s more than the produce.” They even bring together competitors such as Ramgo International and East West Seeds. “The idea is not to corner the market but give us options. We want to bring even competitors together. The atmosphere here is non-competitive, non-secular, and non-governmental.”

Urban Farmers has ties with other organizations to create urban farms in different areas around Metro Manila. They’ve created a farm for the NLEX in Barangay 163 Caloocan. They are also currently collaborating with UP Manila and its College of Pharmacy to create a farm with a green walkway leading to the nearest LRT station along Taft Avenue. They work with other NGOs as well as commercial farming groups. “If we see our values align, we’ll work with you,” says Gutierrez. He mentions that Urban Farmers is strictly small scale. “If you want to put up a commercial farm, then we refer you to companies like Farm One, a smart farming company created by AIM graduates.” But if you want a small community farm in your subdivision, then Urban Farmers will welcome you with open arms.

The Measure of Success

“How do you measure the success of something like this?” asks Gutierrez. “Some people fixate on money, are you earning? What is the revenue? We’re engaging people. Bringing attention to farmers. Sustaining the operations. If you teach people how to grow their own vegetables, for us, that’s already a success. You equip people with the knowledge to do this themselves.”

If you put in the time and effort, anybody can be a farmer. “There’s no such thing as a black thumb or even a green thumb. That’s a myth.”

“What is the vision? A farm in every city. But it doesn’t even have to be us,” says Gutierrez. “If we inspire people who come here to build farms in their own cities, then that’s a success. Hindi naman namin kaya gawin lahat. We don’t corner the market on farming. You can actually copy what we’re doing and we’ll be fine with that.”

For more information on Urban Farmers and their projects, follow them on Facebook www.facebook.com/ urbanfarmersph and Instagram www. instagram.com/ urbanfarmersph