Vicky Wallace and Her Bee Farm in Bohol Philippines

Image is excerpt from Google Images

Who would have thought that a high earning US base Filipino Nurse and a mother would trade all she owned in America, in exchange of her one chance to establish a community building organic farm in Bohol Philippines. Better known as Bohol Bee Farm.

The lady in the spot light is “Vicky Wallace,” a New York based nurse-turned-farmer.” I loved what she said…

“You make good money in the States but you have to ask yourself what is it all about.” I had three jobs. I hardly saw my kids. So after the school year there ended, I brought them here.”

She also said that returning to the Philippines to start a business was one of the best decisions she made in her life.

Rough Start for Vicky

As always, the non-traditional are the ones persecuted for their unorthodox vision. It was when Vicky’s husband died in 1988. She began to rethink of her priorities as a mother and in life. As mentioned, it wasn’t an easy decision to make. Nonetheless, Vicky was firm on her decision, no matter what other people said. Let me quote her mother’s own words, , ‘Why are you dragging your kids to the Philippines, ‘as if it was a bad thing,” she relates. Good thing Vicky did not give up. Now, Bohol Bee Farm is a blessing not just to her family but to the whole province of Bohol as it also attracts tourist and it branch out to other possibilities and entrepreneurial opportunities. Let me again quote another words of Vicky…

“But I never regretted my decision. What kept me going was the thought that I didn’t want to live a life where my children grew up not knowing who I was because I was always working, and later their children would grow up the same way.”

“What kept me going was the thought that I didn’t want to live a life where my children grew up not knowing who I was because I was always working, and later their children would grow up the same way.”

Vicky bought lands where she invested some of her earned money, of which they settled in of it. She started selling vegetables to her children’s classmates. Later the parents married to foreigners went to the farm themselves and harvest their preferred vegetables. She also expanded to homemade bread. Her success in homemade bread starts when she baked breads that suits customer’s tastes. She observed that foreigners don’t like it sweet. In the contrary, locals love their kamote bread, which is slightly sweeter. Bee Farm’s herb bread is a hit to foreigners and hopes to win Filipinos tastes soon. There’s no stopping this lady as she also offered muffins and crafts, something she learned in the US.

More of Bohol Bee Farm on their site…

http://www.boholbeefarm.com/

Old Kano - From Farm Animals to Organic Farming

One thing I like about National Geographic and Discovery Channel is their highly informative exploration in almost all aspects of human lives and the environment. But still, they could not tell it all as this world alone is too big for a show as theirs. Hope with this site of mine, I was able to relay some of the not so famous places I visited. Thus, in my own way I could pay tribute as well to some pioneers in their own fields.

At this point, allow me to uncover an organic farm in Silang, Cavite Philippines (near Tagaytay City) named, “Old Kano.”

Google map link: hhttp://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=SILANG+CAVITE+PHILIPPINES&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=25.565517,56.513672&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Silang,+CALABARZON,+Philippines&t=h&z=11

The word “Kano” is a colloquial term for American. I would like to show some of the pictures I’ve taken before I proceed…

Allow me to tell you the story. Old Kano farm has a total lot area of 12,747 square meters along the province of Silang Cavite Philippines. The couple Mrs. Julieta and the late Mr. Fred Ammann owned this farm.

The couple actually started in Caloocan City (Metro Manila) where their actual business is selling of rabbits, turkey and other farm animals to some restaurant businesses in Manila. If I were not mistaken, the couple acquired the farm lot to expand their business they started in Caloocan. By that time, the Old Kano farm was not yet as known today. As days goes by, Fred Ammann started to sow some plot of “Dill” (exotic herbs) out of plain hobby. As this farm is along the way to the famous tourist destination Taal volcano view at Tagaytay City, an unexpected visitor one day came and he simply could not ignore the bed of “Dill.” He is Mr. Werner Berger. He bought some and asked how many he could grow. Mr. Berger came back but this time he brought with him the head chef then of Manila Peninsula, Mr. Alfred Moser. The man did not just order 30 kgs of dill every week but ask what else he grow. Mr. Fred handed a seed catalog to Chef Moser. The rest is history.

Out of a Mr. Fred’s plain hobby turned into a chance of a life time. Although not that big as what others have made, Mr. Fred sow more that a seed of dill but a legacy of practical organic farming in the Philippines that could sprout into more bigger and high modern organic farms in this land.

Now, Old Kano farm has abandoned farm animal selling and only produces a lot of salad crops, edible flowers and some exotic vegetables produced exclusively at the farm. They supply to many hotels and restaurants mostly in Metro Manila.

Old Kano was the pioneer on organic farming. Some of their offer are as follows: green ice, romain, lolo rosa, red lettuces, tatsoi, mizuna, cucumber, new zealand spinach, baby carrots, endive, french beans, kohlrabi, red raddish, cherry tomatoes , turnips tokyo, and stripped egg plants. Among the 18 varieties of herbs they produce are purple basil, sweet basil, cilantro, dill, marjoram, mint, Italian oregano, Italain parsley, arugula, rosemary, sage, sorrel, mexican tarragon, thyme, thai pepper, the habanero pepper, the cayenne. Their also produce tatsoi fine leaves, mizuna fine leaves, rocketa fin leaves, fennel fine leaves, kohlrabi fine leaves, sorrel fine leaves, mesclun leaves mix with lettuce leaves, mustard and radish sprout.

I was able to talk to one of the worker. I admire how they continue what Mr. Fred’s legacy under Mrs. Julieta (Mr. Fred’s wife). I fell in love with this farm though you could see how time has dilapidated many of the facilities. How I wish I could acquire this Old Kano farm to continue the vision of Mr. Fred and elevate it into the next level. I am more than willing to joint venture with an foreign partner with knowledge in farm technology advancement to put up both a farming school and modern farm as what Kim Yong Ki has done to Canaan Farm-School in South Korea without forgetting the vision of Mr. Fred. I know I could improve its façade to make it also friendly for visitors and tourist as it is also done in Thailand and in other known agri farms. Global commodity trading is now pointing to organic so this and other farms is sure winner if given the right investment and improvements.