A Crash Course on Soil

Day 1 of our much-awaited course in Natural Farming of Bountiful Harvest is over. Today, Simon Gill focused and lectured on Soil Management which is top priority when starting out on a farm or even a personal vegetable and herb garden. 

We all know that the SOIL cares for PLANT which cares for YOU....But who cares for the SOIL? Aha!

Current soil status all over Palawan (and other parts of the Philippines & the world I can imagine!) is acidic. He explains that people have been mining on the soil, depleting soil of their trace minerals through wrong practices like chemical fertilizers, wrong practices of slash & burn, etc. This results to having mineral deficiency in the crops, the food on our plates. 

 Simon is proud of his healthy organic corn crops

It's simple to remember this...when minerals in the soil goes down, diseases in humans and animals rises. Studies have also been made on nutrient content of our foods today- to get the same nutritional value of an apple back in 1940's, you will need to consume 4-5 apples. Hmm..I would've used a local fruit like saba (banana) or camote (sweet potato) as an example but maybe the study he was referring to was from the US.

Since we are on the topic of food, here's our nutritionally dense food for a day's work- A variety of delicious vegetarian dishes by Jinky Gill, Simon's wife. There was brown rice, a spicy kang kong dish, bean soup, veggie rolls, eggplant and okra. All came with their own yoghurt based dips which were all very tasty and good.

She also served us snacks like fresh coconut, mango shake and fried bananas throughout the day. 

 Mango shake with a lovely edible flower from their garden

Most of the ingredients used in all their home-cooked meals are from their farm, of course! Nothing but fresh produce. I look forward to next week's class because she promised us Indian curry dishes, oooh yummy! :)

Some scenes from the farm---

 One of their local farmers on siesta break from 1pm to 3pm

And we proceed to make the carbonized rice hull for soil conditioner

 

  

And some magic soil mix

I found natural LOVE formations on the soil, too!

M and I have agreed to make this our weekly bonding activity. Something we could do together without Santi. Think of it like a special eco-date :)

 Cheers to the future food farmers!

It's another affirmation and physical manifestation of our green intentions for our family and more importantly the next generation's future. Like Simon says... when the oil, rice and vegetable prices sky-rocket (and you know they eventually will!), you're food farm will be a gold mine!

Now, can you digest that? ;)

Bountiful Harvest
Brgy. Sicsican, Puerto Princesa City, Palawan
Jinky Gill 0917-8492911