Ivatan Farming – If You Want To Learn About Food Sufficiency, Come & Visit Batanes

 


It’s not theoretical; it is real, applied – and it has been applied and re-applied since the Ivatans, people of Batanes, learned to live with the moods & caprices of Mother Nature. Batanes is a Brave Old World such as it is.

In the image above, “Batanes, Go Organic” is a slogan, but it only emphasizes what is true, working, applicable in this northern part of the Philippines:

Self-sufficient, organic farming with root crops such as sweet potato, garlic, shallot, and onions.

“Self-sufficient” means you have everything you need, especially food – you do not need any other food item in the menu. The Ivatans have no fowls or livestock – the birds and animals cannot survive the harsh climate.

Says Alyssa Leyda-Aldemo(19 August 2020, “Batanes Go Organic Honors Ivatan Farming And Sustains Food Sufficiency[1],” Good News Pilipinas):

The sea-view farm at Naidi Hills has already produced more than 20 tons of agricultural products such as sweet potato, corn, watermelon, and a variety of vegetables.

The famous Naidi Hills are in Basco, capital of Batanes. The sea-view is meant to attract farm tourists.

Miss Alyssa says, “These are the Ivatan ways of farming (that) are 100% organic” and now are being displayed in that sea-view location:

Planting of typhoon-resistant crops – Because typhoons can ruin any good harvest above ground, the Ivatans focus on planting root crops such as sweet potato, garlic, shallots, and onions.

Crop rotation – This is the growing of different types of crops on the same land, season to season. There are no crop repeats.

Water harvesting – Ivatans make the most of the rain by having rain collectors instead of constructing expensive irrigation systems. Springs and deep wells are their other sources of water.

Fallowing – The land is plowed and tilled but left unseeded, giving it time to rest and restore nutrients, or for grazing cattle. This system enables the maintenance of soil health.

Delineation of areas – The stone houses of Ivatans are separated from farming areas, effectively preventing unintended contamination of crops from household chemicals.

As a graduate of UP College of Agriculture, now UP Los Baños, with a BS in Agriculture major in Ag Education, I know that crop rotation is a good practice for most types of farms – except that most Filipino farmers don’t practice crop rotation – it’s mostly rice, rice, rice, rice, rice! And then they complain that the yields are going down. And so they apply more chemical fertilizers because these are the ones that are swift-acting, that give the fastest results. Our lowland farmers have to learn from the Ivatans!

No, our lowland farmers do not practice fallowing – they plant their fields season after season after season, giving the land no time to rest and replenish its own fertility.

No expensive irrigation systems for the Ivatans. They collect the rainwater. They also tap the spring water and deep wells.

What do we have with the Ivatans? 100% organic farming.
Crop rotation. Fallowing. Typhoon-resistant crops.
If you pay attention to Mother Nature, she will teach you!@517


[1]https://www.goodnewspilipinas.com/batanes-go-organic-honors-ivatan-farming-and-sustains-food-sufficiency/?fbclid=IwAR1mI7jt-m2DY2Tun4sjLDvvZlYwI-NojkRI4R4uPxBZ2cvjTFG_RdtsYdU

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