Gardening for survival

When DTI came out with the insistence that PHP 500 was enough for a Noche Buena, the nation roared.

Inflation of goods has always been the aim of their respective distributors. The idea that something should always appreciate in value as it progresses is now showing it's cracks.

Urban gardening is something I've always wanted to try out, but never had the time nor opportunity to when I lived in Manila. Now that I live between Cebu and Iligan, while this endeavor of ours isn't earning yet and we're operating on savings, growing our own food is more necessary than ever.

I'm so grateful to live in the age of the internet. Information on which crops are easiest to grow and how to make your own home compost is abundant. The superwomen behind Starter Sisters (Mabi David) and Ugnayan Cards (Jen Horn, Kookie Santos) also recently came out with a zine on how to make a mini revolution through our own kitchens and gardens entitled "Luto Likha Linang Laban" which is free and printable at home.

A few months ago, a group of tomatoes sprouted from the rain barrels we had in our backyard. They were small, but absolutely stunning in their firmness and green-to-red gradients. These were Bisaya tomatoes particularly, and taste much sharper than the ones I got back in Manila. Their smells were fresh and sweet. I felt for the first time the devotion and fulfillment people have from successfully growing their own produce. 🍅

I've been trying to start a garden in Cebu, but unfortunately our neighbors have been treating the pots like trash cans, throwing plastics and nails into them since we throw our food waste into them as compost. Nonetheless, we will try to find a workaround.

There was a time I also attempted to make my own bokashi bin using powdered milk mixed with sugar as the starter and coffee grounds (RM loves his homemade brews). Unfortunately, the mixture made the compost rotten, so I bought a kilo of worms in hopes of shifting to a vermicompost. Sadly, the mixture was still too acidic for them, and they tried escaping en masse into our hallway. I put the buckets up in our rooftop only to find them fried the next time I checked up on them (sun-dried worms smell a lot like dried fish 🐟😭).

These are reminders of how delicate the balance is for living things to thrive. Conditions must be ideal, and small shifts can mean life or death. It makes one appreciate more the hard work that farmers put out, yet they suffer as one of the most marginalized. I can't remember where I heard it, but it's true that without farmers, we would not survive.

Through the Uganayan substack, I was also reminded of the existence of the Good Food Community. They are doing excellent work on supporting small-holder farmers through the Community-Shared Agriculture program, while simultaneously addressing hunger among the urban poor with Food Today, Food Tomorrow.

There are so many things that can depress us in this world, and I'm grateful to these amazing people for their incredible work in uplifting others. We aim to contribute as meaningfully as they do with our home one day.

Why not stop by our kitchen for a hearty recipe and a couple of tips on how to preserve your own food before you go?

~ Nikki