Ms. Nikole Kazemi, founder of the Kalipayan Farm; Chairperson Len Maraan Reyes and board members Ms. Florinda Martal and Ms. Arceli Del Mundo, all of Alfonso Women's Council; and Ms. Deinielle Ramos, an intern at the Kalipayan Farm, visited the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) on 11 August 2023 to explore possible partnership on their joint initiative Tanim Farm program. Also with them was Dr. Andrew Gasmen of the University of the Philippines Los Baños College of Agriculture and Food Science-Agricultural Systems Institute, also a prospective partner.
Dr. Glenn Gregorio, SEARCA director, provides the visitors an exclusive tour of the SEARCA Hub for Agriculture and Rural Innovation for the Next Generation (SHARING).
Kalipayan Farm is a social enterprise offering farm-to-fork solutions through farm input, fresh and processed goods, farm development consultancy, and education and wellness programs. Through these programs, the farm aims to develop family farm communities. They have worked with communities in Bulacan, Leyte, and Laguna in the Philippines; and are now actively supporting Alfonso, Cavite, Philippines, particularly its women's council, through the Tanim Farm program.
The Tanim Farm program aims to integrate academe, government, and private sectors' technical knowledge and experiences on sustainable farming to document and impart best practices with beginning small family farm agripreneurs, particularly the farm wives of Alfonso.
During the meeting, Ms. Kazemi presented the program's conceptual framework, existing collaborators, and activities, such as developing a hands-on integrated and diversified natural farming (INDF) training tailored to the needs of the family farm agripreneurs and crafting a sustainability plan to conduct this training through an e-learning modality. The program also provides on-the-job training opportunities to capacitate the youths' knowledge, skills, and attitude on INDF and agripreneurship.
Ms. Nikole Kazemi presents the Tanim Farm program's conceptual framework, existing collaborators, and activities
"We saw a clear alignment [between SEARCA and Kalipayan Farm-Alfonso Women's Council], and we want to show you what we are doing," said Ms. Kazemi. She believed SEARCA could assist the program through capacity-building initiatives on sustainable business, INDF, community gardening, and crop production.
Dr. Gerlie Tatlonghari, program head, Research and Thought Leadership, discussed an overview of the School-Plus-Home Gardens Project. Dr. Glenn Gregorio, SEARCA director, added information on its offshoot projects, the School-plus-Home Gardens cum Biodiversity Enhancement Enterprise (SHGBEE), which aligns with biodiversity conservation and restoration, and the School Edible Landscaping for Entrepreneurship (SEL4E) Project, which focuses on entrepreneurship.
Dr. Tatlonghari saw collaboration potential in entrepreneurship and asked Chairperson Reyes about their business initiatives. Chairperson Reyes shared some of the agripreneurial ventures of the women of Alfonso, including selling fresh produce and snacks made out of healthful and accessible ingredients. Examples are siomai made from squash and sweet potato, veggie patties and balls made from banana blossoms, and chips made from arnibal or señorita banana.
Since the Tanim Farm program also promotes youth in agripreneurship, Ms. Sharon Malaiba, unit head, Partnerships, highlighted SEARCA's joint activities with the Dagatan Family Farm School and Balete Family Farm School. She also mentioned the newly inked agreement between SEARCA and East-West Seed Philippines on a youth capacity building bootcamp. Moreover, she added that the Center also delves into incorporating robotics to entice the youth into agriculture.
To cap the meeting, the SEARCA team agreed to visit Alfonso to scope the program site.
A SEARCA delegation led by Dr. Gregorio welcomes Ms. Kazemi and party.
The visitors were received by Dr. Gregorio; Dr. Tatlonghari; Ms. Malaiba; Ms. Beatrisa Martinez, executive coordinator, Office of the Director; and Partnerships Unit staff. Dr. Gregorio also provided the visitors an exclusive tour of the SEARCA Hub for Agriculture and Rural Innovation for the Next Generation (SHARING).