Mulberry or Morus spp. is a tree usually grown to produce leaves fed to silk worms. Its fruits contain vitamins and minerals and a lot of antioxidants (which according to studies can prevent or slow cell damage, btw).

If you are following me on my Instagram you’ll know that I recently posted a picture of mulberry fruits and how I mixed it with my oatmeal the next day. We have been benefiting from the tree since the day it started bearing fruits. The twist is that it is a gift of nature to us and here’s the story…

Once upon a time, in a faraway land, there was a kind mulberry tree. A bird from a random place got tired. He saw the mulberry tree and perch on a branch to rest his aching wing. The mulberry tree greeted the bird, “Hello, bird! Have some fruits, the black ones taste sweet and the reds are a bit sour”. The bird ate the fruits and thanked the tree. After a while, he bid goodbye to the tree to continue his journey. The bird spotted a place to rest again (in our small backyard) and pooped then flew again.

One day, we saw a new plant in our backyard. We did not remove the plant and years went by and the tree grew and started bearing fruit. And from that time we learned that we have a mulberry tree!

Of course I made the story of the bird and the mulberry tree because I really don’t know where the bird came from and where he ate mulberry. I don’t even know the bird’s gender. LOL. All I know is that we never bought a tree nor plant any mulberry in our backyard. Our theory is that a bird that ate mulberry fruits defecated in our backyard.

Birds may disperse seeds. There are number of ways these birds can do this – seeds attached on their wing, seeds the birds brought through their beak or claw and seeds from bird’s droppings. And whenever I see birds on a tree eating fruits I always wonder where the seeds will land and then the song Big Yellow Taxi will play on my mind. Specifically these lines:

Hey farmer farmer
Put away the DDT
I don’t care about spots on my apples
Leave me the birds and the bees
Please!

Will always be thankful to the bird that gave us a mulberry tree. I can enjoy mulberry fruits for free! If you have one, try putting some to your oats.

Durian is the famous must try food in Davao. And I second the motion. Even I myself tried it and have loved the fruit since that day. But if you are not a fan of durian, here are some other must try food I tried myself when I was in Davao.

1. Charcoal ice cream

Not the most good looking ice cream but the taste is superb. And getting charcoal all over your mouth is just a unique and fun experience.

2. Red peanuts

These red peanuts have intense red skin and a little sweeter taste than the usual fried peanuts I tasted. They have other varieties of peanuts so just spot the difference.

3. Grilled banana (Sugbang saging)

If you are just familiar with banana cue and boiled Saba, then here’s another way to cook them – Saba bananas that are in between unripe and ripe stage are grilled for few minutes.

We have this in our town so I am familiar with this. You have a choice to either eat the grilled bananas as is or get it coated first with margarine and white sugar, I’d recommend the latter.

4. Binaki

This grated yellow corn mixed with sugar and milk stuffed in its own husk before steaming is definitely a must try! The ingredients combine perfectly and the aroma of the corn will make you crave for another one.

5. Grilled dishes

In Roxas night market there are kiosk with seafood and meat products wherein you will just choose and they will grill. Perfect with their sauce or/and vinegar. You will surely get an extra rice.

6. Kwek-kwek with seaweeds (lato) and cucumber

Kwek kwek (egg coated with orange batter) is almost everywhere int the country but the twist with their kwek kwek is the free seaweed (I think they call it lato) adding new and refreshing taste to our ‘egg waffle’. 😀

7. Fried chicken innards

Chicken gizzard, intestine, liver, proventiculus, name that chicken innard and they have it crispy fried. They are affordable and best paired with cold gulaman drink.

8. Buchi with assorted flavours

If you are craving for something sweet that is heavy in the stomach – try out their buchi. They come in different flavours. My personal favorite is the matcha buchi.

9. Pica pica fruits

Who said street food can’t be healthy? These pica pica fruits will brighten your inner trying-to-be-healthy self. Stalls usually have fresh mangoes, papaya, singkamas and pineapple.

1. Be committed

You can’t get bountiful harvest by just planting anything and leaving them alone. You can’t just have goals, do nothing and expect success. If you decided to achieve something, do whatever needs to be done until you get the result that you want.

2. Stay positive

In the Philippines we always experience storm every year but we still manage to get agricultural produce. Storms don’t last and the sun always shines. No matter how bad your day, it will soon pass. Try not worry too much. 😉

3. Be kind and gentle

One time I was weeding my plot and I destroyed some of my plants. I realized I was too harsh. The same thing goes to life. Let’s make this world a better place by being a little kinder to yourself and other people everyday.

4. Do your best. Always.

From planting to harvesting if you do your best you’ll have good harvest and if you don’t at least you won’t have regrets. Do not settle in mediocrity. If you know you can still push harder then do it.

5. Keep learning

Not because you already master planting your lettuce you will stop learning. There are other plants to study and even other lettuce variety that might perform differently. Do not let your mind sleep. The world is continuously innovating and you should too.

6. Get out of your comfort zone

Plants being planted in the same location over and over again will eventually have lower yield. And you’ll notice how they grow better when you do crop rotation. Grow better by moving out of your comfort zone.

7. Think out of the box

When we hear the word gardening we always think about the soil in our backyard. But did it ever occur to you to have a garden without soil? Yes you can! Search my previous post on soil-less farming. If you think your idea is impossible, think again. It might be what the world needs now.

8. Do not rush to conclusion

There are seeds that do not germinate right away not because you fail but because they have dormancy that needs to be broken. Sometimes we need intervention for our dormant dream to grow. You are not a hopeless case.

9. Be patient

Mangoes that are prematurely picked or forced to ripe is not as sweet as those that matured slowly and naturally. Sometimes you find that the universe is not conspiring to get what you want. But, what is really happening is that it is just taking a little longer to let everything be in place so that when the time comes you are ready to have that thing you truly deserve.

10. Have a routine

Plant. Water. Prune. They look simple but it will make a big difference with your harvest. Simple routines will become habits (so make sure to have good routines). And will eventually lead to big results. Little by little you’ll achieve greater things.

11. Read

If you have your pack of seeds right now, look at the back and see the percent germination and date it was tested. From there, you’ll see if you will have higher germination rate. Remember to always feed your mind through reading.

12. Speak up your mind

If you know why your neighbors garden is bad, suggest the best way you know how they can improve it. Sometimes we do not speak probably because we are scared what will other people say. If what you think won’t harm others or it is a well-researched fact, then say it.

13. Timing is everything

In Mindoro, farmers plant rice during the wet season and corn during summer because rice will need more water than corn. Do not force a thing to happen. If it is meant to happen, it will happen. 🙂

14. If it did not work the first time then do it again

Did your crop die this season? Plant again and apply what you learned previously. It is okay to fail and do it again as long as you are willing to be better from the mistakes of yesterday.

15. Do not be fooled by appearance

Had you put a lot of fertilizer to your crop because it is yellowing but nothing changed? Maybe because the cause is not fertilizer deficiency. Take a closer look. Examine other symptoms before applying another remedy. Just like what they always say — “do not judge a book by its cover”. Know the facts first and think critically.

16. If you can’t do what you love, then love what you do

You grow kangkong because you like it or you grow them because the people around you like them and you are happy seeing them eating what you reaped. If do not like your 8-hr office work, then you either resign and find your dream job or stay and try to enjoy your work.

My heart is just so happy to know that agriculture is getting more attention right now. And I found these 7 Filipino celebrities who also find joy in farming/gardening. Try to look at their instagram feeds and be inspired to start having your own farm.

1. Neri Miranda

Get ready to salivate with all the good looking dishes on her feed made with fresh veggies from her garden. I am truly amazed by the amount of veggies she could grow. This girl really has a green thumb!

2. Mylene Dizon

This kind mother of Clara in the teleserye Mara Clara is surely enjoying her farm. Watch her happy farming vibe on her IG vid wherein she pulled out of the plant box a big radish for her sinigang dish.

3. Chesca Garcia Kramer

Team Kramer is doing gardening! I first saw them gardening when they moved in to their new house. They started with a few plants but now look at how diverse their farm is. Those purple gardening tools are too cute you might want to start digging right away!

4. Angelina Mead King

I watched her vids driving sports car but what I enjoyed more was when she was driving a golf cart like a sports car inside her garden. Her gardening technique is no ordinary as she grow her crops in tower gardens – it saves space btw.

5. Anne Clutz

People know her as a beauty guru in the YouTube world. She seems like having fun with gardening. In one of her IG posts wherein she is doing agri stuff, she captioned “ME, doing things that make me happy”.

6. Anma Cay

Another beauty vlogger on our list who seems to have passion with plants (specifically indoor plants). She is levelling up her agriculture game as she started her hydroponics set-up.

7. Isha Borromeo

This YTuber known for make-up tutorials is obviously having fun with her crops. Isn’t her smile contagious? According to her post, she is happy to get her bountiful second wave of harvest!

Experience the same happiness and start your own garden now!

I know I am still young to share stuff like this but I’ll share it anyway. LOL. So here are 28 unsolicited life lessons  I learned from my own experiences.

1. Be committed

You can’t just have goals, do nothing and expect success. If you decided to achieve something, do whatever needs to be done until you get the result that you want.

2. Stay positive

In the Philippines we always experience storm every year but we still have good agricultural produce. Storms don’t last and the sun always shines. No matter how bad your day, it will soon pass. Stop worrying. 😉

3. Be kind and gentle

One time I was weeding my plot and I destroyed some of my plants. I realised I was too harsh. The same thing goes to life. Let’s make this world a better place by being a little kinder everyday.

4. Do your best. Always.

From planting to harvesting if you do your best you’ll have good harvest and if you don’t at least you won’t have regrets. Do not settle in mediocrity. If you know you can still push harder then do it.

5. Keep learning

Not because you already master planting your lettuce you will stop learning. There are other plants to study and even other lettuce variety that might perform differently. Do not let your mind sleep. The world is continuously innovating and you should too.

6. Get out of your comfort zone

Plants being planted in the same location will eventually have lower yield. And you’ll notice how they grow better when planted to a different place. Stop delaying faster growth by moving out of your comfort zone.

7. Think out of the box

When we hear the word gardening we always think about the soil in our backyard. But did it ever occur to you to have a garden without soil? Yes you can! Search my previous post on soil-less farming. If you think your idea is impossible, think again. It might be what the world needs now.

8. Do not rush to conclusion

There are seeds that do not germinate right away not because you fail but because they have dormancy that needs to be broken. Sometimes we need intervention for our dormant dream to grow.

9. Be patient

Sometimes you find that the universe is not conspiring to get what you want. But, what is really happening is that it is just taking a little longer to let everything be in place so that when the time comes you are ready to have that thing you truly deserve. Besides, mangoes prematurely picked and forced to ripe is not as sweet as those that matured on a tree.

10. Have a routine

Plant. Water. Prune. They look simple but you’ll it will make a big difference with your harvest. Simple routines will become habits (so make sure to have good routines). And will eventually lead to big results. Little by little you’ll achieve greater things.

11. Read

If you have your pack of seeds right now, look at the back and see the percent germination and date it was tested. From there, you’ll see if you will have higher germination rate. Always read. Do not let your mind to go idle for a long time. Remember to always tickle your imagination.

12. Speak up your mind

Sometimes we do not speak probably because we are scared what will other people say. If you think no one will be harmed by what you are about to say, then say it. Wasn’t able to harvest any pechay? Ask your neighbour how did he/she able to grow pechay.

13. Timing is everything

In Mindoro, farmers plant rice during rainy season and corn during summer because rice will need more water than corn. Do not force a thing to happen. If it is meant to happen, it will happen. 🙂

14. If it did not work the first time then do it again

Did your crop die this season? Plant again and apply what you learned previously. It is okay to fail and do it again as long as you are willing to be better from the mistakes of yesterday.

15. Do not be fooled by appearance

16. If you can’t do what you love, then love what you do

17. No direction might mean a redirection

18. Move your body

19. Drink water

20. Eat balance diet

21. Sometimes you need pruning to have better yield

22. Never stop growing

23. Try new things

24. Everything will fall to its proper places

25. Brace yourself with inevitable

26. Persevere

27. Get some sun

28. Trust the process

**Will expound each number everyday. Share your own life lessons in the comment section! 🙂

Wazzup #FARMily! Do I sound like a YTuber? Nah. LOL. BTW. How’s your farm/garden? Are you enjoying it and now having plans to level up into a larger farm? Or just interested to retire in a simple and quiet farm? Here are some farm lands I went to and personally want to own (but don’t have the budget yet. hehe).

1. Masbate

A 10-12 hour land travel plus 3 hour RoRo boat ride. They have big farm land. Some are hilly some are flat. Perfect to grow rice, corn, and vegetables. You can also grow forages for your grazing ruminants. There are also lots of cow ranches in the area!

2. Mindoro

The weather can be extremely hot and dry or raining hard for days. But the soil is fertile and good for crops like corn, rice, cassava and onion. Just make sure you have water source if you are planning to plant rice during the summer season.

3. Isabela

The first time I went here I was amazed by the large areas planted with hybrid corn. From afar, you’ll think that you are seeing Bermuda grass but when you take a closer look, they are corn. Although lands are dominated with corn production you can still innovate and customise your own farm.

4. Laguna

I specifically want farm land in cold areas in Laguna like Liliw, Nagcarlan and Lumban. Aside from the favourable temperature for high value crops, there are enough moisture and fertile soil needed by plants.

5. Quezon

An area for coconut production but lanzones, pomelo, banana and other fruit trees can also grow well here. There are flat areas where you can grow rice, corn and veggies. You are also near the ocean and seafoods are easy to access.

6. Cavite

Another place to grow high value crops. The environment is favourable to any crop. During my undergrad, we would always have trips to lettuce, bell pepper and tomato farms here and the produce are amazingly good looking and big than the usual I see in public markets.

7. Batangas

A place known for its yummy lomi and best beaches. This place is also a perfect spot for your dream farm. They have nice weather for your crops and animals. You might also consider including coffee (kapeng barako to be specific) and cacao for that early morning coffee and chocolate aroma.

Visayas and Mindanao have their own beautiful and productive farm lands worthy of your investment. I just personally picked those in Luzon because my home is in Laguna and these places are travel-friendly for me.

This pandemic has shown us how important farming/gardening/agriculture is to survive during a lockdown or even if we go back to the ‘new normal’ settings. Your farm or garden will be your source of food. If your farm is managed well, then you might not need to go to the supermarket for a week or a year and just depend on your produce.

Here’s a quick and simple guide you can follow. And if you still need a thorough planning, you can get me as your consultant! LOLjk.

First, ask yourself. Do you really want to do it? How far are you willing to go? Establishing a garden no matter how big or small requires commitment and passion. You can’t leave your farm unattended. And you can’t just plant something and wait for it to bear fruits. You have to have time for your farm despite your busy schedule.

Second, you need to know your objective/s. What are your garden goals? Are you doing it to produce your favorite basil leaves? Do you want a farm complete with all the crops that your body needs? Or is it just to establish a new hobby? Whatever it is, you need to have YOUR OBJECTIVE/S. List them down.

Third. What resources do you have? Did you inherit a 10-ha farm? Or you are leaving in a condo and the only space you have is the terrace? Adjust your objective/s based on what you have. It is ok to start in a small area and if you find yourself wanting to expand, then do it. I have a post on how to do farming in a soil-less condition and the crops you can start with. Also, how much are you willing to spend for other garden needs like seeds and fertilizers?

Fourth. After having the objectives based on your resources, do you have the basic knowledge on the crops you want to put in your garden? Not knowing your crop is a sin in farming. A lot of resources is available in the web. Instead of scrolling mindlessly on your social media accounts, why not read on how to grow your crop of interest?

Fifth. What will be your plan? How are you gonna start with your objective, resources and knowledge? Do you want to plant rice first on a hectare out of your 10-ha? If you are gardening for your own food, how are you gonna schedule your planting date to have a daily source veggies?

Sixth. Start. Do not waste too much time being scared that the small garden or the 10-ha farm will fail. If not now when? Have you answered the first 5 questions? If yes, then you are ready to go! Go on, buy your seeds, prepare your land and plant!

Lastly. Monitor and record everything that you will experience in your farm/garden. Whether good or bad take notes. From those things that you listed you will learn and the next cropping season will be better. This will show your future gardener self how much you have grown from the day you begin your garden.

This is a simple guide. You will learn more as you progress. HAPPY GARDENING/FARMING! 🙂

Are you one of those kids who climbed your neighbor’s tree to pick fruits? Because I was.  When you were born in the 90’s and grew up in the province, you most likely know the fruits below. They are rich in vitamin C and may bring good old memories.

1. Guava (Psidium guajava)

Let us start with this fruit I still see in the market. I want it ripe but my playmates back then would find it rewarding to have even the baby guavas. Did your parents also boil its leaves to wash you after a fever or use it after your tuli? Old folks in our province use the leaves a lot for medicinal purposes.

2. Indian mango (Mangifera indica)

I still crave for Indian mango from time to time. I remember when I was a kid, I’d sit under the canopy of our mango tree with a bowl of alamang, soy sauce with hot pepper, or salt. I’d pick those manibalang (crunchy light yellow flesh stage), peel, and dip to my sauce! I can’t help but salivate right now. LOL.

3. Santol (Sandoricum koetajape)

In our school when I was elementary, there was this santol tree that had lots of fruits every start of classes (around July), we would pick new fallen fruits, squeeze it between our legs to open and then dip it to salt. YUM! In some areas, people make sinantulan (viand made of grated santol flesh with small shrimp and gata).

4. Duhat (Syzygium cumini)

Remember shaking your stick-o container this fruit and salt? It was fun shaking the bottle, right? Then, you enjoy perfect combination of sweetness, sourness and saltines. Can you still recall how your hand and mouth turned purple?

5. Sampaloc (Tamarindus indica)

Some people only know this fruit from the packaging sinigang mix. Others who experienced picking one may still remember the satisfying sound of the cracking casing of the fruit. We like it ripe if we will eat it raw but our mothers prefer the unripe as part of our favorite sinigang.

6. Balimbing (Averrhoa carambola)

Grown ups use ‘balimbing’ as an insult or joke to a politician, friend or officemate. It means a person changes allegiances for personal convenience. As a kid we didn’t know that, we just love the subtle sweetness and sourness of the fruit.

7. Siniguelas (Spondias purpurea)

We rolled the fruit between our hands until it soften. We love it with or without salt. Some hate its big seed others don’t mind. I rarely see this fruit in the market now so I always grab the opportunity whenever I encounter a vendor selling this.

8. Caimito (Chrysophyllum cainito)

Star fruit to some but I grew up with Caimito. My classmates in gradeschool would be excited to go out and pick some of the fruits of Caimito. This is also one of those fruits we cracked open between our legs. We scoop it with spoon or just squeeze until the milky and sweet flesh comes out.

9. Aratiles (Muntingia calabura)

My parents would always warn me not to eat too much of this fruit (because one small and cute fruit houses several thousands of seeds) as it may cause appendicitis but lo behold! No hard scientific evidence proving that eating seeds may really cause appendicitis. Yay! We still have 2 trees of this fruit nearby.

10. Mansanitas (Ziziphus jujuba)

Just like Siniguelas you roll it between your hands until it softens and ready to eat but this one has smaller seeds. You can actually eat the whole thing even the seeds if you like.    There are trees of this fruit inside the compound where I work and I still enjoy picking and eating some.

11. Berba (Garcinia intermedia)

Not really encountered this one when I was a kid but we this in our office and when my friend from Bicol saw it, he started reminiscing the times they picked Berba fruits not just to eat but also to sell them. Thus, I included it here. It has sour and sweet taste, and you eat it like small version of santol.

12. Lipote (Syzygium polycephaloides)

This one resembles the look of duhat but is not the same as duhat. But just like duhat, you put it inside a container and add salt then shake. It tastes like mangosteen. I just learned that you can make a good wine out of this fruit.

13. Macopa (Syzygium samarangense)

A bell shape fruit that is abundant during the summer season in the Philippines. The word copa is a Spanish word for goblet and macopa resembles a cup shape if turned upside down. This one is not as tasteful as the other fruits. But I love the crunch you get from each bite you make.

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In this fast pacing world surrounded with technologies, we sometimes crave a simple life we used to live and I hope these fruits somehow allowed you to time travel.