Pink Lotus Integrated Farm is located in Barangay Poblacion in the northeastern town of Santol in La Union.
The farm’s ecosystem is in symbiosis with its human occupants and has become a school that promotes permaculture.
It has improved the quality of life of all living creatures on site.
Through integrated farming, a practice that combines traditional and scientific methods of farming, the farm seeks to empower farmers to farm sustainably and securely.
Essentially, the owner, together with local farmers, is committed to observing and listening to the land.
They are dedicated not only to nominal sustainable practices but to regenerative practices that increase fertility with every season.
By integrating cows to knock down long grass, bringing in chickens to graze off weeds, and with their manure priming the soil as fertilizer getting it ready for planting, they have managed to create a positive diverse cover crop planting process.
“We compost as much as we can. Even the weeds play an integral part in this process of healing the Earth. Herbs and vegetables are grown from seed to harvest in a sacred cycle that follows the rhythms of the moon and stars, echoing the farming practices of generations before me,” Galvan added.
According to her, by attuning herself to the needs of her land, she became a better farmer.
“My love for this spot of land between the waters fuels me through rain, intense heat, triumph, disappointment, and all the glorious moments in between. All of this is part of our farm, but it's a small shadow, a microcosm of what we're actually about, of who I am, of how far we've come,” she said.
The Pink Lotus farm is proud to be instrumental in helping local farmers with skills that can generate sustained income and help transform dreams into reality.
With this initiative, the farm has set out a notable change in the lives of farmers across the province and the country through training, competency assessment, and certificates for qualified farmer graduates who will pass the assessment in partnership with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and the Department of Agriculture (DA).
Farmers are an odd bunch full of dreamers and makers, soil wizards, and seed savers.
They are some of the hardest workers you’ll ever meet.
So, plant seeds of hope today, while putting in the hard work, so that you can thrive and grow strong for a better tomorrow. (JCR/MJTAB/KJCR, PIA La Union)
