MY FARM IS SURVIVING THE EL NINO, MARCH 2010

MARCH 6, 2010

El Nino has dried up almost everything around me. Sparse water resources are being directed to those plants that are in dire need of moisture like the vanilla orchid vines, grapes, and my flowering plants. Other plants may have to wait for the rain. 

My fruit trees are flowering and producing fruit too early.

The trees must sense the dry heat is going to deplete the ground water very quickly and its survival instrincts are stimulating the early flowering. Drawing from its roots, trees will direct moisture into propogating its species.










Early flowers will produce fruit very early in this summer heat.  Fruits will develop seeds and in a month or two, these fruit trees seeds will start falling on the ground during times of drought .

When rains come in mid June or July, the seeds that  fall,  will sprout a  new generation. 

I am observing everything, and Mother Nature is teaching me to understand how it will surive inspite of the El Nino. Much of the hot air and dry heat is also caused by mans overdevelopment of upland rainforests that protect the watersheds into subdivisions, golf courses, commercial and industrial land.

Here are some photos of my farm in this dry, and very hot summer month that is just beginning.

Covering seedlings with fish nets help conserve moisture. These bak-choy or pechay seedlings will not be able to survive the summer heat if these are not put into greenhouses where shade will prevent it from bolting.

Our cat HEART sniffs fish net and wonders where are the fish?

                                                                                                                                                               SANGUMAY ORCHIDS LOVE HEAT, AND THEIR LAVENDER FLOWERS ARE JUST IN TIME FOR THE LENTEN SEASON. THEIR FRAGRANCE IS CARRIED IN THE AIR FOR SEVERAL METERS.

GOLDEN SHOWER ORCHIDS DISPLAY THEIR YELLOW BLOOMS

VANILLA ORCHIDS BLOOM

ON CAREFULLY TENDED VINES.

POLLINATION BY BENEFICIAL INSECTS WILL RESULT IN FRAGRANT PODS THAT WILL BE PLACED TOGETHER WITH COFFEE TO CREATE  A NATURAL FLAVORED ICE COFFEE DRINK.

A REAL TREAT IN THIS SUMMER HEAT!

AND WHO CAN RESIST MANGA' HILAW WITH BAGOONG?

HARVEST OF ORGANICALLY GROWN MANGOS. GOOD TREES DON'T NEED CHEMICAL SPRAYS AND PESTICIDES. MANGOES HAVE A SAP THAT IS NATURALLY TOXIC TO INSECTS. THERE ARE NO ANTS GOING TO CRAWL ON THESE FRUITS!

THE ONCE GREEN FIELDS DRY OUT IN THE HEAT.

                                          

WHERE HAVE ALL THE FLOWERS GONE? EL NINO TOOK THEM!

My farm is going to survive, but conserving water means I will have less produce, just like most of the farms around me who are holding on to their land and hoping for a better harvest next year.

COFFEE HARVESTED RIGHT BEFORE EL NINO ARRIVED THIS YEAR.

CORN CROP BOLTS IN THE HEAT

A LONE COW FEEDS HER CALF IN A FIELD

March 2010 EL NINO COMES TO THE PHILIPPINES

Lent began with the arrival of EL Nino. My farm is parched and very dry, but the very little remaining forest cover keeps some of the air cool. The river right beside my farm is called the Biluso River,  is barely reaching a foot at its deepest point. This river  crosses the watershed area in my part of Silang. This area is composed of upland forests of tropical hardwood, coconut palms, a rich abunance of what was once thousands of hectares of  fruit tree orchards, agro lands, and coffee plantations.

Subdivisions are now everywhere. The cool climate that once was characteristic of Silang and Tagaytay is beginning to deteriorate. Coming into this upland territory, one will notice the tiny brooks and streams feed the river that runs into the lowland esturaries and rice fields.

Our rivers are running dry in this dry, El Nino climate. Rain filters downward through rocks  filling up acquifiers that are used by deep rooted trees to bring up their exhaled cool oxygen.  This combination of trees absorbing carbon dioxide and carbon from the earth results in cool air temperatures  and healthy  oxygen for people to breath and stay healthy. The branches and leaves of tall rainforest trees shelter smaller trees and shrubs from the hot sun during summer. The water remains in the acquifiers because though there are billions of trees, plants only use what they need, and the remaining underground wells irrigate farms on the lowlands.

The Biluso river is our source of water for our crops. This river is right  next to my farm, and has just a trickle of water. This free flowing stream is a source of fresh water used by farmers to water their crops and animals all year round.

Smaller groups of people are now squatting near the river area. Displaced by the millions, these locals used to be hired to gather coconuts and other agricultural produce for market. These native Tagalogs from Cavite were hard working independent small farmers, riding their ponies to deliver buko, papaya, coffee, fruits to the markets. These farmers  are now reduced to scavenging garbage, and looking for work in factories or homes as domestic helpers. They have a wealth of knowledge regarding herbal remedies and organic farm techniques passed down from generations. These native people, are now poor folk, who have no say in the running of their provincial government that is selling off more and more upland forests to big time land developers.

WATER IS MONEY AND WITHOUT MONEY ONE CANNOT HAVE CLEAN DRINKING WATER.

Water filteration and pumping stations are owned my multi-nationals who tie up with government officials to form a strong distributor of expensive water ....an average household uses about $50 worth of water. This clean water used to come free from the rain, and from ground wells....but water is now a lucrative business....millions of homes equal billions of dollar income for these water distribution companies. Technology can transform sewage water into drinking water...but do you want to drink someone elses pee-pee, or someone's toxic chemicals lacing that water?