The Organic Backyard of an Elderly Farmer

​“In five years, I see myself teaching my family and kids about organic farming. In five years, all I will see in our neighborhood are green trees, indicators that we are taking care of the environment. In five years, we will not be left behind as poor farmers. We will also be successful,” Deolito Basbanio, 63, shared. 

Deolito was asked about his dreams for his community during a workshop with other farmers in Mawab, Davao de Oro. He got to his feet, walked to the center, and claimed it. After the peaks and valleys he went through in the decades he spent as a farmer, he keeps in his heart that momentous moment.

He spent his life immersed in agriculture. His parents used to work in rice fields, and he also pursued a career in farming after graduating with a degree in Agriculture. Deolito once took an unexpected turn when he was diagnosed with diabetes and had no choice but to leave the farm where he was an employee. Years later, he is back to his roots —farming. 

The Long but Rewarding Path to Organic Farming

Deolito used to work for a farming company in Mawab. But being part of land reform programs in 1998, he and 146 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) received more than 200 hectares of land.

In 2017, the Initiatives for Dialogue And Empowerment Through Alternative Legal Services (IDEALS) Inc. gave legal assistance to agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBS) to help them acquire full legal ownership of the lands they have been tilling for decades. After years of waiting, the Registry of Deeds (ROD) of Davao del Norte finally released individual land titles to the ARBs in 2021. Among those beneficiaries are members of the Nueva Visayas Agrarian Reform Cooperative (NUVIARCO).

NUVIARCO is a main partner for an organic farming project called Project GROW, developed by IDEALS with the support of Voice and the Foundation for Agrarian Reform Cooperatives in Mindanao (FARMCOOP). The project helps prepare the land of NUVIARCO members and other Nueva Visayas ARBs to qualify in an organic farming certification process in 2023. This will help them access expanding local, regional, and global markets and receive premium prices for their crops. 

Deolito found a silver lining when his physician friend encouraged him to live in the province since living conditions there would be better for him than in the city. He decided to live on the land he got as an ARB and participate in Project GROW. He was able to dream bigger.

Deolito shared that he has always wanted to switch to organic farming but never got the chance. When Project GROW started, he grabbed the opportunity to carry out his plans.

“I am thankful to NUVIARCO and IDEALS for introducing me to organic farming. I have been participating in training on what and how to farm organically and I’m really happy with what I learned,” he said. “My goal, along with the chairman and members of NUVIARCO, is for our whole neighborhood to transition to organic farming. We want to show the results to other farmers in our community.”

Deolito now relies on crop rotation, green manure and compost to maintain soil quality and control pests. Everything he eats are those he planted, harvested, and cooked, thus avoiding food doused with harmful pesticides or synthetic chemicals. Deolito shared how he saw improvements in his health after switching to organic farming. 

“In the first three months of living here on the farm, I lost 30 kg. Now, I am just maintaining my weight,” he said. “I can testify that organic farming helped me deal with my diabetes.”

A Strong Support System

Deolito has three children:two nurses and one dentist. He is the only one engaged in farming, but his children provide financial support to help him develop his farm.

“​​An important decision that my family and I made was to switch to organic farming,” he said. “As a result, we purchased six plots of land. We did this so I can teach them about farming and for us to mature as a farming family, all while my children pursue the careers they want.”

Deolito chose to grow a few vegetables along with fruit trees like avocado and mandarin that bear fruit all year round. More than that, it is also what his family likes to eat and helps them improve their health. 

According to him, “We harvest tons here! I always send some to Davao City for my family to eat because my wife likes it. She is happy because most of the fruits they eat now come from our farm.”

Though he is yet to achieve his goals, Deolito is happy to have his family support him in his plans in organic farming. He looked at the trees he planted and proudly said: “farming makes me happy, especially when it is harvest time. Until now, I see myself happy in farming.”  #