Why I Switched to Organic Vegetables from Baguio Vegetables
In the past years we’ve been trying to get all healthy, organic food, organic / wild meat and fish, organic vegetables. But those times when I felt lazy enough not to make that weekly trip to the organic farmer, I just gave money to our maids to let them buy regular “Baguio Vegetables” from the nearest talipapa or market. But only this summer in April 2012 we made that Mountain Province trip and went around to where the “Baguio Vegetables” are actually grown. Somewhere around Mount Data and this is what we saw…
From Sagada town we drove down to Mount Data and on Google Maps it shows that Mount Data should be a big forest reserve. Wow, that’s interesting, will we see a real live virgin forest? We drove up to Mount Data Hotel to get tourist information about their forest reserve. Wow, those DENR reports were absolutely correct… the forest reserve is gone! What little was left were some trees surrounding the water table it is supposed to “reserve”… everything around Mount Data had been terra-formed into “vegetable terraces”. You think the Banaue rice terraces were a wonder to craft? You should see the modern vegetable terraces of Mount Data and surroundings… this is where your “Baguio Vegetables” actually grow!
We drove up and down to see the various vegetable fields terraces around Mount Data. Each mono crop plot was completely littered with banner advertising of what brand of pesticide, herbicide, fungicide, chemical soil fattener were used to “improve” those vegetables. The improvement is from the point of view of the grower and seller. But what about us consumers? Is anyone looking out for us?
We consumers need to look out for ourselves. If growers look out for themselves by blasting their crops with chemicals, we consumers need to look out for ourselves to not consume any of those blasted chemicals! Why? Because consuming pesticides and herbicides and fungicides and other “cides” may be detrimental to our health. This is common sense. As common sense as the common farmer does not “bombard” his own personal plot or personal trees for personal consumption because he knows it is for his family’s consumption. How nice an offering it is when our maid brings in mangoes or rice from her home province of Antique and says these are from her family’s personal plot not “chemicalized.”
Found that nice graphic message on Facebook: “If you think organic food is expensive, have you priced cancer lately?” It is a play of concepts for those still stuck in the western medical paradigm and “regular” / factory food paradigm. Of course I can cure cancer inexpensively. And part of that inexpensive methods is pollution avoidance. Avoid the consumption of chemicals! And that would mean consuming only real, natural raw food / minimally processed food. I’m talking food from nature where you pluck it from a tree or bush or the ground and immediately bite into it. I’m talking about catching the fish and biting some flesh from it. I’m talking about picking up a clam, prying it open and eating it on the spot. We humans are supposed to be fed this way. You absolutely cannot do this with “Baguio Vegetables”… you will be consuming the chemical brand being advertised… and that can’t be good for you.
This exposure, our drive around where Baguio vegetables are actually grown is what made me appreciate my organic vegetable farmer and other sources even more. I get from Herbana Farm every Saturday in Mercato Fort Bonifacio or Leviste St in Makati. I also get organic vegetables from supermarkets that carry the brand San Benito Wellness. Herbana Farm is run by the Carandang Family. And San Benito Wellness is a grower and sourcing integrator.
So love your organic vegetable growers. Dedicate to buying from them, tell your friends, make the organic vegetable growing business viable and profitable. The more the demand, the bigger the supply. More and more farmers will explore and find out that organic farming is viable and inexpensive and that there are techniques that can control pests and nourish the soil much better than chemicals.
Oh yes, for some reason the organic vegetables I get are noticeably delicious compared to factory farmed. The people in the house appreciate and tell me so without me asking. That is how food should be, a total delight to eat without any condiments.
