Columban Missionary Fr Oliver McCrossan is a long-time advocate of natural organic regenerative farming practices. With financial support from his friends in Ireland, he has been able to increase support for training in this way of farming in the Philippines.
Training in the use of natural organic liquid fertiliser-making was attended recently by key farm leaders, lay people, and gardeners at Mt Miracle, Sitio Vito, Aplaya, Jasaan, Misamis Oriental, in Mindanao in the Philippines.
Bishop Antonio Tobias, Bishop Emeritus of Novaliches and Pagadian, Zamboanga del Sur gave an input last September on Laudato Si’ to community leaders, lay people, farmers and gardeners at Mt Miracle, Jasaan Misamis Oriental.
Bishop Tobias challenged the group to respond to Laudato Si‘s call to care for God’s creation, the soil, water, and air, and stop using agrochemical inputs in their farms.
Moved by Laudato Si’s message and Bishop Tobias’ challenge, the group decided to stop polluting their soil with synthetic agrochemicals such as acidic synthetic fertilisers, toxic pesticides, fungicides and herbicides.
They want to stop using these on a gradual basis by learning alternative methods and eventually adopting or practicing natural, organic and agro-ecological farming methods.
The plan materialised after Columban Missionary Fr Oliver McCrossan visited the Living Soil Farm where training in regenerative organic agriculture was organised last February. He is a long-time advocate of natural organic, regenerative farming practices.
Greg Tacbas spoke about Fermented Plant Juice (FPJ)
The training on organic liquid fertiliser-making is a follow up of the previous soil regenerative training, with the following objectives:
- Gain a broader understanding of the situational, physical, environmental, and spiritual basis for the natural, agroecological, and regenerative agriculture.
- Acquire practical knowledge on how to prepare/make/produce these liquid fertilizers and to tailor these fertilisers to the specific needs of their crops to improve yields and product quality.
- Equip farmers and gardeners, and agricultural enthusiasts with practical skills that they can apply immediately.
- Be able to create or produce their own bio solutions and compost, which they can apply to their farms, and 5. Be ready and prepared to share their knowledge gained from this training with neighbours and communities.
Bobby M. Pagusara, a long-time advocate, practitioner, trainer and consultant on agroecology, who is currently studying for a Master’s at St John Vianney Theological Seminary, Cagayan de Oro City, presented on the physical, environmental and spiritual basis for natural, agro-ecological and regenerative agriculture.
He explained that, “God the Father is the first teacher of natural, agro-ecological, and regenerative agriculture”. He cited many verses from the Old Testament, including this:
“But during the seventh year the land shall have a sabbath rest, a sabbath to the Lord; you shall not sow your field nor prune your vineyard.“(Lev 25:4) — This verse supports the idea of allowing the land to rest, to allow decomposition process and absorption of plant nutrients, a key principle in natural, organic, sustainable and regenerative farming.
“Then God said, ‘I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.’”(Gen 1:29). – This assures us that if we follow His rules and the law of nature, there is food security for everybody.
“The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.”(Gen 2:15)—This gives us the supreme mandate as stewards to care for creation.
Greg Tacbas, a long-time organic practitioner, trainer, and consultant, gave the ‘how to’ aspect in making organic liquid fertiliser using resources from around the farm, the fermented plant Juice (PPJ), using young banana suckers and tender plant shoots.
He stressed that a growth hormone called auxin is found in the tender shoots of these plants.
Auxin is responsible for cell division and the growth of plants. To prepare, the plant shoots are collected early in the morning, cleaned, and mixed with sugar, fermented for some days, to allow hydrolysis, or the process of liquifying solids into liquid form.
Thus, the growth hormone (Auxin) is now incorporated into the fluid substance, and when mix with water at 30 ml per litre and sprayed on plants, growth is enhanced or boosted. Greg’s lecture amazed participants.
Facilitator Bobby Pagusara talks to participants about Fish Amino Acid. The participants visited the compost produced at a previous regenerative agriculture training session.
The same process goes with the Fermented Fruit Juice (FPJ), but with diverse effects, as discussed by Noel Bautista, an organic practitioner, trainer, and consultant. He stressed that this concoction is rich in Potassium (K) nutrient, and when ready, the concoction is mixed with water at 30 ml per litre, is good for flower and fruit setting of plants, and enhances the sweetness of fruits.
Bobby M. Pagusara discusses the Fish Amino Acid (FAA) for the overall health and vigour of plants. The waste from fish, e.g., intestines, scales, gills, guts, bones(etc). Through the hydrolysis process, this waste from fish is turned into liquid fertilizer containing rich proteins.
Fish Amino Acid is full of macronutrients such as Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium, and essential micronutrients such as Calcium, Sulfur, Magnesium, Iron, Manganese, Copper, Zinc, Boron, Molybdenum, and Cadmium.
Plants also easily absorb amino acids from fish fertilizer, promoting faster growth and development. They aid in chlorophyll production and transform overall plant health when sprayed on plants with a mixture of 30 ml per litre of water.
The participants were very grateful for this training. They had learned a lot. And they plan to pursue both: (a)application of what they have learned from the previous training and this training in their farms, and (b) get more trainings needed to establish a holistic and diversified farming system.
In the main, they have learned about the basics of soil health and practical methods and tips to fertilize the soil, from composting to organic liquid fertilizer making. It was agreed that the next training topics would be the following:
- Diversified and Integrated Farming System (Corn-based, organic)
- Organic Livestock and Poultry Training
- Integrated and Alternative Pest Management
- Natural and biological control of pests and crop disease
As mentioned above, the liquid concoction is effective when mixed with water. It nourishes and improves the health of the plants. Without water, it cannot attain the desired health and vigour of plants. It needs to be combined with something else to be useful, fruitful and productive, or effective. Similarly, as human beings, we need to mix or combine our lives with Christ to be effective, productive, and fruitful.
If you would like to support Fr Oliver McCrossan’s work to promote organic farming and care for the earth in the Philippines you can donate online here: https://columbans.ie/donate/ Alternatively you can send a cheque payable to ‘Fr Oliver McCrossan’ to the Far East Office, Dalgan Park, Navan, Co Meath C15 AY2Y.