Irish Columban Fr Oliver McCrossan set up the Pedalling to Live project in the Philippines and the Green Shelter Inc, which runs an organic agricultural programme which helps to generate money for tricycle drivers in Ozamiz City.
Fr Oliver recently returned after two months in the Philippines during which he had time to visit the organic agricultural programme. Farmers participating in the programme avoid using harmful chemicals that contribute to the destruction of the earth.
The programme’s goal is also to provide food security to consumers and financial security to the farmers.
Last year, Virgenia O. Vidad who oversees the Pedalling to Live project and the Green Shelter Inc organic farm met Prescilla Canas who told her about her life as a farmer.
Prescilla, a rice grower, used to farm her two hectares of land using chemical fertilizers and pesticides which cost her P50,000 ($1,264 AUD). The small return of 20 sacks of rice per season meant that she could not meet her monthly repayments to the lending institution which had financed the chemicals.
So Prescilla attended one of the Green Shelter Inc orientation programmes on organic agriculture and decided to shift from chemical farming to organic agriculture.
With her new farming knowledge she was able to harvest more than 100 sacks of rice to sell directly to the consumer.
She continues practicing organic agriculture and helps the Pedalling to Live project in promoting organic agriculture to the neighbouring farmers.
The photos were taken by Fr Oliver during his recent visit to the organic farming programme.
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