“If you’re trying to achieve, there will be roadblocks. I’ve had them; everybody has had them. But obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.” Michael Jordan
The same goes for the story of Samuel D. Musyuyan, a criminologist by profession who chose to embrace farming rather than practice his profession.
With the knowledge he had acquired from his parents about farming and determined to support his family, he pursued what his heart aspired to accomplish.
“It takes persistence to achieve something. I was encouraged by my church companion to organize a group of farmers in our sitio and I was challenged to apply for civil society organization (CSO) accreditation, so I did. Thankfully, we were able to secure accreditation,” he shared.
With the efforts of the Municipal Agriculture’s Office (MAO) alongside with their persistence to learn and adapt great things in agriculture, they were able to establish their organization.
Reminiscing his way of farming 10 years ago, it was the traditional approach. He relied solely on manual labor with few technological tools. Additionally, he had been practicing conventional farming way back. Fortunately, two years ago, with the help of the Department of Agriculture-Cordillera (DA-CAR), he was able to manage his farm with Good Agricultural Practices (GAP).
With the various GAP trainings he had undergone, he cheerfully stated that through those undertakings he learned that the production of good, safe, and quality food is essential. Most importantly, he realized that farmers should also look after their health, the environment, and the land they grow, which is critical for the next generation.
Even so, Musyuyan is now an active GAP advocate and at the same time the President of the SAAD Am-am Farmers Association located in Am-am, Balili, Mankayan, Benguet. All its members own a GAP certified farm.
Reaping what he sowed, their association received different interventions from the agency. A tractor, grass cutters, power sprayers, seeds, crates, and trainings under the High Value Crops and Development (HVCD) Program of the agency were among the assistance they acquired.
For these, he is grateful for that support because these are very useful to them. He also shared that another round of interventions will be given to them this year.
With all those blessings, he is now encouraging other men and women farmers to join trainings related to GAP because it really helped them understand the true essence of healthy and sustainable farming. By LDMendoza
