TABUK CITY, Kalinga – The second hydroponic greenhouse farm in the city located in Brgy. Cabaritan was formally opened recently.
Harriet Tenda, the farm’s owner, claims that the primary motivation behind the project was to encourage backyard gardening as a means of achieving food security as a year-round defense against malnutrition and food deprivation.
The hydroponic farm uses less water than conventional soil-based planting methods, and it does not need workers to water the plants every day because it has a water system of its own that takes care of the task. The water used during irrigation is returned to the water system facility and used again, she added.
Tenda, a resident of Mountain Province with extensive gardening experience, claimed that hydroponics enables faster development and larger yields to support the financial needs of families.
The five different lettuce varieties, along with various herbs and vegetables, were planted in a small container inside a steel bed which, after 35 days, the plants were ready for harvest, pest-free and organically cultivated, making them more nutrient-rich.
One span of this planting technique can yield 60 kilos of lettuce, making it cost-effective. Families that choose to employ this type of gardening technique can also place their seeds in bamboos.
High-value crops like strawberries will be planted soon in addition to the lettuce and herbs. She is also putting the finishing touches on the paperwork required to register the hydroponic greenhouse farm as a learning site in the city with the Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Training Institute (DA-ATI).
As a result of the first harvest’s abundance, the village of Brgy. Cabaritan were invited to a program and given the option of bringing any amount of lettuce home with them. A culinary competition was also held to display various wholesome and nourishing snacks and meals.
The Tenda family founded the Indigenous Path Foundation in order for this project to develop, promote, and receive support from organizations to accommodate more vegetable varieties. Its main objective is to teach mothers and kids how to cultivate organic veggies in their backyards.
The Tendas are aware that starting a project of this scale requires significant financial resources, but families can get started without spending any money by using readily available materials like bamboos rather than a steel bed for planting.
