I thrive on obstacles. If I'm told that it can't be told, then I push harder. — Issa Rae
It's almost the end of August and it has brought enough rain to nurture this side of the Earth again.
Although we really don't have water problems as we are situated near a river and a brook, a prolonged dry season could bake almost any crops and young trees and if that ever happened maybe it could have been the right time to plant cactus and other succulents instead.
Back to the reality, the main garden area is now full and I needed to expand outside it beginning on the eastern side.
The primitive characteristics of permaculture can be non-persuasive to conventional minds and this is what puts me in constant battle with the authority a.k.a. my father.
But my solution is not to get permission and just do whatever I plan to do, like what I did with the ground cover where he displayed extreme opposition, but I did it anyway.
Now, I wanted to consume every inch of the orchard to make it productive and potentially profitable. This stance may initially insight issues especially that my next location is the 2-meter wide path.
Where would the vehicles pass? Nowhere bruh! The path being too open could mean that the space is generally unproductive 24/7 and unprofitable 365 days a year.
The plan is to make use of it as a banana grove to provide multiple benefits to the young food forest. In the middle of the path, I lined 11 dessert bananas, specifically the Costa and Señorita hybrids at about 3 ft. planting distance since these are of smaller sizes than other banana types.
The first benefit is it will provide ample shade to the young seedlings and to us from the scorching sun. The path is still present but slimmer enough for a person to walk through.
Next long-term advantage is its potential for barricading against the undercurrent during floods, slowing it down and lessening the damage and erosion. The growing number of organic barriers will also improve soil retention and organic matter build up during wet season.
The ideal benefit its potential profitability, even with the rising prices of commodities, bananas are still sought after for various purposes ranging from daily consumption to alternative medicine—yes, local mothers culturally rush for ripe bananas whenever their babies has health issues, or even roasting banana suckers and extracting its juice as fever remedy.
And lastly, or my last thought on it, bananas are temporary. It is a mid-term crop and can be removed with lesser emotional attachments whenever a bigger project is conceptualized.
Going back to bare-minimum Philippine countryside lifestyle, you only need a few whole food categories to survive and still live healthily and it would be rice, rootcrops, fruits, herbs, and meat—okay, add salt.
Each family's diet may vary, but bananas are definitely a staple on the traditional diet. So marketability is not an issue, and if not sold, then it will be enjoyed by the family.
Aside from bananas, really, I am also constantly adding more crops this week such as spring onions, garlic, chayote, malabar spinach, luffa, chilis, sweet potatoes, cocoyam, and mulberry cuttings.
Also, I already started a minor harvest on cucumbers, string beans, and mung beans although it is honestly far from being abundant.
Going sustainable is no longer an esoteric endeavor, but a now-or-never decision in this collapsing world to grow for sustenance as it can help you thrive and benefit long-term even when the economy somewhat stabilizes in the future.
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About Me
@oniemaniego is a software developer, but outside work, he experiments in the kitchen, writes poetry and fiction, paints his heart out, or toils under the hot sun.
 | Onie Maniego / Loy Bukid was born in rural Leyte. He often visits his family orchards during the summers and weekends, which greatly influenced his works. |
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