Whenever the Negros Island Organic Farmers Festival is being held each year, it is fun to go to the Provincial Capitol Grounds in Bacolod City and check out the many fresh and organic products of farmers in Negros Island and neighboring islands in the Philippines.
It was in 2014 when I was first exposed to the Negros Island Organic Farmers Festival. I had the opportunity to visit Penalosa Farms in Victorias and Fresh Start in Talisay. A week before the festival, I was at the Negros First-Army Wellness Farm in Murcia for a medical mission and was able to buy vegetables that were freshly picked from their farm.
The two provinces in this island have been propagating for organic farming and the local government are promoting programs to support this cause. Zero-waste farming, farm-to-table system, and vermiculture are some of the concepts that I have come to comprehend through my exposure to the organic festival.
This year, together with another blogger, Mea in Bacolod, we roamed the North Capitol Road and the driveway in front of the Provincial Capitol Building for the 10th Negros Island Organic Farmers Festival.
With the theme of “Farm to Table” (or “Halin Talamnan, Tubtub Kalan-an” in local language), we are literally going to eat fresh produce straight from those farms as we prepare them on our dining table. It ensures us that the food products are fresh and handled properly and it eliminates the middleman, providing more income to the farmers and producers.
There were many fruits, vegetables, skin products, live plants, and other organic food products at the festival. I purchased oyster mushrooms, pickled mushrooms, fresh lettuce, and a pesto sauce. My mother cooked the mushrooms and served it for lunch.
Since the Negros Island is heavily advocating for organic farming, it hopes to bring back the natural way of cultivating and preparing food. With so many chemicals used in most of our food products that often result in various illnesses and diseases, it is truly advisable to go natural when it comes to food consumption. Alongside organic farming is slow food cooking, which encourages households to use the natural methods in food preparation, and proper food handling, to ensure that food products are always safe to consume into our bodies.
It supports the livelihood of the farmers, allowing our agricultural sector to flourish, and allows consumers to patronize local products.
During the Organic Farmers Festival, you will find various food products and other organic commodities on display and for sale to the public. It is an event that I hope to continue for many more years. So, if you haven’t been to the Negros Island Organic Farmers Festival, make sure you go to one (which usually happens in November). Always check out the website http://www.organicfestival.negros-occ.gov.ph every now and then for updates and details. See more photos on my Facebook page album.
It is about time that we go back to basics. Let us support organic farming for the betterment of our farmers, our agriculture sector, our country, and, most of all, our health and future.
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this is my first time to hear such event! It is indeed very interesting especially for those who are into veggies and organic foods! If only Negros Island is just one ride away from the South, my auntie and I would have grabbed the opportunity to shop for freshly harvested crops and veggies here!
thanks for sharing by the way
havent been to negros but will definitely take of the notes for this festival when i’ll go there :))
I didn’t know there is such a thing as an organic farmers festival in Negros, so cool! It’s so nice that they are celebrating and promoting organic farming, I mean who doesn’t want safe and healthy food right? Maybe next year I’d be able to attend this festival myself.
Wow! he festival looks so fun. It’s good to have this kind of festival to educate people bout the benefits of healthy living.
Seeing the produce on sale made me wish that Negros is just a stone throw away from Antipolo. It’s really great that people are into supporting these kinds of farm to table markets even in Manila.
One of my goals is to attend to every festival we have here in the country. I am surprised to hear about this organic farmer’s festival. Hope I can attend one day! 🙂
I love the concept of organic farming. In the world of deadly and harmful pesticides I wouldn’t mind paying extra towards my family’s health
There really is a huge difference between fresh, organic vegetables and their not-so-organic and healthy counterparts. If only Negros was a stone’s throw away! My mom would’ve loved to this festival.
This is the first time I heard about an organic farmers festival but it looks really good. I wish I was there, I’m a big fan of anything organic. If only we had something like this in Manila… everything is so much pricier kasi 🙁 Haha!
I say “yay” to organic farming too. Here in Nagaland, people get a lot of organic farm products, fresh. But the organic farmer aren’t able to compete with the market/supplies from pesticide-ladden products from outside the state. But those who care can go for organic food products.
Regards,
http://www.jkphotosnagaland.blogspot.com
I hope our local government would push this kind of initiatives too. Its hard to get fresh organic in our area, the quality of produce in metro manila is bordering on toxic already 🙁
Wow! The local organic produce in Negros is abundant. It’s a good start for people to be aware how good organic products are. Kudos to the organizer for this festival that promotes and helps our local farmers.
I had been to Iloilo several times but I have yet to go to Bacolod. I hope to visit this province in the future. 🙂
I like going to farm festivals, and there is one before here in Cavite a year ago, but it’s the first time that I heard of organic farming festival! I wish there was something like this in manila though.. 🙁
When I started experiencing stomach issues 10 years ago I started investigating holistic alternatives.
I found eating a clean, whole and organic foods really helped my symptoms.
I think it’s fantastic there are markets that advocate and support local producers! If only they were more readily available where I live! 🙂
We went there late at night and some of the vegetables are already sold out. Was so happy to purchase fresh lettuce, tomatoes and cucumber for a very good price. I was able to buy seedlings like basil, oregano, rosemary, parsley for my herb garden too though some of them were not lucky to survive. 🙁
Great to hear..therre are mamy such farmers markets which are arranged in Indian cities as well
This looks like a fun and “healthy” event! Full of organic products which is best for our health. I hope we could have this here in the metro.
I love the idea of getting back to the basics. I need to find a festival or something like this near where I live because the food looked so fresh and beautiful. I love that you bought mushrooms and had them for lunch! Can’t get any fresher than that!
I can definitely testify that Negros is so full of greens, and I love it! It’s so refreshing there. This market is perfect for those who definitely love eating clean and healthy! 🙂
One of the many things I miss about the Philippines is the way we celebrate our produce! It is pleasant to learn that Negros created a festival intended to promote organic farming. Never been to one! I agree that it should continue, so that people will be aware of the benefits of organic products to health. Cheers to that!
I haven’t been to Negros yet but it’s on my list. Might be a good idea to do it around this time 🙂
What a wonderful event to promote local farmers that sell organic produce, I imagine the goods you bought tasted amazing. I don’t know of any organic markets near where I live and to be honest I don’t really trust the supermarkets in the UK to sell wholly organic food so something like this would be amazing to visit and know exactly what I’m getting from the source!