Buhian Diversified Farm: Practicing a Coco-Based Diversified Farming System

I recently traveled to Cagayan De Oro (CDO) as part of the 6th Bloggers' Event for Organic Agriculture farm tour conducted by the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI). Among the farms we visited is the Buhian Diversified Farm. It is a relatively compact farm measuring 1.2 hectares, located at the town of Initao, Misamis Oriental.

OA Bloggers with ATI personnel and the Buhians

Though it may seem small in scale, the farm is amazingly teeming with life and various produce. One area is allotted for the coconut farm, livestock integration, and coconut-cacao nurseries while the other caters to coconut processing enterprises such as copra processing, virgin coconut oil (VCO) production, charcoal production, and coconut products.

diversified planting of different crops beside each other 

Aside from the vegetable garden and a Farm Business School, Buhian also does honeybee production accompanied by a wide array of uses for their coconuts, as part of their diversified farm.

honey bee production area

The owners, Mrs. Nemia Penita Buhian and Engr. Edgar Buhian, shared with us how they developed their sustainable farm achieved through organic methods, all the while having a feasible food source for one's needs and, at the same time, a profitable livelihood.

Engr. Edgar and Mrs. Nemia Buhian

With coconuts as their core produce, they have created a number of coco-based products, which are then merchandised for commercial use. Most of these products include VCO, coconut jam, coco sugar, coco spicy vinegar, etc. and are 100% all natural, which means they are all beneficial to our health.

ducks 

When you enter the farm, the first thing you’ll see are coconut trees scattered across the land. Over the course of starting the farm, they now have more than a hundred dwarf coconut trees and at least a few dozen tall ones. 

a solution to preserving water

Due to occasional drought brought by El Niño, they cleverly recycled coconut husks and plotted a few them over the soil, covering the base of the trees to preserve moisture and prevent water from drying out.

our delicious lunch

Of course, aside from coconuts, they also grow an assortment of organic vegetables such as lettuce, tomatoes, mushrooms, okra, and various herbs. I had the chance to appreciate their dishes from our late lunch at the farm. 

pigs that don't smell bad!

As for livestock, they do have quite a lot, with most of their fowl consisting of chicken, duck, and turkey living together in one fenced-in area. Their organic piggery uses a combination of rice hull, salt and Effective Micro Organism Agri-Solution (EMAS) as bedding on the flooring. This results to less flies and the likable odorless smell, which cannot be achieved through standard practices. The pigs  consume leftovers from harvested vegetables in the farm.

growing healthy mushrooms

Like the modifications they made for their coconut trees, they also included a recently known, modern way to cool their Florida Oyster Mushrooms. They incorporated an amazing invention of zero energy air cooler from Bangladesh using recycled plastic bottles. As to how it works, they simply mounted it on the wall which houses their mushrooms, then the passing of air intake through the small hole of the bottles will provide a low cooled temperature within the room. They made use of an invention that has only been recently discovered but uses simple science and cheap materials that have been around for a few decades, and combined it with agricultural practices. I believe farmers like the Buhians will definitely succeed in their ventures with this kind of innovative and efficient way of thinking.

* photos borrowed from my dad's blog, Trails Unlimited