City launches Young Farmer’s School Program
The city government has launched the Baguio Urban Gardening with the 4-H Club (BUG-4H)-Young Farmers’ Field School Program, March 22, at Quezon Elementary School and Joaquin Smith National High School aimed at informing young people on the importance of urban agriculture through the integration of agricultural education in schools.
The activity is in pursuance of city ordinance no. 41, series of 2021, authored by councilor Levy Lloyd Orcales mandating the conduct of the program.
Program implementers are the City Veterinary and Agriculture Office (CVAO), Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Training Institute-Cordillera (ATI-CAR), Sangguniang Kabataan (SK), and schools.
CVAO senior agriculturist Marcelina Tabelin said the program hopes to encourage the youth to engage in agriculture to cope up with the ageing population of farmers in the country, thus, ensuring food sufficiency.
She said CVAO and ATI-CAR will conduct month-long urban gardening coaching/seminar and hands-on gardening at this year’s two pilot public schools after which participants with be provided with gardening starter kits composed of vegetable seeds, seed tray, seeding bags, garden trowel, cocopeat compost, and more.
“Throughout the hands-on gardening journey, participants will establish the 4-H Community Urban Agriculture Model Farm which shall serve as their ‘Laboratory Learning’ and venue for fellowship in order to develop their interpersonal relationship as young farmers’ organization that promotes mental health,” Tabelin explained.
She added that care for the environment will also be instilled in the participants as they will be required to practice the 3Rs—Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle.
“They will practice composting and recycling of waste plastics and containers as planters. Aside from utilizing their produce for home consumption, participants are encouraged to market their produce to let them experience earning money from vegetable production. This strategy will transform their mindset that farming is not only for the poor but to appreciate it as a viable enterprise,” Tabelin stressed.
Present during the program launching and memorandum of agreement (MOA) signing were councilor and SK Federation president Orcales, CVAO head Silardo Bested, Leandro Tabilog of the City Mayor’s Office, Cristine Esnara of ATI-CAR, Freda Pagaduan of DA-CAR, Quezon Elementary School principal Ligaya Annawi, Joaquin Smith National High School principal Jesusa Yadao, and 4H club advisers Joan Pacio and Nicomedes Tabelin. – Gaby B. Keith
