Research Forum: Creating Virtual Corridors (Unofficial Video)

Full Text: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/304589740_Creating_Virtual_Corridors_Social_Network_Discovery_and_Landscape_Patch_Connectivity_of_Permaculture_Projects_and_Initiatives_on_Facebook

Making Environmental Issues Personal

When I got involved in UP Open University’s organic agriculture course in 2012, environmental issues became more tangible to me, particularly the impact of agriculture on the environment. From a distant concern beyond my personal space, the environment was personified and given a face that I can relate to and care about. Now I can contribute, influence, and have genuine concern for our environment because organic agriculture made it possible for me to understand where I belong in the context of the natural world. 

As I probed deeper in agriculture, the never-ending issue concerning the reconciliation of economics and the environment was always brought up. Bringing profit-making and environmental care in the same conversation during my masteral studies has always been a challenge ever since I became aware of and involved in matters concerning the environment. Though no one I met at school disagreed with the idea of reconciling the two, the challenge still remained in the execution of the values that we uphold in the real world.

Just last month, I finished reading a book I purchased at Mt. Cloud Bookstore in Baguio entitled, “The State of the Philippine Environment Third Edition 2006” by the IBON Databank and Research Center. At first I hesitated to buy it because it was published ten years ago. But I was also curious if the issues back then are still relevant in 2016. I was right. We still live in the same world and it’s getting worse. It was like reading a depressing novel. So what now?

The Media Shapes Our Values

I observed that the masses and mainstream media view contemporary environmental issues as external concerns that exist apart from our everyday reality or daily routine. What goes on in the natural world is still very disconnected from what we do at school or in the office. In other words, we divide our realities into spheres: the anthroposphere and the ecosphere. There is no merging of these two realities just yet. If there is, it only exists in the psyche of a small number of people. We view as relevant those issues that have direct consequences in our lives, like public safety or job security.

Climate change and loss of biodiversity just seem too daunting of a task for us to get involved in. Sadly, our entire economy and existence depends on the state of our environment and the natural world—a concept that most people, educated people included, find mind-boggling. We consume what is being fed to us. That is why mainstream media has an important role in shaping our values and attitudes toward the environment.  Unless directly affected by environmental tragedies (i.e. mining communities, coastal towns) most of us will maintain the status quo and proceed with daily life with our fingers crossed.

It’s the Government’s Responsibility!

While I don’t have any problems with the development and implementation of government policies on the environment, I have an issue with people depending on policies to aid their positive action. In my experience, I have talked to many people (mostly aspiring farmers) who avoid organic agriculture because of the strict certification requirements. In my opinion, this should not hinder us from practicing what is ecologically sound and just. We can still practice organic agriculture in our backyards and small farms with or without any paperwork. Only those big farms who export their produce should be keen on certification to safeguard the quality of our local products in other countries. Though policies and laws can guide our actions, the lack thereof shouldn’t be an excuse for us to act positively and responsibly.

Developing My Ecological Consciousness

Seeing the conventional farming systems in Benguet and Mt. Province during my time as a farmer support manager for an organic agri-social enterprise that I used to work for, I realized how aggressive the transnational chemical and agri-companies were in making a profit -- stripping entire mountains for monoculture then sprinkling synthetic fertilizer and drenching the slopes with chemical pesticides. I saw one slope in particular where only broccoli was planted (this is prone to erosion and nutrient depletion) The farmers had been aware of the negative consequences in their environment but are unable to break away from their debts from these transnational companies.   

There was a mini-series in the History Channel called, “The Men Who Built America.” It narrated the lives of five of America’s kings of industrialization (Vanderbilt, Rockefeller, Carnegie, Morgan, and Ford) and how they changed the country’s landscape in just 30 years. I admired their relentlessness and their drive to make the world a “better place.” They believed in the impossible and operated on the idea of unlimited natural resources. Industrialization, during that period, set the stage for the global culture that we know today. We now feel the destructive effects of this rapid change. In today’s context, with scientific knowledge being inversely proportional to natural resources, I hope that environmental scientists and advocates would have the same relentlessness to change their landscapes for the better. I hope we can match the industrialists’ passion by coming up with innovations that can make our industrial systems more inefficient in terms of source to sink product life cycles to reduce pollution.  

How can I impact the landscape now? This is a question that I ask myself every day. After class, I go to our organic demo farm inside the campus and experiment on permaculture design methods and organic agriculture technologies in our “more-than-we-can-handle” 3000 square meter patch of land.  It is there where I try to do my part in contributing to my community’s food security.

I read in one of our modules in UPOU that small-scale solutions are trendy, but it takes macro-scale policy formation to really impact the environment. This is true, but I still prefer to view environmental issues as personal issues that I can address on a daily basis.   

FMDS-UPOU Recognition Day 2016 Speech

Jabez Joshua Flores, MENRM Student and Chancellor's List Awardee, giving his testimonial to the FMDS graduating class of 2015-2016#FMDSClass2016 Photo by Faculty of Management and Development Studies (FMDS) Facebook Page

Education should not separate us apart from society. It should not breed elitism. Education is not about competition. Instead, education should breed in us compassion toward others having understood that we rely on each other to sustain our existence. Use education as an opportunity for application, as a platform for action. Be educated to develop compassion, educate to share compassion. 

I wrote that quote a few years ago when I was trying to make a vision statement to remind myself why I was studying in the first place. 

I started my journey at UPOU back in 2011. Not knowing exactly how a virtual campus actually works, I took Personal Entrepreneurial Development as my introductory course to the world of virtual learning in 2011. I was motivated and I got hooked. I took New Enterprise Planning the next semester and then Organic Agriculture until the end of 2012. Surprisingly, I adapted and excelled in the ODEL format and the non-formal courses lit a fire in me that eventually led to my application for a masters’ degree in the second semester of 2012. 

Throughout my academic career, I was an average student involved in a lot of extracurricular activities like music and sports. I never received a medal or recognition in high school or college. I was hardworking and persistent but I didn’t excel in taking exams.  What was different though was my constant desire to make sense of what I was learning. I wanted the lessons to be translated into action. 

For three and a half years under the MENRM program, I used my education as a platform for action. I’m very thankful to all my teachers, instructors, professors, and admin staff who were very supportive of my ideas, dreams, and research. I never felt pressure or creative constraint during my time here as a student. 

As I learned more (and also rewarded with good grades) there is the strong temptation to feel above better than the rest, than the common person, or to the person across the street. I always have to remind myself to be in a position of humility and accept that everyone in this world can contribute to the greater good. 

Am I studying for myself? To get good grades? To have a masters’ degree? No, no and no. The more I learn, the closer I get to the issues at hand. It’s the moment when our education becomes a personal mission rather than a distant goal that needs to be finished. 

I thank FMDS and UPOU not just for developing my mind, but for shaping my heart to lead a life of service for our people, the environment, and the country.

Be educated to develop compassion, educate to share compassion. 

Thank you and congratulations to all the graduates. God bless!

Paulo's Return to Elbi and GFFA Updates

After 5 months, Paulo finally came back from the UK and started working immediately at the Galaxy Farm Farm Away (GFFA). This photo was taken during a Nu Wave Farmers morning picnic at the farm. Also visiting from Makati is Maya who gave us cool new shirts! Dan and Tin-Tin also joined us for breakfast. (Photo selfie by Paulo)

Visiting PhD student, Shun-nan, from UC Santa Cruz, volunteered during one of our afternoon farming sessions at GFFA. He's currently back in the States and will come back next year to do his research in UPLB. See you soon! (Photo by Shun-nan)

Dan, Paulo and I raising our first harvest of eggplant like a prized trophy! (Photo by Shun-nan)

Here's a close up photo of the eggplant we harvested from Plot # 2, Nadine's plot. We got the seedlings from our friend, Mary Jane, from the UPOU Farmers' Market. (Instagram @thebeigetable)

Here's Plot # 1, my own 1x3 plot experiment. I put wooden pallet sidings to control soil erosion. Right now I have eggplant, chili, marigold, kale, camote tops, peppermint, radish, mustasa, and kangkong growing inside the bed. I trying out a no-till method where I can create a very dense, mini-ecosystem with a microclimate within the plot. So just chop and drop, dump and leave. Let's see how it goes. (Instagram: @thebeigetable)

First harvest: two pieces of eggplant from Plot # 2 were given to my girlfriend, Caty. (photo by Shun-nan)

Second harvest: one eggplant from Plot # 1 donated to NWF member, Tin-Tin.

Third harvest: one eggplant from Plot # 2 donated to Kuya Ome of NWF.

We're just happy to be giving away eggplants to our friends right now. And I'm glad that Paulo is back and Dan is regularly helping in the farm. But I still hope that more students would join the Nu Wave Farmers this semester. Sometimes, especially when I'm alone working in the farm, I feel sad that people don't see the value of growing food. It's not everyday that we get the opportunity to have a vacant lot where we can plant fruits and vegetables. GFFA is truly a blessing.

Two greenhouses with  rain collectors were installed a few weeks ago and we have some new tools donated by our friends. Our adviser, Doc Bes, is also working hard to make sure that the farm will be up and running this year.

I really hope more students would volunteer this year. 

New Research on Permaculture to be featured in UPOU on July 27

FMDS-UPOU to feature a study on Permaculture in Research Forum

Abstract

Permaculture is a design system conceptualized in Australia in the 1970s in response to urgent environmental issues at that time. Mainstreamed via social media in recent years, permaculture is being practiced around the world on diverse landscapes. The study aims to discover socio-spatial permaculture landscape networks based on a permaculture designer’s Facebook social network. Using social network theory and landscape ecology, the study simulates and predicts how permaculture designers will be able to create invisible landscape corridors called “virtual corridors.” Virtual corridors are determined by computing for the % Linkage Strength (%LS) metric derived from data obtained from two scoring systems developed for the study: the Social Score (SS) and the Permaculture Score (PS). Two hundred eighty six network nodes were initially discovered to be potential permaculture designers via Facebook Group membership. The two scoring systems revealed the top ten network nodes with the highest computed %LS that created virtual corridors. A Meerkat Lite-generated sociogram overlayed on a Google Earth topographic map animated in Camtasia Studio were used to illustrate the discovered network. Then NetLogo was used to simulate and predict the virtual corridor creation process. In the future, the methodology can be used to determine potential study sites for transdisciplinary permaculture research and study the environmental impact of permaculture projects and initiatives on landscape patches. It will also provide practitioners and researchers a framework to better understand how a network of permaculture solutions can lead to macro-scale landscape patch management.

ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/304589740_Creating_Virtual_Corridors_Social_Network_Discovery_and_Landscape_Patch_Connectivity_of_Permaculture_Projects_and_Initiatives_on_Facebook

Permaculture Design Courses and Workshops

Here's some info on  permaculture workshops gathered from Facebook:

1) From the Step-Hop Isabela Facebook account

Share the Great News!!!

This July 25-31, 2016, the Isabela Permaculture Development Center, Inc. proudly brings you a 7-Day Basic Permaculture Design Certificate Course (BPDCC) at the Ale-Ale Permaculture Learning Resource Center, Capitol Compound, Brgy. Alibagu, City of Ilagan, Province of Isabela!

Come and learn more about Permaculture as an alternative development framework and how it can be applied in your own field.

We are looking forward to share with you this wonderful journey towards a Permacultured Earth!

Facilitated by Bert Peeters.

Registration Fee:
P13, 000.00 (with bus fare*)
P11, 500.00 (without bus fare)

Inclusions:
*Bus fare from Cubao-Ilagan City, vice-versa (optional, can be deducted)
-Course materials and workshop kit
-Certificate of Completion
-Food & Lodging for 7 days
-Permaculture tours in Isabela
-Video and Film showing
-Facilitation Fees

***10% discount applies for individuals who will register and pay before July 1, 2016.
P11, 700.00 (with bus fare)
P10, 350.00 (without bus fare)

For more details, contact Elton Caranay (0977-303-0768) or e-mail us at isabelapermaculture@gmail.com.

 

2) From the Nu Wave Farmers Facebook Page

 

 

Venue: Kainos Farm, Calamba

When: 8 am to 5 pm, June 18

 

For members of Nu Wave Farmers and our friends.
Morning Session
- History
- Ethics and Principles
- Element/Component Analysis

Afternoon Session
- Design exercises
- Practical applications

No registration fee! Instead, you can donate any of the following items to me:
1) yogurt
2) lettuce
3) soap
4) toilet paper
5) trash bag
6) plastic crate
7) or cardboard boxes.

 

Back to Farming: The Galaxy Farm Farm Away

Now that school's over, I can now focus on farming!

The Nu Wave Farmers are going to be busy this summer preparing the demo farm we named, The Galaxy Farm Farm Away. The farm is located inside the UPLB campus near Copeland Gym.

As of now, a few of us are clearing the land and starting to make raised beds. You can watch our progress on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuUQfOUc9nbwiZ9JhOIzpvg

We need all the help we can get: volunteers, equipment, and seeds and seedlings, etc. So if you're looking for something worthwhile to do this summer, please do help us start this permaculture farm!

Thanks also to Spread Organic Agriculture Philippines (SOAP) and OA Ako Telemag for featuring us in their 44th episode. You can watch the whole segment here:

Nu Wave Farmers, Cedric, Kuya Ome, and Tim help harvest for the Farmers' Market

It feels great to be back in Kainos Farm. After months of writing my special problem for my masters' degree, I'm now able to take people to the farm again and share my passion for permaculture.

The Ricarte Family checking out the farm to draw inspiration for their own permaculture farm in San Pablo City.

The staff of Samaritana, an NGO, harvests Indian mangoes for the road.

Farm Planning @ The Galaxy Farm 2x Away

Image is Half the Battle

Just like in sports and music, every subculture is associated with its own apparel...shirts, shoes, eyewear...its own brand, its own identity. People tend to forget the power and influence of clothing. Clothing compels us to act what we wear. Clothing sets us apart and declares who we are.

This is the problem with agriculture. It does not appeal to the youth because they don't know who to identify themselves with...the way everyone wanted to be like Jordan when they laced up their Nikes back in the 90s. 

We need something to represent us. We need something to tell us who we are and what we do.
So please give us something to wear. Something to riprizint us Nu Wave Farmers. We need our version of Vans, of Converse, or whatever brand that we associate subcultures with.

So if you're an entrepreneur, I challenge YOU to give young farmers something cool to wear. And I guarantee, that interest in farming among the youth will skyrocket in a couple of years.

Image is half the battle. Actual farming is the other.

‪#‎NuWaveFarmers‬

Nu Wave Farmers PH x Land Army UK

Nu Wave Farmer, Paulo Sandoval, goes to the UK to volunteer with The Kindling Trust's Land Army.

Nu Wave Farmers x AIESEC AdMU's Project REAP

Yesterday, I conducted an urban gardening workshop to exchange students of the AIESEC Ateneo de Manila University's Project REAP.

I talked about how I became a farmer in 2012 and why I got interested in organic agriculture. Then I shared a few how-tos on setting up their own raised beds at home. For students with no background in agriculture (except for one), our discussion was pretty insightful and a lot of good questions were thrown around. Questions on crop rotation, nutrient cycling (chopping up old crops and throwing 'em back to the soil), and composting were asked and discussed. My ecology background came in handy. But I must admit, I am more comfortable talking about farming (using permaculture design principles) in rural settings rather than urban. I just feel safer when there's more good soil to work on.

There are a lot of urban gardeners out there who are more than willing to share their skills. Real city folk who are passionate about planting in containers. For more info, you can join this awesome Facebook group called Home Farmers Club.

Now I'm starting wonder why I keep getting invited to talk about urban gardening when I'm not an urban gardener at all, haha! I live in the province, and my farm is as rural as it can be...(see photo below).

But whenever I'm asked to talk to kids about farming (urban or rural), there's this strong desire to say "yes" and "what the heck, it's farming anyway!"

Today, the exchange students are going to the Joy of Urban Farming in QC Circle. I hope they get seeds and seedlings for their community projects.

Special thanks to Denise Celdran of Edgy Veggy for recommending me to these students and to Andrea for assisting me. Also to my girlfriend, Caty, for giving me moral support; and my super parents, Mommy and Pop, for taking me to Ateneo and treating me to a huge breakfast at Pancake House!

#NuWaveFarmers

Photos from the UPOU Farmers' Market (Feb. 2016)

Organic Pechay and Mustasa for Sale

These leafy veggies are from Tara Farms in Bay, Laguna. The farm is owned by Nu Wave Farmer, Paulo Sandoval. His farmhand, Medel, helps him with planting the crops.

Check out the farm at www.facebook.com/tarafarmsph

Farmers' Market @ The UPOU Community Hub on Feb. 26-27

To join the Farmers' Market, please text your NAME YOUR PRODUCT/S and the LOCATION OF YOUR FARM/BUSINESS to 09498552602.

‪#‎UPOUFarmersMarket‬

Permaculture Workshop