Read about the Lettuce Harvest Festival at the Urban Farm School of Sen. Cynthia Villar in Las Piñas City. The senator invited Allied Botanical to showcase their seed varieties and technology for producing salad varieties. The demo also served as a traini

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A considerable number of participants coming from the cities of Taguig, Muntinlupa, Parañaque, and Cavite, and from the municipality of Pateros in Metro Manila who are undergoing training at the urban farm school which is located at the Molino Dam, F. Dela Cruz, BF Resort Village, Las Piñas City, participated in the event.

The participants, together with Villar and representatives from the ABC, harvested different varieties of lettuce which they themselves sowed andcultivated using Condor quality seeds.

The urban farming program is sponsored by the Villar SIPAG (Social Institute for Poverty Alleviation and Governance) and ABC.

The trainees excitedly harvested the different varieties of lettuce like the Tyrol (Romaine-Midi Cos), Green Wave (Batavia), Carlo Rossa (Standard Red), NRBL 2 (Triple Red), Grande (Iceberg), Green Frillice (Batavia), and Green Towers (Romaine-Large Cos) which are all very prolific – and of course, organically grown.

They also had the opportunity to learn how to harvest the different varieties of herbs that were available at the urban farm.

Afterwards, they were treated to a lecture session to know the characteristics of the lettuce they harvested, and a cooking demo was conducted, both led by the representatives of the ABC, to teach them on how to deliciously prepare the leafy vegetable at a very nominal cost.

A question and answer portion capped the activity where

different Condor quality seeds were given as prize for those who won.

The ABC is primarily aimed at developing vegetable varieties to suit local growing conditions, including breeding for highyield and resistance against local pest and diseases.

Strong resistance and superior adaptability mean less dependence on environmentally destructive pesticides, the ABC said.

“Providing our farmers with the opportunity to learn from the best, and at no cost to them, is one way of helping our food producers improve their yield, and increase their income,” Villar pointed out.

As chairperson of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Food, Villar is optimistic that the trainees will be able to learn the basics ofmodern farming proceduresbeing initiated by the ABC – the only 100-percent Filipino-owned seed company which also has a research and development program.

“The ABC has a solid program for localized breeding. The company prides itself with its rigid selection and breeding of tropical vegetables. Throughits tieups with various foreign companies, the ABC is pioneering on seeds and fertilizer technology which will benefit the Filipino farmers,” the lady senator said.

Under the urban farming program, the participants learned the proper way of planting vegetables by utilizing modern farming methods and technologies.

The weekly training sessions also included values formation, capability building, and social entrepreneurship.

The participants were also provided with opportunities to create market linkages, which will enable them to sell their produce.

“We will continue to work hand-in-hand with various groups and organizations to provide our farmers with training programs and workshops throughout the year. I expect to see more people becoming interested in farming as we spread the word that we have an urban farm school which is offering free and quality training programs,” she said.

On the other hand, the ABC said this is part of the company’s commitment to the Filipino farmers and consumers, as well as its objective of educating the youth and protecting our environment.

The ABC aims to create a better world, and this could be simply expressed through the company’s motto – “Enhancing Agriculture to Improve Your Life!”

Senator Cynthia Villar leads the Lettuce Harvest Festival at the Villar SIPAG Urban Farm School in Las Piñas City.

Different varieties of lettuce like Green Wave, Green Towers, Grande, and Green Frillice from Condor seeds grow profusely and are ready for harvesting at the Villar SIPAG Urban Farm School.

Different varieties of herbs, like Arugula Rocquette, Sweet Basil Genovese, Thai basil, and dill were also harvested during the event.

Senator Villar (right) admires the Green Towers variety of lettuce being shown to her by Fadriquela during the harvest festival.

Two balikbayan friends of Senator Villar (third and fourth from left) enthusiastically participated in the Lettuce Harvest Festival. They were joined by NCR Area Sales Manager Dorry Fadriquela (left) and executive assistant Rowena Bienes (right), both of Allied Botanical Corporation.

Some of the participants who are undergoing training at the urban farm school located at Molino Dam, BF Resort Village, Las Piñas City, were seen enjoying the harvest festival, which they said was very educational and fun.

The participants are shown preparing their own versions of vegetable salad, something they learned during the live presentation and cooking demo at the event.

A pasta and salad recipe was prepared by the representatives of Allied Botanical Corporation using the freshest lettuce and herbs harvested during the event.

Some of the very tasty and crispy Carlo Rossa variety of lettuce which was harvested by the participants.