
As told to AGRICULTURE MAGAZINE
I’m Glenn Gabales, 25 years old, from Dagatan, Lipa City, Batangas. I’ve been practicing natural farming for five years. I think of myself as a farming advocate that promotes food security and sustainability through natural farming.

“We teach farming techniques to the new generation. They also want to learn. That’s why we, at Dagatan Family Farm School, are creating another kind of life through farming, not just life, but a life that can produce and reproduce,” Gabales said. (Glenn Gabales)
We, the Dagatan Family Farm School, have 1.3 hectares of farmland that currently concentrates on chili and papaya production. This is followed by eggplants, cucumbers, sitaw, and various herbs and spices.
Farming is part of my everyday routine. Through it, I feel a connection to nature every day. I get free exercise, too! Most of all, through farming, you know that what you eat is healthy. Our food is sourced from farming, and there is something to learn every day. It’s fun to share with kids.
Farming reminds me how to grow and be productive every day, just like plants, who continue to grow, reproduce, and produce, no matter the weather. It’s nice that through farming, we are reminded to continue to live and share what we’ve learned.
I believe that you can understand the true meaning of life when you cultivate another kind of life through farming.
Photos courtesy of Glenn Gabales
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