Is There Any Philippine Study On How To Restore The Natural Fertility Of Farm Soils? That Would Be Wonderful News To Filipino Farmers!

Today, Sunday, 25 Aug 2024, I thought of this, with La Croix International’s “Sunday Reflection: ‘Lord, To Whom Shall We Go?’” international.la-croix.com). “Lord, to whom shall we go?” (John 6: 68-9, New Testament); “You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.”

As a self-proclaimed proselytizer for Philippine Agriculture, I say, “The Filipino farmer should ask the same question looking at his soil and thinking how to make it fertile naturally, employing the laws of Mother Nature, which ultimately come from God: “Lord, to whom shall we go?”

Mark Joseph Zuniga says, “Do you know that a rich source of information on Philippine soils is easily available and accessible online?” (31 Jan 2023, Philippine Soils’ Online Data Treasury, PhilRice, philrice.gov.ph).

I did not know that! So I visited the website. Mr Zuñiga says:

“The PhilRice Soil Information System (PSIS) is a web portal in the DA-PhilRice Database and Management Portal (DBMP) that contains extensive data and information on the physical and chemical properties of the various soil types in the country, categorized under Soil Series, which is an ever-growing list of all the known types of Philippine soils and their profile descriptions.”

About soil types, soil profiles, Mr Zuñiga continues:

“The Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM) takes charge of mapping out and naming types of Philippine soils. A team under the… Agronomy, Soils, and Plant Physiology Division (ASPPD) in the DA-PhilRice Central Experiment Station validates the information through soil morphological characterization; provides photos of soil pits and landscape presentation(s); and offers the best plant or crop recommendations.”

What I find farther are the following: “Simplified Keys to Soil Series” (guidebooks). “General profile descriptions together with land and soil photos.” … “Currently, there are almost 400 Soil Series in the country, each having its unique set of characteristics.” “’Distribution’ – ‘By clicking (on) a province, you are provided with a list of the Soil Series found in that province, information on properties limiting crop production, and management recommendations on rice, and other economically important crops.’”

“’The PhilRice Soils Information System can help researchers, policy-makers, and students. Farmers who want to plant other commodities besides rice can also know if it is feasible through looking up information in the web portal themselves,’ said Rodolfo Bermudez Jr., one of the key project staff.”

PhilRice, thank you for all that data and information – but I still cannot find anything on how to enrich the soil naturally!
(image from supersoilglobal.com)

All that tells me PhilRice scientists have not seen the need for reproducing the soil fertility by natural means – such as by trash mulching, which already sugarcane planters practice in the Philippines.

Why? I wonder why PhilRice scientists have never studied how trash mulching can highly increase rice production with very little cost via that technique?!

PhilRice people, I repeat what scientist Romulo Davide has said: “There are no barren soils, only barren minds.”@517

National Scientist Romulo Davide – “There Are No Barren Soils, Only Barren Minds.” FAH – “PhilRice, My ‘Re-Invented’ Rotavator Will Show You Exactly That!

Today, Saturday, 24 Aug 2024, I came out with this article, “My Challenge To PhilRice Los Baños – To Reduce Labor & Increase Yield, Let’s You & FAH & SRO Conduct A Field Demo In 1 Ha With An Original Ilocano Formula Using The Rotavator!” (Communication For Development Of Vibrant Villages, blogspot.com).

Not waiting for a response, I want to strike while the iron is hot – especially that I just discovered this, from Iya Gozum (title edited): “Dr Romulo Davide: ‘There Are No Barren Soils, Only Barren Minds’” (23 Aug 2024, Rappler, rappler.com).
(image from graymatte.rs/blog)

Soils, minds. Why my extraordinary interest? Because Filipino farmers, always treating their soils as barren, are always applying 1 or 2 kinds of chemical fertilizers on them – thereby, their crops grow biologically attractive as food, so they get all kinds of pests and diseases!

I repeat: “There are no barren soils, only barren minds.”

Ms Gozum says, “Davide's work provides farmers with an alternative to chemical pesticides and helps empower farmers by 'equipping them with scientific knowledge'.” Mr Davide’s professional work was much research for the biological control of nematode pests – and thus he is known as the “Father of Plant Nematology.”

But his statement “There are no barren soils, only barren minds” also strikes me differently; and so I say:

Farmer: If you think you have an infertile soil, think again! With the “magic” of my technique with the rotavator, any rotavator, you will know that you have only an infertile mind, but not an infertile soil!

That is why I came up with my Saturday challenge to former PhilRice Director Santiago R Obien (SRO) and PhilRice Los Baños Station for us to conduct a techno-demo on my innovative technique of using the rotavator, any rotavator for that matter, so that: The cultivation will automatically, yes, automatically produce organic matter!

Rotavating to produce automatically mixed pieces of soil and plant matter that will decay and act exactly like an organic fertilizer is not mentioned by any of the many manufacturers of rotavators or rotary tillers the world over. This one has been mentioned by me once, twice, many times over the years – because I was the one who intuited-discovered the process.

In “IRRI, PhilRice, The Rotavator & Lorenzo’s Secret” (27 April 2020, iTHINK! Journalism, blogspot.com), I wrote:

I have a 55-year direct experience with the Howard rotavator in my hometown Asingan in eastern Pangasinan. That 1965, I was instructing the driver of the big tractor not to set the blades to any depth but just drive through the field… My brother-in-law Lorenzo Casasus, was there at that time; in later years he copied the shallow cultivation with his Kuliglig hand tractor and rototiller. The results? His neighbors could not match his yields even if they tried to copy all his methods – he did not tell them about the “magic” that his rototiller was doing.

Like Filipino National Scientist Romulo Davide says, “There are no barren soils, only barren minds!”@517

My Challenge To PhilRice Los Baños – To Reduce Labor & Increase Yield, Let’s You & FAH & SRO Conduct A Field Demo In 1 Ha With An Original Ilocano Formula Using The Rotavator!

Early this morning, Friday, 23 Aug 2024, via Facebook, I was challenged by PhilRice Founding Executive Director Santiago R Obien (SRO) to demonstate on-farm what good is any of the practices that belong to the so-called Regenerative Agriculture (RA), the term coined by American farmer Robert Rodale in the 1980s.

So, I want to persuade PhilRice Los Baños to sponsor the inexpensive techno-demo of my Ilocano formula using any rotavator – the process I call HERo, that is, Highly Ecological Rotavation. (Anticipate the demo!)
(image from Soil Master, soilmaster.com.tr)

I want the demo at PhilRice LB because its research fields are right next to those of IRRI as well as UP Los Baños, my alma mater. I have no problem commuting from where I am to PhilRice LB because any of my children with a car can take me there.

What I want to demonstrate is my personally discovered rotavator technique to produce an unbelievably high yield of rice with an unbelievably low cost – no, no fertilizer of any kind, not even organic fertilizer from anywhere or anybody, zero.

A ready farm and a ready rotavator are all I need.

Uniquely, undiscovered by any of the rotavator makers of the world, the way I use the rotavator automatically creates a rich trash mulch on the surface of the farm, and spreads it all over the field, also automatically. To see is to believe!

Even if the yield is lower than you expected, you spent only for the fuel of your rotavator and even that, you cultivated your field at my expense. (In fact, I will make sure your rotavator will spend very little for the fuel – that’s partly a secret of my HERo!)

Still, I guarantee you that the yield will be high, surprisingly high! Even shocking.

History. 60 or so years ago, in my hometown Asingan, Pangasinan, I recall Enso Casasos, our farmhand, was there when I instructed the big Howard rotavator operator what to do. I told the operator (forgot to ask his name) to simply pass the machine over the field – setting the depth of cut to zero (0).

What happened? Decades later, on my visit to Asingan, Enso told me that when I instructed the Howard operator that way, the fellow was smiling on one side of his face (“umis-isem ti bambangir”). And then what happened? Surprise – the yield shot up!

Enso himself used his own rotavator to cultivate his field – setting to zero the depth of cut of the blades. What happens when the rotavator blades do that? They cut those weeds (and/or plant refuse) and mix simultaneously with the soil pieces that are produced in the same rotary motion. Result: Organically rich soil!

We are inviting all journalists to witness the PhilRice LB demo!@517

Pope Francis To Catholics – “Never Give Up!”

Head of the Roman Catholic Church, almost 88 (born 17 Dec 1936), with physical problems of his own, including not being able to stand by himself on his two feet, but undaunted.

Here is his “Pope Francis – New Year Talk” that is 3 years old but still up-to-date as far as I can see (linkedin, linkedin.com). He begins:

You can have flaws, be anxious and even be angry, but don’t forget that your life is the greatest business in the world. Only you can stop it from failure. You are appreciated, admired and loved by many. Remember that being happy is not having a sky without storms, a road without accidents, a job without effort, relationships without disappointments.
(Facebook sharing by ELVIE DELA VINA TAN, 22 Aug 2024)

I repeat: “Everyone has flaws.” And, “Don’t forget that your life is the greatest business in the world.” Certainly, you can spread love if nothing else. If you can’t spread “love” at least show “kindness.”

“You are loved by many.” The more reason to love others, or at least be kind to them.

Noboby’s perfect! “But don’t forget that your life is the greatest business in the world” for you. Only you can disappoint yourself. Nothing is perfect – accept life like that and you will be happy, happier, happiest!

“Being happy is to stop feeling a victim and become the author of your own destiny. It's going through deserts, but being able to find an oasis deep in your soul. It's to thank God every morning for the miracle of life. It’s kissing your children, cuddling your parents, having poetic moments with your friends, even when they hurt us.”

Thanking God for “the miracle of life.” Loving others, “Even when they hurt us.”

Stop feeling unloved and love others more and then you will find more love for yourself!

“The greatest business in the world” is for you and for your loved ones.

“To be happy is to let live the creature that lives in each of us, free, joyful and simple. It's having maturity to be able to say: ‘I made mistakes.’ Having the courage to say ‘I'm sorry’. It's having a sensitivity to say, ‘I need you.’ (It’s) having the ability to say ‘I love you’.”

“May your life become a garden of opportunities for happiness... that in spring (you) can be a lover of joy and in winter a lover of wisdom.”

Is life all happiness?

"And when you make a mistake, start over. Because only then will you fall in love with life. … Being happy doesn't mean having a perfect life. But (God) uses tears to irrigate tolerance. Use your defeats to train your patience.”

That’s a different kind of “tears of joy” but it’s joy nevertheless!

"Use your mistakes with the serenity of the sculptor. Use pain to tune into pleasure. Use obstacles to open the windows of intelligence. Never give up ... Above all, never give up on the people that love you. Never give up on happiness, because life is an amazing show.”

Love!@517

New Agriculture Via Natural Trash & Composts, Old Agriculture Via Chemical Fertilizers & Pesticides – Bringing In The New, Wringing Out The Old!

Top image shows how “advanced” agriculture has become, with drones simultaneously applying chemicals to a wide sugarcane field. How innovative can you get?! “Look Ma, no hands! Look Pa, not hard!” It’s exciting to watch those mechanical flyers swoop up and down and glide across vast fields doing agriculture – farming has never been this easy and exciting! No more farmhands; isn’t it stress-free and fast? 
(Image from agrimoon.com)

Ah, but old-fashioned me, I am more excited with the old folk’s ways. This time I want to go really native; I want to go “Primitive Agriculture” (my term) – with the rotavator mechanically but especially instructed to create a natural trash, a mechanically made compost right on the field with the weeds and/or crop leftovers, with soil simultaneously cut up and mixed, to provide the natural richness as the plant materials decay in place. How primitive can you get?!

Indeed, we have to look at these twin problems: “Farmer Poverty” and “Climate Change.” They are twins because they have the same mother: Chemical Agriculture (CA). Chemical fertilizers and chemical pesticides are not only expensive; they also generate greenhouse gases (GHGs) that help generate the “Greenhouse Effect” that generates those devastating droughts and destructive floods; we know them as “El Niño” and “La Niña.” Yes, chemical agriculture is the hidden enemy of the farmers! (And therefore, the rest of society!)

What do we need now? Regenerative Agriculture (RA); Never, I never tire of listing the RA practices I have gathered from the Internet:

1, Cover Cropping
2, Crop Rotation
3, Farm Crops + Tree Crops (Agroforestry)
4, Green Manuring
5, Intercropping
6, Multiple Cropping
7, No-Till Farming
8, Organic Fertilization
9, Ratooning
10, Rotational Grazing
11, “Three Sisters” Planting
12, Trap Cropping
13, Trash Mulching.

And I never tire saying, “If all our farmers practiced old Regenerative Agriculture (RA) and junk their modern Chemical Agriculture (CA), they would be solving these twin problems, one for them and one for all of us:

Farmer Poverty
Climate Change!

They would be solving Farmer Poverty because, I never tire repeating: Chemical Agriculture has high total costs and low total returns. That’s plain old economics. In contrast, Regenerative Agriculture has low total costs and high total returns!

Bottom image shows how “sorry” agriculture can be, with a field of sugarcane grown via trash mulching. It looks like trash; it is trash – until you see the results, the high, natural yield that will shoot your eyes up!
(bottom image, renegaderum.com)

Today, Bella Cariazo says, (19 Aug 2024, PhilStar, philstar.com): “Armyworm Damage In Western Visayas Hits P67 Million.” And why do we have so much destruction from armyworms in rice? Because the rice growing is palatable, appetizing to the worms – because the fertilizers and pesticides have made the rice palatable to the worms and other insects!

Chemical solutions give the farmers more problems than they can handle – and these affect all of us. In chemical agriculture, the farmers are the enemies of the people!@517

Samson & Delilah – I Samson Am Going To Convince Millions Of Little Samsons To Throw Little Stones At The Modern Giant Goliath Called “Climate Change”!?

The top image is from lifehack.com); I am titling it now “Samson & Delilah, Olds,” thinking of 84 me and my 79 wife, Amparo Reynoso. We are thinking of the future, positively.

Of the bottom image (from sdajournal.today), I am thinking right now multiple Samsons, each Samson throwing a tiny stone called “RA” at the forehead of the Common Enemy, the universal giant “Climate Change.” In fact, I am thinking of millions of farmers, each throwing a little stone called “RA” at the forehead of the modern Goliath.

Me, I sit by my work disk working with a 1-year old HP laptop my children bought for me to celebrate my birthday last year – birthdate coming up; I will be exactly 84 next month!

I have finished the 4^th draft of a proposal for documenting and spreading what I now call the “Gospel Of The Good Earth.” My Good Earth proposal calls for me as creative writer to produce a massive book on the 13 practices of Regenerative Agriculture (RA). The slogan of the proposal is:

“From Wealth Grows Health Grows Wealth.”

That is, if as a farmer you wake up the sleeping wealth of the soil, the wealthy soil will give you a healthy crop, healthy harvest, healthy consumers, wealthy pocket, healthy village. And, if millions of Filipino farmers do exactly that, we will defeat the Goliath of Climate Change!

What else do you want?

Here is an RA list of what farmers should want to implement in their fields to defeat Farmer Poverty and Climate Change all at the same time:

1, Cover Cropping
2, Crop Rotation
3, Farm Crops + Tree Crops (Agroforestry)
4, Green Manuring
5, Intercropping
6, Multiple Cropping
7, No-Till Farming
8, Organic Fertilization
9, Ratooning
10, Rotational Grazing
11, “Three Sisters” Planting
12, Trap Cropping
13, Trash Mulching.

Albert Einstein says, “Education is not the learning of facts but the training of the mind to think.” (Facebook sharing of Pabling Morfe, 17 Aug 2024).

Much thanks, Pabling! Now therefore, the farmers do not need to go to school but to train their minds to think! Ah, but Einstein simply/not-so-simply now keeps on inspiring me to propagate more and more about Regenerative Agriculture.

Each of those 13 RA practices I listed above guarantees overall high returns and overall low costs – that should defeat Farmer Poverty.

The same 13 RA practices help defeat Climate Change because the farmers use zero chemical fertilizers and chemical pesticides that generate greenhouse gases (GHGs), and it is the GHGs that generate the disastrous climate changes we know: “El Niño” and “La Niña”.

I have been trying to teach farmers how to think best since at least in the last 24 years (see “Frank A Hilario, The Boy Who Cried Wolf – And The Wolf Was The United Nations! No, This Is Not From Aesop’s Fables,” 03 Feb 2022, EarthMinds, blogspot.com). Mind – “EarthMind's Mission: Digital Collection of Learnings in Anti-Farmer-Poverty & Anti-Climate-Change Modern Agriculture.”@517

“The Old Nun’s Prayer” Seems To Regenerate The Old Writer In Me!

 

I saw this Facebook sharing of old friend Charles Castro on Wednesday, 14 Aug 2024, the “Old Nun’s Prayer” in Tagalog; it is from the 17^th century and was found in an old English church. Here’s the English version, from theThomas More Center (thomasmorecenter.org):

(image from lifehack.org)

“Old Nun’s Prayer”

Lord, you know better than I know myself
that I am growing older and one day will be old.
Keep me from the fatal habit of thinking I must
say something on every subject
and on every occasion.
Release me from craving to
straighten out everybodys affairs.
Make me thoughtful but not moody;
helpful but not bossy.
With my vast store of wisdom
it seems a pity not to use it all;
but you know, Lord, that I want a few friends at the end.
Keep my mind free from the recital of endless details,
give me wings to get to the point.
Seal my lips on my aches and pains,
they are increasing and love of rehearsing them
is becoming sweeter as the years go by.
I dare not ask for grace enough
to enjoy the tales of others pains,
but help me to endure them with patience.
I dare not ask for improved memory,
but for growing humility and a lessening cocksureness
when my memory seems to clash with the memories of others.
Teach me the glorious lesson that occasionally
I may be mistaken.
Keep me reasonably sweet;
I do not want to be a saint, some of them are so hard to live with,
but a sour old person is one of the
crowning works of the devil.
Give me the ability to see good things in unexpected places
and talent in unexpected people,
and give me O Lord the grace to tell them so.
AMEN.

More or less this applies to me, an indefatigable blogger in the last 24 years, having published some 40,000 articles since 2000!

Lord… Keep me from the fatal habit of thinking I must say something on every subject and on every occasion.

I am 84 years old. I am a Filipino and Facebook hound, you know what I mean. As an agriculturist and a teacher (BSA major in Ag Edu, UP Los Baños 1965), some 4 decades ago, I began teaching myself and I have become a digital writer, editor, and desktop publisher (the man, not the machine). Now, when I read a post or sharing like that on Facebook, I always like to write on it. So, here I am!

With my vast store of wisdom
It seems a pity not to use it all…

With the vast store of others’ wisdom in my head, and the ever-waiting knowledge via the Internet, I almost always want to write, rewrite, and blog!

At 84, how can you blame me if I think and write about “regeneration” – such as “Regenerative Agriculture” (RA) for my country, the Philippines?! RA is for all poor farmers to become rich! And yes, RA seems to regenerate the old writer in me!@517

“DA aims for higher rice production under the MaSaGaNa Rice Industry Development Program” (above) – Assuming we Filipinos do the best with the MaSaGaNa Program (“Bountiful Program”), we are not doing the best we can! The lower image gives you a hint of why: “Poverty Alleviation.” MaSaGaNa does not address the poverty of millions of Filipino farmers! 
(Poverty Alleviation” image from news.cgtn.com)

Wednesday, 14 Aug 2024, this news by ANN: “DA Aims For Higher Rice Production Under The MaSaGaNa Rice Industry Development Program” (Author Not Named, 06 Aug 2024, Department of Agriculture, da.gov.ph). ANN says:

The Department of Agriculture is undertaking a comprehensive review of its (MaSaGaNa Program), aiming to significantly … meet self-sufficiency goals, increase farmers’ incomes, lower consumer prices, and potentially enable the country to export rice again.

The aims one by one:
(1) increase rice production
(2) become self-sufficient in rice
(3) increase farmers’ incomes
(4) lower consumer rice prices
(5) enable PH to export rice again.

(1) increase rice production
Easy! Choose the best varieties – biotech, hybrid, heirloom, inbred – and support farmers financially and technologically, and we will increase rice harvests up to 100%!

(2) become self-sufficient in rice
With (1) aim achieved, we Filipinos will have self-sufficiency in rice, yes. No more imported rice!

(3) increase farmers’ incomes
Oops! To increase farmers’ incomes, you have to decrease total costs of production to increase net returns. How do you do that? Note that the chemical fertilizers and chemical pesticides farmers use are very expensive, so, as long as farmers continue to use such chemicals, they will continue to suffer relatively high costs and low returns – their poverty will continue.

(4) lower consumer rice prices
Continuing with relatively high costs of production, it will be a continuing challenge to lower rice prices. The only reasonable way to lower rice prices is first to lower their costs of production.

(5) enable PH to export rice again.
Yes, we can do it!

Now, what is missing there? MaSaGaNa is assuming there are no severe damages to farms from Climate Change in the forms of “El Niño” and “La Niña”!

The current slogan of the Department of Agriculture (DA) is: “Masaganang Agrikultura, Maunlad na Ekonomiya!” My translation: “Bountiful Agriculture, Progressive Economy!” But that assumes that El Niño and La Niña will not turn from bad to worst because of Climate Change – because farmers insist on Chemical Agriculture that generates greenhouse gases (GHGs); that is to say, right now:
Our Agriculture is the enemy of Our Agriculture!

Now therefore, we have to resort to Regenerative Agriculture (RA). There should be no problem with RA because farmers are familiar with most of these practices:

1, Cover Cropping
2, Crop Rotation
3, Farm Crops + Tree Crops (Agroforestry)
4, Green Manuring
5, Intercropping
6, Multiple Cropping
7, No-Till Farming
8, Organic Fertilization
9, Ratooning
10, Rotational Grazing
11, “Three Sisters” Planting
12, Trap Cropping
13, Trash Mulching.

Yes, we have to change Climate Change!@517

With Hybrid Rice Producing 20% More, Prof Yuan Longping Indeed Put An End To Chinese Hunger – But Missed His Chance To Save The World And Simultaneously Put An End To Farmer Poverty!

You have to be wholistic in your approach in trying to solve “a farmer problem” – you cannot isolate the farmer from society!

Morning today, Sunday, 11 Aug 2024, I saw the Facebook post sharing dated 11 Aug 2024 of Rene Bernardo Bajit titled “With Hybrid Rice Producing 20% More, Or Feeding 70-80 Million More, Was Prof Yuan Longping Indeed ‘The Man Who Put An End To Hunger’”? (edited). Prof Longping died in 2021, but his hybrid rice legacy lives on.
(image from mycurrentaffairs.com)

The cited source says:

Prof Longping was a Chinese agronomist who was challenged to address (the) food supply when he experienced the great famine China suffered, which saw milliions die in the late 50’s. He pioneered breeding… rice and was faced with much challenge, (because) hybrid breeding in rice was considered not possible in his time. But with focus and much determination, after more than ten years, he finally produced the first hybrid rice in 1973.

I repeat to emphasize: “With focus and much determination, after more than ten years” – Prof Longping’s undaunted scientific efforts paid back in the first hybrid rice in 1973 – science needs patience too!

Today, Prof Yuan Longping is known as the “Father Of Hybrid Rice”.

So be it! But I see that as an isolated technological success – because in practice, scientific institutions, like my alma mater University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), segregate the sciences into fields, such as “Plant Breeding” and “Agronomy” and “Agricultural Engineering” and “Home Technology” and so on. When I was studying at UPLB, 1960-1965, I did not see the fault in those fields isolated from each other and not linked back into a coherent much-bigger whole.

What I’m saying is that the triumph of hybrid rice remained a triumph only in Plant Breeding but not in all of Agriculture – like, how does hybrid rice bring about a farmer’s wealth and ensure that he grows out of his poverty?

Man does not live by rice alone!

Indeed! All of UP Los Baños – not to mention all of IRRI – should be endorsing and pursuing a whole program such as Regenerative Agriculture (RA) to fight hunger, fight poverty – and simultaneously fight Climate Change!

Away with Chemical Agriculture (CA)!

I stand corrected, but what I know is all these:

The chemical fertilizers and chemical pesticides generate greenhouse gases (GHGs) that add “power” to the atmospheric greenhouse effect that comes back as “El Niño” (devastating drought) and “La Niña” (devastating storm). The manufacturers of those chemicals grow ticher and richer while the farmers grow poorer and poorer. The means do not justify the ends!

We solve the yield problem; at the same time, we have to solve the poverty problem, and the climate problem!

We can do it by teaching our farmers RA, which does 3 things simultaneously:

1, decreases farming costs;
2, produces zero GHGs;
3, produces healthy foods;
4, produces high yields.

Hurrah, RA!@517

We don’t think Big, Bigger, Biggest! We think, but we think small, that’s all! 
(image from zamisyakoby.com)

We think like any of these: Lower price of rice. Higher salary of teachers. Olympic golds for our athletes. Helping farmers after “El Niño” or “La Niña.” Farmer coops producing their own organic fertilizer.

Right now, I’m thinking of “Primate Change for Climate Change.” I just remembered I had a blog I called “Primate Change” and it turns out I created that 17 years ago, in 2007 (primatechange.blogspot.com); it has 1,533 articles, each 517 words long.

People! With my blog Primate Change, in 2007 I was already thinking of Climate Change – what we primates could do to prevent devastating losses in the farms due to “El Niño” or “La Niña.”

Even I was not thinking big enough! In the 1980s, Robert Rodale of the Rodale Institute in the US came up with what he termed “Regenerative Agriculture” as a common term for farming & gardening practices that avoided chemical fertilizers and pesticides. He was thinking Big.

Right now, let me think Big and show you my list of Regenerative Agriculture, where all crops are acceptable: agri-biotech, genetically modified (GMO), heirloom, hybrid, inbred, native – including trees:

1, Cover Cropping
2, Crop Rotation
3, Farm Crops + Tree Crops (Agroforestry)
4, Green Manuring
5, Highly Ecological Rotavation (HEro) (from FAH)
6, Intercropping
7, Multiple Cropping
8, No-Till Farming
9, Organic Fertilization
10, Ratooning
11, Rotational Grazing
12, “Three Sisters” Planting
13, Trap Cropping
14, Trash Mulching.

Why this series under Regenerative Agriculture (RA)? To popularize RA as it is an alternative to Chemical Agriculture (CA), where CA comprises mostly the application of chemical fertilizers and chemical pesticides, which are known to generate greenhouse gases (GHGs), that which are known to generate the “Greenhouse Effect” that ultimately results in devastating dry months (courtesy of “El Niño”) and very destructive wet months (courtesy of “La Niña”). This is known as “Climate Change” (CA) – it is the practices of CA that bring about Climate Change. If you did not know that, you have not been thinking Big enough!

What we need to do is Primate Change – people! We primates need to change our ways in agriculture in order to save ourselves!

Farmer Poverty – if we resolve Climate Change via Regenerative Agriculture, we will solve Farmer Poverty because the costs in RA are very low and the returns are very high. The foods produced are also healthy and therefore attractive to consumers. The consumers benefit much; the farmers benefit much more!

And the country benefits much, much more because “El Niño” (devastating drought) and “La Niña” (devastating floods) will become much less powerful and therefore less destructive.

Whatever! The bigger thing to me is that Regenerative Agriculture (RA) solves Farmer Poverty – by the very fact that any of the practices under RA costs much less than any of the practices under CA and, therefore, the returns are much more!

Let’s think more, not less!@517

It Was Woke Catholicism. Wake Up, Catholics! Via The Opening Ceremonies Of The Paris Olympics, They Are Intimidating Us Catholics Into Accepting Drag Queens And Transgender Females!

My son Jomar above quotes Fr Terence Henry, TOR, who says:

The age of casual Catholicism is over. The age of heroic Catholicism has begun. We can no longer be Catholics by accident but instead, we must be Catholics by conviction.

We must be Catholics by correction. I am blogging this at nearly 84 years of age, as a bold old Roman Catholic right after birth.

Now, let us listen to them. ANN says (Author Not Named, 28 July 2024, “Paris 2024 Apologizes For 'Last Supper' Sketch After Criticism,” ESPN News Services, espn.com/olympics):

“Clearly there was never an intention to show disrespect to any religious group. [The opening ceremony] tried to celebrate community tolerance," Paris 2024 spokesperson Anne Descamps said at a news conference. "We believe this ambition was achieved. If people have taken any offense, we are really sorry.”

“Community tolerance” for transgenderism, which is against the law of God? “Really sorry” is not enough!

Artistic director Thomas Jolly says, "We wanted to talk about diversity. Diversity means being together. We wanted to include everyone, as simple as that."

Yes Sir, Diversity! But No Sir! Displaying disobedience to the laws of God to the whole wide world is not an excuse for diversity!

The Catholic church in France was among those criticizing the segment, calling it "mockery of Christianity."
(Woke image from opencanuck.com)

David Suggs says (29 July 2024, “Olympics Last Supper Controversy, Explained: Why Drag Performance During 2024 Opening Ceremony Is Drawing Backlash,” The Sporting News, sportingnews.com):

The 2024 Olympics opening ceremony received rave reviews, with Gojira, Lady Gaga and Celine Dion in particular drawing praise from critics.

Not everyone was a fan of the festivities, however. Multiple far-right politicians spoke out against the event and, more specifically, a skit featuring drag queens in what seemed to be a recreation of Leonardo Da Vinci's "The Last Supper" painting.

Elon Musk, Piers Morgan and Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker also decried the performance, labeling it as insulting to Christians.

Here's what you need to know.

The skit in question took place toward the end of the four-hour opening ceremony, which wound throughout Paris on the Seine river. With rain coming down in the background, a group of around a dozen performers — including drag queens – struck poses around a long table.

At the center of the performance was a performer wearing a crown-like headdress. As the camera panned away, spectators were presented with the other artists and dancers around the table, some of whom were drag performers.

The image looked similar to that of "The Last Supper," Da Vinci's 15th-century mural painting, which portrayed Jesus Christ and his apostles at the moment when he announced that one of his apostles would betray him.

I Frank A Hilario, Filipino blogger, say: “The opening scene(s) betrayed the Paris Olympics!” Worse, the opening scene(s) betrayed the Catholic Church! As simple as that, as bad as that.

That should be the First and Last Suffer!@517

SEARCA Director Glenn Gregorio Tells Us We Should Be “Reimagining Agriculture For Sustainability” – I’m Listening; Are You?

This is very good & bad news to me! Leah Lyn Domingo says, “SEARCA Center Director Urges “Reimagining Agriculture For Sustainability” (31 July 2024 (SEARCA, searca.org/news).

Bad – The news suggests that our leaders in Agriculture have not seriously and officially examined how to reimagine and make this sector sustainable. No matter how you define “sustainability.”

Good – Reimagine. Rethink. What exactly did SEARCA Center Director Glenn Gregorio mean? Ms Leah says:

(He) emphasized the need to rethink traditional agricultural approaches. He underscored this in light of the complex challenges confronting the agriculture sector, including food security, climate change, and resource depletion.

“Rethink Philippine Agriculture” – Not President Ferdinand “BBM” Marcos Jr when he was Secretary of Agriculture; not now Secretary of Agriculture Francis Tiu Laurel Jr – they have ignored food security, Climate Change, and resource depletion. They have other priorities that I do not appreciate. (If you ask me, I will tell you who my favorite Secretary of Agriculture is, as he has Vision, Mission & Strategy for PH Agriculture.)

(Mr Gregorio) highlighted SEARCA's strategic role in advancing agricultural innovation and sustainable development across Southeast Asia. Citing SEARCA's work focused on Accelerating Transformation Through Agricultural Innovation (ATTAIN), he emphasized that agriculture is not at a crossroads but is a thriving sector with immense potential.

Yes, PH agriculture has “immense potential” – yet untapped. We cannot ATTAIN such potential if we do not recognize it first!

The part of that immense potential I am interested in right now is the potential to solve 2 major problems: (1) Climate Change and (2) Farmer Poverty.

(Mr Gregorio) shared his initiative in climate-proofing corn and developing super sweet waxy corn with multiple beneficial traits, which contribute to food security by enhancing crop resilience and promoting diversification. His contributions to micropropagation and plant research also promoted smart and sustainable agriculture through superior disease-free plant selections and improved plant varieties.

I have no problem with corn. Mr Gregorio is after (a) food security – good! (b) diversification – good! (c) crop resilience – good! But we have to do more than good. I would go beyond improving crop varieties up to improving the climate: by eliminating chemical fertilizers and chemical pesticides, the ones that generate greenhouse gases (GHGs), as it is the GHGs that generate Climate Change!

“By talking about the impact of innovations,” Mr Gregorio “reinforces SEARCA’s advocacy for using scientific advancements to address agricultural challenges.”

That gives me the opportunity to point out that “The biggest agricultural challenge is Climate Change. Now, what scientific advancement do we have to successfully address such a challenge?

What we have is not scientific advancement but a list of scientific facts that as a whole, Regenerative Agriculture (RA):

(1)  Does not require chemical fertilizers and pesticides and therefore does not generate greenhouse gases that generate Climate Change;

(2)  Requires natural fertilizer;

(3)  Produces high yields;

(4)  Results in healthy foods;

(5)  Enables farmers to conquer poverty!

One overall solution: Regenerative Agriculture eventually overcoming Climate Change and Farmer Poverty! Who of you doesn’t want that?!@517

Goodbye, Green Revolution. And Goodbye, Great Revolution!

This morning, Friday, 02 Aug 2024, in Manila, I submitted a proposal to 2 friends for us to “sell” to a funding agency about how farmers can say “Goodbye!” to Climate Change and simultaneously say “Goodbye!” to their poverty.

(image from YouTube, youtube.com)

Unfortunately, a friend in my Gmail bcc told me that my target agency had no funds for any Great Revolution, so here I am crying out a river of tears!

Cry : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :@517