It has been a very challenging time for our farm team. It has been almost a three month battle in search for water. This has truly been a test of faith. Do we keep planting when we don’t have water? Will it keep on raining? The workers at the farm have been transporting water three times a day by motorcycle and then carrying it by hand to existing beds to keep them alive. (more…)
Category: Organic Farm
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Here At The Farm
It was exciting to see our latest harvest of cabbage, cucumber, string beans, radish, carrot, squash, kangkong, sweet basil,
watermelon and papaya!This blessing of fresh and healthy produce was used to feed over 400 kids and 100 youth at our 2 day camps, “Summer Shine Kids Camp” and “Making Jesus Lord Youth Camp”. They love the healthy variety of snacks especially when we mix in the dehydrated apples and vegetable soup mix from Gleaners in Canada.
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View From The Road
The new Hope for the Island Organic Farm sign couldn’t have come
at a better time. Many islanders have been watching us build and plant
for over a year. Our sign is warm and inviting. We are located adjacent
to the major roadway for the island. Curious travelers have been
stopping by the farm and purchasing fresh produce or simply inquiring
about what we are growing and why.
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Rude Awakening
We recently bought matching rubber boots for all our farm staff and built a rack for the boots to hang upside down. They weren’t used to wearing boots and resembled kids by the joy on their face as they tramped through the mud with their new boots. Buying
boots and building a rack all came about as the result of a rather interesting morning. Herdell woke up as usual earlier than the others to visit the nursery. It was a cool and foggy morning. With a quick stretch he pulled on the boots from under his bed and felt something in it. Thinking it was a rock he shoot his foot. Something cold slithered around his foot. He flung off his boot and out came a shiny poisonous red snake! Frozen in fear, he watched as the snake slithered away. When the shock wore off, everyone at the farm was awakened by Herdells’ dancing and praising God that he was not bitten. -
Our Farm Neighbours
Siargao Island is coming to the end of rainy season and heading into the hot summer. Hope for the Island Organic Farm is doing great as we approach the summer months. The last few weeks we harvested and enjoyed eating radishes, string beans, okra and pechay!
The goats at the farm will now enjoy free range grazing. Goats don’t like getting wet, so during rainy season we cut and carry their feed to them. The produce at the farm needs more moisture, so we have installed water taps at various locations on the farm. Pray we find a solution to our water well running dry during the summer months. We have had to haul water from a neighboring village because our pump stopped drawing water!
As the rainy season ends, summer brings an increase in activities for Kids and Youth Ministry. Our Organic Farm will be providing the healthy snacks we are committed to supply for all the big events! We also receive donated dehydrated vegetables and fruit from Gleaners in Canada. This has made it possible to give each child a nutritious snack after each ministry time. We mix the dried fruit and vegetables with organic coconut milk, organic mongo beans and organic root crops to make “Ginataan”, a favorite snack of the Filipino people.
All of us at Hope for the Island LOVE going to the farm and the farm workers anticipate our visits as well! Monthly, we have a chance to visit the farm for a picnic style fellowship. Hope for the Island main compound is located in northern Siargao Island near the town of Burgos. Our farm is located in the center of Siargao Island near the village of Jamayaon a forty minute drive away. We currently have six full time farm workers and seven local full time staff serving alongside Derek and Jenn at HOPE in Burgos.
Each time we visit the farm we are warmly welcomed and handed fresh coconut juice from our trees (more…)
