Living Organic for a Day!

Having a lunch with the Laudicos a few weeks ago made me think what's with organic products that made this power kitchen couple so in love with it. Well, my questions about organic products - its pros and cons - were answered when I was invited to check out Costales Nature Farms in Majayjay, Laguna last long weekend.

Nestled at the foot of the famous Mt. Banahaw in the town of Majayjay in Laguna, Costales Nature Farms has captured the scrutinizing eyes of Department of Agriculture - Agricultural Training Institute (DA-ATI) for their outstanding agro-tourism campaign that's been attracting tourist too from in and out of the country.

Conducting ecological and balanced farming techniques, which aims to promote a sustainable agriculture, healthy lifestyle and environmental biodiversity through integrated natural farming Costales Nature Farms has been creating awareness about the ill effects of chemical inputs in food production since 2005. This is also something that the Laudicos told to me when we talked, on how they choose their ingredients in their restaurants and how important natural farming and motivating and patronizing organic products are, for our healthy lifestyle.

When we arrived at Costales Nature Farms, we were not just welcomed by the representatives of the DA-ATI, but as well as the other soon-to-be organic farmers who are also into blogging. I honestly didn't know that there area really a lot of individuals now who are attracted to this great way of planting, from women to men, young ones and adults, everyone there seemed to have one dream, and that is to live a healthy life.

That's why after having our super organic healthy meal, which by way the tasted sooooo good, Mr. Ronald Costales, a certified farmer-scientist of the Department of Agriculture, shared to us some important things and factors about organic farming, precisely here in his farm in Costales Nature Farms.

Originally planned as leisure farm, Costales Nature Farms started its commercial operations in 2009. With a full-grown 5-hectare sustainable, integrated organic farm, his farm now produces high value veggies, free-range chicken, rabbits, organic pigs, Peking ducks, orchard and now does aqua culture, vermi culture, duckweed culture and event herb culture.

Aside from those, Costales Nature Farms takes pride in zero-waste farming, which helps them in so many great ways. From creating the EM mud balls, which help them clean the sludge and waste materials at the bottom of their pond, to providing them with botanical pests control that helps them to provide healthy veggies, and to Bokashi fertilizer that makes their land healthy and productive, everything here is really organic and environment-friendly.

After the small talk that Mr. Costales gave us, we were then took around the farm to see personally how they maintain everything.

I must tell you that the people all over the place were so nice too, greeting every guests with appropriate greeting with a smile.

Costales Nature Farms offers family outing, company outing, group outing and team building at very convenient and affordable price. Guests can enjoy the leisure and knowledge that this place shares and I'm sure that with every bite on their freshly picked ingredients.

And for those who wants to learn the basic of organic farming, Costales Nature Farms also conducts seminars/training with the in-house scientist-farmer Mr. Costales. Lectures and hands-on were given to all those who wish to start their own organic garden or farm at very reasonable price.

And since most of the lectures/seminars takes days, don't you worry, because Costales Nature Farms has great accommodation around the farm that you can enjoy as well. And together with my blogger-friends, we were asked to stay in a room where 8 people could fit.

More than anything, if there's one experience that will make you feel so grateful for the gifts of nature, that'd be the dishes that they serve here - everything was really, really great! From juices to the main courses and tea, oh, I can't wait to go back here!