For Lhea Mallillin, 38, a full-time teacher and a weekend farmer, love for agriculture is something that arose from her childhood experiences. “I grew up in a barangay where the major source of living is farming rice. My siblings and I enjoyed our childhood playing in the rice field, we used to fly kites and play agawan base. That is very memorable for me,” said Mallillin.
FARM EXPERIENCES
Reminiscing about her early years, she shared that her parents would grow food in a small backyard that they didn’t own in order to survive and to have something served on their table. This experience taught them the importance of growing food. “I remember when we were relocated three times because the owner of the land we settled on had to sell it. Those financial challenges during our childhood inspired us to work hard for what we are enjoying today.”
This farmer stayed true to her roots and continued the passion that she got from her farmer parents. In 2012, Mallillin, with her sisters Mhelba and Catherine, bought their first parcel of land together.
But because her sisters had hectic work schedules outside farming, they let her manage the farm. Soon after, Mallillin ended up buying her sisters’ shares instead.
Cultivating and preparing the soil for the first time has consumed a lot of her energy and resources. Mallillin initially planted cassava and corn, but because the weather was the major threat to these crops, she ended up switching corn to pineapples on more than a hectare of her farm as it can withstand extreme conditions like storms and drought. After four years of developing the farm, she was able to improve crop production and was able to build a farmhouse, water system, and fence for farm animals.
WOMEN IN AGRICULTURE
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Esta historia es de la edición November - December 2020 de Agriculture.
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