REGION IV-A, CALABARZON---The Agricultural Training Institute – Regional Training Center X (ATI-RTC X) personnel through CDMS organized the Upgrade & Intensify: A Farm Tourism and Farm Family Approach Benchmarking. Attended by 16 personnel coming from the different sections of the center, the benchmarking intends to expose and immerse ATI-RTC X personnel to the different Learning Sites (LS) and agritourism sites of Region IV-A .

During the duration of the travel, the abovementioned participants were able to visit, observe and learn the following from the five farm tourism sites visited:

Terra Verde Eco Farm – made the participants appreciate the farm life and how things are being grown not using the conventional farming.

Teofely Nature Farms – Not the typical LS, the propagation of more native pigs would mean a promising venture on leather production.

Ato Belen’s Farm – Sustains their unique selling proposition by thinking and exploring other ways to stand out in the midst of farm competition (or complementation). They believed that one can achieve success through environmental, economic, and social development.

Forest Wood Garden – The blend of agriculture and architecture (or “agritecture”) attests that there is an advantage when both husband and wife are into farming. Myrna shared insights that the modern farmer of today should be innovative and must think of ways to reinvent.

MoCA Family Farm – Farm-owner Ms. Gigi Morris stressed the importance of family, farming, food, fun and education. The site is the most replicable among the visited farms since it embody the Farm Family approach the Institute is advocating.

What is also noteworthy of the farm visit is that the farm-owners project a professional image as reflected on their hospitality and farm uniforms as evident on their farm branding with each farm offering a unique product or services.

All the LS were very established as a tourist destination since all of them are into organic or natural farming. The farm-owners also involved their family members specially their kids for the succession of the farm.

As a result of the activity, the learnings gained by the participants will be cascaded to other LS-owners of Region-X and that the children of the farm-owners should be taught about being inclusive to the community they belong by reaching to others. The said benchmarking transpired last July 12-14, 2017 in selected LS in Region IV-A.