El Salvador City, Misamis Oriental---Since launching the Go Urban Gardening: Making FOOD Available (GUGMA) in Hinigdaan, El Salvador City last year in August, the Tag-Ilas Organic Vegetable Farmers Association have been gaining steady income out from their fresh and organic produce.

Selling their farm produce every Thursdays, the said association has been supplying organic vegetables for a year now. According to Helen J. Baa, they normally earn 10 thousand pesos from their harvest in Barangay Hinigdaan. Helen is the Vice President of the Tag-Ilas Organic Vegetable Farmers Association.

Introducing the center's community gardening initiative via GUGMA was easy and uncomplicated since the 34 members of the said association have already established a community garden of their own. Their 200 square meter area of vegetable garden is up for the running to be considered a Learning Site for Agriculture (LSA) partner of the center.

Cash crop varieties such as string beans, eggplants, pechay, okra, chili, squash, and bananas are the bestselling farm produce.

Also, we were informed by Helen that aside from selling organically-grown garden vegetables, they are now into chips processing. Their banana chips which comes in classic, cheese, and sour cream flavors are sold at 25 pesos per pouch. They also sell camote and cassava chips. Helen is assisted by her daughter-in-law Ediliza J. Baa, President of the Daisy Women’s Association. At the moment, more housewives in Barangay Hinigdaan have joined their farming and food processing venture, since it gives them income and that the fruits and vegetables they are harvesting are very safe for consumption since it is organic.

GUGMA is a gardening initiative of the center which aims to establish more community gardens in the urban area, in support to the Urban Agriculture Program and Plant, Plant, Plant Program of the Department of Agriculture (DA).