The road leading to Teofely Nature Farm may be narrow and circuitous, but it was all worth it. Located in the sloping side of Silang, Cavite, this ATI Learning Site is also a DOT-accredited farm tourism site as well as a TESDA-accredited Farm School for raising native pigs and cultivation of organically grown vegetables, fruits and herbs. This 6,600 square meter site is an integrated diversified natural family farm with the ardent drive to promote healthy living through organic farming.

According to their website, Teofely Nature Farms was established as a family farm in 2010. The name Teofely is a combination of Timoteo and Felicidad, parents of Ana Cabriga, wife of owner Ian Carbiga. Teofely Nature Farm was not originally conceptualized as a tourist farm like what it is now. During its establishment, it was only intended for a weekend leisure farm for the family until Ian discovered the wonders of natural farming. Ian saw the potentials in the Philippine Native Pigs and tried raising them in the farm. Today, a must-see in the farm are its native pigs which, when cooked, are one of the most tasting pork meat and highly sought after by lechoneros in Silang.

Aside from native pigs, the crops in Teofely Nature Farm are naturally grown which means they are not applying any chemical fertilizers and pesticides. A tour guide explains that since they are practicing organic farming, inputs are minimal and less expensive. The farm only uses natural resources of nutrients such as compost, crop residues, manure and natural methods of crop and weed control.

Visiting the farm, one learns about the practice of crop rotation, a technique to grow various crops in the same area, according to different seasons and in a sequential manner. Also worth mentioning is the green manure being grown here. This plant-based manure is composed of dying plants that are uprooted and stuffed into the soil to provide nutrient and increase soil quality. Aside from green manure, the farm also practices biological pest control which uses living organisms to control pests. It also prepares compost which is a recycled organic matter used as fertilizer in agricultural farms.

As a farm school, Teofely Nature Farm shares its know-how to would-be native pig raisers on how to raise native pigs the right way through a training held at their very farm. Aside from native pig production, they also conduct training and seminars on organically grown fruits and vegetables, which include the basics on urban agriculture, seed preparation, plant propagation, sustainable cropping, garden management and proper harvesting. Since comfort and convenience to visitors are top priority of Teofely Nature Farm, it offers overnight stays for those wanting to have a restful sleep after exploring their way to organic agriculture. For further details about Teofely Nature Farm, you can visit their facebook page (Teofely Nature Farms Inc.), website (www.teofelynaturefarms.com) or contact them at 0917 882 2379.