“To minimize food wastage and prolong the life of food, it is good to promote food preservation and processing to our farms,” Gloria “Gigi” Morris, owner of MoCA Family Farm RLearning Center, Inc., said during ATI CALABARZON’s 8th ATI@HOME last June 25, 2020.
ATI@HOME: Live seminar on fruits and vegetable processing and preservation, entitled Preserve the Bounty of Your Garden, was able to reach more than 1,300 participants in its official Facebook group. To better appreciate the live seminar, Morris gave a background as to why processing and preservation of farm produce is important. She said that about 1.4 billion tons of food are being lost and wasted every year, meaning it could have filled the stomachs of 1.4 billion people every year.
Morris encouraged the viewers to do their own preservations and processing by saying, “When we are innovating it is important to challenge the norms.” Not because there is nothing in the market, meaning you cannot do something out of the things readily available to you.
After the lecture, Morris, together with Moca Farms staff, demonstrated their food preservation and processing techniques like vinegar and ice cream making to name a few.
Earlier in June, another ATI@Home episode was brought to the public, focused on Edible Landscaping.
“My passion for planting has been renewed thanks to you,” Joy Castillo, ATI@Home participant, said after the live streaming of ATI@HOME: Live Seminar on Edible Landscaping last June 11, 2020.
With more than 1,100 FB group members, Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) CALABARZON launched its 7th live seminar on edible landscaping entitled Tanim na Pagkain, Gawing Maka-Sining. With this platform, aProf. Bryan Apacionado of the University of the Philippines Los Baños shared his knowledge on the said topic. The discussion on edible landscaping focused on aesthetics, functionality, health and wellness, and self-sufficiency.
Apacionado encouraged the viewers to create their own edible landscaping at home as it will be of great help in food security especially now that we have shifted to the new normal brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. He also answered the queries of the viewers thru the live broadcast.
In return, the viewers expressed their utmost gratitude to ATI CALABARZON and Apacionado for imparting new knowledge unto them. Aside from Castillo, Blesila Garcia thanked ATI CALABARZON for its effort which gave them gardening ideas suitable during the new normal. Veronica Hudencial also commented that it was such a great learning experience to have attended the live seminar