Malita, Davao Occidental — The Southern Philippines Agri-business and Marine and Aquatic School of Technology (SPAMAST), through its Extension Services Office (ESO), spearheaded a Farmers Field School (FFS) on Organic Vegetable Farming—𝐒𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐕𝐞𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲 in Barangays Bolila and Tical on September 24 and 25, 2025. The FFS is a season-long initiative under the program Enabling Food Sufficient Communities through Community Participatory Action Research, designed to address food insecurity, rural poverty, and the growing need for sustainable agricultural practices. The sowing of seeds is just one of the activities, and the FFS will continue through the entire crop cycle until harvest.
Led by Extension Director Prof. Kher Dave H. Doños in partnership with the SPAMAST PRIO Office Director Ms. Dawn A. Limao, and supported by a dedicated team of project members, the SPAMAST Extension Office ensured that 20 community-based farmers per barangay gained both technical knowledge and hands-on experience. Emphasizing low-cost and environmentally sound farming practices, the training covered seed selection, nursery management, soil health improvement, productivity enhancement, and reduced reliance on chemical inputs. Through a participatory approach, farmers were actively involved in planning, implementing, and evaluating sustainable farming techniques tailored to their local context.
Beyond immediate outcomes, the FFS strengthens SPAMAST’s commitment to building resilient farming communities capable of tackling food security, health, and livelihood challenges. By equipping smallholder farmers with ecological farming practices and fostering collaboration between the academe and grassroots communities, the SPAMAST Extension Office is cultivating long-term sustainability, food sovereignty, and social equity for Malita’s farming households—continuing well beyond the initial training sessions into the full harvest cycle.
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