Philippines
Iba Farm

In 2004 Shumei partnered with Total Rural Development Incorporated (TRD) to create a model farm in Iba, the capital of the Zambales Province, located five hours north of Manila, Philippines. TRD is an NGO that focuses on local economic development by providing education and training programs to create self-reliant communities that can live in harmony with each other and the environment. Shumei worked with the TRD to create a beautiful model farm to provide hands-on training on Natural Agriculture that demonstrates to TRD members a cost-effective and environmentally sustainable approach to food production and a way of living that was in harmony with nature. The farm is managed by local Philippine farmers under the supervision of a Japanese Shumei farmer.

Since the start of the project, the demonstration farm land has grown in size to 2.47 acres, including _ acre of paddy field, _ acre of vegetable field, 3/8 acre of fruit trees, _ acre of timbers, and 1/8 acre of pond. The farm successfully produces a variety of crops all year round, including rice, cassava, sweet potatoes, corn, papaya, pineapples, mangoes, and bananas. Other crops grown on the farm are sugar cane, lemons, okra, green beans, and tomatoes.

At the Iba farm, Natural Agriculture seminars are held regularly for visitors, including officials from the Ministry of Agriculture, agricultural cooperatives, university students, farmers, and schoolteachers. Through raising awareness of the benefits of Natural Agriculture, neighboring farmers are beginning to adopt the Natural Agriculture method of rice production. Educators are also seeing the value of Natural Agriculture and a private school in Manila, Temple Hill School, has incorporated Natural Agriculture into their school curriculum since 2006.