The Negros Farmers Weekend Market at Magsaysay Avenue in Bacolod City marked its 12th anniversary with guests harvesting vegetables from its upgraded urban garden on Saturday, March 15.
Guests harvested cucumbers, eggplants, sweet peppers, tomatoes, string beans, corn and squash.
Ruby Cruz, Negros Farmers Weekend Market owner, has been providing farmers a venue to sell their fresh produce for 12 years and stressing the importance of urban vegetable gardens for a healthy lifestyle.
She said on the 12th anniversary of the Negros Farmers Weekend Market she is reminded of the reason behind its creation. “For all the lofty goals, the main intention is just to give a sense of community,” she said.
“We celebrated a milestone by simply sharing freshly harvested and steamed sweet corn. And friends and shoppers were at awe with the new veggie garden as they got busy with the harvesting,” Cruz said.
“As I watched the beautiful, happy faces of young and old alike, I realized that all it takes is one shared happy and memorable experience to rouse the dormant but natural tendency of people to care for each other,” she said.
Guests harvesting vegetables at the urban garden.*Ronnie Baldonado and Ruby Cruz photos
Cruz said she hopes the weekend market will continue to give happy memories and experiences in the years to come.
David Cruz, 24, the son of Ruby and Philip Cruz, now manages the urban vegetable garden in partnership with East-West Seed. They sell the urban garden’s vegetables at the weekend market.
David has a degree in business management from Ateneo but he developed a passion for farming at a young age from his grandfather Donato C. Cruz.
“It is nice to have your own garden, it can be as simple as having five to six plants, just for the consumption of your family,” he said.
He said from his experience it is fulfilling and “it gives me satisfaction that I’m providing other people with food.”
David’s father, Philip, heads Herbanext Laboratories Inc. that produces food and health supplement products derived from plants.
David, Philip and Ruby Cruz, Swati Gavit and Dr. Rajesh Gavit (l-r) during the 12th anniversary of the Negros Farmers Weekend Market.* Ronnie Baldonado photo
They help small farmers by buying their produce, David said.
The main problem of the farmers is not having consistent markets for their produce, he said.
“Our whole value chain really is centered towards supporting the farmers,” David Cruz said.
Farming should be treated as a business so it becomes profitable for the farmers, he said.*