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| Estela Jumawid Iliadis - my farm my paradise Philippines Year 2002. Came back from the US and spent a few years with friends and family. It was also for my husband and children to discover the Philippines. |
Estela Jumawid Iliadis - my farm my paradise was first published on my husband's blog Evan Iliadis blog with this introduction:
"First farming experience was a success, Tatay has once again reaffirmed his knowledge and passion for mother nature, Stela’s turn was next. She was known of “having a good hand”, for the locals this means that certain people have this inner and inexplicable power of anything they plant is growing. Some say they are talking to the plants in magic words!"
Indeed, I think I do; this is why I decided to allocate one hectare of the thirty my father owned to plant peanuts. The place is in the most remote areas of the interior of Bohol, where my 4×4 could go as close as 2 kilometers to the land, then by foot if there was no materials to bring, in which case a rented carabao was the only way. Estela Jumawid Iliadis - my farm my paradise
Cleaning the area, removing stones for facilitating the plowing, building a “resting house” as they call the nipa hat resting area for the workers has been a challenge on this remote area.
On an early morning, 3 carabaos start plowing the soil for the first time in years - if not centuries - locals couldn’t afford the cost of this operation, so here we go again another “worthless land”
Indigenous living in the area were looking at us with a bit of suspicion questioning the undertaking of the operation in such remote area, some were saying the “Americano” is digging for gold, not to plant peanuts and other tsismis about our real motivation.
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| Estela Jumawid Iliadis - my farm my paradise Christian at work. He's just 7 |
But if he couldn’t figure out the math, he discovered out something he didn't know about me: My true love for nature and challenges related to my passion.
I lived more years of her life in the US than in the Philippines my heart was still in Mindanao where I lived my childhood, walking miles away every day for bringing food to my father working on the farm and how much I enjoyed it.
I had never complained about the harsh condition of life, instead, I was telling him about the beauty of the area, the abundance of fruits and vegetables and their exceptional taste and plenty of fish.
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| Estela Jumawid Iliadis - my farm my paradise Brothers Chriatian and Adrian Iliadis with cousin Jesserel |
So it was clear to him, it wasn’t for financial gain I was doing it but for reviving my childhood, showing in real time what working in a farm is all about, I wanted me and our children to get a first-hand experience, sending my usual message like ” You guys in your countries are taking everything for granted!”
Did we make any money? Not really! Friends, you don’t go to the Philippines to make money. You bring it there to spend it! Did we lose any? No! We got our expenses back by selling the peanuts as cheap as..Peanuts! China has flooded the country for half the price!
Below is a few pictures from the plantation. Enjoy...
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