Our interns learn almost immediately that agriculture and livestock farming are practiced “differently” and “unconventionally” at the farm (i.e. industrial livestock breeds and genetically modified fruits and vegetables are noticeably absent; commercial animal feeds, artificial growth hormones, and chemical fertilizers are not used in the farm; and the importance of farming and raising livestock
without causing damage or harm to the environment is emphasized by our work station supervisors and managers). The farm’s internship program puts emphasis on the need to champion agriculture in the Philippines in order to improve the quality of life and the standard of living in rural areas and provinces. More than harvesting fruits and tending to fruit trees, growing vegetables, and raising livestock, the interns are challenged to champion their craft so they can help sow the seeds of hope in the Philippine agricultural sector by creating jobs and building a more vibrant and thriving agricultural industry through social entrepreneurship ventures that will allow farmers and agricultural workers to get a better price for their goods, livestock, produce, and services. It is our hope that our interns will carry with them the willingness to sacrifice and to embrace the mission to be good farmers for the environment and for the country, in essence putting to heart the challenge to become “farmers of life.”
