Human Stories

Roots Take Many Forms

Women peel Bisol, a local variety of taro, preparing it to be filled with tender young coconut and cooked into a traditional snack. In the Philippines, rice is often seen as the heart of every meal, but across the country’s upland communities, where the terrain makes rice difficult to grow, families have long built their meals around what the land can offer. In Sitio Ballo, Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental, corn, banana, coconut, and root crops find their way into the kitch

Oct 193 min read

Farmer na, Teacher Pa: Lessons from a Farmer-Teacher

“Kung iti-train mo na sila in their early years, kahit bata pa sila, kaya na nila magtanim. Kasi sa simpleng malunggay, sa simpleng alugbati, kangkong, makikita na nila na, ay, kaya ko palang magpatubo [ng pananim]” [If you train them early, even as young children, they can already learn how to grow crops. Through simple plants like malunggay, alugbati, and kangkong, they realize that they are capable of growing their own food.] Learning is often seen as something gained in

May 56 min read

The Life He Chose on Land: Building Systems that Support Farmers

In the Philippines, farming is often seen as the last resort, something you do as a fallback, the occupation you pursue when everything else fails. But in this story, we get to know a farmer who chose farming long before farming ever had to choose them. “Kahit katiting, hindi ako nagsisi na tumigil ako sa pagsakay ng barko. Mas masaya ako ngayon bilang farmer.” (“Not even a little bit, I don't regret stopping sailing the ship. I'm happier now as a farmer.”) For Butz Buerom, g

Apr 166 min read