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, going into farming is a decision he continues to stand by,  rooted not only in personal fulfillment but also in a growing commitment to produce his own food. Before becoming a farmer, Butz spent years working as a seaman. The income was stable, significantly higher than what farming could offer. But it came at a cost: long stretches away from home, missed milestones, and distance from his family. When the opportunity came to manage his brother-in-law’s farm in Tabucol, Bago City, Negros Occidental, he chose to leave that life behind.

But contrary to what others may think, the shift was not as difficult as it might seem. Farming was already familiar to him. Growing up, Butz was raised in a household where food production was part of everyday life. His father grew vegetables, and their home had pigs and chickens to care for. As children, he and his siblings were assigned responsibilities. Feeding the animals was a daily task, something that had to be done regardless of the weather or their mood. From this, he carried a principle that continues to guide his work today: if you take care of what you grow and raise, it will take care of you in return.

When he began farming in 2016, their initial approach was still partly conventional. They started with rice, working within familiar systems. But this soon changed when Butz was sent to learn at Costales Farm in Laguna. There, he was introduced to organic and natural farming methods that relied not on external chemical inputs but on locally made, biological solutions. He learned how to prepare fermented plant and fruit juices, amino acid solutions, and indigenous microorganisms for use in crops, livestock, and soil health.

This experience marked a turning point. Farming, for Butz, is about how food is grown, what goes into it, and what it means for both people and the environment. Over time, their farm evolved into an integrated system. Today, it includes rice fields, poultry, vegetables, coffee, and cacao. It is now diversified for resilience.

Yet the realities of farming remain complex. Managing a 10-hectare farm with only a small number of workers presents constant challenges. Labor shortages directly affect productivity, particularly in rice production, where monitoring is critical. Tasks are often stretched across limited manpower. Despite this, Butz remains deeply involved in the day-to-day work. He plans tasks before arriving at the farm, monitors activities closely, and joins the workers in the field. For him, management is not separate from labor. It should be embedded in it.

Butz with the other members of Tabucol Farmers Association

His engagement with SEARICE further expanded his perspective. Through SEARICE’s work on participatory plant breeding, Butz and his fellow farmers in the Tabucol Farmers Association, where he currently serves as president, were introduced to a new role: not just as producers but as seed breeders. For the first time, they learned how to develop their own rice varieties, moving from dependence on externally supplied seeds to building their own.

Access to seeds has long been persistent challenge for Butz and other farmers in their community. In the past, they relied heavily on distributions from the Department of Agriculture, often waiting for seeds that did not always arrive in time for planting. “Minsan, magtatanim ka na, pero hindi pa dumarating yung binhi,” he shared, describing how delays could disrupt an entire cropping cycle. While vegetable seeds were generally easier to source, rice farmers like them remained dependent.

This shift addressed a repeated issue among farmers: uncertainty in seed access. Instead of waiting for distributions that might not arrive, farmers began producing seeds adapted to their own conditions. For Butz, learning how to produce and save their own seeds became essential. Through his involvement with SEARICE, this began to change.

Butz, together with the other Filipino farmers during the Learning Exchange held at An Giang Province, Vietnam.

What started as an effort to reduce dependency has grown into a practice of exchange and collaboration. Through learning activities, including a regional exchange in Vietnam where he was exposed to how farmer-partners of SEARICE practice agroecology, Butz began connecting with fellow farmers, sharing and receiving seeds, and bringing these back to his own farm. Today, he is actively multiplying these seeds, with the goal of making them more accessible within their community. Alongside this, he also hopes to establish a community seed bank for their association, so farmers will no longer have to depend on uncertain external supply. Beyond improving access, these efforts are also shaping a stronger local seed system within their community. Through breeding and seed sharing, farmers are not only producing what they need. They are also conserving and using diverse varieties adapted to their conditions. For Butz, the establishment of a community seed bank builds on this work, creating a space where seeds can be stored, shared, and sustained over time. 

In the process, something else changed. Farmers began to see themselves differently. “Parang mga feeling scientist,” Butz shared, describing the sense of discovery and ownership that came with breeding their own crops. But the truth is, this is not just about feeling like scientists. They are already innovators in their own right. This is what happens when farmers are introduced to things they once thought were difficult but are now manageable and feasible. At the end of the day, this is not just about "feeling like a scientist” or "feeling like a breeder”—they are becoming true farmer-breeders.

This experience also contributed to a gradual shift in perspectives within their community. Farmers who once relied on conventional methods began to recognize the potential of organic farming as both an environmentally sound practice and a viable approach to production. For Butz, organic farming is not just about ensuring food security. It is about guaranteeing safe, healthy, and reliable food for all. 

In this way, breeding, conservation, organic farming, and seed banking are not separate efforts but interconnected practices that contribute to a more sustainable and resilient agri-food system.

At home, these values in farming are already being passed on. His four-year-old daughter is introduced to farming in simple, everyday ways like watering plants, collecting leaves, and preparing herbal mixtures. These are small acts, but they reflect a continuity of learning, much like his own childhood.

When asked what it means to be a farmer, Butz does not hesitate. A farmer, he says, is essential. Without farmers, there is no food. Without food, no other profession can exist. Yet despite this, farmers are often undervalued.

“Tingin ng ibang tao mababa ang pagiging farmer, pero kung titignan mo, mahalaga talaga ang farmer. Ang farmer ang nagtatanim ng pagkain para sa lahat. Kung walang pagkain, magugutom ang mga tao. Sabi nga nila, kung walang farmer, walang doctor, walang teacher, walang engineer, kasi wala silang makakain.” (Some people see being a farmer as something low, but if you really look at it, farmers are truly important. Farmers grow food for everyone. Without food, people would go hungry. As they say, without farmers, there would be no doctors, no teachers, no engineers—because they would have nothing to eat.)

This disconnect is something he hopes to change through advocacy. Looking ahead, Butz envisions a farm that is sustainable, one that can support livelihoods, provide stable income, and serve as a model for others interested in organic agriculture and agroecology. He also hopes to see more young people engage in farming, particularly in organic systems.

But for this to happen at scale, he emphasizes the need for greater support.

For him, this is not just about improving one farm. It is about strengthening a system that sustains communities, protects the environment, and ensures that future generations can continue to grow food sustainably and with dignity.

Butz is just one of many who chose farming not as a fallback, but as a jumpstart. He no longer sails across oceans chasing a living. Instead, he stays on land, where growth is quieter but certain, while watching his daughter and his crops grow, both slowly and surely, both right in front of him.

*****

This article is part of the project “Engendering Access of Smallholder Farmers to Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture for Conservation and Sustainable Use,” funded by the Benefit-Sharing Fund of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. Through this initiative, farmers like Butz are supported in strengthening their access to diverse seeds, knowledge, and local seed systems, enabling them not only to improve their livelihoods but also to actively contribute to the conservation and sustainable use of plant genetic resources.