Weeks 10-11

Following the needs analysis, in which topics were determined by the survey respondents' "interest" and "familiarity", a 20-page booklet, entitled Seeds of Change, was developed. The booklet contained inputs from Jason's meetings with the Municipal Agriculture Office in the Los Banos Municipal Hall, as well as a one-on-one lecture taught by Dr. Marco Espino at UP Los Banos' edible landscaping garden.

Among the topics discussed in the booklet were basic plant biology, i.e. photosynthesis, pollination, and fertilization; crop selection, i.e. sunlight requirements, crop rotation, and multi-cropping; vertical and container gardening, in which a DIY procedure for making a plastic bottle planter was discussed; pest and disease management, which explored simpler, less harmful alternatives for chemical pesticides as well as a recipe for an onion-garlic-chili spray; watering techniques, i.e. the best times to water plants and efficient water-saving tips; organic concoctions and fertilizers such as fermented plant juice (FPJ), fermented fruit juice (FFJ), Vermitea, and compost; hydroponics, which primarily focused on the SNAP system for its simplicity and cost-effectiveness; and harvesting and marketing, which detailed ideal harvesting and storage conditions, as well as effective marketing strategies for livelihood and processing ideas that add value to crops. Moreover, the HAPAG initiative, which encourages LGUs to grow community gardens, was briefly discussed at the end.