Get ready for The Real Farmville Adventure at the Costales Nature Farms in Majayjay, Laguna! If you ever decide to spend a few nights here, you get to pick your own organic veggies or catch your own organic fish, eat lots of fresh and chemical-free food, know more about organic agriculture and bond over their not-so-ordinary pulutan, hours of karaoke and homemade lambanog! More importantly, you get to breathe in fresh cold air, hear only crickets in the night and effortlessly do some detox (physically and mentally). If you want to know more about organic agriculture and what this trip is all about, I suggest you read my previous Costales Nature Farms post first.
Here's a photo tour of the farm:
Here's a photo tour of the farm:
There are fruit trees all around you. This is American Lemon.
Vermiculture at its best - These are African Night Crawlers. They work for the organic farm day and night, without pay.
Free-range Chickens - They are huge and fat. They drink good bacteria (think Yakult). No antibiotics.
Big Pigs for Organic Pork - FYI, they don't take a bath and they have no foul odor.
Their neighbors are bigger and darker Wild Pigs.
Native and Wild Pigs are cross-bred.
Rabbits with partners and names - They provide very fertile manure for the farm.
Fresh Organic Lettuce all over the farm - Think salad-all-you-can and grown in your own backyard!
The Miracle Fruit - According to legend, everything you eat after you take these little red berries becomes sweet.
Cabanas in the Farm - I think this is an ideal fishing spot.
Nursery for the plants!
I see life and green all over!
Organic French beans
Rows of Organic Lettuce
Getting down there is not as easy.
Coconut Trees! - This was one of my favorite spots in the farm and it was almost sunset. I looked up and there was the cool breeze in my face. I then imagined one manong getting up there and giving me some fresh coconut juice. =)
Vegetable Screening - See the washing machine, guess what they put in there?!
Rejected Veggies - Looks fine to me. The pigs and the chickens will get this treat.
Homemade insect trap! - Amazing and very effective.
Aquaculture in the farm
Mount Banahaw (left) and Mount Cristobal (right, looks ominous huh?)
Best for lechon - This brought me back to the thought of "What's for dinner?"
So for dinner, we had organic veggies, fish and many more!
I loved this nilaga. You know when you see fats in your food while in an organic farm retreat, it seems okay somehow haha.
I loved this the most - crunchy organic red cabbage in my turon! You would have to try it for yourself!
For drinks, it was a hot cup of tarragon tea.
Girls' Room for the night - The mosquitoes were my number 1 enemy...
The bathroom was fine and will be your best friend for detox.
A few hours after dinner, we went to the dining area again for some karaoke!
Two jars of homemade lambanog were placed in front of us.
The biggest shock of all - our organic pulutan! Haha. I tell you it's not bad, especially the Japanese cucumber.
This came too! Crispy organic kangkong. Eating something fried seemed okay too in an organic farm haha.
The winner for me was the unlimited Organic Arugula rolled in French fries and dip!
We sang our hearts out...
...until lights out a little before 12 midnight! Haha. And I don't think anybody else heard us.
We were dead tired and were planning to go on an early adventure the next day. Plus, we all seemed to think it was late already (in the province) haha. This is what happens when you set bloggers loose in an organic farm or anywhere for around, um 10 hours?! We could adapt very quickly haha. Time also passes by super fast. I was eating another round of organic food buffet for breakfast in no time! It was organic pork tapa time but the red cabbage veggie turon was my 2-day all-time, any-day favorite!
For the rest of the morning, we went to Majayjay Falls / Taytay Falls / Imelda Falls (which was only around 15 minutes away by car from the Costales Farm. When we got to the entrance, it was another 10 to 15 minute easy walk to the waterfalls. You should include this with your overnight organic farm itinerary then make sure you're ready with clothes and other stuff. I didn't see the bathroom or any functioning shower areas but you can shower at the farm. It was fun watching them (I'm reserving my first waterfall experience) haha. I heard the water was deep.
Agrotourism Philippines: Read the first part of this organic retreat in Laguna here.
For the rest of the morning, we went to Majayjay Falls / Taytay Falls / Imelda Falls (which was only around 15 minutes away by car from the Costales Farm. When we got to the entrance, it was another 10 to 15 minute easy walk to the waterfalls. You should include this with your overnight organic farm itinerary then make sure you're ready with clothes and other stuff. I didn't see the bathroom or any functioning shower areas but you can shower at the farm. It was fun watching them (I'm reserving my first waterfall experience) haha. I heard the water was deep.
I guess the exercise back completes the whole organic farm Laguna retreat experience =) Try it sometime =) We were back in Manila later that afternoon.
Farm Retreat Details:
Brgy. Gagalot, Majayjay,
Laguna, Philippines
Costales Nature Farms on Facebook
Share in the comments below: Have you ever tried to eat organic or have an all-veggie meal? Have you ever had a Farmville adventure or experience? Where? =) I'd love to hear about it!
Share in the comments below: Have you ever tried to eat organic or have an all-veggie meal? Have you ever had a Farmville adventure or experience? Where? =) I'd love to hear about it!
Check out my other Organic Agriculture (OA) Adventure posts:
