Intern YMAers on the Move | Young Minds Academy Experience

"Life on a farm is a school of patience; you can't hurry the crops or make an ox in two days." 

The Two Messages

       One evening when my heart slightly calms down after a downcast conversation, my phone beeps and receive two nice messages, the first one must be kept secret and the second one is the thing I'll be sharing here... The message goes like this: "... will be meeting at Consolacion Agriculture Office tomorrow...". It's been days that I waited to start my intership for I was craving to try new stuff and then Olah!, the day came...

The Internship (First Day)

       Me and my other teammates met the Agricultural staffs at Consolacion agriculture office and SHOCKS!!! my attire was so embarrassing because come to think of it, I was wearing a polo shirt with a high heels, good thing one of the DA staff kept a slipper which he allow me to borrow. As we arrive at the farm, it amazes me how passionate the farmers are. They didn't mind the very heat of the sun while having a meeting in the middle of the field. Before the meeting started me and my teammates together with the DA staffs decided to tour the farm. The farm was so huge and nice. We even meet the caretaker on the farm and also some farmers who are harvesting and we joined them. We also decided to bring home some vegetables that we harvested. Isn't it ironic that we already harvested vegetables though we haven't planted a single seed yet. The farmers are so friendly and hardworking. Though it saddens me that the actual farming part might be moved on the afternoon or on the next session because they still need to discuss and orient things before they plant crops. And since it was almost noon, the trainer instructed to take their meal first before the discussion starts because it was better listening while your stomach was full as the information will sinked on your brains immediately than listening while your hungry which will just give you a headache.

The Sad Part

       It was then almost 1 o'clock in the afternoon when I decided to leave the farm so that I will not be late for work. My excitement meters falls down for I haven't tried to plant the crops yet I expected it to happen though it was fine because there are always be next time. As I left the area I was so sad and as the motorcycles go I was still looking on the place until I got in the place that looks familiar "Brgy. Pulpogan". Oh!!! how I miss seeing that place, memories run through me again--- I stayed there for three days and conducted some researched.

For more info:
FACEBOOK http://facebook.com/iluvfarmers
TWITTER http://twitter.com/iluvfarmers
BLOG http://iluvfarmers.blogspot.com

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Can You Imagine Life Without Farmers? | Young Minds Academy Experience

Can you imagine life without farmers? A team of scholars from the Young Minds Academy (YMA) Season 5 leadership program can’t. They harnessed the power of marketing strategies mostly through the new media to promote a farmer empowerment project in Consolacion, Cebu. Because of the on-going training that the farmers are undergoing, they will soon yield better and abundant harvests in their respective farms all over Cebu.

The online community has been abuzz with the iluvfarmers farmers

campaign that champions hero farmers in Cebu.

About Kabalikat sa Kabuhayan

Team CPMPC of the YMA program of the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. created a campaign for the “Kabalikat sa Kabuhayan.” The project aims to educate farmers in vegetable and fruit production and innovations as part of the poverty alleviation goals of the Municipality of Consolacion.



Around 120 farmers go to the 5,000 square meter demo farm site in Brgy. Danglag to learn from the trainers from Harbest Agribusiness Corporation and the Department of Agriculture Regional Offices.



The program’s aim is to empower our farmers with knowledge to improve farm practice and increase yield, thereby providing better income opportunities.



The project started last September 11 and is set to end on November 18, 2011. This has been done in 18 other project sites all over the country as well, and as of writing, graduated more than two thousand farmers.

About iluvfarmers

The Team CPMPC scholars of YMA drafted and implemented a massive campaign to help these farmers gain social awareness and support from the public with the parameters set by RAFI which is 1,000 likes on the Facebook page and 10,000 peso donation or signature of commitment within a one month period.



But instead of focusing on achieving the goals, they turned to the notion that the quality of interaction and support they get is more important especially within the deadline.



As part of the marketing strategy, they branded their campaign as “iluvfarmers” to imply the need for people to appreciate our farmers who are considered as unsung heroes. Meticulous planning and execution was done from designing the logo, content creation and development, setting of specific goals, art direction of campaign materials such as online posters, advertisements, teasers, blog posts, endorsements from different personalities and regular updates in the social networking sites. They also went to the farm demo site and worked with the farmers themselves under extreme weather conditions and poor classroom setting.



The scholars themselves underwent input sessions with social marketing experts in the region today.



They created a Facebook page with a custom designed landing page which can be accessed at http://fb.me/iluvfarmers where details of the program and how you can support the campaign and the farmers are placed. They also created a Twitter account http://twitter.com/iluvfarmers where conversations and interactions are done not only with netizens but as well as Agriculture and Farming organizations all over the world. To curate the beautiful life stories of the farmers and to regularly update the supporters with the latest developments of the project, Team CPMPC scholars also had created a blog site http://iluvfarmers.blogspot.com/ for better content and brand establishment.





The iluvfarmers Campaign is being spearheaded by Jaysee John R. Pingkian, Lorbe Catadman, Babykit Marie Nunez, Irish Nunez and John Rhecel Solon members of the Team CPMPC of the YMA Season 5.

Why you should help?

Farming is not as fun as you would experience through games like Farmville. It actually takes a lot of effort and life as we know it and some people have not only considered it as livelihood but life in itself.



The project needs to sustain because they have learned to pursue a reliable source of income with very little capital through the technologies and knowledge imparted to them.



They need not only awareness from people but as well as donations in money or in kind such as farming tools and fertilizers, vegetable and fruit seeds and seedlings because after the training they are expected to apply their knowledge unto their respective farm lands.



Keep in mind that they are also the providers of their families.



They also need social awareness because little attention and support is given to these people whose efforts are barely recognized and compensated for the amount of work they are doing.

How can you help?

4 Steps to Help Them!

1. LIKE and SHARE this page! COMMENT on photos and posts as well!
2. DONATE your Facebook or Twitter Status:

• They work hard to provide us food. We can help them do better. FOLLOW @iluvfarmers and LIKE http://fb.me/iluvfarmers 
• Somewhere in the mountains are heroes who work tirelessly to provide us and their families. FOLLOW @iluvfarmers and LIKE http://fb.me/iluvfarmers
• Facebook is not just for emo stuff. It could also be used to support our hero farmers! FOLLOW @iluvfarmers and LIKE http://fb.me/iluvfarmers
• Or you could CREATE YOUR CREATIVE STATUS and post it on the Facebook page so they could feature you!

1. FOLLOW us on Twitter http://twitter.com/iluvfarmers
2. DONATE or ask people to donate money, farm tools, farm supplies, seedlings or seeds.
• Contact iluvfarmers Campaign Ambassador Lorbe Catadman: 09299613737

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