by Tressa Dosdos Ruelas
Community singing at CFM
They arrive just before the market opens at 9, or till 11 a.m. You can tell from the look in their eyes and hurried steps that they already know what they want, and whom to approach. Their reusable bags and backpacks are quickly stuffed, and it’s only when they already have what they need that they leisurely go through the array of goods for anything new or may have missed on the first go-around. Last week, there were strawberry plants, this week it’s kamansi, and two weeks ago, fresh cut tubo. They chat with the farmers they’ve gotten to know a bit—how they (and their crops) fared during the last typhoon, what to expect at the next harvest, how a particular vegetable is best prepared, eaten, etc.
They are our suki—and they make sure their Saturday includes a walk, drive or taxi/ jeepney-ride to the newly launched Cebu Farmers Market (CFM) at Handuraw Pizza in Gorordo, Lahug.
Let’s hear it from some of them.
“It’s my island of Paradise”, says Susanne, an Austrian working for an NGO on the reconstruction of San Remigio, post- Yolanda. Whenever she’s in town on a Saturday, she heads straight for CFM to get the fresh vegetables and herbs to make a salad and cook meals for two. She used to go to the supermarket which only had a small section for organic lettuce and herbs. Asked what she’d like to see more at the market: “I was happy to see some carrots, but I don’t see them all the time. I miss the regular potatoes. And if they could have organic mangoes, and pineapple as well, I’d really be so happy.
But right now, I’m happy with what’s here. In Austria, we learn to live with and eat whatever local produce is in season.”
“I’m very thankful. I take this as God’s provision for food. Now I and my family can eat without fear.” Tracy Wise, an American expat in Cebu, hosts several websites for international Christian fellowships. He and his kids love the cassava budbud. Asked how he heard about CFM: “I have had big health concerns over the years. Healing Present helped me to develop a strict healthy and organic diet. One day, my doctor Dr. Romy Paredes told me about the Cebu Food & Fun Festival where I met several farmer vendors and was really impressed and I decided right then and there to buy all my
food only from them. So ever since CFM started, I’ve not bought my fresh vegetables and fruit anywhere else.” “My favorites are okra, peanuts, eggplant, sweet potato… and oh, papaya, bananas and pomelo.”
“I love cooking for my family,” says Mike Villanueva, a Pagcor employee. He would breeze into CFM on his motorcycle every Saturday since he discovered the market. His staples are eggs, okra, eggplant and cucumber. “I am also very excited to find free range, GMO-free chicken and pork. But I look forward to a time when there’s grass-fed beef.”
“The market is a very interesting and timely concept as it caters to people who opt to live healthy. It’s also a fun place to visit!“ Hector Tina is all smiles as he peels off the hard skin of sugarcane stalk to chew on it. “Tubo, o!” he says to his daughter Michelle who told him about CFM after her first visit there. Mr. Tina upholds a healthy lifestyle by exercising every day and being selective in what he eats.
Included in his daily diet is guyabano or sour sop, which he says keeps him in good health. He’s happy to find the fruit in CFM.
“I come here for the carrots, squash, cardaba bananas,” says Dr. Dale Pasco, a general surgeon. “But what I really need is a regular supply of ampalaya, malunggay and guyabano.”
Dr. Pasco has been developing natural preventive and curative measures for those suffering from potentially life-threatening diseases such as cancer and diabetes.
His general prescription? No fish, no chicken. And raw, if at all possible.
Brad Reddersen at the Cebu Farmers Market
Alidin Monleon
Hector Tina
And juicing is very good, he tells us. His colleague Psyche Mollena, a pharmacist, says that when people have ailments, it’s best to open their eyes and change their habits about what they eat and where they get their food. Both are avidly anti-GMO (A genetically modified organism is any organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques) campaigners, and they want to educate the public on the benefits of organically grown foods and the detrimental effects of GMO food and food sprayed with chemicals to both humans and the environment.
“This initiative is merely a drop, but it will create a ripple effect that I can see will go beyond our small island, throughout the archipelago and around the world,” says Jayendra, yoga teacher, musician, Waldorf/Steiner-inspired school parent (yes, it’s a thing), social activist. “Before CFM, I’d make the rounds… to Healing Present, to the supermarket, and to Carbon in search of organically-grown fresh greens and fruits. Many times I had to settle for non-organic. Here, I see those, plus I discover innovative organic products like coconut mixture to replace soy sauce. I’m a vegan, so that’s exciting. I’d love to see more variety of fruits like melons, caymito, atis.”
“Talking with the farmers reminds me of the vegetable garden my mother had back in Sibonga where I grew up. It used to supply most of the vegetables she needed to feed our growing family,” says Victoria Uytico Herrera, a senior citizen. A few minutes later, we see her squatting on the ground, chatting up farmer vendors from Naga while inspecting the produce. “Kung mopungko ko, mas maka-istorya ko sa namaligya. Maka-hangyo ko sa iya, unya, ma-amiga pa gyud nako.” This kind of interaction and her favorite fruits and vegetables will keep Tita Vicky coming back. She looks forward to CFM‘s expansion so she can meet more farmers and buy other kinds like broccoli, cauliflower and pepper.
Thank you to our growing list of suki who trust us with their healthy choices. We look forward to seeing them every Saturday at the Cebu Farmers Market.
*To find out more, check out www.facebook.com/cebufarmersmarket