After two years of enduring a pandemic, what does your dream life look like?
More and more Filipino families dream of having a restful place to call home and get away from the daily hustle and bustle of life. They want a safe place to grow happy and healthy, with access to hobbies they enjoy.
Today, that dream is much closer!
The Kaway’an Garden Club officially opened its doors to the public in December. It is part of the larger Kaway’an Eco Farm that is being developed as a multipurpose area that allows for a sustainable lifestyle for the nearby Sabella homeowners and other residents in General Trias, Cavite.
“This started as a conversation about what we wanted to do for the residents in Sabella beyond just providing housing, and now it’s become an eco-farm,” shared Elizabeth Wang, General Manager of Kawayan Eco-Development, Inc. during the launch of Kaway’an Garden Club (KGC).
“Initially, our idea was to use the farm for tourism, but because of the pandemic, we pivoted to food production focusing on providing for basic needs first.
Growing crops in garden beds
KGC offers nearby residents a chance to grow their food by way of defined raised beds. Because the plots are already prepared, it’s easy to plan and get started. There will also be farm hands to assist in ensuring the best possible growth and yield for the club members’ crops.
“This is not our area of expertise yet,” added Ms. Wang, “But we are thankful for our partners and that by the grace of God, we can learn alongside our homeowners and members of the community to make Kaway’an a place of comfort, education, and enjoyment for everyone.
Plant enthusiasts have already snapped up some of the raised beds available for rent during the open house. Guests were able to tour the various planned areas of the eco-farm and even sampled some produce initially produced by the farmhands.
Benefits of urban gardening
Besides the obvious advantage of introducing urban gardening as a hobby to nearby residents of the community, the Kaway’an Garden Club helps provide food security. The vision is that families will no longer need to travel so far for fresh produce, as this will be accessible to them right in the area.
As an unintended benefit, residents will be able to shop small and shop local. Having fresh fruits and veggies on hand will also pave the way for wellness within the community as they are encouraged to cook and eat what is in season.
Focus on sustainability
As we move into a new year, it’s clear that there will be a renewed focus on sustainability in communities. The health of the environment and people has taken topmost priority thanks to learnings from the pandemic. Moving forward, sustainability will be a major factor in key business development decisions, as well as personal goals.
The Kaway’ann Eco-Farm is a testament to our commitment to adapting to the changing needs of Filipino families. It is a unique opportunity to shape the way future residents will live and relax in this community.
Future plans for Kaway’an
The Kaway’an Garden Club is just the first phase of the master-planned Kaway’an Eco-Farm. In time, residents will be able to enjoy all the amenities that have been slated for the development, including picnic grounds, a lagoon, a bamboo pavilion, and more.
There is also a focus on education at the eco-farm. Seven greenhouses have already been built to produce crops using hydroponics and soil-less systems. Aside from being used for production, the farm will apply to be a learning site for Agriculture Training Institute (ATI) to encourage a greater interest in the industry by exposing students to more efficient systems and structures.
Beside the greenhouses will be an open farm. Among the crops currently being grown for the farm include papaya, dragonfruit, coffee, calamansi, and more.
Horticulturists, enthusiasts, and even kids are welcome to learn about how high-value crops are maximized and produced using this method.
There has been a definite need to decongest major cities and offer Filipinos a better way to live that takes into consideration health and wellness. We have forecasted this need for a balanced lifestyle that growing families will want and planted the seeds of eco-consciousness as early as now.
