KSK Farmer: ‘Nasa puso ko ang pagtatanim’

KSK-SAP Alumna Christina Pabor joins the SM Sunday Market at SM City Calamba.

For many, farming is a way of life. They gain a profound sense of purpose when they cultivate the land, plant seeds, and harvest fruits and vegetables that will nourish not just their families but an entire community.

Cristina Lumor-Pabro, a Kabalikat sa Kabuhayan on Sustainable Agriculture Program (KSK-SAP) farmer, knows just this.

Cristina and her fellow farmers with their harvest.

It was in 2019 when she learned about SM Foundation’s KSK-SAP–an opportunity that would soon be her pathway to a fulfilling life. Here, she felt that a career in farming offered her a sense of purpose, community, and fulfilment.

From a humble backyard planter, she also became an agripreneur equipped with farming and marketing know-how and was empowered to cultivate the small plot of land they owned using her knowledge from the training.

“Mula sa simpleng backyard gardening, nagkaroon ako ng dagdag kaalaman tungkol sa tamang proseso at pamamaraan ng pagtatanim. Dito ko rin mas na-appreciate ang pagpapahalaga sa kalikasan na nagbibigay buhay sa atin kaya’t sinisikap ko po ang pagco-compost upang makagawa ng organic na fertilizer,” she shared.

Christina and her fellow farmers prepare to sell their newly harvest.

KSK-SAP opened more doors for her. It was her pathway to becoming a member of farmers’ associations–groups that later became her family where she shared her farming knowledge. To further support her farming endeavors years after KSK, she also registered with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to become a Barangay Micro Business Enterprise (BMBE).

To ensure quality of produce, farmers in the community inspect their crops.

Aside from allowing her to do what her heart desires, the opportunity paved by KSKSAP provided her a reliable, additional income. She now actively joins local trade fairs and SM’s farmer’s market initiatives, including the SM Sunday Market. The money she earns from selling fruits and vegetables goes beyond sustaining the needs of her family–she utilizes it to support and improve her farm.