Konted's Make My Day: A Quiet Farm Near The Foothills of Mt. Susong Dalaga

A Quiet Farm Near The Foothills Of Mt. Susong Dalaga

Just a few days after retirement, a former top official of a giant food conglomerate thought of buying a two-hectare property near the foothills of Mt. Susong Dalaga in Lipa City, Batangas. Used to a hectic work schedule, Raul Hernandez didn't want boredom to creep in. With a surplus of time in his hands, he ventured to do what he had long yearned - farming. He wanted his senior years to be just as productive and, at the same time, reap the joys of farming. It was also his way of reaching out to the community by providing employment to the needy.

Banking on his managerial skills, Hernandez began studying the terrain. He did some testing on the soil and found it to be fertile and adapt to the usual farm crops. After consultation with experts, he started doing the layout. Certain crops had to be planted in designated areas. Grouping and segregation were applied. Acquisition and proper positioning of farm equipment and machinery were also done. Finally, the screening and hiring of men tasked to do the various works involved came to the fore.

Imprints of the old man's managerial skills can be seen when one makes an actual visit to the farm. Rows of crops such as lettuce, tomatoes and Japanese corn can be viewed as one enters the farm and it is evident that good technology is being applied. Strategically positioned are the water tanks which form part of an efficient water system. If the crops are well taken care of, the same can be said of the animals in the farm. Goats, lambs, turkeys, geese, ducks and fighting cocks have their respective shelters. A lone horse grazes nearby.

What steals the thunder is the poultry that keeps egg-laying Cobb chickens. The chicken house itself is very clean and the Cobbs themselves are healthy. What is noticeable is the way they are caged. The big cage is divided into small cages with each small cage having 3 Cobbs. It seems unusual but actual production results reveal encouraging numbers as disclosed by the owner's wife Gloria.

Noticeable too are the Labrador Retrievers and a German Shepherd in big cages meant to augment security within the perimeter of the farm. Near the gates of the farm are the quarters of the owner and the chief farmhand. Next to it is the receiving area. Now, looking at the entire farm from afar, it makes one think that the layout resembles that of a manufacturing plant sans buildings. Not surprising. Didn't I mention that the owner used to be a top honcho of a big firm? The farm really is a showcase of what good or sound management is all about. Planning, organizing, directing and controlling, all these are evident at RHI Farm. No doubt about it.

- Konted