By Benjie S. De Yro

Dear Gardener,

Thank you for reconsidering me as part of your government’s efforts to  minimize COVID-19 through your body resistance I help built since time immemorial. In fact, without this pandemic, I doubt if I can be of service to you again. To be frank about it, you have neglected and virtually abandoned me because you thought those multinational food chains will do you the best for your health.

Of course, you now realized, you were wrong.

I now think that because you have nothing to do during the lock outs, you turned to me, instead. I’m sorry but I think the main reason is that you realized that what I nurture are food elements very essential to your well-being. The high cost of vegetables these days may come in as secondary reason why to romance me again.

Time and again, your National Nutrition Council has been harping on you to maximized me to the fullest as I can be your best instrument  to produce your own food and to contain malnutrition in Cagayan Valley.

How lucky you are that despite all these years of ignoring me, I am still full of elements needed to grow your food. I hate you everytime you mixed chemicals on me. Consider that I am small but I can answer to some of your needs. Don’t kill me.

I would like to thank your government and even the private sector who came not only into my rescue but  likewise yours. Am I glad that your NNC  Region 2 religiously  reminds you of my importance as early as half a century ago? I was.

By this time that nearly all of you are into planting  me with all sorts of vegetables, maybe you realized that in fact,  gardening adds years to your life and life to your years. In me, there are no mistakes, only experiments.

I admit I got some weeds but all gardens do and is akin to life without dificulties. You could have spend your free time doing social media, killing time with your friends by talking or do other unproductive activities. Today, I sit at the center of  a challenge posted by NNC Region 2.  To grow vegetables from me, cooked it and post  them on social media is really your ultimate challenge to sustain food production.

I was fortunate  because you decided to leave me as I am. Others have been bulldozed, concreted and I feel the pain of turning an area into other ventures, save for the production of food. I have always been friendly to you but you have broken the nutritious ties between us; until that virus came.

I am proud to have fed millions of hungry humans before it came. I am proud to be a part of your environmment as I am proud to be utilized again to the maximum after all those year of hiatus, of unproductivity. Use me for as long as you need me. Take care of me and I will do the rest of providing you fresh food on your table.

Last night, you were proud that the supper you serve started out as a seed I nurtured for your table.  I was silently prouder than you are. Last month, when children started to touch me and planted seedlings into my bosom, I was tittilated and was so happy, childrren finaly realized my importance

They were amused that I could grow the same Irish potato served by a giant food chain.  It was a challenge for them to grow their own food, too. For as long as parents lead their children’s way to me, I will never disappoint them.

Again, thank you for returning me what I have given you, the leaves of trees and other waste products from me in the form of recycled nourishment. I grow better vegetables when I know you follow simple rules of nature.

Please continue using me for your own good and mine, too. I  assure you under me, you can meet the challenge of food sustainability leading to your well-being.

On behalf of my soil, the weeds, pebbles, the insects  and the other  living creatures I use  to balance your surroundings, thank you very much.

I am,

Your re-energized Backyard Garden

PS.  You did good yesterday when you shared your bountiful harvest of eggplant and okra to the neighbors. Continue doing that.###