When we were young, we would usually visit our grandparents in Barangay Tamayo, Santa Cruz, Marinduque at least once a month. There were times that we spent our summer vacation in their place. Lolo Polonio and Lola Tentay would bring us to their farm and show us the different plants and crops such as palay, corn, cassava, mongo and peanuts.
Every harvest time for corn and peanuts, our Lola Tentay would ask our parents to bring us to Tamayo during the weekend. Lolo Polonio and Lola Tentay would cook for us a big pot of peanuts or corn or both. Corn was either boiled or cooked in coconut milk, popularly called "ginataang mais". Peanuts were usually boiled but there were times that we would be surprised with sweet peanuts or fried peanuts. White corn, which was called "Lagkitan" was sometimes use to complement rice. Corn kernels were dried, milled and mixed with rice. The yellow corn also served as feeds for chickens and hogs.
Lolo Polonio and Lola Tentay would tell us stories of how they sold some of their produce to traders and other residents, as a source of income. They sold palay, peanuts and mongo. There were times that my grandparents would complain about how traders would negotiate for low prices for their produce. They prefer selling their produce to their "suki” or frequent buyers.
Oh, how we miss those days where we would be very full and still not finish eating our Lolo Polonio and Lola Tentay's boiled peanuts and corn.
In my parent's place in Sta. Cruz, Marinduque, our father would raise chickens in our backyard. We were used to having fried eggs from our own produce for breakfast together with fried "tunsoy" or dried fish. My parents also raised hogs to support other needs especially for tuition payment.
These stories of our younger days, coupled with the desire to help our local community, have inspired us to go into farming. The Esplana Community Integrated Farm is hoped to venture in agribusiness and produce agricultural, livestock and poultry products for our Kababayans in Santa Cruz and the other towns in Marinduque like Mogpog, Boac, Torrijos, Bienavista and Gasan, and eventually to other parts of Luzon.