Merely three days after their previous visit, the Iloilo city cluster took advantage of a work holiday to continue their work on the communal garden of Brgy. Cochero. Despite the community’s lack of planting space,
they have been establishing plant boxes and container gardens along the walls that line the baranggay’s narrow streets.
The day began with members of the cluster returning to Gamot Cogon school to harvest the Biodynamic compost from the heap they created a few months ago. The finished compost, fully decomposed, was ready for use
and weighed in at a total of 1 tonne, all of which was donated to Brgy. Cochero, to provide them with living soil for their gardening initiative.
After lunch, the members of ESSA held a short orientation at Cochero to orient the participants on the work for the day. Using donated recycled tires cut in half, the group created several planting containers along the walls in
front of the baranggay hall.
These were to serve as samples to be replicated along the length of the wall. They were filled with the compost made by the cluster, and seeds from the ESSA gardeners were sown in them as well. The
group also took the time to enliven the soil from the previously established community garden, by adding the biodynamic compost to it. All in all it was a sweaty and tiring day, but already, the changes in Brgy. Cochero have become very evident, not only in the gardens, but in the people as well.