Regenerative Gardening
Operational folder for all growing systems. Each sub-category has its own section with SOPs, planting schedules, inventory, and harvest records.
Sub-Categories
| Category | Location | Staff | Jump |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compost | All sites | Shared | Open |
| Soil | All sites | Shared | Open |
| Vegetables | Agrupacion + Big Farm | TBD | Open |
| Fruits | All sites | TBD | Open |
| Herbs & Medicinals | Agrupacion | TBD | Open |
| Food Forest | Big Farm | TBD | Open |
| Cover Crops & Green Manure | All sites | Shared | Open |
| Pugod Integrated Aquaponic System | Pugod family land | Owner / Arianne & Rojan | Open |
A major new subsystem for the Regen Gardening spoke — gravity-fed aquaponics, taro terraces, freshwater prawns, and cultural revival on the Pugod family land.
Full Document System Diagrams iAVs Operations Engineering
Compost
Overview
Compost is the engine of the whole gardening system. Every animal waste stream, kitchen waste, crop residue, and green waste feeds back into compost. Three-bay system minimum per site. Hot compost for speed, cold compost for volume. Vermicompost for high-value seedling mix.
SOPs
- Three-bay turning system: fresh → active → cured
- Carbon-to-nitrogen ratio: aim for 25:1 to 30:1
- Turn hot compost every 3–5 days; target 55–65°C core temperature
- Cold compost: 3–6 month passive pile, turned monthly
- Vermicompost: shaded, moist, fed weekly with pre-composted material
- No meat, dairy, or diseased plant material in open compost
Inputs
| Source | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Livestock | Manure (goat, cattle, chicken, pig) | Primary nitrogen source |
| Kitchen | Food scraps, coffee grounds | Daily collection from cafe + family |
| Gardens | Crop residues, prunings, weeds | Chop before adding |
| External | Rice hulls, coconut coir, sawdust | Carbon balance |
Inventory
Compost bays: status (fresh/active/cured), volume, temperature log, worm population estimate.
Finance & Costs
Input costs, labour hours, output volume, sales of surplus compost.
Soil
Overview
Soil health determines everything. Before planting, soil must be assessed. Build soil first, plant second. Never leave soil bare — always mulched or cover-cropped. Biochar integration where available. No synthetic fertilisers.
SOPs
- Soil testing: pH, organic matter, texture — at least annually per zone
- Never leave bare soil — mulch or cover crop always
- No tilling beyond initial bed establishment — minimal disturbance
- Sheet mulching for new beds: cardboard → compost → mulch
- Biochar: charge with compost tea before adding to soil
- Raised beds in flood-prone areas; in-ground where drainage is good
Soil Amendments
| Amendment | Purpose | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Compost | Organic matter, nutrients, biology | On-farm |
| Biochar | Carbon storage, water retention | Rice hull / coconut shell burn |
| Lime / dolomite | pH correction | Purchased |
| Rock phosphate | Phosphorus for fruit/root crops | Purchased |
| Vermicast | High-value seedling mix | On-farm worm bins |
Records
Soil test results by zone, amendment applications, pH tracking, organic matter trend.
Inventory
Amendment stocks: lime, biochar, rock phosphate, purchased compost.
Vegetables
Overview
Daily-use vegetables for family, cafe, market, and delivery network. Raised beds near family house for daily harvest. Larger production beds at Big Farm for market supply. Succession planting — never a gap in harvest. Focus on what sells: kangkong, pechay, string beans, eggplant, tomatoes, peppers, squash, ampalaya.
SOPs & Planting
- Succession planting: new batch every 2–3 weeks for continuous supply
- Companion planting: tomatoes + basil, beans + corn + squash (three sisters)
- Pest management: neem spray, manual removal, companion plants, beneficial insects
- Irrigation: drip or gravity-fed where possible, hand watering as backup
- Harvest daily — morning harvest for freshness, cool chain to market same day
Seasonal Calendar
| Season | Focus Crops | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Dry (Mar–May) | Kangkong, okra, eggplant, ampalaya | Irrigation critical, mulch heavy |
| Wet (Jun–Nov) | Pechay, string beans, squash, ginger | Raised beds, drainage, fungal watch |
| Cool dry (Dec–Feb) | Tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, herbs | Best growing season, maximise output |
Harvest Records
Daily harvest weights by crop, yield per bed, waste/reject rates.
Inventory
Seeds, seedlings, bed status, tools, irrigation equipment.
Finance & Costs
Seed costs, labour, irrigation, harvest income, delivery income.
Fruits
Overview
Fruit trees are long-term infrastructure. Plant now, harvest for decades. Priority species: calamansi, banana, papaya, mango, coconut, jackfruit, rambutan, lanzones, avocado, cacao. Integration into food forest canopy layers. Banana as nurse crop for young trees.
SOPs
- Mulch ring around all trees — minimum 1m radius, 10cm deep
- No mowing under fruit trees — let ground cover establish
- Pruning: shape young trees, remove dead wood, open canopy for airflow
- Banana: continuous succession planting, harvest at green-ripe stage
- Calamansi/citrus: monitor for leaf miner, scale; neem spray preventative
- Grafted varieties preferred for faster production
Tree Register
Species planted, location, planting date, graft source, first harvest date, annual yield estimate.
Inventory
Seedlings in nursery, trees planted by zone, harvest volumes.
Finance & Costs
Seedling costs, grafting, mulch, harvest income, processing (dried fruit, juice).
Herbs & Medicinals
Overview
Herbs serve three purposes: kitchen supply (cafe + family), pest management (companion planting), and medicinal/wellness. Grow near the kitchen for daily use. Larger patches integrated into vegetable beds as companion plants.
Key Species
| Herb | Use | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Basil | Kitchen, pest repellent | Companion with tomatoes |
| Lemongrass | Kitchen, mosquito repellent, tea | Border planting, tough |
| Ginger / Turmeric | Kitchen, medicinal | Shade tolerant, wet season crop |
| Oregano | Medicinal (cough remedy), kitchen | Common Filipino use |
| Moringa (malunggay) | Nutrition, animal feed, cooking | Fast growing, coppice regularly |
| Pandan | Kitchen flavouring, fragrance | Wet areas, low maintenance |
SOPs
Propagation methods, harvest frequency, drying/storage for medicinals.
Inventory
Plants established, propagation stock, dried herb stocks.
Food Forest
Overview
The food forest is the long game. Syntropic agroforestry model — tall native canopy trees, mid-storey fruit and nut trees, understory shrubs and herbs, ground cover vegetables and roots. Mimics natural rainforest structure. Once established, it largely maintains itself. Big Farm primary location.
Layer System
| Layer | Species | Function |
|---|---|---|
| Canopy (7m+) | Mahogany, narra, coconut, mango | Timber, shade, wind break, carbon |
| Sub-canopy (3–7m) | Jackfruit, avocado, cacao, rambutan | Fruit, shade for understory |
| Shrub (1–3m) | Banana, papaya, moringa, coffee | Nurse crop, fast fruit, feed |
| Herbaceous | Ginger, turmeric, taro, lemongrass | Kitchen supply, ground cover |
| Ground cover | Sweet potato, kangkong, peanut | Living mulch, food, nitrogen fix |
| Root | Cassava, taro, sweet potato | Staple food, pig feed |
| Climber | Passion fruit, bitter gourd, beans | Vertical space use |
SOPs
- Chop-and-drop pruning — all biomass stays on site as mulch
- Succession planting: fast species (banana, papaya) nurse slow species (mango, cacao)
- No clearing understory — managed, not manicured
- Paths maintained for access, rest grows dense
- Integration with livestock: chickens through food forest for pest control
Planting Records
Zone maps, species planted, planting dates, canopy closure estimates, yield tracking.
Inventory
Trees planted by species, survival rate, seedlings in nursery pipeline.
Cover Crops & Green Manure
Overview
No bare soil, ever. Cover crops protect soil from erosion, fix nitrogen, suppress weeds, and add organic matter when chopped and dropped. Use between vegetable rotations, under fruit trees, and on any fallow ground.
Key Species
- Mung bean — fast nitrogen fixer, 60 days, edible harvest possible
- Cowpea — drought tolerant, good for dry season cover
- Sunn hemp (Crotalaria) — tall biomass, excellent nitrogen fix
- Sweet potato — dual purpose: cover + food
- Peanut — nitrogen fixing ground cover, harvest for income
SOPs
Sowing rates, timing between crop rotations, chop-and-drop protocols, incorporation timing.
Inventory
Seed stocks by species, area coverage planned vs actual.
Pugod Integrated Aquaponic System
Proposal for Cultural Revival, Water Quality Improvement, and Integrated Food Production on the Pugod Family Land
Full Document System Diagrams iAVs Operations Engineering Page
Open iAVs Operations Reference →
1. Executive Summary
- Water drawn from the river passes through productive stages — fish ponds, sandponic grow beds, taro terraces, prawn channels — and is returned cleaner than when it was taken
- Every stage produces food; every stage improves water quality
- No mains power used anywhere — fully off-grid (micro-hydro, solar, battery)
- Revival of pre-colonial water management traditions (Cordillera/Ifugao terraces, Hawaiian lo'i kalo connection)
- Palayabab — traditional practice of raising fish and prawns in flooded taro paddies
2. The Land
- Pugod family land, shared between the Mulkerrins family and Arianne & Rojan
- 12m elevation change across the productive area — the single greatest engineering asset (gravity-fed system)
- Creek runs through the property; river at boundary
- Off-grid power from micro-hydro turbine using the river
3. Cultural Foundations
Gabi (taro) has been cultivated in the Philippines for thousands of years — before rice. Laing, one of the most celebrated Bicolano dishes, is made from gabi leaves. The Ifugao, Bontoc, and Kalinga rice terraces were originally built for taro, not rice. The Hawaiian lo'i kalo shares the same ancestral Southeast Asian origin.
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Gabi | Taro — cultivated in PH for thousands of years, before rice |
| Laing | Celebrated Bicolano dish made from gabi leaves cooked in coconut milk |
| Palayabab | Traditional practice of raising fish and prawns in taro/rice paddies |
| Ulang | Giant freshwater prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) — grows to 200–300g |
| Lo'i kalo | Hawaiian flooded taro terrace — shares same ancestral SE Asian origin |
4. Integrated Water System
Water Flow Path
Why Water Returns Cleaner
| Stage | What It Removes |
|---|---|
| Swirl filter | Removes suspended solids |
| Sandponic beds | Strip nitrates and phosphates |
| Taro terraces | Absorb remaining nutrients |
| Ulang channels | Consume detritus and algae |
| Polishing pond (lotus, watercress) | Final biological filter |
| Aerated beds | Raise dissolved oxygen |
Power (Fully Off-Grid)
| Source | Role |
|---|---|
| Micro-hydro turbine | 24hr baseload from river |
| Solar array | Supplementary daytime power |
| Battery bank | Overnight and surge loads |
All loads 12V/24V DC where possible to minimise conversion losses.
Rail Winch System
- Concrete sleeper rail on the 12m grade
- Cable winch at top, flat-bed trolley
- Carries harvest crates, feed bags, equipment up and down the slope
- Doubles as safety handhold on the steep grade
5. Stage 1 Build
Pond Configuration
| Pond | Capacity | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Main tilapia pond | 5,000L | Primary fish production |
| Stage 1 overflow / taro | 3,000L | First terrace |
| Stage 2 overflow / taro | 2,500L | Second terrace |
| Stage 3 overflow / taro | 2,000L | Third terrace |
| Stage 4 overflow / taro | 2,000L | Fourth terrace |
- Concrete or pond-liner construction, 600mm freeboard, controlled overflow weirs
- Design principle: SLOW water (safe), not fast water (dangerous)
- Monsoon protocol: grow bed feed lines open fully during heavy rain to handle surge
Sandponic Grow Beds (Hoop House)
- Shade cloth over galvanised steel hoop frame — typhoon resistant
- Coarse river sand media
- IBC tanks cut in half as bed vessels
- Two rows per house, 1000mm wide, 400–500mm deep
- Water doses twice daily, drains by gravity to taro terraces
What Grows in Sandponic Beds
| Category | Crops |
|---|---|
| Leafy greens | Pechay, mustard greens, lettuce, basil, coriander, lemongrass, kangkong, watercress |
| Fruiting | Tomatoes, capsicum, eggplant, cucumber, bitter melon, sitaw (string beans) |
| Root vegetables | Camote (sweet potato), carrots, radish, beetroot — unique advantage over raft aquaponics |
Taro Terraces (Lo'i Style)
- 150–200mm deep flooded pools
- Controlled overflow lip, terrace to terrace
- Heirloom Bicolano gabi varieties — not commercial hybrids
- Aligns with Slow Food Philippines Ark of Taste programme
Ulang (Freshwater Prawns)
- Inhabit channels between taro terrace walls
- Zero additional feed input — consume detritus and algae naturally
- Grow to 200–300g maturity
- Retail price: ₱400–600/kg
6. Slow Food & Training Connection
- Living content for the Slow Food & Training spoke
- Documents traditional water management as a living cultural practice, not a museum exhibit
- Trains community members in integrated aquaponic/taro/prawn production
- Slow Food Philippines (HQ Bacolod, Asia Pacific hub) — recommended partnership
- Could become a registered Slow Food project
7. Department of Agriculture Strategy
- Ask for designation as a Water Quality Demonstration Site
- Baseline water quality test BEFORE construction: dissolved oxygen, pH, suspended solids, nitrates, phosphates, coliform, turbidity
- Monthly comparative testing at creek return point — prove the water returns cleaner
- Reference the Banaue rice terraces (on the 1,000-peso note, UNESCO World Heritage Site) — same ancestral engineering, same cultural significance
8. Implementation Sequence
| Stage | Timing | Activity |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Week 1 | Baseline river water quality test |
| 2 | Weeks 2–4 | Contact Slow Food Philippines, source heirloom gabi varieties |
| 3 | Month 2 | Excavate 5,000L main tilapia pond |
| 4 | Month 2–3 | Excavate staged overflow ponds and taro terraces |
| 5 | Month 3 | Install solar + battery, lift pump, commission water flow |
| 6 | Month 3 | Stock tilapia, begin monitoring — 4-week cycle before ulang introduction |
| 7 | Month 4 | Build drain tray, install IBC sandponic beds, erect hoop house |
| 8 | Month 4 | Connect grow bed drain to taro terrace, commission full water flow |
| 9 | Month 4–5 | Plant first crop cycle — leafy greens, trial root vegetables in sand |
| 10 | Month 5 | Introduce ulang, plant heirloom gabi, begin palayabab |
| 11 | Month 6 | First comparative water quality test (intake vs return) |
| 12 | Month 7 | Invite Dept of Agriculture for site visit, apply for demonstration site designation |
9. What This Becomes (At Scale)
- Micro-hydro replaces solar-only as primary power source
- Additional tilapia ponds expand fish production
- Additional IBC beds expand sandponic crop range
- Taro terraces extend the full slope length
- Ulang becomes a commercial product — supplied to Market Butcher, Market, and Alejandro's Cafe
- Slow Food training programme brings community members to the site
- Dept of Agriculture uses as demonstration site for other farms in the region
- Rail winch system carries commercial harvest volumes up the 12m grade
This is how degraded land becomes productive pasture — and the fertility loop that feeds Regen Gardening.
Cross-Cutting: The Fertility Loop
Animal manure → compost → soil amendment → vegetables/fruit → kitchen waste → compost → soil. Crop residues → animal feed or compost. Nothing leaves the system. The loop closes.
See also: Livestock fertility loop section.
Cross-Cutting: Water Management
- Swales on contour to capture and slow rainfall
- Mulch everywhere — reduces irrigation need by 50%+
- Gravity-fed drip irrigation from elevated tanks where possible
- Rainwater harvesting from all roof structures
- Grey water recycling for non-food trees (with filtration)
Staffing
| Area | Staff |
|---|---|
| Vegetable beds | 1–2 people |
| Compost system | Shared with livestock crew |
| Food forest / fruit trees | 1 person + seasonal help |
| Nursery / seedlings | Shared with nursery spoke |
| Oversight | Owner |
Expansion Sequence
| Order | Activity | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Compost system operational | Foundation — soil building starts here |
| 2 | Kitchen garden beds | Immediate family + cafe supply |
| 3 | Fruit tree planting | Long lead time — plant early |
| 4 | Market vegetable production | Income generation once system proves |
| 5 | Food forest establishment | Long-term food security + biodiversity |
Farm Technician — Job Description
Full job description for the Pugod site Farm Technician role. Covers daily operation of the iAVs sandponic grow beds, taro terraces and ulang channels, food forest and soil grow beds, nursery and seedling propagation, water quality monitoring, and emergency monsoon protocols. Permanent full-time, on-site daily.
EOD Stock Count
End-of-day physical count for this spoke. Opening stock auto-loads from previous day's closing. Enter physical count — variance calculates automatically. Flagged items are highlighted.