My visit with Father Franco
For today’s Guest Blog, we have another installment from Jim Cunningham. This is an article about Jim and Marilou’s visit with my friend, Father Franco in Buda. I’m glad that the Cunninghams got to meet Father Franco, he is really a special friend that I love very much.
As a regular reader of Bob Martins blogs I was curious to meet up with someone who Bob mentions regularly namely Fr Franco who lives in Buda on the Davao/Bukidnon border area. On the way back to Talakag from our recent visit to Davao we took the opportunity to meet up with Fr Franco. As we approached the area that Bob had told us where Fr Franco is located we stopped and asked 
someone if Fr Franco was at home as once again we had not made an advanced appointment. Fr Franco came to meet us and after once again mentioning Bob Martin the door was opened. Following introductions Fr Franco explained the function of his market garden project and was kind enough to give us a guided tour of his facility taking great pains to explaining about the various herbs and vegetables that he grows and the reason for doing so. Fr Franco’s main project is to preserve tomatoes and convert them into paste and pickles etc for the catering industry at the same time giving employment to the local people. I must confess after tasting his product and listening to his vision for the future I just know he has a winner. We just had to buy some of his products to take back to our house in Talakag. Fr Franco also has another line of expertise and that is in the production of liqueurs the recipe only known to him and his great boss above. Whilst there he produced samples of his various liqueurs and insisted that we taste them the consequence of which was from saying goodbye to Fr Franco to arriving at Jolliebee in Valencia, I know nothing at all.
Fr Franco is an Italian priest who has spent 44 years working amongst the natives of rural Philippines. He is a man of vast knowledge of local plant and flora and has introduced his unique know how of European herbs and vegetables to his project. He is currently planting vines in order to grow and harvest grapes so he can make yes you have guessed it errrr communion wine, well I think that’s the plan. If successful and it turns out to be as good as his liqueurs maybe the next time I visit I will get back to Cagayan de Oro without knowing anything. People like Fr Franco are unique and bring hope to the indigenes by using their knowledge and converting their ideas into viable business ventures. Our visit was very informative and most enjoyable and Fr Franco is certainly someone whom I will visit again in the future. Anyone interested in growing herbs and vegetables as well as citrus fruits should certainly try and visit Fr Franco as his knowledge of market gardening within the mountain region is excellent.
Hi Jim. I think Fr. Franco is trying to be the Saint Francis de Asisi of Mindanao with his garden and animals.
Or perhaps he will be like the French monks and produce the first vintage Burgundy in “Clos de Buda”.
Wine for sure are best grown in hilly areas traverse by the night wind from the sea, like Southern Europe with the Mediterranean…..or like Talakag with Macajalar Bay…..just a thought
I am very interested with how Fr. Franco’s vineyard progresses.
Hi Dr- The location of Fr Franco’s Market Garden in Buda is hilly and as you say at least terrain wise ideal for growing grapes. I don’t think he is serious about doing anything with the grapes other than pushing the frontiers of his knowledge in order to see what is possible and what is not. And not forgetting the odd sip at communion or diner for digestive reasons. Those who get a chance to be passing his way could do worse than to stop off and visit him, for his knowledge of plant life both native and introduced is excellent. I found Fr Franco a very inspirational type of person who gives you motivation to attempt what others might think impossible with regards to horticulture. Next time I visit I will ask him for a vine cutting and try your idea in growing grapes in Talakag otherwise I may just try Santori.
Hi Jim. Let me beat this horse a little further.
I know for a fact that Del Monte experimented in growing grapes in the mid 60’s. A friend of mine did too about the same time (In Damilag near the National Power dam). He only had about 15 vines. I saw the grapes then but they were very small. Needless to say he quit after a couple of years. This was before Google and I’m sure if he had the research tools then he would have suceeded. He was passionate about the whole endeavour but was realistic.
I know a couple of people who make their own Reds (mostly Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grapes) at their garage. I always want to learn but just can’t make the time.
If I remember right, you have to marcot the vine before you can have the cuttings. So you may want to request Fr. Franco 3 months ahead before you visit him.
One of these days I’ll pay him a visit and hopefully he will let me taste his Calamansi Cointreau
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Hi Dr- My interest in the grape is but only curiosity. I do believe that grapevines are negatively propogated by means of cuttings. However micropropogation is used to rapidly multiply stock to duplicate the parent plant. At my age I have no intention of changing careers but just maintain a mild curiosity as to how Fr Franco’s venture turns out and to volunteer as a member of his sampling team. You did manage to get me looking up Wikipedia and digging a bit deeper into grape growing and wine making I suspect you know more about this subject than you are revealing. But thanks for the advice I will give Fr Franco advance warning of our next visit even if its only to chill the beverage.
Hi Jim. My familiarity with growing grapes is just that- a wish.
On another note. I wonder if Fr. Franco takes interns to know his farming technique. My point is he planning to spread his knowledge to others by mentoring? I’m sure there a lot of people out there who wants to duplicate his activities and in so doing help other people too.
In Bob’s/John Grant’s video I saw a lot of rabbits but not much chickens or hogs. I wonder if it’s more cost effective to raise rabbits rather than chickens or hogs?….or I just didn’t see the chickens and hogs.
Hi Dr- You are correct there are no chickens or pigs only rabbits.
We were invited to stay for lunch but had to decline but I believe Fr Franco prefers to eat rabbit and of course there are many ways to cook them. Bob and Co did eat rabbit when they last visited. With regards to mentoring I’m sure Fr Franco would just love to impart his vast knowledge to those who are really keen to learn but not intending to compete on his patch so to speak I;m sure if you did ever manage to get to visit his place you would be fascinated with his work.
Hi Jim. In the late 70’s and early 80’s the Philippine government embarked on livestock raising–this was mostly rabbit and cow fattening programs. The Municipal Agriculturist (there’s one in every town) gave a rural family a pair of rabbits or a calf. The government months later wouldl buy back some of the progeny rabbits or the fattened cow (i.e. buy the weight difference of the cow). This was when there was still lots of undeveloped lands. Prairie weeds (Cogon) and wild reeds (Kumpay) were abundant. I don’t know what happened to that program. Perhaps somebody here can fill us in.
A Cuban friend of mine said that Castro gives each family a chick and a light bulb (for warmth) each month as part of the ration. They are supposed to grow the chick and slaughter later as their protein source.
Just thoughts that came to mind…for living off the land.
Hi Dr- Its strange you should mention the above inititive but I have a friend and neighbour in Talakag who runs a foundation called H.E.L.P and one of their projects is to raise goats and donate a pregnant goat to a needy family. In return they give back one of the newborn and the original goat is impregnated again so that they can continue to develope their herd. The goats are used to obtain milk and of course meat in time.With the rabbits I suppose its the same principal with the exception that the rabbits breed faster.
I wonder if any other readers have had experiance of this type of self sufficiency?
Hi Jim. Talking about goats…They are robust animals and easy to raise.
As late as 12 years ago there were still one-room schools in some barangays in Mindanao. There might still be a few. Anyway one of these one-room schools I visited in one barangay in Manolo Fortich (Dahilayan) the resourceful teacher assigned 3 pupils to bring the family goat a few days a week. They served as ‘green’ lawn mowers around the school.
Anyway, I went to the same school three years ago and it’s now a 6-room school and the lawn is now Bermuda grass. The barangay has grown with the flower industry booming. It’s a beautiful place and you want to drive up there someday.
Hi Dr- Thats the beauty of goats they eat all and sundry so cost nothing to feed as well as be an eco friendly lawn mower as you pointed out.
Do you know its the simlplest of ideas that often turn out to be the best and of course the least costly. Maybe the Philippines can lead the world in this respect.
I will take your advice and visit that neck of the woods when Marilou and I retire to Talakag later this year.
Hi Jim. I’m not through with goat stories yet so you just have to endure another one and it’s an embarassing one for me.
Five years ago a neighbor called me to help deliver a kid. I was shock to see two hooves outside the mother goat’s vulva.
Years ago as an intern I delivered hundreds of babies (human). They all came out the same—-head first. I never saw otherwise because if the presentation is the feet or the butt, the delivery end up in the operating table— caesarean section by senior residents or full-pledged OB doctors.
So you can just imagine when I saw those two hooves…..complicated pregnancy!!!….caesarean section!!…nah… for a goat?…. . Anyway I end up helping the neighbor try to pull the hooves out….they did’n't budge at all.
I was saved by my beeper for an urgent ER call…so I had to go. Thank God.
I phoned my neighbor what happened to the goat/kid HOURS later. I was expecting of course that my share of the meat is already in the freezer waiting for me to pick it up.
“She delivered a very healthy kid”, my neighbor answered.
A couple of years later, I learned from public television that most animals especially with hooves—-presents hooves first then head next and so on…in normal delivery.
From then on I can never enjoy my ‘kaldereta’ as I used to. Someone out there has been telling jokes at my expense.
I think that’s the end of my goat stories…
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Hi Dr- I would just prefer to be the cook rather than the mid-wife.
Thanks for all your replys they were were both interesting and informative.