If you were to look for any organic farm in Eastern Visayas, particularly in Tacloban, you’d be definitely directed to the farm owned by Martina “Tina” Reyna, the La Granja de Reyna.
La Granja de Reyna, derived from Spanish word “Granja” meaning farm, and Reyna from their surname, is one of the most visited farms in the region.
At 7km away from the city, La Granja de Reyna is at an idyllic place accessible to agriculturists wanting to learn, tourists seeking for a nice place and health-conscious people searching for organic produce for their meals.
Being a retired agricultural engineer, Mrs. Tina Reyna has the technical know-how to start a farm. It just so happened that her husband, Atty. Antonio Reyna, has an idle property just waiting for a pair of caring hands to work on the soil. The 49-hectare property became the project of Ms. Tina Reyna since her retirement from the Bureau of Soils and Water Management in 1982.
When I visited La Granja de Reyna last November, there were no signs that the place was devastated by Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda). I can’t imagine how the whole farm looked like during the ravage of the Yolanda, as the property is just across the San Juanico Strait.
But like most Warays, Mrs. Tina Reyna stood back up and continued on what she started even if the La Granja de Reyna got wiped out of its crops and structures. And just like that, after three years, the place is flourishing with organic produce.
The farm is a certified Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and a member of the Worldwide Organization of Organic Farmers (WOOF), international screening and governing body that accredits farms all over the world that practice good organic agricultural means. These ensures that each crop coming out of the farm are safe and healthy for human consumption.
The farm harvests a good amount of vegetables and crops to supply the big restaurants in the vicinity. La Granja de Reyna supplies mostly salad greens and high value crops.
Aside from vegetables and fruits, La Granja de Reyna also has livestock that in turn make good use for fertilizers and meat.
La Granja de Reyna produces organic fertilizers supplied to other farms as well.
Like the other organic farmer members of the Organikong Magsasaka ng Rehiyon Otso (OMRO), Mrs. Tina Reyna also devotes time and resources to help fellow Waray farmers get up on their feet and move to organic farming. La Granja de Reyna is now the center of produce of fellow organic farmers in the area.
La Granja de Reyna
Maharlika Highway, Brgy 93. Bagacay, Tacloban City
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