If you have had dreams of farming in the concrete jungle of Manila, start here: the Department of Agriculture (DA) has launched the Urban Agri Hydro Hub Learning Center in the hip complex of The Pop-Up Katipunan in Quezon City.
The hydro hub contains a hydrofarm that can grow about 18 kilograms or over 500 heads of lettuce in one life cycle, and a lecture hall where pop-ups, vegetarian and vegan culinary demos, and classes on hydroponics will be conducted.
Agriculture secretary William Dar said that the hub aims to help city dwellers develop an appreciation for agriculture and adopt a healthy lifestyle by getting into urban farming.
Secretary Dar also added that the facility aims to address food shortages in the city and make high-value crops available in urban areas.
“This launching serves as our first step in reaching our goal. Today, we established our country’s first urban farming hydroponic research and training facility to overcome food shortages and heal hunger in the Philippines,” Dar said in his speech.
The hub is a collaboration between the Department of Agriculture, the Philippine Association of Agriculturists, the University of the Philippines Diliman Institute of Biology, and urban farming company The Freshest.
Actor and DA ambassador James Reid, also CEO of The Freshest, graced the event.
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