Community Organic Vegetable Gardens
Rapid Response Food Security in Times of Crisis
Updated: March 2025
SALIKA Cooperative
Rapid Response Food Security in Times of Crisis
When the COVID-19 pandemic struck the Philippines in March 2020, it brought more than just a health crisis. As provincial governments implemented strict lockdowns, limiting movement to one family member per household for essential purchases and requiring quarantine passes for travel, many communities faced an unexpected challenge: accessing fresh food.
Markets closed. Transportation halted. Supply chains broke down. For many, the situation quickly became precarious. But in Oriental Mindoro province, one organization had a solution that would transform crisis into opportunity.
Recognizing the immediate food shortage facing their communities, SALIKA Agriculture Cooperative launched an innovative emergency response: "Community Organic Vegetable Garden in 30 Days."
This ambitious program had a simple but powerful premise—mobilize community members to rapidly establish organic vegetable gardens capable of producing fresh food within a month. The timing was critical, as lockdown restrictions had immediately affected food availability for many families.
"Many body stores closes and most of the people are not prepared and grounded," noted Jon Sarmiento of SALIKA, describing the early days of the lockdown. The cooperative's quick response provided a practical path forward for communities suddenly facing food insecurity.
The program focused on utilizing whatever spaces were available—front yards, back gardens, school grounds, community plots, and even container gardens on balconies and rooftops. With many people suddenly homebound due to lockdown restrictions, there was both available labor and urgent motivation.
SALIKA provided three key elements to make the initiative successful:
The focus was on fast-growing, nutrient-dense vegetables that could be harvested within 30 days, such as leafy greens, radishes, and certain beans. These were complemented by medium-term crops that would provide sustainable harvests in the months that followed.
Fresh organic vegetables from community gardens
What made this initiative particularly innovative was SALIKA's adaptation to lockdown conditions through digital outreach. Their "Kobe Kobi 30" social media campaign expanded their garden initiative's reach far beyond their immediate membership.
Through Facebook and other platforms, SALIKA shared practical organic gardening techniques, answered questions, and created an informal community of practice where participants could share their successes and challenges. Photos of sprouting seeds and first harvests became symbols of hope and resilience during a difficult time.
Perhaps most surprisingly, this digital approach attracted unexpected participants. "We saw significant participation from young women and young people," Sarmiento reported, noting that many who had never farmed before were suddenly growing food and sharing their experiences online.
While the program began as an emergency food security measure, it quickly evolved into something more profound. For many participants, these gardens represented a first step toward greater food sovereignty—the ability to produce and control their own food supply.
The gardens provided multiple benefits beyond merely growing food:
As the initial 30-day period passed, many gardens continued to expand and develop. What began as emergency plots evolved into more established growing spaces with greater diversity and productivity.
SALIKA supported this evolution by connecting the community garden initiative to their broader IDOFS (Integrated Diversified Organic Farming Systems) approach. As participants mastered basic vegetable growing, many became interested in more comprehensive sustainable agriculture practices.
The cooperative facilitated connections between new gardeners and experienced organic farmers, created opportunities for garden-to-garden visits (when restrictions allowed), and developed pathways for interested community members to further develop their skills and growing spaces.
The success of the 30-day garden initiative demonstrates the potential for quick-response agricultural interventions during crisis situations. Key lessons from SALIKA's experience include:
Beyond the immediate pandemic response, community organic vegetable gardens represent a broader resilience strategy for communities facing various challenges, from economic downturns to climate change impacts.
As Sarmiento notes, such initiatives create "many unintended outcomes" and "more opportunities in the food system" that strengthen community capacity and self-reliance. Each garden becomes a living classroom, seed source, and inspiration for others.
The SALIKA experience shows that even small growing spaces, when multiplied across many households, can significantly impact local food security. In Oriental Mindoro, these community gardens helped bridge the gap when conventional food systems faltered, turning a potential disaster into an opportunity for positive transformation.
Today, many of the gardens established during those uncertain early pandemic days continue to thrive and evolve. What began as a crisis response has become a movement for local food production and community self-reliance.
For communities elsewhere considering similar initiatives, SALIKA's experience offers an inspiring and practical model. By combining rapid response with sustainable practices, immediate needs can be addressed while building long-term community resilience.
As we face an uncertain future with increasing disruptions from various sources, the humble community vegetable garden emerges as a powerful tool for food security, community building, and local empowerment—a simple solution with profound impacts.
For more information about community organic vegetable garden initiatives, contact SALIKA Agriculture Cooperative at salikatrade@gmail.com or visit their center in Bayanihan Village, Lalud, Calapan City, Philippines.
A comprehensive approach that shifts from conventional monocropping to sustainable, diversified farming systems that enhance resilience to climate change.
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Facilitating seed sharing among members and maintaining community seed banks to preserve biodiversity and ensure access to quality seeds.
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