Bad weather and the African swine fever (ASF) pulled down farmers’ livelihood here, but some are riding the storm out.

In Barangay Sto. Domingo, Sitio Lusong, about 10 minutes from the city hall, the 3,000-square-meter Todomax flower farm and vegetable garden opened on Monday, offering unlimited smiles to visitors.

Seeing packs of visitors admiring the burst of colorful flowers of celosia, torenia, and sunflowers, among others, Leovigildo Sacramento and 16 other members of the Todomax Farmers Association and its Rural Improvement Club (RIC) shared their excitement as their hard work is now paying off.

“We started cultivating vegetables but the City Agriculture Office gave us an idea on how to develop it as an agro-tourism site,” Sacramento told the Philippine News Agency during the opening of the flower farm.

In-season fruits and vegetables like watermelon, ampalaya (bitter gourd), eggplant, pepper and string beans are available for “pick and pay”.

City agriculturist Sheila Marie Opelac said the city government has high hopes for its first flower farm, citing possible additions such as a food park to make visitors stay longer.

“Laoag City is just a crossover for visitors so if we have an agro-tourism site, for sure, they can stay longer and our farmers can have alternative sources of income,” she said.

She assured farmers of the city government’s continued support to ensure sustainability.

For now, a donation box is set at the main entrance of the farm for the upkeep of the garden.

Due to the series of typhoons that hit this northern gateway of Luzon over the past two months, some of the vegetable crops that were planted failed to survive while the others are now recovering.

The ornamental plants, on the other hand, are now in full bloom, just in time for the Christmas season.

The farmers said some of the ornamental plants were supposed to be ready during All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days on Nov. 1 and 2 when flower business was in bloom.

Mesmerized by the beauty of the flower farm, Edmar Garcia Tagama, president of the youth group 4-H Club, said residents and those from nearby areas no longer need to travel far to Baguio City or Benguet to visit a flower farm.

“We no longer need to spend much to see and enjoy the beauty of a flower farm,” he said. (PNA)