Nestled in the heart of Leyte is a town that shares a similar name to the province where it is located, and in this rustic, rural scene lies a dairy farm that is fiercely making an impact in the local community.
Conchita’s Farm, located at Sitio Marag-ing, Brgy. Belen, in the municipality of Leyte, Leyte province, is run by Daphne Ann Medalla, a former behavioral science professional turned dairy farmer.
“It is my grandmother’s nickname. Her name is Concepcion but people know her as Conchita. It is her land, so we thought it was just right to name it after her,” Daphne clarified in an interview.
The farm, which started off as a swine farm in 2016, has now ventured into dairy farming and is making a significant contribution towards the country’s growing demand for milk.
Daphne Ann Medalla feeding the newborn female calf with colostrum. (Photo courtesy of Conchita’s Farm)
The Philippines is heavily reliant on imported milk, with 99% of the 2.5 billion liter demand being supplied by other countries. Only 1% of the demand is met by local farmers who are mostly in their twilight years as reported by the National Dairy Authority (NDA), an attached agency of the Department of Agriculture (DA). This highlights the need for more support and encouragement towards the local dairy industry.
According to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), Eastern Visayas has the ninth-highest dairy animal population in the country with 6.07 thousand heads as of September 2023. Yet, the majority of these animals are owned by aging farmers who are struggling to keep up with the demands of modern farming techniques and technologies.
This is what keeps Daphne and Conchita’s Farm motivated to continue to persevere despite the challenges that come along with farming.
Although their farm was not limited to livestock farming because they also had fruit and vegetable plantations, Daphne preferred being hands-on in livestock farming as her heart was more drawn to animals.
TESDA scholars during their training on Method of Crop Establishment in Conchita’s Farm. (Photo courtesy of Conchita’s Farm)
“I started with pigs. Ako yung nagpapaanak sa baboy and then yung mga feeds namin kami gumagawa. Nagtanim kami ng forages. Fini-ferment namin,” Daphne shared.
Her mom, who first inspired her to venture into farming, was also the one who taught her how to raise their animals, as she did not undergo formal training.
In June 2023, the farm received 10 Australia-imported Holstein-Jersey dairy cows from the (NDA), kickstarting their journey into dairy farming. This was made possible through DA-NDA’s United States of America (USA) PL-480-funded dairy improvement program and which is also in connection to the National Milk Feeding Program (NMFP) to help address issues of malnutrition and poverty while supporting local associations of dairy farmers in the country.
“It’s not just cows that they gave us. Some of the recipients who are also part of our dairy farmer’s association have goats. For us, they gave us 10 dairy cows all the way from Australia,” the 36-year-old dairy farmer said.
Since Conchita’s Farm practiced organic farming, they make sure that their livestock are fed with enough nutrients and according to their needs.
“Nag-research kami kung ano dapat yung mga feeds na maganda like, for example, sa lactating iba yung feeds, for gestating iba yung feeds, for starters iba din,” she added.
Holstein Jersey dairy cows started getting cozy after their arrival in Conchita’s Farm. (Photo courtesy of Conchita’s Farm)
Daphne, who used to work in a metropolitan city in the field of behavioral sciences, has now fully embraced the challenges and rewards of being a dairy farmer.
“It was not an easy choice. Before that, I had my own business in Manila. But I had to come home to help my mom as she’s the only one developing the farm and also pandemic happened,” she said.
However, she emphasized the importance of having a strong drive and patience in this line of work. Farming is not an easy task, and it takes time and effort to see results.
“Kailangan talaga may drive ka. Lalo ang farming. Kung wala kang patience, walang mangyayari sa’yo. Patience lang talaga for farming kasi hindi madali. Matagal ang process pero in the end, worth it.”
Besides farming, Daphne also makes dairy products from their cow’s milk, such as whole milk and chocolate milk available in 1 liter and 330 milliliter bottles, kesong puti, yogurt and her mom’s and her latest invention was the toasted pastillas, which were all introduced during the launching of OTOP Hub or Pasalubong Center in Villaba, Leyte.
Organic dairy goods from the organic and fresh Holstein Jersey’s milk. (Photo courtesy of Conchita’s Farm)
They also deliver their products to their neighboring towns. For inquiries and orders, please visit their Facebook Page through this link: https://www.facebook.com/conchitasfarm
Conchita’s Farm is already a TESDA-accredited location for learning and the only farm school in the 3rd District of Leyte with a burning hope to serve as a role model, an inspiration for younger generations, a helping hand in meeting the growing demand for milk in the country that will eventually lead to a more sustainable and self-sufficient agricultural sector. (MMP/VCCL/PIA Leyte)
