Be Inspired: Get To Know The Urban Farmers Of Bel Air

Urban Farmers of Bel Air is a thriving farm in the city. The story behind it is pretty interesting. 

Thank you, Maye for sharing this post. 😀 Here’s a quick background on Maye. She’s a mother to four teens, and wife to Louie Ocampo Gutierrez.

Maye is the Farmer-in-Chief of Urban Farmers of Bel Air in Makati. At the same time, the owner of Edible Blooms by Maye, which will be featured in another post. 😃

Maye is also a former International Flight Attendant, Cathay Pacific Airways.

A Brief History Of The Urban Farmers Of Bel Air

When the Covid 19 pandemic started, everyone realized the importance of healthy eating to boost one’s immune system.

Buying fresh vegetables was a challenge because, unlike frozen packs, they can’t be disinfected with alcohol and antibacterial soap.

Buying fresh vegetables was a challenge because, unlike frozen packs, they can’t be disinfected with alcohol and antibacterial soap.

I am meticulous and in no way shall I feed my family leafy greens laden with antiseptics, pesticides, and fertilizers.

The assurance of getting fresh veggies that are chemical-free and handled safely was the main reason behind the launching of Urban Farmers of Bel-air.

The assurance of getting fresh veggies that are chemical-free and handled safely was the main reason behind the launching of Urban Farmers of Bel-air.

Instead of buying salads, we chose to produce them for food safety and hygiene.

How We Did It

First of all, we looked for idle land to cultivate.  Down the street from where we live was a 500 sq meter vacant property long filled with tall blades of cogon.

The lot owner graciously welcomed our offer of putting the land to good use.

Secondly, being an inexperienced farmer, my husband. Louie took to YouTube, no less, for information.

From his online learnings, he succeeded in incorporating them into actual practice and grew Bahay Kubo varieties like eggplant, ampalaya, okra, pechay, chili, and mustard.

Later on, they were followed by high-value plants like kale, arugula, lollo rosso lettuce, cherry tomatoes, imported herbs and so much more.

Third, we needed farmers. We thought it was best to offer the job to our displaced workers so that they would have income.  We hired an agriculturist to properly train them.

Where We Are Now

It has been almost a year and The Urban Farmers of Bel-air has evolved into a social enterprise to the delight of Bel-air Village and the poor communities we serve.

To keep operations sustainable, we do environmental consultations and landscape services.

Our products include pesticide-free vegetables, potted plants, flowers, oyster mushrooms, lemon trees, green salad-to-go, salad dressing, soil, seeds, terracotta pots, and many more.

Edible Blooms by Maye is also one of our special and unique products and is sold exclusively by us.

Many guests flock to us not only for our products and services but to get inspiration on how to get started with backyard gardening, too.