Smallholder Tree Growing in Philippine Back Yards: Homegarden Characteristics in Different Environmental Settings - Smallholder Tree Growing for Rural Development and Environmental Services - page 42

Photo 2.3 Integration of cattle in a lowland homegarden in Moldero in Isabela Province, the
Philippines (©DJ Snelder)
average size of 0.07 and 0.08ha. Most homegardens in Namnama are privately
owned, and a substantial number of households (70 percent of total) has at least one
farm as private property. The tenure conditions for the homegardens in Baliuag are
comparable to those in Dy Abra, with only 30 percent of the households owning
their garden lot and another 30 percent occupying their lot as squatters. The distri-
bution of tenure arrangements for the farms in Baliuag is however similar to those
in Moldero: 40 percent of the households own at least one farm, 50 percent have a
tenancy arrangement and another 10 percent just occupy one or more lots. Finally,
corn serves as major cash crop for at least 50 percent of the interviewed farmers in
both villages. Livestock, vegetables, rice and fruits are also sold at the market but,
except for livestock, by less than 50 percent of the households.
2.4 HomegardenCharacteristics
When seen from the air, the village homegardens in the Cagayan Valley can be easily
identified by their relatively high density of trees and their appearance as (man-made)
forest islands in a “sea” of agricultural land. Yet, when wandering within these forests
on the ground, it becomes clear that they are not solely composed of trees but com-
prise various components, i.e., a residential area with a bare yard, tree and non-tree
crops, livestock and ornamental plants. The sea of farmland (i.e., the “outside farms”)
surrounding the gardens are mostly used for monocultures of cash crops and staple
food (i.e., corn and rice) but when moving from the lowlands into the uplands mixed
subsistence cropping and livestock grazing are also practiced on outside farms.