(May 12, 2012, Silang)… Our favorite Gentleman Farmer, Ernest Escaler, and his merry band of farmhands on the 11.5 hectares of manicured lettuce and vegetable plots of Gourmet Farms in the temperate climes of Silang, Cavite, had a lot of celebrating to do on April 28. Not only did they have 25 years of uninterrupted farming experience under their belts, but the volume of salad greens that leave the Farm daily are finding more and more happy markets – a big change from the early days, when Filipinos politely passed on salads, unless it was an iceberg leaf swimming in mayonnaise.
To add to the salad success, fresh culinary herbs are now available for discriminating chefs all over the Philippines. Fragrant harvests of parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme are joined by sprigs of tarragon, basil, dill and chives that are staples of French and Italian cuisine. Even your favorite cocktails sprout with stalks of celery, leaves of mint, or twigs of lemongrass.

100% organic, pesticide free and sustainable farming
Life is good these days for Farmer Ernest, who proudly shows off the low-tech equipment on his 100% organic plots – two sturdy carabaos who pull the man-held plows, and the fat worms in his vermiculture shed. He composts dutifully, and is just as proud of the small piggery in his livestock pens (“Look! They taste so good because they’re on organic diets too!” he crows) that provides succulent pork to his restaurants.

Most prominent addition to the Farm is the 60-foot windmill that dominates the vegetable plots at the rear section of the farm. “Now we have been recycling water. The water used in washing vegetables is collected in a catchment pond. The windmill, by gravity, brings the water to our fields which use drip-irrigation systems”, he shows you with pride.

The Best Part of Ernest is Here
At the heart of Gourmet Farms is a half-hectare referred to as “The Sanctuary.” His brother, prominent sugar trader, Michael Escaler, visited recently, and standing on the manicured grass lawn, gently said, “the very best part of Ernest is here.” He referred to the landscaped gardens, bursting with vibrant yellow Dancing Ladies orchids, pink and fuschia bougainvilleas , crimson lobster-claw birds of paradise and bright orange bromeliads.
A 10-room guesthouse, a conference center for 30, open-air pavilions and gazebos comprise the buildings that accommodate the people who attend the spiritual retreats or executive seminars held regularly at the Sanctuary.
But the crown jewel of the Sanctuary is the Chapel to Our Lady of Grace that sits on the highest point of the Farm itself. Fr. Antonio, superior general of the Verbum Dei congregation in Rome, and visitor to most of the small and large cathedrals and churches of Europe, pronounced it “the most conducive place for prayer I have ever seen.”
Ernest designed and built it to his specifications – cozy (50 guests, at capacity), open to the breezes on both sides of the wooden pews, and full of natural light which streams in through the soaring glass walls and the carved wooden filigree screens behind the simple kamagong wood altar.

Celebrating a Silver Anniversary with Music and SGS Certification
On the way back, we stop at Gourmet Farm’s coffee roasting plant and organic tea sorting facility that just won the prestigious international SGS certification for quality and safety. Nearby are the newest greenhouses, dedicated to the cut flowers Ernest has just begun to grow.
On April 28, Gourmet Farms celebrated its 25th Anniversary with a gathering of friends, family and staff. A gala buffet dinner in his year-old, white and pillar-less Dining Room featuring the excellent kitchen of Chef Enrico was followed by a concert under the stars in the Al Fresco Gardens, featuring old friend, Joe Mari Chan. For two and a half hours, Joe Mari, Janet Basco and Sheila Valderrama, serenaded the audience with the kind of mellow, romantic music so appropriate to the perfect moonlit night.
Children and grownups now come in droves to take the Farm Tour. They learn, hands-on, about growing organically and eating better. A last stop is at the new Country Store, brimming with food and gift items carefully curated for the many visitors. The kids store up on their favorite Lettuce Chips, and adults snag the fresh greens and bottled dressings that have made Gourmet Farms a regular stop.
The Country Store stands where the old Log Cabin did a quarter of a century ago. Smiling broadly, Ernest is glad that everything old is new again.
25 years and counting…what could be better for him and Gourmet Farms?

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Gourmet Farms is a wholly owned subsidiary of Escaler & Company Inc., a Manila-based corporation that provides management consultancy to its own companies and its clients. Headed by visionary entrepreneur, Mr. Ernest de Leon Escaler, GFI has recently been assessed and certified as meeting the requirements of FSSC 22000:2010 scheme for food safety systems including ISO22000-2005, ISO/TS22002-1 and additional FSSC 22000 requirements such as cGMP and HACCP, and continues to contribute largely to the responsible and healthy growth of coffee, tea and organic produce in the country today. For more information, visit www.gourmetfarms.com.ph.