I grew up on a farm in Camiling, Tarlac, Philippines. At an early stage, I woke up at 5 AM to tend the livestock before going to school; after school, I tended the vegetable garden and helped in the rice field. My early experiences in the farm led me to where I am today.
Eventually, I immigrated to California. After high school, I joined the U.S. Air Force where I met my husband, Mark Walker. In 2006, after receiving my MBA with CPA, I moved to Washington D.C., to work as an investment banker for The World Bank Group. In the same year, I started my active engagement with the underserved community in the Philippines.
I began a journey fueled by a determination to make a difference in the home that I love. After years of community engagement, providing scholarships and education opportunity for the children, it became clear there was a lack of employment initiatives in the area of organic agriculture. As a result, Sunshine Palimbo Farm evolved as a full-scale operation using regenerative organic agriculture.
I’m an alum of Rodale Institute in Pennsylvania that focuses on regenerative organic agriculture, a student of Center for Land-Based Learning in California and Soil Food Web School in Oregon. Farming is at the heart of my existence with deepest care to provide: Healthy soil = Healthy plant = Healthy food = Healthy people and Healthy Planet!
Farming the land of my ancestors
I come from a lineage of farmers. My grandmother, Modesta de Mayo, was a very strong force in my life. She was illiterate; she couldn’t read nor write because she didn’t have access to education during her era. However, she possessed unique skills with deepest care for her family, farm and community which she passed down to me.
Growing up in Palimbo
“Palimbo” is a barrio, likened to be a village, in Camiling. This is where I grew up and where I saw the stunning beauty of the sunshine with healthy ecosystems. This is where our farm is located. This is why it’s named Sunshine Palimbo Farm which evokes life – energy – power.
Regenerative practices that we integrate at our farm:
o Cover crops
o Compost
o Crop rotation
o Eliminating the use of synthetic chemicals
We are learning that these methods naturally rebuild our soil fertility and support healthier ecosystems.
Palimbo at Work and Play
Our Journey Continues…
Let us work together…
rooted in love and united in our diversity.
What we do collectively,
strongly matters,
locally and globally!