Good and Green

Episode 54: How A Curious Mind Built a Successful Organic Farm with Raffy Dacones

• Pacita Juan • Episode 54

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0:00 | 27:22

Great farming doesn't begin with the harvest. It begins with healthy soil. In this episode of Good and Green, Chit Juan sits down with Raphael "Raffy" Dacones, Chief Farming Officer of Teraoka Farm, to share his journey from studying architecture and working in Japan to becoming one of the country's leading advocates for organic farming. What started as curiosity grew into a thriving farm that now supplies premium organic produce to some of Metro Manila's top restaurants.

Raffy shares the lessons he learned through years of trial and error, from finding the right market and diversifying crops to building a farm school, mentoring future farmers, and creating stronger partnerships with chefs. He also explains why healthy soil, regenerative agriculture, and continuous learning are essential to building farms that are both productive and sustainable for generations to come.


GUEST BIO:

Raphael "Raffy" Dacones is the Chief Farming Officer of Teraoka Farm, an organic farm in Mangatarem, Pangasinan. Under his leadership, the farm has become a national benchmark for sustainable agriculture, supplying premium organic produce to many of Metro Manila's leading restaurants. He also consults on farm development and leads Soil Studio, integrating agriculture, landscape design, and sustainability to create greener, more resilient spaces. 


WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:

  • How curiosity led Raffy from architecture to organic farming.
  • Building a successful organic farm through trial, error, and persistence.
  • Finding the right market for premium organic produce.
  • Growing farmers through education, partnerships, and farm immersion.
  • Why healthy soil is the foundation of sustainable agriculture.


QUOTES:

  • I've always liked getting my hands dirty. —Raffy Dacones
  • I was so determined to start a farm, but I never had that give up attitude despite it being very difficult at first. —Raffy Dacones
  • I like being challenged. —Raffy Dacones
  • I've always believed a farm should have a track record of producing and selling commercially. —Raffy Dacones
  • Take care of your soil. Soil is the life of everything. —Raffy Dacones
  • Composting is the key. —Raffy Dacones


LINKS or RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Connect with Raffy Dacones:


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Chit Juan

Welcome to the Good and Green Podcast. I'm your host, Chit Huan. In this show, we share stories of farmers, food advocates, social entrepreneurs, and community leaders working to build a more sustainable future. Let's discover how to live lives that are truly good and green. Rafael Rafi Dacones is the chief farming officer of Teraoka Farm, an organic farm in Mangatarem, Pangasinan, Philippines. Under his leadership, the farm has become a national benchmark for sustainable agriculture, known for supplying high-quality organic produce to many of Metro Manila's most respected restaurants. Beyond farm operations, Rafi works as a consultant, helping individuals and businesses design, build, and manage their own farms. He also leads the farm's expansion into landscaping through Soil Studio, integrating agriculture, design, and sustainability to reimagine green spaces nationwide. An advocate for innovation in agriculture, Rafi continues to drive change in one farm, one project, and one harvest at a time. Let's welcome Rafi Terraoca Dakones. So hello everyone, and welcome to the Good and Green podcast. Our guest today is a young man who has ventured into something very challenging, and that's natural farming. So welcome Rafi Terraoca Dakones, the guy who's also known as Farm Boy Rafi. Hello, Rafi. Hi, thank you for having me. Yeah, well, of course, I want to ask you a million and one questions because you're one of those who has survived the challenge after meeting all of you many years ago. You're still around. So tell us your secrets in you know, your staying power at your age. Is this your first entrepreneurial venture?

SPEAKER_00

Well, actually, totally off. Like I studied architecture back then, so it was really a different field. Okay. Like before this, I lived in Japan after college and stayed there for a couple of years. And I decided to come back and start to farm. Just out of my curiosity. So yeah.

Chit Juan

How old were you then, Rafi? I went home 27. Uh 27, okay.

SPEAKER_00

It took me a year, probably a year and a half with continuous RD trial and error. Because I consider myself a first gen farmer.

Chit Juan

First gen? Because your father or your mother. I mean, you're it's your mother who's Japanese, right?

SPEAKER_00

Yes, that's right.

Chit Juan

And your father is from which province?

SPEAKER_00

My father is from Balawan Launyon. Okay. But I was born and raised in Baguio City. So my parents are residing in Baguio. My dad is a CPA, and my mom is already retired, so she's just at home.

Chit Juan

Okay. But when she was actively working, what was her field?

SPEAKER_00

Oh, so we were into construction. Our family business was into construction, so zero agri experience.

Chit Juan

Okay. And you found this land in Pangasinan, is it?

SPEAKER_00

Uh yeah. So it's actually my grandfather's land. He always wanted to have land there because after years of doing business, he wanted to have a rest house. And he always saw this piece of land and made it the goal to actually purchase it. Which after he retired from his work, he got it and started living there. He started planting mangoes. A typical retirement life.

Chit Juan

Okay.

SPEAKER_00

He ventured into poultry production and pretty much lived there most of his life. And we'd go and visit him once in a while during summers. And it excited you?

Chit Juan

Did it make you curious?

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, I love summers. I love staying in the farm because I get to do lots of stuff. We used to have horses, so we would try to ride horses there.

Chit Juan

Farm for you was fun. Farm equals fun. Yeah, it's fun. I like how slow life is. Okay. Because having lived in Baguio, which Baguio is already slower than Metro Manila.

SPEAKER_00

Yes, that's correct. I like how slow life is. I like being in touch with nature as much as possible.

Chit Juan

You stayed with your grandfather and saw him, how he planted mangoes and all that. And when did this rolling up your sleeves and getting into farming, when did it actually start? What year or how old were you then?

SPEAKER_00

So yeah, a part of me, I've always liked getting my hands dirty. Like back in elementary school, I would join gardening club. Uh-huh. I studied also preschool in Japan for my kindergarten. Like I would volunteer to take care of the garden.

Chit Juan

Oh, so it must be your Japanese lineage, your roots, having a Japanese mom and going to kindergarten in Japan that probably, you know, planted the seed literally and figuratively.

SPEAKER_00

Probably. And then it really hit me a couple of years back and saying, like, oh yeah, I actually enjoy gardening and planting. And maybe that's the reason why I ventured into farming. I mean, we would just visit my grandfather, my grandmother in the farm during summers, during family gatherings. It never really stuck to my mind that I would get into farming until when I was living in Japan. While walking home, I would see small patches of land with like old farmers and just letting anyone harvest and just plant and anyone can harvest.

Chit Juan

Tell me that again.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, so like you could harvest whatever's planted, but it's more of like an honesty store. Like okay. I mean, know in the Japanese, you could just harvest just pay whatever how much it is, how much it costs.

Chit Juan

This is around where you lived in Japan.

SPEAKER_00

Oh, this is in Tokyo. Okay. Yeah, it's Tokyo. Okay. One of the suburbs of Tokyo. And it really inspired me. Like, hey, why not try farming? Because I found a sudden interest in farming again. I went home for vacation. I started seeing farm-to-table restaurants in like the malls here in Manila and the whole term organic and natural farming. And it really made me think, like, hey, wait, we have land in the province, and why don't I like try starting my own farm? Because back in Japan, honestly, it really drained me because it wasn't really my thing living in the city.

Chit Juan

But at least in Japan, you're in the city, but you can see gardens of vegetables.

SPEAKER_00

That's right. Yeah, we're in the suburbs of Tokyo. So it's in the Setgaya Prefecture. And I would see small patches of land in the area. Because Japan, I can see the amount of support they get from let's say the Japan agriculture and the government. So I thought like doing it back here also in the Philippines and having land which is idle for maybe I don't know how many years already in the farm made me he think of starting my own farm.

Chit Juan

That's really nice. So in all this, I need to understand how long you've been in it already. So do you remember the year when you really started like sowing the seeds?

SPEAKER_00

Yes. So like aside from my like RD or trial and error stage, I officially started supplying or like selling to people 2016. So 10 years now. They're turning 10 this September. So okay. It was a challenge because I really didn't know anything about farming. But I mean, with the help of the internet that back then and like videos, YouTube was so new back then. Watch how like people would grow, how to plant, how to sow seeds. And I would try it myself. And then you see the results. Yeah, I would see the results. And people were actually buying. Well how we fail at first. I mean, I probably planted it too deep, stuff like that. And to the point, like maybe like I could try again. I was so determined to start a farm. But I never had that give up attitude, despite it being very difficult at first. Nice. Okay. And I was happy to, my mom was very supportive. She would help me. My grandfather would have like staff that would also like he would let me borrow for in the meantime until I was able to get my own farmer who would help me. And he really taught me also a lot.

Chit Juan

So, what was your first official commercial transaction or your first sale? Was it tomatoes, lettuce, and how much did you make at that first sale?

SPEAKER_00

Okay, this is really funny. My first commercial sale was cherry tomatoes.

Chit Juan

Was cherry tomatoes? I remembered that. Okay.

SPEAKER_00

I think I harvested around 26 kilos and I was very happy. Like, wow, this is a lot. Yeah. I first went to the market because I didn't really know where to go and give it. And they were asking to buy it at three pesos per kilo. I was like, what did I get myself into? And it really opened my eyes and said, like, I gotta find a market for this because I don't think like supplying straight to the market would cut it out for me.

Chit Juan

Did you go to a public market in Pangasinan?

SPEAKER_00

Yes, right. I went to the town market.

Chit Juan

Okay. So what did you do? You you decided you just eat the tomatoes?

SPEAKER_00

I decided to just give it to my friends' family. Okay. And I started saying like people, my friends in Manila would message me, hey, sell to us. So I was like, yeah, okay, that gave me the idea of just growing and bringing it to Manila for like people who would want to buy.

Chit Juan

So you zeroed in on the ditch market or the specialty market.

SPEAKER_00

Yes, that's right. Because whether it would be organic or not, and if you give it to like a public market, they won't really mind.

Chit Juan

But to your friends who knew it was organic, how much would they buy it?

SPEAKER_00

So like I was like, okay, how much would you buy it? So I researched and I was like, oh no, like I don't know the how the price it's a trial and error thing, and I decided to sell it at 50 pesos per kilo. And they bought it. So like they would buy one kilo, two kilos. I think I made 1200 pesos. Okay.

Chit Juan

But now, now, Rafi, just to put it in context, how much are cherry tomatoes now per kilo?

SPEAKER_00

Cherry tomatoes at farm gate price. The range for like in organic farms is 250 to around say 50.

Chit Juan

That's really funny. Oh my gosh. So instead of making 1200, you would should have made 6,000.

SPEAKER_00

Yes, more or less, because I really didn't know the prices, I didn't know how you cost it.

Chit Juan

So crazy, no, it could be from 72 pesos all the way to 6,000.

SPEAKER_00

Yes, that's true. And it was an eye-opener, like my dad, who's an accountant, was saying, I think you're pricing it too cheap. Uh-huh. So you did a research and found your market. Yes, so I kept on just posting it and giving it to friends and like showing that I've been growing stuff. And I'm very lucky that I had a lot of people who are very supportive.

Chit Juan

So, what was your first big break that you said, oh my gosh, now this is really business? When was that?

SPEAKER_00

Okay, so after that whole cherry tomato incident, I started growing lettuce, romaine lettuce. A friend of mine recommended me to his friend who was looking for a big supplier for a food chain, a cafe, a coffee chain. Okay. So I met them and I was like, oh my god, I'll just pretend like I have a big supply. Okay, and you got an order. So I got an order of like, let's say 50 kilos of lettuce. I was like, oh my god, yes. Okay, like I grew so much romaine for the first two years, and it was a big break for me because from there I diversified into different varieties of vegetables, and I gotta say, like romaine lettuce gave me my break.

Chit Juan

Oh, okay. So now you're the romaine master. So you know romaine inside out. And the first 50 kilo order, how much is it per kilo?

SPEAKER_00

Oh, we had to process it as well. So like I said, oh yeah, I know how to process, but I know okay, but actually you didn't. Okay, yeah, I figured in. So I went to DOST to ask, like, because they required the nitrogen pillow packs, and I said, How do you do this? Stuff like that. So they showed me how they gave them tax of where I could buy the machine. Okay, and so I started me. I I asked help from my brother who was still studying college and to help you pack. To help us pack. So, like I was in my condo, we were just removing leaves one by one.

Chit Juan

But it's this 50 kilo order, they knew that they had to wait a while. Yes, so it took me uh maybe three months before I started supplying them. Okay, but you got an order, and I'm sure you priced it well. So, was it like 150 a kilo or I think we sold an order 200 per kilo? 200 per kilo. So, right away there you had a 10,000 peso order.

SPEAKER_00

Yes, but that first 10,000 peso order had so much rejects because you know how to process it at first, but then are they still your customers? Oh, so sadly no, because they would prioritize working with large-scale farmers or like let's say farmers up north, which I respect. I mean, I consider myself graduated from lettuce. I try not to grow as much lettuce as I used to back, like now.

Chit Juan

But now you're more diversified.

SPEAKER_00

Yes, and I like to try different types of varieties and different types of crops now because it's nice.

Chit Juan

I saw your big red tomatoes that look like heirloom tomatoes.

SPEAKER_00

Yes, that's right. It's very, very, very difficult. Up to now, it's been one of the biggest challenges to do. Uh-huh. But you like challenge, so that's okay. It is, it's true. I like being challenged. I would buy seeds from different countries, which specially because I've been really obsessed with tomatoes ever since.

Chit Juan

Yeah, you can be the tomato expert. So, have you been back to Japan since? And I'm sure you've been to Italy and Japan and other places to learn about tomatoes.

SPEAKER_00

Yes, like I would take family trips, let's say, in Europe, and I would see how sweet the tomatoes are. And I would go to Japan, the same thing. We have family friends who are Japanese farmers, and they would take me to their friends' farms and show how to grow it, any type of farming techniques from hydroponics to conventional to organic. And it really broadened my mind on, like, oh my god, there's so much I want to try in the Philippines.

Chit Juan

But what I see in you, Rafi, is that you've been at it, all the research and all that. So, does the business now feed you sustainably? I mean, is it now sustainable as a business? Like you're now diversified, you're not just growing cherry tomatoes or lettuce, but you have an assortment. I saw you holding cauliflower, big tomatoes, and all that. So now the Teraoka family farm, which I'm sure came from your Japanese, Japanese inspired, well, your family name, right? Teraoka is your mother's family name.

SPEAKER_00

My mother's family name, yes. So we've diversified and like we've put up a farm school. Oh, okay. We are Tesla accredited and also ATI accredited. We also accept OGT. So our trainees who would enroll and like attend our trainings would ask if they could grow for us.

Chit Juan

Okay.

SPEAKER_00

Because they already know the protocols, how we grow things, how we compost, how we make our inoculants.

Chit Juan

But you're still practicing natural or organic farming.

SPEAKER_00

Yes. We were the first organic certified farm in region one.

Chit Juan

So I would where exactly in region one are you located?

SPEAKER_00

We are in Mangakarim, Pangasinan. Okay. That's in the western part of Pangasenan, which is closer to Tarlaq.

Chit Juan

Okay. So it's quite hot there, right? But you found the mix of what vegetables to grow and you have greenhouses.

SPEAKER_00

And I think I was lucky enough because my grandfather planted a lot of trees. So it kind of has a microclimate. So I really believe in generative agriculture because our place, we were blessed to have an abundance of trees. It helped us. Like I could grow cauliflower. I know, which is a temperate vegetable. Yeah, they're not the biggest, but I mean we can still grow cauliflower, we can still grow kohlabi, okay, other random stuff.

Chit Juan

So after 10 years, Rafit, you mentioned that you started somewhat in 2016. Yes. And then so you we're 10 years, you're 10 years now. So what is finally your business model? You're a family farm school, so you can accept interns, you can be paid also by ATI, right? As a learning site.

SPEAKER_00

Yes.

Chit Juan

So does that help pay the bills?

SPEAKER_00

It does, but I let my parents do it since they're already retired. Oh, so they take care of the school. They take care of the school, so they used to be the one to handle it. Because I just like focusing on production. I always believe that having a farm should have also a track record of producing and selling commercially.

Chit Juan

But that's nice. That's nice that you found also other ways of adding to the sustainability of your farm. Yes. It's being a learning site at the same time, you're teaching other people, and your students end up becoming organic farmers as well.

SPEAKER_00

Yes. And what's nice is they get inspired and like they've never seen some of our vegetables, and like, oh yeah, you can grow for us, and then we're more than happy to just get it from you guys.

Chit Juan

Oh, so that means you've also scaled up your supply chain. In other words, you have more customers now, more clients.

SPEAKER_00

Yes, we we've scaled up and we have more B2B clients.

Chit Juan

Oh, that's good. So, how did this New Zealand trip help you in any way?

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, I love every bit of it. Back in New Zealand, we went to this farm called the Fresh Grower. So it's a 200 hectare farm, and I was like mind-blown with the amount of production. I think he's a Chinese Kiwi immigrant. Okay. And that part of the trip really opened my eyes on how to do things. Because it showed me that he would partner with other fellow farmers who are nearby and have no sense or no idea of how to do it. So he would help them and teach them, give them materials. He would process it as well. Uh-huh.

Chit Juan

And by process, you mean washing and getting it ready for consumers.

SPEAKER_00

Ready direct to consumers and to B2B, B2C. And it really inspired me because he started small, and I think I was shocked with the 200 hectare, like fully grown. Like I could see lettuce until like the horizon.

Chit Juan

Ah, lettuce too, as far as your eyes can see. But how many people did he have?

SPEAKER_00

It was nice because he was hiring Filipinos. Oh, okay. He would hire, I think, 50 people. Okay. And they're mostly Filipino. He would say that they would go there for a couple of months, go back home, and then go back home. Oh, so just like for the harvest and then harvest, and just for the internship or maybe training. And I talked to them a few and they said they were lawyers back home. Lawyers? They're lawyers back home, and they just like getting their hands dirty.

Chit Juan

So they they don't mind working. So there are many people like you, Rafi, who just want to get down and get your hands dirty and experience a farm stay. Exactly. And I was like, oh wow, okay, cool. So And don't they have this in Japan as well?

SPEAKER_00

They do. Like I met an organic farmer also who supplies all of the Japanese Michelin star chefs. Yes. His farm employs a lot of Filipinos.

Chit Juan

And a lot of them are homestead guests, right?

SPEAKER_00

A lot of them do that, and then they stay there for maybe a month.

Chit Juan

Ah, okay. That's interesting.

SPEAKER_00

And a lot of they stay there for years because I mean they're employed already. Uh-huh.

Chit Juan

So what's the next step, Rafi?

SPEAKER_00

What's your next goal? I mean, I would love to just keep on producing, like doing some research and trying different types of varieties. But also, I like the idea of the whole farm staying. A lot of city dwellers who just want to get out.

Chit Juan

So they're welcome to help in your farm. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

And I've had a lot of inquiries asking, like, hey, can we stay there and just farm? And I was like, oh wow, okay. Oh, that's fun. I mean, it's nice to see. And I've been really considering doing more of like a farm stay, like showing the farm life. Because it's always been alien to people, yeah. Alien to people. It's also been alien to culinary students. That's right. That's right. Working with a lot of chefs firsthand.

Chit Juan

And you're able to do that now, Rafi.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, we have a lot of restaurants who send their chefs to us.

Chit Juan

And you let them experience the farm. And I guess now they know where their vegetables come from.

SPEAKER_00

So yeah, we try to explain to them like aside from just cooking, you should see how hard it is to grow or how the process is from seed to harvest. And it's really something after the whole immersion, they really have newfound respect with how hard it is. To run a farm.

Chit Juan

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

And when I see them, let's say when I visit or deliver produce once in a while to the restaurants, they're like, oh my god, you're here. It's like we built a relationship, not just as like a seller and a buyer.

Chit Juan

As a seller, buyer, but now it's really a community relationship. That's nice. Well, bravo, bravo to you, Rafi. I think that's really nice. I think we can talk forever because there's so much for you to share. But we'll give our listeners this first episode, and then I'm sure in the future you can tell us more about your farm school. You can tell us how an entrepreneur who really just wants to get his hands dirty has made it and has not given up. So, congratulations to you, Rafi. Before we end, what are three good and green tips you can give our listeners?

SPEAKER_00

Probably for me, I've always told this to a lot of people. It's always take care of your soil. Okay. Like keep the soil and not just the plant. It's the soil is like the life of everything. Like for me, how I see plants and soil are one. Healthy soil always grows healthy crops, and people always overlook or neglect our soil. So, like with all these synthetic inputs, stuff like that, they tend to forget that feeding the soil will give you flavor, will give you the produce. It couldn't be the most perfect one, but flavor-wise, it's always gonna be there. So that's the secret, it's in the soil, okay? And your next tip let's say you start a farm, use whatever's around you as much as possible, because it could be really expensive if you keep on buying stuff outside.

Chit Juan

Ah, you mean like making compost, circular economy?

SPEAKER_00

Yes. So try to close the loop. Let's say use whatever waste you have, compost. Yeah, I think composting is the key. Like let's say you want to do livestock, there's always things around, like let's say you have neighbors that have rice fields and stuff. You can use whatever waste they have and turn it into feeds.

Chit Juan

So you use the rice hull, you use all the waste of others for your farm. Okay.

SPEAKER_00

As much as possible. Start small and don't go over the top and risk everything right away.

Chit Juan

Okay, start small so that you also manage your risks. So, Rafi, how young are you now? I'm 39. You're 39 already. Oh my gosh. I thought I knew you when you were 20.

unknown

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

39. I started bringing out the farm when I was 29.

Chit Juan

So and how you wish you started sooner.

SPEAKER_00

How I wish I started sooner. And it has always been a love-hate relationship, but I always used to love the farm more than hating.

Chit Juan

That's nice. So your family, they're very supportive. And what would you advise to your 29-year-old self or all the 29-year-olds who are listening to us?

SPEAKER_00

Maybe I was matapang back then. I would really risk everything.

Chit Juan

Well, I guess risk until you're 30. Maybe that's right.

SPEAKER_00

That's right. So there's nothing to lose because I really gambled. I resigned from my job in Japan. I went here with whatever I had and put up a farm. And it's a risk that people wouldn't be really willing to take. But I took it's risk until you're 30. And then from then on, like it's I should, yeah. Like now I've slowed down.

Chit Juan

You're not as risk-taking anymore. But well, it took you 10 years, but look at you, you're still there. Tenacity is your asset, and really it's love for the soil, love for the earth, and everything that goes around it. So thank you, Rafi Dakones, Rafi Teraocha Dakonest. And I hope a lot of people, a lot of young people will follow your path into feeding us and making this world a better place. Thanks, Rafi. Thank you so much for having me. Thank you for listening to the Good and Green podcast. If you enjoy this episode, please follow the show and leave a review. It helps more people find us. And feel free to share it with a friend. Until next time, keep it good and green.

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Pacita "Chit" Juan

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