27/10/2026
'IF YOU HAVE THAT FIRE WITHIN YOU, PURSUE IT'
While many young Filipinos spend their earnings on travel and mall hauls, Joel Vincent R. Cabanacan chose to invest his time, money, and passion in a farm. Through Agri-ventSure Integrated Farm in Barangay Dumalagan, Butuan City, he now supplies fresh lettuce to sari-sari stores, major supermarkets, and food establishments across the city, including Puregold, Gaisano, and VROSS Meatshoppe.
A Fisheries graduate of Mindanao State University–Naawan Campus, Joel started farming in 2020, using his income as a shrimp farm technician to fund a small catfish (hito) project. During the pandemic, he learned about hydroponics from YouTube videos and tried a simple setup made of PVC pipes. His first attempt struggled with germination and disease, but he treated the setbacks as lessons. He built a bamboo greenhouse from backyard materials, then upgraded to a sturdier metal-framed one as the farm earned more.
Growing lettuce in warm, lowland Butuan is not easy, so Joel uses two hydroponic methods, the Kratky method and the Nutrient Film Technique (NFT). He now manages three greenhouses and harvests every week through staggered planting, averaging 270 heads per harvest. His preferred variety, Olmetie Batavia, tolerates heat and has a mildly sweet, crisp, juicy bite. He harvests the lettuce with its roots intact to keep it fresh longer. Why lettuce? In his words:
“It’s something I can plant and leave while I attend to my day job, build my agribusiness network, or think of another business venture.”
Joel earns an estimated net income of ₱20,000 a month from year-round lettuce. When extreme weather left some plants stunted, he turned the undersized lettuce into Astera Lettuce Chips, sold in five flavors: Original, Sour Cream, Honey Butter, Cheese, and Barbecue. The chips can bring in approximately another ₱50,000 a month.
Agri-ventSure is also a certified Learning Site for Agriculture (LSA) of the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) in the Caraga Region, where farmers, students, and agri-enthusiasts can learn from real farm experience. Joel’s advice to aspiring farmers is simple:
“If you have that fire within you, pursue it. Also, plan your work and work your plan.”
