Sowing seeds of hope: how Tancho Baes is transforming lives through farming

The farm also functions as a funding source for the NGO’s other programmes, producing high-value heirloom vegetables (like those gorgeous tomatoes) which have become in high demand among Davao’s rising culinary scene. Today, they supply many of Davao’s top dining destinations: Pilgrim, Grateful Bread bakery and Bairrada Churrasqueira by chef Jeramie Go; plant-based specialist Made Simple; Hey Monday! Deli, a city favourite known for contemporary classics, like a heavenly lamb burger with marsala dressing; and Australian outfit Bondi & Bourke. But for Baes, the true harvest isn’t measured in kilos—it’s in transformed lives.

Keep reading to hear from Tancho Baes, CEO of Hectares of Hope and executive director/country manager of Hope for the Nations Philippines, about how it all began, why the difference with heirloom varieties is “night and day”, and how farming can be one of the most powerful tools for social change.

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What inspired you to start Hectares of Hope?

The focus of Hope for the Nations Philippines is really the children at risk. We asked ourselves, ‘If these were our kids, what would we do so that they grow emotionally, physically, spiritually and socially?’ And of course, they need quality education, a decent house, family support, healthcare and other social services that are only available in the city.

We also saw that one of the factors of poverty is really absentee parents. Most of the time, these children are unsupervised because their parents are away, looking for a job. So we wanted to address all of these factors by creating intervention programmes, like this farm that I am now managing.

How do you involve these impoverished communities in your farm?

We came up here just before COVID, and this land was just full of bush. The weeds were three times my height! We enlisted [those in need from both the mountains and the city] for help. We brought them up here and established some programmes to strengthen family unity, because we know that the stability of the children is dependent on their relationship with their parents. We had a school in [low-income communities], and we transplanted the same thing here, too. We’re also about to build a clinic here because we want it to be a sustainable community, where they don’t have to go down to the city to get access to healthcare and all that sort of stuff.

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What makes your farm’s produce special?

We’ve been farming produce from heirloom seeds. That’s probably what’s unique about us. We have the heirloom tomatoes and the heirloom capsicums—black, white, purple, yellow, about seven colors. We also have heirloom radishes; red, white and golden beets; all the herbs like cilantro, coriander, rosemary, thyme, mint, dill, basil; different kinds of kale.

Why the focus on heirloom varieties? What makes them so valuable?

If you’ve tasted them, you’ll know the difference is night and day. There are more than 2,000 different heirloom tomato varieties all over the world. Right now, I’m counting… we probably have more than 40. The heirloom tomatoes are juicy. It’s tangy, sweet and depending on what kind of variety, there are notes of brandy wine, there’s pineapple and there’s tangerine. They have different nuances.

They’re non-GMO, open-pollinated. What’s really unique about heirloom varieties is that a lot of these seeds have been passed on from generation to generation. I have one that’s apparently 180 years old.

The taste and flavour are just incredible. So that’s in part why they’re valuable. They’re also not easy to grow—it’s expensive to produce, especially in the Philippines. That’s why you’ve got to be at a really high elevation to do it.

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What was the biggest surprise or challenge when starting out?

As much as farming is really fun, it’s not for the faint of heart, especially if you’re doing this commercially. We went into this as novices with sheer excitement and hope, just relying on common sense, but it’s so much more than that. If I had to do it all over again, I’d look for mentors who are experts in this industry. 

That’s why I tip my hat to the farmers, because it really requires commitment. It’s so easy to throw in the towel. But we have this commitment to help transform the lives of these people, so I cannot give up. I just didn’t expect it to be this hard.

Are your operations largely B2C or B2B?

When we started, it was B2C, but logistically it was just really, really tough. Davao is such a large city. Later on, we realised that we wanted to become contract growers for distributors and a few restaurants, so that’s what we’re doing. For now, I’m just concentrating on Davao, but in a couple of months, maybe we’ll really start thinking of bringing our produce to other areas outside of Davao City. 

How did you build your B2B clientele?

Pilgrim was really where it all started. I took my team for lunch because I heard that it was run by a Filipino-Canadian like me. One day, I said we should check it out because they started to really get some traction. We introduced ourselves to chef Jeramie Go, and the rest is history. We have the same heart and purpose to help the marginalised, as well.

They posted, then Carmina del Rosario (Mindanao Butchers & Company and chairperson of Davao Food and Wine Festival) and Monica Floirendo-Ugarte (entrepreneur and avid supporter of the Davao community), and then Made Simple restaurant. Everybody just saw it and wanted our produce.

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What’s the most rewarding part of the work for you?

I think the thing I really love is the mentorship and teaching aspect of what we do. One of the programmes we have here is financial literacy. So I’m not just farming with them—I’m kind of holding their hand to get them out of poverty. Our vision is to get them out of poverty in two to three years and achieve middle-class status in five years.

In North America, Australia and Europe, farmers are middle class, at least. Here, they’re the second poorest sector. Yet without them, we wouldn’t survive—they’re exploited. We want to prove that if they’re given the opportunity—you teach them, you advocate for them, you market for them—then they have great potential to get out of this egregious poverty.

So to go back to your question, I love the mentorship. When I see changed lives, those are my trophies. I want people’s lives changed.

What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned?

It’s imperative to have a very clear vision and mission because without it, it’s easy to be swayed in different directions. Write your business plan at the beginning. And always look at your cash—cash flow is king…spoken like a true accountant. So yes, you evaluate, retweak and rethink, but without jeopardising your vision.

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What do you wish more people understood about Hectares of Hope?

We have some farmers here who came from different farms where they’ve been exploited. Our really big vision is to be able to replicate this to at least 50 different communities in rural Mindanao, and hopefully, beyond. That’s why we set it up like a franchise, so that we have a template. If you want to take it somewhere else, you’ll just have to tweak it according to context.

What keeps you going through the hardest days?

The key to success is loving what you do, having the tenacity to never give up and remembering who we really are—why we exist.

We exist for the people we are serving. When you have a reason beyond yourself, the stakes are at a different level. It’s a different dimension that gives you meaning and purpose. We’re not just farming for profit: we are farming with the intention of transforming lives.

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