Be Yourself and Live Your Purpose

We have worked on the soil, planted carbs, and added easy greens. Now it is time to use the space above the garden.

In this episode, we build a simple trellis and talk about climbing food plants like sitaw, alugbati, patola, and upo.

We look at which plants are easiest to start with, how to support them, when to harvest, and simple ways to cook what you grow.

Growing vertically can help you produce more food without needing more land. A fence, a few bamboo poles, or a simple support can already give you another whole growing space.

And as always, the goal is not to plant everything at once.

Start with one climber. Learn how it grows. Harvest it. Cook it. Then add another.

Grow variety. Eat variety. And use the space you already have.

 

 

 

We already planted some carbs. Now it is time to add greens.

In this episode, we focus on easy-to-grow vegetables that don't need a trellis: kangkong, saluyot, and talinum.

We talk about how to plant them, how often you can harvest them, whether they keep growing after being cut, and simple ways to cook them. We also look at the fiber, vitamins, minerals, and plant nutrients they can add to our meals.

The bigger idea is simple: no single vegetable gives us everything we need.

Grow variety. Eat variety.

You do not need a big garden or complicated setup. Start with one green, learn how it grows, harvest it, cook it, and then add another.

Little by little, we are turning healthy soil into real food.

Now that we have worked on the soil, it is time to plant something that can actually help fill the plate.

In this episode, we start with two practical crops: kamote and gabi.

Both give us food below the soil and edible leaves above it. Kamote is easy, fast growing, beginner friendly, and excellent for covering the ground. Gabi takes more patience, likes moisture, and gives us both a starchy corm and leaves we can cook.

We also talk about where these plants came from, how to plant them, how long they take to grow, and the simple ways we can cook both the leaves and the roots.

And one important reminder: gabi must be cooked properly before eating.

The goal is simple. Grow something useful. Grow something you already eat. Start with one plant, learn from it, and build your food garden slowly.

Grow variety. Eat variety. And plant some carbs.

Last month, we started with Dirt to Purpose and learned how to feed, cover, and bring life back into the soil. Now it is time for the next step: planting food.

In this first episode of Bahay Kubo: The Filipino Food Garden, we check what happened to our soil, look for signs of life like earthworms, and ask a simple question: what should we plant first?

We also revisit the Filipino folk song Bahay Kubo and look at it in a new way, as a picture of a diverse home food garden filled with roots, greens, beans, vines, and spices. Not every plant in the song is originally from the Philippines, but many are traditional or well adapted to our climate.

The goal is simple: start small, grow something you actually eat, and build your food garden one plant at a time.

If you are new to the series, I encourage you to start with Dirt to Purpose first, then come back and grow with us.

Grow variety. Eat variety. And let the soil start feeding you.

In the final episode of From Dirt to Purpose, we bring the whole series together.

We started by looking at the soil, then learned what makes it alive, why slowing down and reconnecting with nature matters, and how simple habits like composting can change the way we see waste.

Now the question is: what do we do with all of that?

This episode is a call to action. You do not need to save the whole planet. Start with the part you can actually influence. One tree. One garden. One compost habit. One patch of soil. One small change that you can keep doing consistently.

Real change comes from simple habits repeated over time, then shared with other people.

So keep planting. Keep learning. Keep observing. Keep improving your little piece of the Earth. And bring others with you.

Be yourself. Live your purpose. Take care of your piece of the Earth, and leave it better than you found it.

In Episode 4 of From Dirt to Purpose, we look at waste in a different way.

Food scraps, dry leaves, grass clippings, and plant material are often treated as garbage, even though many of them can still become something useful. Composting is one of the simplest ways to return organic matter to the soil and reduce what we throw away.

In this episode, I talk about what compost really is, how decomposition works, what beginners can start with, and why you do not need a complicated system to begin.

We also connect composting back to purpose. Sometimes things that seem finished can still support new growth. That can be true in the soil, and sometimes in life too.

The challenge for this episode is simple: for one week, separate your fruit and vegetable scraps from your regular garbage and see how much you normally throw away.

Before you call something waste, ask if it still has another use.

In Episode 3 of From Dirt to Purpose, we talk about what it really means to feel grounded.

Not the exaggerated wellness claims. Not magic. Just the real value of slowing down, stepping away from screens, spending time outdoors, and reconnecting with the natural world around us.

I share how working with soil, trees, and the land has changed the way I think about rest, attention, and purpose. Sometimes we are so busy solving problems, answering messages, and taking care of everyone else that we forget to stop long enough to hear our own thoughts.

This episode connects back to what Be.Live is about: being yourself and living your purpose. And sometimes, purpose becomes clearer when we stop rushing.

The challenge for this episode is simple: spend 20 minutes outside without your phone. Walk, sit under a tree, water plants, touch the soil, or just observe.

Slow down. Pay attention. Get grounded in what is real.

In Episode 2 of From Dirt to Purpose, we go beneath the surface and ask a simple question: what makes soil alive?

Healthy soil is more than dirt. It is a living system filled with roots, fungi, bacteria, insects, worms, air, water, and organic matter, all working together in ways we rarely see.

In this episode, I talk about what rebuilding a forest has taught me about soil, why bare and compacted ground behaves differently, how roots and microorganisms support plant life, and why diversity matters.

We also connect this back to Be.Live and the idea of living your purpose. A lot of meaningful work happens quietly. Soil reminds us that you do not need to be visible or dramatic to make a real contribution.

The practical challenge for this episode is simple: find one patch of bare soil and cover it. Start small, observe what happens, and learn from the land.

Protect the soil. Keep something growing. And leave your little piece of Earth better than you found it.