Batangas Farm



Villa Fuscagna Farms is a privately owned farming business with sites located in Batangas, The Philippines and Fuscagna, Localita Titta, in the Province of Umbria, Italy.

The Batangas Farm is owned by Edith Decastro-McDonnell and the overall business is managed by Bryce McDonnell. The Batangas farm is managed on site by Capt. Jerry Leyesa and Rannel De Torres it is located on the edge of Barangay Sto Nino which is about 20 minutes from Lipa City. Two adjoining sites are farmed at approximately 800 meters above sea level at the base of Mount Malarayat. The farm is virtually at the end of the road as you drive up toward the mountain. One side of the farm is bordered with a steep forested ravine and the others by isolated plantings of coconuts and coffee trees. To progress further toward the mountain requires strong legs or an accommodating horse!

Prior to Edith's purchase of the farm in 2014, it was owned by the Leyesa family for as long as can be remembered. Capt. Jerry's grandfather planted primarily citrus, coffee and black pepper some 40 years ago. The only non-organic addition during that period was urea, added at a rate of 1/2 a coconut shell twice a year per tree. Prior to that the only visible farming signs are four mango trees, two of which we speculate might be the oldest and most majestic in Batangas. Wild civets still live in the ravine and their presence is evidenced by the remaining results of their night raids on the coffee beans. We can therefore conclude that aside from urea in modest proportions, the history of the farm and those that surround it are traditionally organic in concept.

The principal products of the farm are, Black Pepper, Arugula, Endive, Philippine Native Ginger and Chilis.