The Bohol Coconuts Baseball & Softball Club is hitting a home run for community development with an innovative agricultural partnership program that’s turning local backyards into productive farms.
The club is collaborating with club members and neighborhood residents to create a sustainable food system that supports both its soup kitchen operations and local household incomes.
“Many housewives in our community have the time and space to grow vegetables or raise a few animals, but lack the startup resources,” explains Lerma Moore, Cambanac councilwoman and Coconuts general manager. “Our partnership program removes those barriers. We provide the seedlings, chicks, and piglets—they provide the care and space. Everyone wins.”
Vegetable Cultivation: From Backyard to Soup Kitchen
The club’s vegetable program provides participating residents with seedlings for ten
essential crops: green beans, bell peppers, eggplants, bitter melons, tomatoes, onions, carrots, kang kong, and assorted greens. These vegetables form the foundation of the nutritious meals served daily through the Coconuts soup kitchen, which feeds youth athletes and community members.
How the Program Works:
• The club provides free seedlings and basic gardening guidance
• Residents grow vegetables in home gardens or containers
• The club purchases mature vegetables at fair market prices
• Vegetables go directly to soup kitchen operations
• Excess vegetables are sold to club members at the Mini Food Store
“We plan to have 25 local partners growing vegetables and raising livestock,” says Moore. “A typical backyard garden can generate ₱500-₱1,000 monthly for a household—meaningful supplemental income that often pays for children’s school supplies or household improvements.”
Livestock Development: Transforming Empty Pens into Income
The livestock initiative addresses a common sight in Bohol neighborhoods: empty pig pens sitting unused. The Coconuts program reactivates these spaces by providing piglets and chicks along with necessary feed, with residents receiving 50% of the eventual meat value.
Partnership Structure:
Club provides: Piglets/chicks, initial feed, basic animal care training
Residents provide: Housing, daily care, space
Revenue split: 50% to club operations, 50% to local partner.
Meat distribution: 50% to soup kitchen, 50% available for community sales
“Most families already have one or two animal pens that occasionally house a pig for special occasions,” Moore notes. “We’re helping turn those occasional activities into consistent income streams. A single pig can provide a family with ₱4,000-₱8,000 in additional annual income.”
Building Sustainable Revenue Streams
Beyond supporting soup kitchen operations, the program is developing commercial meat sales as a revenue generator for club activities. The Coconuts plan to offer frozen chicken and pork in convenient ¼ and ½ kilo packages through direct sales at the Mini Food Store.
“Frozen meat sales represent a significant opportunity,” explains Moore. “Families will now be able to buy smaller packs of frozen meat, especially one-fourth kilo packs, to add to their dinner tables.”
Community Impact Beyond Economics
While the financial benefits are substantial, the partnerships create deeper community connections.
“There’s pride in seeing your vegetables served at the community kitchen or knowing your pigs are feeding neighborhood children,” says Moore.
The program also promotes food security knowledge, with many partners learning sustainable growing techniques they can apply to their own family’s food production.
Future Growth and Community Invitation
With 15-20 current vegetable partners and growing interest in livestock participation, the Coconuts aim to expand their network throughout 2026. The club welcomes additional residents interested in joining either program, particularly those with underutilized yard space or existing agricultural experience.
“This isn’t charity—it’s partnership,” emphasizes Moore. “We’re building a circular economy where everyone contributes and everyone benefits. The baseball field might be where our children play, but these backyard farms are where our community truly grows together.”
Residents interested in participating in the vegetable or livestock partnership programs can contact Lerma Moore directly. As this initiative continues to grow, it represents a powerful model of how sports organizations can serve as catalysts for broader community development and economic empowerment.
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About the Bohol Coconuts Baseball & Softball Club:
Launching on February 1, 2026, and based in Barangay Cambanac, Baclayon, the Bohol Coconuts is a comprehensive sports and community organization offering youth and adult sports programming, academic and social activities, and affordable nutrition services through its soup kitchen and food store.
