In 2020, while the Covid 19 pandemic raged all over the world, Dr. Grace Nono, ethnomusicologist, music artist, and head of the Tao Foundation for Culture and Arts, received a series of dreams that she understood to be instructions from the other side, urging her to attend to the land that her parents had left her and her offspring with, but that she had not devoted time and energy to. She brainstormed with her extended family and associates, and together, they decided to develop the land into an eco, agri, and heritage park to contribute to social and environmental good. This direction is line with the values of Dr. Nono’s father who promoted organic farming and championed farmers’ rights, her mother who was a lifelong educator, her daughter who is involved in food and social justice work, and Dr. Nono, herself, who is a cultural worker and an environmentalist-scholar-artist. The eco, agri, and heritage park is called Alima, a Cebuano-Visayan verb that means “to nourish,” to sustain,” to nurse,” “to heal,” “to foster.” What cares, and what is cared for, are both humans and the earth.
Development these last three years has focused on establishing the eco and agri components of Alima. Since the land that hosts the park is acknowledged to be inhabited by visible and invisible presences, alike, all of which are integral to the overall ecology and deserving of respect, the site is treated as sacred. No chemicals and pesticides are used on the soil, and no commercial feeds are served to the fish and other animals. Most seeds and varieties planted are native and/or chemical-free, pesticide-free, herbicide-free, fungicide-free, non-GMO, and open-pollinated. When the facility is open to receiving Guests, they will be welcomed with ceremony, taught or reminded of respectful ways to be in nature, and if they haven’t yet, encouraged to undertake similar ecological initiatives in their respective areas.