When in Bohol and you’d like to try out authentic farm-to-table organic food to fill in your hungry tummy, you must try an afternoon visit to Green Thumb Farm Alfresco Restaurant in Corella.
Located just six kilometers from Tagbilaran, Green Thumb Farm is a vast private property covered in lush greenery sprawled across its three-hectare land.
Green Thumb Farm’s owner is Rona Dengue, a native of Davao de Oro who moved to her husband’s hometown in Bohol. As someone who has always had a green thumb, she put up a farm in 2017 and grew different kinds of organic plants.
Rona has always thought of coming up with a unique venture which can be known in Bohol. While organic farming has always been a common practice among farms in Bohol, she envisioned a distinct place where she could highlight Bohol’s rich resources while targeting a niche market she could cater to.
Rona saw the potential of growing mushrooms in Bohol, a venture which has not been tapped by any farms in the province yet. After a series of training, accreditation, and continuous growth in culturing mushrooms, Green Thumb Farm has now carved its name in this arena.
Growing Organic Mushrooms in Bohol
A portion of the expansive farm is dedicated to housing hundreds of mushroom fruiting baskets. Every day, Green Thumb Farm harvest 8-15 kilograms of mushrooms. It once harvested up to 100 kilograms a day or over 20, 000 fruiting baskets, proving its potential for massive harvest.
Moreover, not a single mushroom is put to waste at the farm. Spores that already reached the end of their fruiting process are made into fertilizers which help in keeping the plants grow healthily.
Today, the farm is the leading supplier of organic oyster mushrooms and processed mushroom products for top hotels and restaurants in Bohol and in Cebu.
Aside from growing white oyster mushrooms, Green Thumb Farm also cultures reishi mushroom or most commonly known as Ganoderma Lucidum. It is a type of mushroom known to have healing properties, especially for cancer patients.
Dining at Green Thumb Farm Alfresco Restaurant
When at Green Thumb Farm, visiting their mushroom farms is not only an activity you can do. You have to try their organic mushroom and taste it for yourself as well.
It was in 2021 when Green Thumb Farm opened its alfresco restaurant experience as a way to continue serving locals while coping with the pandemic. It also capitalizes in offering healthy food options in the province where people can enjoy good food sans the guilt.
At Green Thumb Farm Alfresco Restaurant, you will taste farm-to-table mushroom dishes—from Mushroom Sisig, Mushroom Dinakdakan, Mushroom Bulaklak, Mushroom Steak, and even Mushroom Bicol Express, among others.
If you are not a fan of main dishes, you can go for snacks such as Mushroom Burger, Greek Mushroom Pizza, and Mushroom Aglio Olio.
On the sweet side, Green Thumb Farm takes pride in its Corella Ube Smoothie, which main ube ingredient ube kinampay is grown only in town. This is one of the farm’s ways to support local products in their town and introduce it to their guests.
For resources that are not available at the farm, Rona says they source other ingredients from over 50 farms sprawled across Bohol.
As a member of the Association of Organic Farmers in Bohol, Green Thumb Farm Alfresco Restaurant partners with other farms with the aim of building a network of organic product exchange and strengthen their community of organic growers.
Green Thumb Farm alfresco dining is best experienced during the afternoon up to night. It is open from 2 PM up to 9 PM where you can enjoy good food and a great ambiance brought by the gentle cool breeze amidst the towering coconut trees. The place can accommodate up to 250 people a day. The restaurant also caters to intimate events.
Visit Green Thumb Farm in Corella, Bohol
Organic mushroom dishes are not common among restaurants in Bohol. Green Thumb Farm takes pride of being one, if not the leading diner serving a wide range of mushroom dishes.
Take a trip to Green Thumb Farm Alfresco Restaurant and taste their organic mushroom dishes—a unique gastronomic experience you need to try if you want to discover a different side of Bohol’s unique cuisine.
To contact the farm, message them through their Facebook page and Instagram.
Have you been to Green Thumb Farm Al Fresco Restaurant? Tell us your experience in the comments below!
This story is part of the Department of Tourism – Central Visayas Bohol Culinary Media Familiarization Tour. For more information, email dot7@tourism.gov.ph or contact (032) 254 6650.