When entrepreneur Sarah Claudio left behind a thriving retail career to revive her late mother’s unfinished farm project, she didn’t expect it to spark a whole new mission. In this episode she shares with Chit Juan how Verdeli Davao was born as an agritourism destination and learning site that brings sustainable food systems to life through natural farming, community collaboration, and experiential education. She also shares how she integrates her Slow Food training, navigates the challenges of small-scale farming, and inspires others to grow their own food even with just one square meter of space.

GUEST BIO:

Sarah is an entrepreneur with over 15 years in managing businesses across the retail printing and food industries. Her passion for social entrepreneurship grew when she became the licensee and managing director of Echostore in Davao, a sustainable lifestyle retail concept store. Her dedication to sustainability deepened after completing her Master's Program at the University of Gastronomic Sciences which is also known as the Slow Food University. This experience, along with her growth plans for Echostore, inspired her to launch her latest venture and passion project, VERDELI – a farm garden and cafe focused on sustainable practices.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:

• Why Verdeli Davao is a passion project inspired by Sarah’s late mother.
• How her time at Slow Food University shaped her approach to sustainability.
• The challenges of shifting from retail entrepreneurship to farm management.
• What makes Verdeli’s farm-to-table model and learning tours unique.
• Why teaching people to grow their own food is central to Sarah’s mission.
• How small-scale farming can be a powerful tool for community resilience.

QUOTES:

• It's for the love of mom. - Sarah Claudio
• We, in Verdeli, want to be a venue, to be a solution for those wanting to learn farming in an approachable set up. - Sarah Claudio
• You're actually teaching people something they can use for their own families. - Chit Juan
• When you say you're managing a farm, it's also like managing nature. - Sarah Claudio
• They have to believe that the natural farming way is the sustainable way. - Sarah Claudio
• That's how you promote sustainability - you start small. - Sarah Claudio

LINKS or RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Connect with Sarah Claudio:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/verdeli.dvo/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Verdeli.dvo/

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