We Are Now Able to Grow Pineapples!

In 2017, JTS Philippines President Lee Won-ju obtained pineapple sprouts from the Governor of Manolo Fortich. Since then, JTS volunteer Park Shi-hyun has been in charge of growing the pineapples. The sprouts that did not seem to grow finally started bearing fruit after a year and a half. The pineapples grew bigger and began to ripen. 

Even though the size of the JTS Philippines pineapple field is very small compared to those around the JTS community center and Manolo Fortich, JTS succeeded in growing organic pineapples there. The core of a pineapple is usually too hard to eat, but organic pineapples have soft cores that are edible so nothing is wasted. Organic pineapples are also very sweet.

JTS Philippines staff was given some pineapples, so they were able to taste the fruit that they had worked so hard to grow. Pineapples are sustainable fruit since the bottom fruit part can be consumed and the top can be planted again to regrow pineapples. Korean staff and short-term volunteers staying at the JTS community centers are working happily since they are able to eat delicious organic pineapples that they helped to grow.