Tag Archives: Big Island

Agriculture, Farming, gardening, Hawaii, permaculture, Soil, Travel, Zero waste

Top 5 things I do prior to travel

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I get a lot of questions about how I manage to get away from the farm. There are several things I “set up” prior to my departure that makes all run a bit more smoothly.

1) Amend the soil with farm made fish emulsion. A strong plant will have a higher chance of surviving/and or fruiting.

2) Refill tropical fruit fly stations and secure them against wind. This will keep pest pressure down while the farmer is away.

3) Make microbe rich bokashi and add to compost tumblers and composting piles.

4) Trim vines back all around irrigation heads that are set on timers. This will help keep the vines from blocking the flow of water to your plants.

5) Make new buckets of fish emulsion. They will ferment while you are away, leaving you well stocked with natural fertilizer when you return home.

Agriculture, Farming, Hawaii, Marketing

Waimea Gold

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A brief note to update you all on a new variety I am breeding for Hawaii.  It is called “Waimea Gold,” and it is growing beautifully here.  I have crossed two strong landraces, then inter planted with other c. moschatas that were performing well. I allowed them to again cross, and now I am hand pollinating and selecting traits.  This last step is currently going on, and it will be part of the stabilization process.

The result is a market variety that is beginning to show up at some of our farmer’s markets, and the chefs have been serving them up too.  I have given seed to two local farmers that are growing them already. They have noted that it just “wants to grow” which is exactly what we need.  No fuss. But I will be doing a bit of fussing in the months ahead, as I continue to stabilize the traits.

For those of you interested in plant/squash breeding, here are the traits that I am selecting for:  Small size (3-4lb max), smooth, easy to peel, versatility in flavor profile (can be used in a wide variety of dishes,) pest and disease resistance (especially powdery mildew and pickleworm,) and best of all it is a contender to give the imported bland little kabochas a run for their money.  Tasty and local…not to mention kinda cute.  Here are the current photos! The green ties on the stem mark that the pumpkin blooms were hand pollinated for seed purity. So Waimea….let’s hope we have struck gold!

Agriculture, companion planting, Farming, gardening, permaculture, Soil, Zero waste

Squash Rich Soil Poor

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Two years ago, I planted a new area with squash, I was hopeful and optimistic.  It was open, free of the Iron wood trees, but it desperately lacked soil and the area needed serious rehabilitation.  I thought I had given it a good look over, but what I had underestimated was the wind. I was fortunate to have timed my plantings in a year where heavy rains broke the 15+ year drought. The plants thrived.  But then the winds came, and destroyed the raised beds, made irrigation very complicated, while also setting back my optimism.  Those Winter rains were a fluke, and they haven’t returned again.  The wind gusts, on the other hand, have returned with great force, just when you least expect them.  For the last two and a half months it has been blowing, then punctuated by dead calm. As a personal challenge, I decided to rethink that area, and figure out how to do raised beds in a wind gust area while also using minimal irrigation.  I needed to figure out a way to farm rock.

I walked the area with Randy, the AG (mainly pest and plant disease) inspector.  He kicked the ground and noted that they call it the Kau Desert for good reason.  He is facing retirement at a time when farming in Hawaii has hit some pretty hard times.  My projects seemed to offer him hope and a few smiles in is last years as an AG field agent. Farmers often speak of rocky soil, but this isn’t that.  This is rock, period.  100 years ago, and as recent as 50 years back, the Japanese farmers of this area just removed rock day after day.  When I say rock, I should note that they are boulders. They created areas of farmland from this rocky outcropping.  Some areas are now cultivated by tilling methods, some are run as ranchland, and my borrowed parcel is run as no-till.  This Spring I am again facing off with the hardest to farm section of the property.  Here, patches of rock that have been exposed by years of wind erosion, and that hard layer of stone will be under my beds.  Under normal circumstances, you would never plant on top of rock, but this is a test of possibility.  If you can grow there, your system will grow just about anywhere.

The above photo shows what the ground looks like under the new garden system that I am creating.  Roots will not be able to penetrate those stones, so all that they need will have to be delivered through the raised bed system.  The soil that is there is no longer capable of absorbing and retaining water.  But soil has an amazing ability to be transformed back into a condition where it will absorb water. So let’s get to work…what needs to be done?  First think about your wind and wind directions.  Where is it blowing from most of the time?  I am planning on running one simple soaker hose through the base of this bed.  Overhead isn’t going to work like it does in my other patch.  In the main patch, overhead works, because whenever the wind blows, it will blow the water onto a plant, in this area, that isn’t so. Also minimal overhead irrigation works in the other patch because of the tons of soil building materials that were reclaimed and put to work as a living mulch. A technique that works in one area may not work right across the road.  So once you think through your irrigation strategy, think about the movement of the sun.  In Hawaii, you can really notice a difference in the direction of the sun’s rays, season by season.  Lastly, is it in a location where you will be able to check on it easily?  Anytime you are doing a test project, a watchful eye is going to lead you to learning from the experience.

I reused some wire table tops for multiple reasons, I wanted to see if they would:

1)keep the wind from tipping over the stacked design of the beds

2)keep the chickens out

3)create a sturdy base for a trellis

This is what they look like with a variety of squash and edible gourds creeping through.

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Not bad, but it gets better.  Since I have been working to locate and breed heirloom varieties that are disease resistant, I am putting that to the test as well.  Powdery mildew knocks growers flat when they first start growing in Hawaii.  This method of mine would never work without the prior, careful study of natural disease resistance. So in other words, know your plants first.  I am planting absurdly close plantings of all kinds of things: tomatoes, beans, mustard greens, tomatillos, even some flowers.  Most of these I have grown before, but some are new to me heirloom varieties that are getting their “test” here at the farm, such as the Zuni Gold bean that is loved in New Mexico. We see how things turn out for them this year.

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The idea is to create a mini food forest with tier upon tier of food. It is my own interpretation of the “Three Sisters” planting method, combined with another Native American technique that includes burying fish.  I have fermented the fish first, adding much needed microbes to the mix.  My compost scares people.  But I am in Hawaii and we don’t even have compost facilities anywhere near where I live.  I became the compost facility by working with my chef customers. Raw and fermented material is at the bottom, and it will have plants growing above it.

The close plantings will be a “only the strong survive” kinda deal. Plants can “work it out” and find their ways to get enough sun, water and nutrients. So far, they are working together nicely. are two months in. These close plantings also protect from the drying, harsh winds.  These close plantings also create strength in numbers by supporting each other against the gusts.  High winds can snap tomato and tomatillo stalks, even with some trellising.  This will help your system to better take care of itself. Not only will this planting method provide a great variety of foods and beans will add nitrogen to the soil, it is also planted with bees in mind.  Bees area squash growers friend, but unfortunately, they are few in number here where I grow.  So I make a bee buffet of all kinds of blooms.  I plant in harmony with the native Hawaiian plant Ilima and give those small blooming shrubs extra care and nutrition, and they supply lovely blooms to attract our bees.

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Here we see tomatillos growing in harmony with the squash plants.  Those bright yellow blooms will be a beacon to the bees.  Strings run up from the table tops to a simple bamboo trellis that has the ability to shift in the wind.  It has already withstood nearly 20 days of heavy wind, so it has proven itself.  DSC_1247

As for the chicken proofing, Hunter is seen here patroling the surrounds while not disturbing the plants themselves.  The chickens and I have all enjoyed their collecting of many harmful to the garden insects.  I should also note that these plants are growing in very raw compost, and all reclaimed materials were used.  This is not something that I advise you to do, but I am doing it as a means to see how fast the restaurant waste can turn to soil.  It can be done with careful planning, and a lot of trial and error.  I will leave that for another post.  So I encourage you into thinking of creative ways to grow your food, create your soil, save our water and nourish our bees.  If this can be grown on rock using restaurant waste, so much is possible.

Agriculture, Farming, Hawaii, Uncategorized

Picture Perfect Pumpkins

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I frequently reference putting a small block of untreated lumber under your pumpkins and Winter Squash.  Many people note that they do not have the time to do so, but also note that wet weather and bugs caused their squash to rot in the field.  I recommend making the time to protect your pumpkins with a little extra care. The way I look at it, by increasing your yield through the reduction of waste, you are saving time.  I took these photos (below) to give people an idea of what squash that have remained in contact with the ground all season can look like, especially here in Hawaii.  Keep in mind that in Hawaii, many of the Winter squash and kabocha that do well here take more than 110 days.  Often more than 120 days until harvest.  Somewhere in there, as the fruit sets,  try to make time to “block” your fruits by lifting them off the ground with a scrap piece of wood. The scrap wood only needs to be 4″x 4″ or so.  Once you have the wood blocks, you can use them over and over for years. I keep them in small stacks near the edge of the patch. It does take some getting used to, but it helps to safeguard from rot that can occur due to surface moisture as well as insects that can damage the surface of your squash.

The above featured squash shows what damage can occur.  Luckily, the harvest occurred before it caused the pumpkin to degrade on the inside.  Since I caught this while it was simply a surface issue, I happily made it into my beloved squash curry for myself.  This could have easily gone deeper into the pumpkin and caused the entire fruit to be lost.

With the way I farm, there is no true “loss” because the damaged squash can become nutritious pet food, chicken food, and rich soil building materials.  But when you farm small, you need to think smart and safeguard what you grow.  Some squash simply drop from the vine, and others may only half develop due to incomplete pollination by bees at flowering.  These things happen, and it is just simply part of the natural cycle of things.  What you can do, is give a little extra tlc to the fruits, and you will be rewarded with picture perfect produce that inspire chefs to put them on display before heading into the kitchen. One chef that I will not name, has been seen giving a slight hug to the squash as they enter his kitchen domain. Huggable produce is good produce.

This extra step in protecting the skin of your  squash will probably add an overall awareness by creating an intimacy with your farm as well.  You can tell a lot from how your squash are flowering and fruiting. A watchful farmer can see signs of insects, powdery mildew, the need for some fish fertilizer, pruning, and more, by stepping carefully into the vines.  These preventative observations can really make the difference in having a successful season. So while you are inspecting your fruits, give them a boost.  You will be rewarded at harvest time.

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Proud to Represent Hawaii

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Hawaii often gets left out of many agricultural events.  People often ask me why.  It is simple: fruit flies.  They have made our exporting of produce difficult for the last 100 years.  With that being said, they have also made it the most challenging place to grow many otherwise common vegetables.  Marketing has showcased pineapple and sugar, two plantation crops that are uneffected by these pests. But we are not so proud to note that every year, new agricultural pests erode what small food production we have in the Hawaiian islands. When asked why I didn’t bring squash to the expo, other growers just shake their heads.  Those who have been around a while usually say, “oh fruit fly? Lucky you are growing anything at all.”  They are right.

It is for that exact reason that I began researching, and later breeding squash for Hawaii, and other areas with tropical fruit flies, and the newer introduction, Pickle Worm.  When California gets an invasion of fruit flies, they sound the alarms.  When Hawaii gets a new pest, it barely makes the news.  Another one, is not what any of us need.  But they continue to come in every year.  That is one of the many downsides of importing over 90% of your food.  It leaves the door open for pests from around the world to enter the islands.  Don’t believe me, try talking to someone from Australia.  We have many of the same issues.  I had more than one person ask for my squash at the National Heirloom Expo last year, I had to direct them to the images on my booth,  often the response was, “couldn’t you smuggle one in?”  I know they meant well, wanting me to represent my breeding and farming efforts with the real thing, but the very last thing I want to do is destroy California agriculture so that I can have something to show.  I explained the magnitude of what one selfish act could do.

But after having so many inquiries, I just thought my way through the situation.  Though I could not bring squash into California, or anywhere else in the US, I could get seed through. I wanted to collect more research data, as I entered year 4 of my farm’s independent research for squash in Hawaii.  It was brought to my attention, that maybe I should include it in the Baker Creek squash trials.  I will be telling that story at a later time, but for now, I just wanted to share the very good news that the Hawaiian Black Kabocha not only survived, but it produced in a very different environment, and surrounded by all new pests, and squash virus.  Why does this matter?  It matters in many more reasons other than having a squash in the line up at the expo.  It is another potential solution for islands and areas suffering from both fruit fly and drought.  It can be a solution for the food production efforts of other places.  The labors of one can help many.  After the expo I received an angered email that noted how self-centered my actions were.  Now, it was time for me to shake my head, knowing in my heart, he couldn’t be further from the truth. So Hawaii, this was for you.  Mahalo nui loa for the dozens of top ranked chefs who taught me the nuances of flavor, so that I could be a better informed squash breeder.  Because it is simple, if I am going to be breeding for pest resistance, I may as well breed for excellence in flavor and texture as well.  Hit that ball out of the park for all of us.

So here she is sitting pretty in the line up.  Only a Hawaii grower knows how much that means to get her there.

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Essays and Reflections, recipes

The Lima Bean Squash Taco with Homemade Kraut

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I decided to cook up some of my heirloom Christmas lima beans and make a casserole.  With a lot of work to do in preparation for the National Heirloom Expo, I need my energy.  I had the food processor out with the shred blade on, as I was already making my pipinola (chayote) kraut.  I was also sitting on several pounds of zucchini from a farm trade that I made with our local CSA.  I decided to just keep shredding and make a taco seasoned dish that I could use throughout the week. Here is what I did:  I had cooked the Christmas lima beans on low overnight in the crockpot with water enough to cover, and 1/2 of a Sweet Onion. I was already planning on using the beans, so I thought that all I needed was some more vegetables.I shredded one half of a large Hawaiian Sweet Onion, One large Zucchini, one pipinola(chayote squash) 2 orange habanero peppers, and 5 pickled hot peppers.  I then poured the shredded veg into a bowl, and pulsed 2-3 cups of the now room temperature cooked lima beans.  I added them to the bowl, and added two packages of taco seasoning, a sprinkle of sea salt, and a cup of breadcrumbs.  I mixed it all together and pressed it into a 9×9 square pan, baking it at 350 degrees for an hour.

I’ve been making homemade kraut for several weeks now, as a means of capturing the harvests that come and go at both the farm and garden. The salty zing of the sea salt brine is welcomed after a hot day in the field.  I thought, why not?  Add it to the taco.  I am happy to learn that this one taco casserole makes two completely different dining experiences.  Fresh out of the oven, it is warm and comforting, with melted cheese and steamed rice for an evening meal, but the next day, it is bright and light as a chilled lunchtime taco with the ice cold kraut.

Since I am doing a lot of physical labor, I need a lot of food energy to get me through the day, so this homegrown, healthy taco had enough staying power to keep me going. Granted, my farmer portion was probably a bit larger than many would make.  Overall, it was a simple feast made out of farm and garden goods.  I will certainly make it again soon.

Try experimenting, I am sure carrots or pumpkin would be equally nice additions to the taco.  Just think in terms of a meat loaf minus the meat.  You can add two beaten eggs to the mix as well, or add chopped boiled eggs if you are a hungry one like me. As for the kraut, I have made a wide variety of them in my initial experimentation.  It is all based around what is in arms reach. I have a few chili peppers producing now, and I always keep fennel fronds near.  Though I am not a seaweed (limu) collector, I support those few that do here in Hawaii.  I have been using seaweed as the majority of the salt in the recipe, topping off jars with just a bit more salt for fermentation.  If you haven’t read it, you may enjoy my earlier post on my summer fermentation trials with pipinola (chayote)

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Aloha from Squash and Awe

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Planting Chili Peppers in Containers

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It is an interesting year for chilis in Upcounty Hawaii.  Cold, wet, Winter weather has changed their schedule.  This is normally time for their big growth time, but this year the season is different.  Am I ok with it?  Sort of.  This is why I plant so many heirloom varieties.   Some are loving this weather, while others are waiting for their time.  I learned many things this year.  The importance of pruning, and timing the pruning to the plant’s growth cycle.  I also learned how to grow chilis from cuttings.  Though only one lone Thai Dragon Pepper was a successful grow out from a cutting, it is a lovely plant, and I learned that the method does work, and that I should try it throughout the year to find ideal times.

I also did two rounds of grow outs from seed despite my Spring travels.  I have two new success with orange Habanero, and Purple Cayenne.  Then back to making sure to care for the varieties that have already shown potential. Like Black Hungarian, and Aji Limon (Lemon Drop.)  Two peppers from two different parts of the globe, but both like the highly variable conditions at the farm.

I love to plant and transplant when it rains.  Though it is bright and sunny in the video, the skies opened and closed several times in the past few days as yet another tropical storm spins by.  I decided to start an absurd number of chilis this summer, knowing that it was now or never.  Germination becomes more difficult in the months ahead.  Many chilis go semi-dormant in Winter, unless we have a warm Winter.  I get them going when we still have longish days, then we will see what the fall brings.  It may get hot in Aug and September, which would set them up with strong growth.  Or we may be having our Winter now.  We never had Winter rain this year…so in many ways this is our Winter.

What I am learning, is that I may love chilis as much as I love squash.  They too vary in heat, texture, and flavor.  They also have lovely foliage, and flowers.  They also are more tolerant than I would have ever guessed.  They let the squash smother them, then appear alive and well from under the vines.  I have some plants that are 2.5 years old now.  They love my homemade fish fertilizer, and the Ghosts seems to like more water than I would have ever guessed.  I harvested about 15 Ghosts off one yearling plant that is set right out with the squash.  I have it in a container tub, and let it get some of the spray in route to the squash.  It is a great way to have them be accessible, while also lifting them up above the squash leaf shade so they have optimal sun.  Not to mention, it is easy to collect them so to cook with them, and one watering will water the whole lot.  Containers can dry out quickly, so this is ideal.  The peppers are healthy, happy, and thriving.

Ghosts warn you of heat with color and a strong scent
Ghosts warn you of heat with color and a strong scent

So here is a video to give some beginning farmers and gardeners an idea of how to make your own soil mix for your container garden.  I recommend that everyone grab up large pots and tubs when they seem them being discarded.  They come in handy, and it allows you to have a garden on your lanai, doorstep, or in my case, containers mix right in with other plants on the farm.

I choose to transplant my chili peppers when they get a couple pairs of leaves.  That gives them a more substantial root system, and they are less likely to wilt and die after transplanting.  I get several plants going in each big container, if they all take, I can always transplant some of them, giving the others more space.  I often add a squash vine to the mix ( I know I know) or a basil plant, so to get a variety going.  These containers will be put on a wire mesh table top where nutrients, and water will drizzle onto the squash vines.  I give them fish emulsion monthly. It works wonders.  The two year old plants have over 100 blooms this year…even in partial shade, and unusual weather.

I began fermenting this past week, and I am excited about the flavor of the orange Habanero in one of the squash ferments.  More on that later…I am just throwing that out so to encourage you all to grow more than you think you will use.  Many people struggle with growing a variety of peppers, so they may be likely to trade for some of your chili bounty.

Agriculture, Essays and Reflections, Farming, Hawaii, Marketing

Population Density and the Farm

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People dream of farming on Hawaii Island, aka the Big Island, and they are inspired by all of the potential that it holds.  So these agriculturally minded people create interesting CSAs, they make farms, and aspire to be a farmer’s market vendor.  What most of us fail to consider is the weight of a low population density and how it will affect business.  Without growing the demand for such goods, we will soon be in trouble.  Why? A lot of space between populations means long delivery distances.  With only a few restaurants that buy local produce, that  means that you must have all of them on your team. As in 100%. And that is tough to do unless you are the only farmer around.  That sounds funny, but I have met people in other parts of the country who have a lot of customers because they deliver a great product, but equally important, they have a captive audience and no competition from other farmers or imported goods.  That is an amazing scenario, but not likely here in Hawaii. And we all know that we are not getting much income off our markups in the first place.  We have to produce the product too. I am not discussing “hobby farms” here, I mean to address the issue of farmers that have to survive off their farming.  A friend of mine just couldn’t relate.  I only half-jokingly noted that it is like a realtor having to build the house, go door to door trying to sell it, then get only a few dollars over cost, or even not cover the costs, then immediately do it all over again.  Like I said, it is only half-joking. Maybe that isn’t a perfect example, but farmers are in a really different situation than most people can relate to.

Though in the past three years, I have only stuck one toe into the pools of complexity that surround agriculture in Hawaii. I was more than a little discouraged to find out that almost no farmer that I know is making a living off farming.  They are considered part-timers because their spouse hold a ft job in an office, a non-profit, or a hotel. It is survival.  Right now, grant monies are being directed to new farmers, and as these programs churn out students of all ages and abilities, in our nation’s most expensive place to live, it is hard to tell these inspired new farmers that on top of all else, they need to enter into the difficult task of building new markets as well.

So let’s get back to population density.  On my May trip to Oahu, I saw a familiar face at a unfamiliar farmer’s market. There was the banner of one of my neighborhood farms.  Why on earth were they selling leafy produce on Oahu, several island away from their farm?  It wasn’t just them, there was another Hawaii island farmer there as well, he noted that, “We just don’t have the business that we need to survive.” So they fly to Oahu every Saturday?  Looks like it.  Another well-respected local farmer ships about 90% of his produce to Maui.  Same idea.  Maui has a population density that we do not, and they also have a much better chance of someone caring that their produce is sustainably produced. It is at best, daunting to consider those logistics for farm survival.  Air travel to another island is not cheap in Hawaii, nor is shipping food.  Leafy greens are light, but they require refrigeration.

So what are my suggestions?  One is that I think we need to make a more intensive effort of gardening on Hawaii Island.  Switch gears back to the backyard.  We have yards on the big island, and with some training in soil building and gardening, it is quite possible to grow quite a bit of your own food.  Another idea is to build the movement. One long time Hawaii island resident noted that the desire for local, sustainable food never really took off, in fact it may have been better in the 70’s.   My research indicates that they are right, in the 70’s over 80% of the island’s food was from Hawaii, much of it from this island.  So are we backsliding?  Maybe.  The increase in our island’s importation of foods combined with a locally grown following that isn’t increasing at the same rate.  It feels like it is growing, but from what I hear, local is on many peoples lips, but not on a large number of Hawaii island plates.  I know a lot of circles who buy a large percentage of local produce, but I also know the Costco set who proudly announce that they bought produce from Europe that morning.

Agriculture, Farming, gardening, Hawaii, permaculture, pumpkins

Pruning Squash Leaves for Plant Health

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I plant close, I’ll admit it, too close.  I am a chronic over planter, but I have my methods.  One is making sure that, as one farmer summed,  ” feed the heck out of your plants.” Yes, I do.  Exactly.  I set those plants up for success by giving them a lot of micro nutrients, worms lolling about, mulch to hold it all in, and you cannot forget my homemade fish emulsion.  Like all good things, success comes from a layering method giving a strong base to grow just about anything.  DSC_0409

So it is mid July, it is now finally hot and sunny in upcountry Hawaii, and my May plantings are beginning to sprawl.  What do I do?  Prune the inner leaves and let the air circulate.  Let the other plants like corn, tomatoes and flowers get to see the light, by removing the squash leaves that are very close to each other.  A healthy squash plant will have “choke” (Hawaii slang for a lot) leaves.  So cut off the ones dusted with mildew, give the bed a good soak with diluted fish emulsion, and let ’em sprawl.  In the weeks ahead, they will smother the entire area where I shot this video.

Bear with the video, it is hot and mid day as I deliver this squinty, yell at the camera squash tip.  But it is sent to you now, so that you can fully benefit from it.  The extra fish emulsion will give it a boost of energy at week 6, a heavy vining time in the squash’s life cycle.  So prune, put the leaves in hot compost so to rot it down.  Don’t leave the leaves in the garden or you will encourage the powdery mildew.  Bag the leaves in an old garbage bag, tie it shut, leave it in the sun to cook and kill the mildew before moving them to your compost.

I happen to breed varieties that are naturally resistant to Hawaii’s bouts of mildew, they are often unaffected, when a new trial plant is suffering in it’s first season.  Only the strong plants survive my plant editing.

Powdery mildew is common here in Hawaii, even in dry up country.  I mean very common.  If a plant is getting a lot of natural nutrients, good air circulation, sun and water, don’t fret, maybe try a different species or variety of squash.

Only a small percentage of the squash varieties that I trial even like their VIP care.  So many varieties simply don’t like growing here.  Hawaii has a little bit of everything pests and disease, with the highly unpredictable growing conditions for plants, none of which is welcomed by many squash varieties.  I tried to grow the super dependable Hubbard, and it didn’t like the farm conditions at all.  Now that the soil is really soil instead of half rotted compost, it may like it.  Sometimes it is the time of year that you plant, or even the day that you choose to plant on.  If at first you do not succeed, try again.  You will be a better farmer or gardener if you fall on your face a few times.  Trust me. I do it all of the time.