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Vision, planning, action. You will learn new things along way that will steer you to the best solution.
~Malama Kaua'i Team
*Malama Kaua'i is a Kilauea based non-profit working to raise awareness on the importance of sustainability, to assist in implementing sustainable practices and support sustainable projects beneficial to the community.
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Malama Kaua’i spoke with Eileen McEntee, an Anahola resident that has recently started farming a plot on Wailapa Road in Kilauea. She is part of a growing group of small scale farmers perpetuating organic agriculture here on Kaua’i.
Malama: Can you tell us a bit about how you got into farming and more specifically Kilauea? Farming is not the most lucrative occupation so most seem to do it out of love for the land or the reward of growing what they eat.
Eileen: Having a Native American background I’ve always been interested in farming and my cultural relationship with the Earth. Both my mom and my grandmother were gardeners so it has always been a part of my life. After some schooling and farming experience in Idaho I arrived on Kaua’i in 1998 and started working at Kaua’i Organics, Neil Norman’s old place. I later married and farmed taro in Waipi’o Valley for several years before moving back to Kaua’i in 2004. I was able to get a plot on Wailapa Road and began growing fruits and vegetables there. This was in addition to an organic taro farm that my husband had established down in Hanalei. I also think that being a vegetarian and wanting to provide fresh, organic food for my son and husband are two main motivators that keep me going.
Malama: Yeah, the taro connection. I’ve seen your taro burgers at some of the reggae shows, great idea. So, I know that with your new plot you’ve been able to start a farmer to consumer business, what they call “community supported agriculture”, or CSA for short. It’s an interesting model where the produce that you are growing are picked-up weekly by area residents. Can you tell us a bit more about how that works and how your service is going?
Eileen: The CSA is where people pay a flat rate, in my case per month, and receive a weekly box of fruits and veggies. Usually, you pay upfront which allows the farmer to purchase the seeds and other soil amendments they need. Some larger CSA’s might have you prepay for 6 or 12 month periods so they have the finances to do bulk purchases, plantings and take care of staffing. The best thing about the CSA though is that the produce is local and always fresh, many times being picked the same day that you take it home and eat it. Since the farmer and the community have a direct relationship the farmer sees the entire profit from their work instead of a middle person taking a large chuck. It really helps to support the small farms. With my CSA, I currently service about a dozen families but I hope to have that up to about 30 families by mid-summer.
Malama: I’m sure there are folks out there that would love to get started with a garden of their own. How would someone be able to acquire the skills needed to get a garden going at home? What are the basics steps?
Eileen: You can do work trade with local farmers, which is how I started. I believe there are also some internships available at KCC. There are also some great books available at the local libraries such as John Jeavons’s “How to grow more vegetables than you ever thought possible on less land then you can imagine”. That one is a “square foot” garden book so it works well for the small scale home gardener. There is also one called “Seed to Seed” by Suzanne Ashworth. It talks to growing your own seed stock and the benefits to your garden as a whole when taking this approach.
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Malama: Where can people find you?
Eileen: I sell with the Whitlocks at the Hanalei Sunshine Farmer’s Market on Saturday morning, 9:30am.
Malama: Thanks for your time and good luck on growing the CSA. I’m personally excited to see more small scale farmers being able to make a living even in today’s economic climate here on Kaua’i. After all we are the “Garden Island”.
Eileen: Thanks for the opportunity and remember to take care of your soil and your soil will take care of you!
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If you would like to reach Eileen please contact her via email at: earthrevelations@yahoo.com
There is also a new farmer incubator program called Green Light in Kilauea that Malama Kaua’i has partnered with. It is a work trade model where people can learn how to take a bare piece of land and, in 6 – 8 weeks, prepare and maintain the soil, set-up irrigation, plant crops and harvest. If you are interested in this program please contact us here at Malama Kaua’i: info@malamakauai.org or 828-0685.
The first Eco-Roundtable meeting took place on February 13, 2007. Nearly 40 environmental groups and 75+ people were in attendance. Nearly all groups agreed it was a great meeting to increase the networking and collaboration potential for Kaua'i's environmental community. A website portal has been set up to list announcements and provide links to the many groups that call the island home: www.EcoRoundtable.org. The next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, May 8, 2007, 6pm at the Peace & Freedom Hall in Lihu'e (formerly known as the Kaua'i War Memorial Convention Hall).
Everyone in the Kaua'i bamboo community, especially those interested in building with bamboo, is invited to an informational meeting Saturday, May 12, noon to 2PM, to be held in Kapa'a, at Bamboo Works in the Kaua'i Design Center, 4585 Lehua Street (across from Specialty Lumber, one block mauka of the ABC store.) The meeting is free and open to the public.
The purpose of the meeting, which is sponsored by Bamboo Works, Malama Kaua'i and Steelgrass Bamboo Farm, is to provide the community with the latest information on bamboo construction, particularly what types of bamboo are available, the many ways they can be used structurally, and the requirements under which a structure utilizing bamboo may qualify for a building permit from the County of Kaua'i.
For more information, please contact Tony Lydgate, 821-1857, tony@steelgrass.org ; or Julian Ruppert, 821-8688, Julian@bambooworks.com .
Guava Kai, the Kilauea guava plantation landmark, was recently purchased and the plans are for it to go green. "The hope is to continue enough guava production to service the local needs but go organic with the production of that guava", remarks the new owner, Chris Jaeb, "we'd also like to see the facility become a resource for the local agricultural community, a center that can help to support and grow the diversified agricultural opportunities on the North Shore".
Guava Kai, previously owned an operated by Kilauea Agronomics, is actually made up of several land parcels owned by different individuals. "We've only purchased 45 acres that include the processing facility, office, snack bar and gift shop with about 6 acres in actual guava production." Jaeb continues, "Unfortunately, there are hundreds of acres of guava trees that aren't owned by us so we can't really say what will become of them. We have tried to secure new leases for some of the land but the owner(s) are not obligated to honor our requests."
There is a “Guava Kai: Welcome Back Celebration” planned for Aloha Friday May 25, 4:30 PM, with live music and pupus. This is a free event open to the public. There will be a blessing and a general overview about the plans to create a sustainable resource center for the area as well as information about some of the potential ideas. Community input is welcomed and Guava Kai will be collecting ideas from everyone in attendance.
For more information about Guava Kai please contact Mark Selz at 828-0645.
- May 4, Friday, 12:00 PM
KKCR Sustainability Radio Show
@ KKCR 91.9 FM or www.KKCR.org - More Info
- May 6, Sunday, 12:00 PM
Vegan Potluck Luncheon
@ Kapa'a Neighborhood Center, Kapa'a - More Info
- May 8, Tuesday, 4:00 PM
County Council Special Budget Meeting
@ County Building, Lihu'e - More Info
- May 8, Tuesday, 6:00 PM
Eco-Roundtable Quarterly Meeting
@ Peace & Freedom Hall / War Memorial, Lihu'e - More Info
- May 10 , Thursday, 5:30 PM
Apollo Kaua'i Monthly Meeting
@ State Building, 2FL Conference Room, Lihu'e - More Info
- May 12 , Saturday, 12:00 PM
Building With Bamboo 2007: What's Possible?
@ Bamboo Works, Kapa'a - More Info
- May 18, Friday, 12:00 PM
KKCR Sustainability Radio Show
@ KKCR 91.9 FM or www.KKCR.org - More Info
- May 19, Saturday, 9:00 AM
May Beach Clean-up with Surfrider Kaua'i
@ Kekaha Beach, Kekaha - More Info
- June 1, Friday, 12:00 PM
KKCR Sustainability Radio Show
@ KKCR 91.9 FM or www.KKCR.org - More Info
- June 9, Saturday, 8:00 AM
Save Our Seas 4th International Clean Oceans Conference
@ Princeville Ballroom, Princeville - More Info
If you know of an upcoming event that should receive a mention please let us know at: info@malamakauai.org or 828-0685.
Malama Kaua'i is a Kilauea based non-profit working to raise awareness on the importance of sustainability, to assist in implementing sustainable practices and support sustainable projects beneficial to the community.
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