Why on Earth?

Good question.  As a kid, I was allergic to working on the family farm (my neck would always break out in rash as soon as the truck tires hit our 9 acres) - how I'd rather be in the ocean honing my spear fishing technique.  Yet, I found our connection to the land and food fascinating.  I recall learning how to graft fruit trees at Honaunau Elementary School.  The idea that one could "Frankenstein" multiple trees together was pretty cool, even for a teenager planning to do anything but farm for a living.  I saw how hard my grandparents worked, fishing at night and farming all day.  What I didn't recognize at the time was the love they had for the ocean and land that provided for them.  

Save ourselves.  Save our planet.  It's hard to avoid stories of our impending doom - whether it's our health, global warming, water security or food safety, there's so much discussion about what we're doing wrong, to ourselves and to our planet.  How close we are to the edge is debatable, but I doubt anyone would argue against positive action.  And, that's what this project is about - doing something beneficial for our community and our ecosystem.

Since my grandparents' farm went to one of my aunts, I had been looking for another property in Kona for years to explore novel farming practices as inspired by Michael Pollan's books.  During this time, our circle of friends grew to include people passionate about sustainability, community resilience and health - all of which intersect at the dinner table.  I also underwent a major career change that placed me in the middle of the disaster/emergency management community where community resilience and preparedness are such critical issues.  The planets were aligning, so to speak.

In the summer of 2013, a friend on Facebook shared a link to Kamehameha Schools' Mahiʻai Match-up agriculture business plan competition.  I noticed that one of the lots being offered was in Kealia, just south of my family's historical home in Honaunau.  Winners of the business plan competition will receive up to five years rent free and funding to assist with infrastructure costs of the Kamehameha Schools ag lot.  Being familiar with tech startups, I saw this program as an incubator for agricultural startups.  I had to apply!  

We're excited about his journey and hope you'll join us as we explore food security, health and wellbeing and agricultural entrepreneurship.  Check back for updates.

"To Your Health!"

A common toast at our dinner table at least, it's amazing how much of the wrong stuff we tend to eat.  Processed foods high in sugars are a convenient way to take in fuel, but we all know the quality of that fuel matters.  A lot of people are also becoming more aware of gluten sensitivity/intolerance.  

As members of a local CrossFit gym (box), we started hearing about the virtues of eating a Paleo diet.  Know what?  That sounds a lot like the diet of my ancestors, a diet we still find in traditional settings - fish, poi, taro leaves, pork... staples at a Hawaiian luʻau.  When I look at photos of my great grandfather and the men of that era, I'm amazed at their athletic, sinewy build.  Their Paleo diet wasn't a fad - it was a product of their environment.

As Hawaiians and other people of Oceania struggle with obesity and diabetes, it's hard not to look back a couple of generations - when these alarming conditions did not exist - and wonder if we can't turn back the clock with culturally significant foods.  ʻUlu offers a great alternative to the processed starches commonly found on our dinner tables today.  

For Our Planet

Our national agriculture policy prioritized cheap food for decades, and it served the country well in terms of growth and development.  The cost of food, as a percentage of US incomes, is relatively low compared to what people see in other countries.  An unintended consequence of this policy is a shift from diversity and localized production to mono-cultures and globe-trotting produce.  

There was a time when Hawaiʻi was a net exporter of food - now we import almost everything we eat.  While we won't completely eliminate our demand for imported food, every pound of food we can produce locally can have a positive impact on our environment.

As a tree crop, breadfruit also offers tangible benefits.  Roots hold soil in place to reduce erosion and improve water quality.  Farmers don't have to till the soil every season, as trees produce for years without the need for replanting.  And, how many of us have planted a tree to feel good about scrubbing carbon out of the air?