Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 9, Number 8, 1 August 1992 — Homesteaders build economic base [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Homesteaders build economic base

by Pearl Leialoha Page When Francis Hun and his family were awarded an agricultural Hawaiian homestead on Pahe'ehe'e Ridge in 1986, he grasped the opportunity with both hands. A road reached his land, but the lot itself had little else. However, Hun was determined. Today, he operates BoKe' Farm, a mixed hydroponic and aquaculture operation, on the one acre whieh is all the usable land on his 2.63-acre homestead. This innovative approach to farming on a property characterized

by rocks, brush and an extreme slope is one that OHA, the Department of Business, Eeonomie Development and Tourism and the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands hope ean be duplicated on other homesteads.

Hun is raising milkfish and sunfish, but his primary commercial product is a gourmet delicacy, snails; for escargot. The slow-moving gastropod ean fetch a premium piiee among chefs of loeal upscale resorts and restaurants. However, Hun's work isn't limited to just his homestead. His job as eeonomie development chairman for the Pahe'ehe'e Ridge Association is to find a variety of agricultural products upon whieh he and his fellow homesteaders ean build an eeonomie base and provide self-sufficiency and offer a Hawaiian lifestyle.

"We tried everything," without success during the first three years, says Charles Ka'ai'ai, association president. Either the crop couldn't be sustained or the market changed. The key to agriculture on these marginal lands seems to be hydroponics, a waterbased method of growing plants. Some of the most promising crops are spinach, manoa lettuce, tomatoes and green onions. Since hydroponic farming accurately controls the amount of nutrients taken in by the plants, the growth cycle is accelerated. The result is a quality pesticidefree, specialty crop that ean be easily

controlled by the homesteaders to respond to market demand. Learning the basics When Hun and other homesteaders received their homesteads, they attended a Management by lslanders class sponsored by Alu Like, ine. and taught by Mark Suiso. "After we did the class everyone had to eome up with a business plan," Suiso said. "The advantage in Francis' case is you give him some information and he moves on it. He gives momentum for the rest." That momentum has led Hun to find

creative ways to clear the many hurdles he and the association faces — from getting water and electrical meters to lobbying federal agencies and loeal legislators to fund a road and drainage system. The first two years, Hun ran a water line from a neighbor on private property and used the data to convince the Board of Water Supply to give him his own meter. "Our plan is to develop every lot on this road," Hun said in a telephone interview.

Hydroponics: a contemporary expression of Hawaiian values Hun is currently applying hydroponie technology to raising taro, with a view toward eventual export. Since the taro's not grown in soil, it doesn't have any pests and ean be more easily shipped. Hun and neighboring hydroponie tomato farmer, Zeb Jones of Hawai'i Hydroponics, are breaking new ground by applying hydroponics to taro. The process is still in its early stage and poses an interesting culture question.

"I had a hard time thinking, 'I'm going to talk to Hawaiians about raising taro outside the lo'i?' " Hun recalled. But after a little research, he discovered that Hawaiian farmers used hydroponics to grow taro at Kawainui marsh. Taro slips were woven into reed rafts that were anchored in the middle of the marsh, Hun learned.

"Hydroponics is a sophisticated use of land and water management not inconsistent with the general values held by the Hawaiians of earlier times," comments Linda Colburn, OHA eeonomie development officer. Its most attractive features are that it requires minimum labor, combines self-sufficiency with cultural values and seems to make eeonomie sense.

"We wanted to take care of the older adults and young kids, so they ean feel responsible for themselves." Hun explains. With some adults waiting 20 to 30 years to get on their land, the prospect of back-breaking farming loses its appeal. "Even a handicapped person ean do this." he said. For example, it takes just 28 days to raise perfect heads of lettuce. After the seeds have sprouted, the hydroponie farmer onlv handles the plants

twice: onee to set the seedlings in the Styrofoam template that holds them in plaee on a shallow water table, and onee more to harvest the full heads and put them in a bag. Prescribed measurements of a nutrient mix are added to the water several times during the growing period. A fine cloth screen prevents insects from nibbling on Ae plants.

Careful monitoring of the pH levels allows the plants to grow in optimum conditions under a shade house. Hun and Jones have also worked out a water recycling system whieh they say has reduced water usage by 90 percent. Funding sources The BoKe' Farm was made possible by a grant and loan ffom OHA and a loan from the DBED&T. In addition, state Sen. James Aki earmarked

$300,000 in 1989 from his capitol improvement project funds to help with infrastructure for Pahe'ehe'e Ridge. The monies were deposited with the DHHL whieh also eontributed $850 for new pins to restake

property lines. The genesis and momentum eome from Hun, the homesteaders association and Zeb Jones. Jones offers technical know-how and market connections. Hun provides the creativity and cultural values. The association gives the operation clout when it comes to lobbying for needed improvements, despite the fact that the ridge has yet to be formally subdivided.

Hun networked with other business people to obtain the necessary landfill to level out a portion of his lot and found a unique source of rectangular fibergiass tanks to support the hydroponics. The dirt eame from the H-3 construction. The containers were leftovers from building the H-l. The hard currency eame from a two-year-old program sponsored by the DBED&T and OHA. Hun was the first recipient of the special loan program called C-BED, community based eeonomie development. "It's emerging as a creative and dynamic strategy for building strong eommunities with a greater capacity for eeonomie self-determination," said OHA eeonomie specialist Christine Van Bergeijk.

OHA is underwriting $25,000 of the project and has provided a $10,000 loan. It has also helped attract other money. "What is particularly unique and gratifying about this project is it is driven by the creativity'of the beneficiary," comments Linda Colburn, OHA eeonomie development officer. "The long-term goal is to create a situation where DHHL ean ultimately y embrace tbese types of approaches to

eeonomie development as part of planning communities and homesteads. Homesteaders ean then use the eeonomie development projects to generate ineome to help pay for mortcontinued on page23

Francis Hun and Zeb Jones show how perfect lu'au leaves are qrown hydroponically. However, they have yet to produce a full-grown taro root.

A closed system recycles water from fish tank (at left) to three snail tanks (at right) and on to hydroponic tables filled with taro piants. Hun held an open house in June. Dennis Kondo (center) was one of Hun's business instructors.

Pahe'ehe'e Ridge homesteaders

from page 13

gages, Colburn said.

Boke' Farms also received a $100,000 loan from DBED&T to construct two 1,500 sq.-ft. shade houses and equipment to expand the hydroponic operations as well as build a certified kitchen to

process the snails. Though the DBED&T is not accepting anymore CBED applications right now, it is working with several other Hawaiian applicants. "We hope to have several success stories to take back to the Legislature to get additional funding," comments Doreen Shishido, DBED&T branch chief of financial assistance. "I think they're [Pahe'ehe'e Ridge Association] going to do very well given the limited resources," Shishido predicts.

Eeonomie Plan Hun, Jones and association president Charles Ka'ai'ai estimate that a similar turnkey operation with one 2,000-gal. fish tank, 10 to 15 snail tanks and eight to 12 hydroponic tables under a green house could be duplicated for as little as $16,000 on homestead land. The hydroponic tables alone could bring in $1,800 a month. After six months the

snail tanks would realistically yield about five pounds a week per tank, Hun reports. These would be bought by Hun for processing at $2.50 a pound, averaging from $500 to $750 a month. Year-end profits would be shared among those who raised the snails, Hun said.

A smaller starter setup consisting of just eight hydroponic tables could be put together for about $600 and bring in about $1,200 a month. Maintenance costs are minimal, ranging from $50

to $127 a month, Hun said. "The whole purpose is to empower the individual," Ka'ai'ai said. It depends too on what the homesteader wants to do and what his land allows him to do, Hun added. Snails cannot be raised anywhere near a natural water source or a forest area and must be raised atop a gravel bed to prevent escape into the environment. The fish are basically raised for subsistence and polycultured with the snails.

A byproduct of the operation is about 10 lbs. of calcium-rich solid material whieh is cleaned out twice a year from eaeh tank. When composted it ean be used to enrich the calcium-poor land, Ka'ai'ai explains.

Though prospects seem hopeful, Christine Van Bergeijk, an OHA eeonomie development specialist, sounds a note of caution. "The challenge faced by Francis Hun and members of Pahe'ehe'e Ridge is to demonstrate that hydroponic cultivation and backyard aquaculture are feasible on a commercial scale. Similar projects have experienced problems when the scale of their operation increased. OHA's financial support is aimed at sharing the burden of this risk so this method ean be fully explored." she said.

Regardless, other Pahe'ehe'e Ridge homesteaders are eager to start their own hydroponic operations and take their goods to the marketplace as a eo-op. What is holding some of them back is access to their properties. In 1990, the association was awarded $1.2 million by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to construct a road and drainage system. That amount was boosted to $2.4 million, reports John Rowe, deputy director, Department of Hawaiian Home Lands. The project is expected to cost $3 million.

"We're ready to go for bids," Rowe reports. There are complications however. The road plan encroaches on Department of Land and Natural Resources lands. Negotiations have been continuing. Rowe expects resolution by September. Until the road goes in, DHHL is hindered in developing a water source, other infrastructure and submitting a subdivision plan to the city and county. In the meanhme, hope is building

among homesteaders, both for access to their lots and a means to make an eeonomie go of their land. "I think this is the way to go," says homesteader Louise MeKee. She and her husband are in their 60s. "My husband waited 30 years for tltis. DHHL says you must farm it, but you're given rocks and keawe; 'Here you are brother, don't give it back now.' But then you have someone showing you the way like this. This is good, and you don't have to use pesticides. This is helpful."