Maui Aloha Aina

Views from the 2010 Body & Soil Conference Olinda Maui (click on photos to enlarge)

2010-02-08T20:54:00.000-08:00

Kumulani Farm Olinda Maui

2010-01-09T01:49:00.000-08:00

Kumulani Organic Farm Olinda Maui.......(click on pics to enlarge)

2009-12-25T18:07:00.000-08:00

Pics from up at Kumulani Organic Farm in Olinda Maui the site of our Upcoming Body and Soil Farm Health Conference, Jan16, 17th...
We will be having a demonstration on making Bio Char using coconut husk with this homemade retort shown in these photos. Notice the finish coconut husk made into bio-char, this material mixed with finished compost is very fractal in nature acting as a receptor site for microbes
(To enlarge pictures click on them )

Coconut Bio Char & Sustainability Event

2009-12-12T18:46:00.000-08:00

I had the honor of speaking at the sustainability event in Paia organized by visionary Anthony Simmons Dec 12 what a beautiful day and receptive crowd that was there.
Ah Maui Nei!!!

Yesterday I was up on Steve Wilsons farm where we are going to hold our conference in Jan 16,17th. A Picture here shows his land being planted. Also we did a successful fire making coconut Bio Char. WOW just look at how beautiful this is, I was so excited at the results we got. We will be having this also as a demonstration at our conference next month,along with Jerry's solar drier demonstrated today at the event. Be there and see the magic to this incredible soil building amendment,and focus of the suns energy in drying food.

Fletcher Sims, Sabino Cortez, Jeff Moyer (rodale) Jerry Brunetti, WIll Winter, Alan Ballet, Fred Walters,Ben Mead, Cindy, Rosie, Collete, ACRES Ohana!

2009-12-04T22:27:00.000-08:00

ACRES USA 2009 first day Dec 3

2009-12-03T21:08:00.000-08:00

Be ready Maui and Big Isle!!! The magic that is here at ACRES is coming to the islands soon!!!!

FARM TOUR PICS...Click on pics to enlarge

2009-10-26T09:30:00.000-07:00

Kipahulu Farm Tour/Workshop is selling out/Hawaii Healing Garden Festival

2009-10-19T10:09:00.000-07:00

Farm Tour to Kipahulu has now 17 seats left to sell out!
Theres a price for registering and for not registering.
Choose in youll be happy you did!

Thank You all who are registered its going to be a great tour/workshop

We had a booth yesterday at Hawaii Healing Garden Festival!

We got to experience firsthand the holistic vendor services there.
Were very happy they are going to be vendors at our Body and Soil Conference Jan 16,17th.

Health conscious folks attended and made for provocative conversations and relationship building.

Kudos to event organizers of HHG Michael and Katie for all their beautiful energy in building community translating into a life nurturing day!!!

They are doing essential work to support our communities well being!!!

Maui Daily Show/ Kipahulu Farm Tour

2009-10-15T21:44:00.000-07:00

FARM TOUR,FARM TOUR,FARM TOUR..... WOW this tour has taken on a life of its own. Thankfully the community of Maui has embraced our efforts and are coming out to support us.

Oahu also is showing up in support signing up 7 people to fly over for this rare glimpse of these collective farms. Mahalo Oahu!!!
We only have 28 spots left before we sell out. If you value ecological practices in a diverse exotic setting then this tour/workshop is for you!
Having a soil consultant on hand will give folks an in depth look at the critical path taken to restore and sustain vitality on their land.

MAUI DAILY SHOW!!!

Here is the link to see Vincent Mina the founder of Maui Aloha Aina Association hosting the Maui Daily Show on AKAKU http://www.akaku.org/ondemand/?v=7Ka6R
These are segments filmed by AKAKU certified videographers, introduced by Vincent.
Lets all support AKAKU its a great/essential community service!!

2009 farm tour and Conference 2010

2009-10-05T09:56:00.000-07:00

Wow there is alot happening around ecological agriculture these days and rightfully so, with the dysfunction of a food system that has been exposed on film by the movies King Corn and Food Inc.
Folks are in fear about a swine flu and type 2 diabetes is rampant throughout the USA.

We are excited in our keeping our eye on the bigger picture as to our educational outreach and how that can assist to shape the direction of agriculture in our county and state. AINA MOMONA Fattening of the environment..........

Here are some recent photos of the farmers market up at Eddie Tam which by the way is a happening with incredible diversity of Local grown produce available to the early worm on Saturday between 6 and 9:30am.

Our upcoming farm tour Oct 24th to Kipahulu

A site visit to Waiaha Farms in Holualoa just Mauka (uplands) of Kona. A beautiful 100 acre farm utilizing the implementation of animals into the system of agriculture they have developing there. They are going to be hosting our 2010 big Isle version of "Body and Soil Health Conference on Jan 23,24 just after our Maui event Jan 16,17,2010.

A recent visit to the big isle for the HOFA annual meeting award winners with President Franz Weber Sarah Townsend, Certification Coordinator

Deborah Ward, Quality Control Officer, Certification Associate

Two ladies well deserved of the great work they do for the Organic community

Farm Tour October 24th

2009-08-24T05:07:00.000-07:00

Aloha All Just back from a weekend in Kipahulu Maui meeting with the folks of the four farms for our upcoming farm tour. Revisiting the tour we had in 2002, "Backside Farm Tour"
The intention is on Oct 24th taking up to 100 people in small buses around the backside to revisit these special ecological Organic farms.
A special access into four organic farms in wetland taro,vegetable,fruit and timber bamboo production, with extensive use of nitrogen fixing cover crops and ground covers. Making a strong case as to what is possible for our island home to be self sustaining in food and fiber.

There will be a soil consultant facilitator to analyze the test taken and offer a comparison of analysis that were taken back in 2002 as to where the farms have evolved.

We also are very excited about our upcoming conference in January that will be on three islands this year. Maui, Big Isle and Kauai. Details will be forthcoming on our website soon.

Kauai 4th of July weekend

2009-07-06T01:00:00.000-07:00

Aloha we were on Kauai this fourth of July weekend.
This photo of Kupuna Nancy Kobayashi with three quarters of our ohana, on her beach front Hanalei property.
How beautiful the Orgainc Lo'i of the Garden Isle as seen in our friends Chris and Dimi farm.!

Our Next Steps!

2009-06-18T17:44:00.000-07:00

Aloha from Pennsylvania with the Summer Solstice just around the corner!!!

We recently had a day long meeting with Jerry Brunetti and Dr. Paul Hepperly at the Rodale Institute. These brilliant leaders of ecological agriculture were inspiring to be around, and we are fortunate to have them as two of four presenters for our next Body and Soil Conference.

Our time together was very productive in viewing all of the trials being done there around cover cropping, composting and bio char soil remediation. Setting the tone and content of this next conference, which will be Jan 16 and 17th on Maui.

The theme being, how to beneficially colonize while understanding, the microbial world of our Body and the Soil.

We then will be taking it to the Big Island and Kauai so folks from outer islands can hear these provocative presentations too. Doc Hepperly shared with us that we all need to "have a sense of humus" and create "global worming" in developing our agricultural point of view!!!

We are also hoping to have a "Backside Farm Tour" to Kipahulu, Maui in October. Revisiting that area from last time we did in 2002. We will be calling on our data base of folks to assist in making it so
It was a great time then and will be again with us all going around Ulupalakua side in small buses and visiting these jewels of Biological farms!!! Stay tuned for more news on the details of that event.

We also went to see the premier of the movie "Food, Inc." in downtown Phila. Wow what a powerful flic. This industrial food system we have is crashing down under its own weight of dysfunction. Its up to us to help that along at the cash register, with our choosing to by local grown while finding out how it was grown. Only supporting a system that feeds us nutrient rich diversity of food, while building vitality in the environment.

Were so charged by what is possible in shifting the awareness on Maui to play a much bigger game agriculturally. We have been focused on building our next conference, followed by the agricultural summit into being a guiding light to achieve some attainable goals, employing proper agricultural protocols that feed back into a system that produces vitality into our food supply and environment.

We also envision anonymous financial support for our mission so that we can move forward a ecological food, energy and water system for Maui, that will represent the ability of what can be done. We are now on the threshold of a dream to actualize Maui as the paradise on earth that we all know it can be.

Hold that vision translating into your actions, whether its growing your own food or just appreciating those whose actions are putting "the culture back into agriculture".

May Day News from Ma'a

2009-05-01T13:32:00.000-07:00

Weve been busy working on several fronts.
Look first at this all Organic local grown meal we prepared, yea baby!!!! We had fresh fish caught by our friend we cleaned and baked. Organic steamed green beans, Organic Avocado, Organic Garden Squash steamed, Organic salad with our compost grown sunflower greens, and Organic sweet potato. It was so ono!!!!

Next some great news, in our testimonies to the County of Maui Council on the budget for fiscal 09,10 we requested and received unanimous support for a separate line item in funding from the county.
It still needs to pass through two readings under a full council yet we are hopeful they will continue to support what they all agreed to.
What this means is that Maui Aloha Aina Association will no longer be under the farm bureau in getting our funding from the county. Also the county is going to be funding us to hold an agricultural summit to development an ecological whole system approach in the formation of an action plan for our islands food security and sustainability.
What is heartening for us is the county seeing the value of what we are doing and how we need as an island to be moving in a direction that will truly sustain our physical and environmental well being. Were also in the process of building our next "Body and Soil" conference slated for the middle of January 2010. Stay tuned for more details on this tradition of a very provocative event for Maui.

Sharing some very sad news we put out in a newsletter in January was the passing of Charles "Chuck" Walters founder of ACRES USA and an icon of eco-agriculture.
When we last posted our blog it was after the ACRES Conference where we last saw and spent time with Chuck. We feel so very fortunate to have had a personal friendship with this humble yet highly educated man who stood up and spoke up for the small family farm and all of our small diverse farms that make up the back bone of our eco-logical agricultural scene.
His humor and wit along with his pointed "view from the country" will truly will be missed.

Thankfully and selflessly he left behind a legacy of holding space for eco agricultural leaders in Kinsey, Brunetti, Zimmer, Shaffer, Salatin, Anderson the list goes on and on to continue to blaze the educational trail he began back when he founded ACRES USA in the early seventies. While his son Fred who has been running the operations of the publication and conferences continues with the standards and values set by Chuck.

Into a future that will serve as a beacon guiding us all into an eco logical relationship with the natural world in our agricultural evolution of practice.

Our Ma'a board, Vincent Mina, Jim Hall, and Irene Plunkett with Ann Walters, Chucks wife and matriarch of the publication and conferences.

ACRES USA 2008 "In the Books"

2008-12-06T20:40:00.000-08:00

Well its in the books the 2008 ACRES USA conference is now history.

(Chuck Walters enjoying some of sunflower greens we brought from our farm)

WOW what a lazier beam expression of agriculture, or as Charles "Chuck" Walters
shared this event being the university and the presenters being the professors of what the true essence of Agriculture is and will be as we move into the future.

Jerry Brunetti was honored with the ACRES USA lifetime award for his contributions to agriculture. The attendance was over 1200 and many here for the first time. We got to hear presentations from ACRES leaders who also have presented at past Ma'a conferences.

With the likes of Bob Shaffer, Will Winter, Richard Olree, Gary Zimmer, Neal Kinsey and Jerry Brunetti along with great keynotes from new faces with a long history of contributions in Agriculture.

First time presenting Michael Melendrez from New Mexico gave a great presentation of the soil food web and wants to come present on Maui at the Ma'a conference. Were feeling that for our next conference slated for January of 2010, we will be focused on the body and soil ecology in micro-flora with hopefully having two of the four presenters being Michael Melendrez and gut health with
Natasha Campbell McBride the star of the Westin Price Conference this past November.
I've been using the pro-biotic she formulated the results in support of my physiology have been impressive. This has me very excited since both are strong advocates of how the micro-flora in the body and the soil rules the roost. Something all persuasions of growers whether a farmer or gardener needs to pay attention to along with those who just want to eat and be well.
(By the way were figuring to have a backside Organic farm tour to Kipahulu in October of 09, that will be a follow up from the provocative one we experienced in 2002, called the "Backside Tour" where we chartered small buses and drove backside around Ulupalakua to Kipahulu and visited 4 Organic farms. It will be fortuitous to see how they have grown and developed over the years.)
All in all ACRES was truly a great event, we hope to bring all that we experienced back to the folks on Maui so that others can benefit from all of the scientific based expertise we were exposed to.

We also were treated to the premier of the documentary "Food Fight" and are hoping to have it premiered on Maui as we did with King Corn before its release to the public. Stay tuned to this one it was a great film showing what is being done and the value that is being created in growing our food biologically.

Westin Price & ACRES USA Conferences

2008-11-21T21:46:00.000-08:00

Aloha, Were back after a wonderful conference at Westin Price (Wise Traditions) over 1,400 folks attended, to think that eight years ago their first conference was held in a basement and 64 folks attended.

The presentations were top notch, and the food equally as good.

We met and spoke with two progressive MD's whose work are most provocative. Natasha Campbell McBride out of the UK was the shinning star of the conference along with Tom Cowan who happens to also be a board member of Westin Price, its our hope to have them speak at our upcoming events.

Pictured Natasha and her son with Vincent

These are folks who have developed nutritional protocols that support healthy heart and circulation, along with probiotics and enzymes that will support a healthy digestive system, or in Dr. Campbell's words assist to "seal and heal our gut".

Next up for us is to go to ACRES USA in St. Louis to recruit our other two presenters. We feel fortunate to be able to get to these events which saves folks here on the islands the thousands of dollars it would otherwise take to get to hear these world class presentations.

Conference 08 " One for the ages"!!!

2008-11-01T17:05:00.000-07:00

Aloha All
The conference is now in the books, what a event it was,
Mahalo Nui to all who supported our efforts to connect community with provocative presentations environmental and body ecology.

Our 8th event we were heartened with the energy and gratitude of all that attended.
The tone being set by the Hanalei Colleado Ohana with their mele and chant.
The presenters were very inspired by the energetics and appreciation from the community that attended and it was evident by their presentations.

With the setting being the beautiful venue of Sam Vessels Property. Sam has been very supportive of our efforts in gifting us the use of her land to hold our events and where Steve Wilson has been farming organically and evolving his practices through the expertise that has been presented there, over the past few years held on this property.

Coupled with an off the charts spread of Organic food that mirrored the spirit and intention of what the conference is all about in growing nutritious food and being well.

What made it also so very successful was the networking among participants,enhanced by a vendor tent full of great services,it was indeed a great success. Truly folks that came experienced that they were the event.

We now are setting our sites on next years conference and along with that have an intention to hold a agricultural summit to develop an action plan for Maui County.
Mahalo again to all of you that made this years one to remember and build on.
Please feel free to comment on your experience of either coming to the conference or visiting our website and blog.

Mahalo Nui Loa to all!

Bee Aware

2008-09-09T00:04:00.000-07:00

Aloha All, This coming Friday nite will tip off the start of a series of presentations on the life cycle and challenges of he honey bee here in Hawaii. Dennis Morihiro is a elder that has worked with bees for the past 25 years.
Its heartening to know that he is open to share his knowledge and experience with the community at large.

Our conference is now 32 days away. There has been much done to prepare and still much to do. Today I sent out 21 soil samples of folks that had the foresight to sign up for soil analysis with their early registration. Sept 22nd marks the end of early registration without soil analysis and at this point we have 30 registrations, making it the most we have had this far out from the conference over the eight years weve done these events.

It is very timely with alot of the soil samples coming in from ladies which doesn't surprise me since the ladies are the ones who are sensitized to environment and when the awareness needs to be raised they show up.

Speaking of showing up were hoping that they and others that are growing food and selling it will show up at the Kula Community Center this Saturday Sept 13. at 5:30 annual meeting of Maui County Farm Bureau to vote for new board members who want to implement programs in support of our small farmers. Namely Gerry Ross, Chuck Boerner, Steve Wilson, Bob Howerton and Vincent Mina.

NO TILL... Mo Bettah

2008-08-03T14:56:00.001-07:00

Aloha All

I just returned from field days at Rodale Institute and purchased
a roller crimper to have on island in time for our conference
and demonstration October 11,12,2008

What is a roller crimper?

(Kumulani Organic Farm)

Its a piece of equipment that is mounted on the front of the tractor
that rolls and crimps every seven inches a cover crop into a living
mulch.
As it rolls and crimps the cover crop down a coulter (disc)then
slices through the cover crop enabling the farmer to plant starts
or seeds, without disturbing the soil with destructive tilling.

The system we are looking to develop here on the island using this
tool will be utilized on four foot raised vegetable beds growing a
cover crop to fix nitrogen in the soil and also aid in weed
suppression, in support of growing a vegetable crop.

With the rising cost of off farm inputs this direction will aid
in saving money on those costly inputs and in supporting our
small farmers in their practice to be more diversified while
adding important biology in the building their soil structure.

We know a soil that is fertile from mineral balance and biology will
have a structure that will support the growth of a vital plant for us
to eat and be healthy.

It is our intention to support the development of small diverse farms
that utilize regional resources to strengthen and sustain vitality in
its production of local grown produce.
Having a system in place that builds and maintains the vitality of multiple eco systems in our environment will strengthen our farmers ability to farm sustain-ably into the future.

Back To The Future

2008-04-30T05:57:00.000-07:00

Aloha here it is the end of April, since our last event in which we had the showing of King Corn with having the fortune of Chuck Walters and Ian Cheney here, weve been working on developing our next conference on "Body and Soil Health". Recently we were at Hookipa for Earth Day and in Hana for the Taro Festival. At the taro festival we set up selling produce from 18 of our local farmers representing Maui County the Farm Bureau. Being an officer of the board of our local Maui chapter while Irene coordinates the special events I was there to support the running of the booth and also to promote what we are doing and envisioning with Ma'a.
One of the directions that we are exploring in order to promote soil building practices is the development of a equipment co-op,in the building of our soils.
Working on the State Organic Committee has brought that to the forefront in developing protocols through the procurement of equipment supporting our farms the best way we know how that is infrastructural, with practices that lower our energy inputs while raising our yields. Having the Rodale institute in our corner (Dr. Paul Hepperly the research manager is speaking at this years event) with their three decades of research and development around complete farming systems which offer a way to farm without the use of kill things while lowering the energy inputs speaks to the rebuilding of our agricultural system here in Hawaii. Its very exciting to know what we as biological farmers know to be true in a biological system is in fact attainable as a small farmer, through the use of natural protocols. Thus making this years conference an opportunity to build an important bridge between the intellectual and the practical applications of feeding our selfs while stewarding our environment.

ACRES USA /King Corn

2008-02-25T09:11:00.001-08:00

Lots happened lots to share, Chuck Walters and Ian Cheney at the MACC for the screening of King Corn drew about a thousand viewers.which was well received.

A full moon time we went on to visit a three farms with Chuck and his wife Ann. Chuck at a Keanae Taro Patch

Having Chuck and Ian here brought light and perspective of what an elder like Mr. Walters has brought to the agricultural community with his leadership shown in developing ACRES USA and how that wisdom and experience passes on to a young visionary as in Ian Cheney in working to raise the awareness level for the communities benefit.
Ian at Mana'o Radio for interview

Orchads Sweet Potato and Wheatgrass

2008-02-05T00:14:00.000-08:00

Orchids I planted out front in cinder and Kanaio moss covered rock.....

Aloha, Its Feb and in another few weeks King Corn will be shown Chuck Walters will speak along with the films producer and co-star Ian Chaney all on a full moon nite. Its going to be a great opportunity for all that come to take their lives up a notch.

Up in Kanaio the other day to give the sweet potato some attention. It was adverse weather windy mainly with some misting rain. What amazed me was how well the potato is doing with such little care. I gathered some leaf humus from under a sedge in the area to put on top of the soil the potato is growing in.It was such a beautiful material which I feel will help hold in the moisture while protect and enhance the microbial mass in the soil.
Finishing off with a picture of some wheat grass off of our farm.
How nice to see it grow so very lush.........

Snow, Garden and Commercial Corn

2008-01-31T09:30:00.000-08:00

Aloha from the Valley Isle that is experiencing a winter storm over the past few days making it cold enough to close our windows, something that occurs a few times a year.
For those in the snow belt know that its all relative....... Any how we have snow a top Mt Haleakala which has the island a buzz with folks wanting to run up to the top to play in.

My daughter and I started our winter garden just before the storm hit and now its setting real well with the first seedlings just loving the moisture. It was nice to see how rich the load of compost was in contrast to the cleared area. We have been building this compost for the past year and now have many more loads available for use.

Our farm has been kickin with the demand for our greens high,our infrastructure is in need of retooling so hopefully we will make that happen soon. We could use the space since we are just bursting at the seams.

Were getting closer to the coming of Chuck and Ann Walters for a visit to the islands. Were looking forward to seeing them here and having Chuck speak at our event on Feb 20th showing King Corn.
Ian Chaney the films producer and co star being here is a added bonus, I am excited to meet and introduce him to the islands as with Chuck and Ann, it is all of their first time here. Along with them my parents are also here celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary and my Dads 80th birthday. Its all so very special that all of this is coming together at this time, we are most appreciative.

King Corn, Garden & Kanaio

2008-01-23T16:29:00.000-08:00

Aloha! King Corn is coming Feb 20 to be shown in the castle theater at the Maui Art and Cultural Center. If you haven't yet signed up for our website newsletter announcing this event. Please do so at this time. www.MauiAlohaAina.org
Hope to see you all there on the 20th of Feb..........

Life has been very full yet when my daughter requested to clear so we could plant a garden I slowed down enough to do just that.

Amazing how having a garden is a good way to slow it all down while giving nutrient dense food to us.

Was up in Kanaio the other day checking on the sweet potato I have growing out in the wild, its been doing well considering the wind and lack of rain it has endured.
I found a pocket of runoff soil that deposited down below the site and brought that up to the hole it is planted in, that along with leaf matter that had been collecting from under a tree and put that material on top. Hopefully to add in the humas of the soil to help keep it from getting hydrophobic. The soil gets so dry there that it doesn't allow the water to soak in.Each time I go I bring two gallons of water to the site I hike down to. So hopefully there will be some rain soon although like I said it looks good considering.
When I get back to the country cabin on the property I like to hang out....

it keeps my spine flexible from the wear and tear of heavy lifting and cultivating. Ah and what a view it is, even upside down...

Market Closed

2008-01-14T22:49:00.000-08:00

Well after seven months of climbing uphill we had our last market on Friday January 4th. I took this picture just before taking down the tents and removing the trailer. Folks that shopped at our market came up and expressed their disbelief that it wouldn't be happening again and also they expressed their appreciation for what we brought to the space and the community.

I have to say though that it was my wife Irenes creativity and aloha spirit that made it what it was, it inspired me to assist in the building of it yet she made it what had customers coming back regularly happy that we were there.
There were elders that would buy produce at Irenes special elder discount and then return later in the day with a dish that they prepared for us to eat. Its that kind of community connectivity that the market embodied. So many stories, individuals,families all sharing good will in those months we were there.

We want to thank all that supported us and hope that what we created there will inspire others to make that space something special for the community. Its needed!!!!

2008-01-14T00:43:00.000-08:00

Aloha!!! We worked out a deal with Maui Film Festival and it will be a benefit for Ma'a. Here is the content of the flier from www.mauifilmfestval.com site on the showing of King Corn on Feb 20th. Hope to see everyone there!!!!

Wednesday, February 20, Castle Theater, MACC, Kahului
KING CORN
King Corn is a feature documentary about two friends, one acre of corn, and the subsidized crop that drives our fast-food nation. In King Corn, Ian Cheney and Curt Ellis, best friends from college on the east coast, move to the heartland to learn where their food comes from. With the help of friendly neighbors, genetically modified seeds, and powerful herbicides, they plant and grow a bumper crop of America’s most-productive, most-subsidized grain on one acre of Iowa soil. But when they try to follow their pile of corn into the food system, what they find raises troubling questions about how we eat-and how we farm. Unrated. 88 min.

Shows are at 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

A BENEFIT FOR MAUI ALOHA AINA
Special Guest Appearance by Charles "Chuck" Walters ACRES USA and Ian Cheney the films co-star/producer.

Maui Aloha Aina Association is a 501c3 not-for-profit organization, founded in 2001, whose mission is "to promote life nurturing practices for the body and the soil through education and outreach". Ma'a has been holding outdoor educational conferences every year since 2001 exploring the relationship of the body to the soil and how it effects our well being. The vision Ma'a holds for Maui Agriculture values agricultural diversity above the ground and bio diversity below the ground, growing nutrient dense foods to sustain a healthy community. Visit www.MauiAlohaAina.org for more information

SPECIAL GUESTS PRESENTING A Q&A INCLUDE
Ian Cheney co-created and stars in King Corn, a Mosaic Films-ITVS co-production released theatrically in the fall of 2007. Since finishing King Corn, Ian has gone on to direct The Greening of Southie, a feature documentary about the workers behind Boston's first green building, which will be broadcast nationally on the Sundance Channel on Earth Day, 2008, and subsequently on Discovery Worldwide.

Charles Walters is the founder and executive editor of Acres U.S.A. He has authored thousands of articles on the technologies of eco-agriculture and is author or co-author of many works on the subject, including Eco-Farm, Weeds -- Control Without Poisons, Reproduction and Animal Health, A Farmer's Guide to the Bottom Line, Neal Kinsey's Hands-On Agronomy, Mainline Farming for Century 21, The Carbon Connection, The Carbon Cycle, Minerals of the Genetic Code and others. A leading proponent of raw material economics, he served as president of NORM and has authored books on economics.

Happy New Year (Hau'oli Makahiki Hou)

2008-01-02T00:10:00.000-08:00

MONK SEAL ALERT......What a New Years gift we got to experience on New Years Day. Probably hung over from to much New Years Eve partying. This is a rare experience here in the islands, this is the third time since 1979 that I've personally seen one. Being that it was New Years Day was auspicious and will make it easy to remember where I was on the first day of the year.

Crowded Beaches and Ma'a News

2007-12-30T20:05:00.000-08:00

What a difference a week makes with the holidays comes the families that want to touch and be touched by Hawaii Nei. This was the scene this past Saturday at Makena Beach. Thankfully they all hang out around the surf while I swim outside feelin the mana of this place.

Now on to the Banyan Tree Market
We did not get the grant that would have enabled Maui Aloha Aina get the lease to the park to have an educational center. So at this point it appears that the farmers market will be closing with the last day being first Friday of January.

It will be a sad day being that alot of folks appreciate the market and Irene has done such a great job in creating a beautiful place to get local organic food.

What Ma'a is now placing our attention to is the coming of Charles Walters the founder of ACRES USA to Maui. Its our intention to hold an event for Chuck to speak at. Stay tuned for this developing event. It will be happening within the last two weeks of Febuary of 2008.

This picture taken of Ann, Chuck and Fred Walters from this years ACRES USA Conference.

Kanaio Sweet Potato and Sunset

2007-12-28T12:50:00.000-08:00

Aloha with another segment on Kanaio and cultivating sweet potato.

Two pictures of the sweet potato........The top picture shows a view from above with top sedge of A'alii being a cover for the sweet potato that is growing underneath while the bottom picture is a side view

Now some of you may wonder whats up with cultivating this sweet potato.

Well if you knew Kanaio and its remote and adverse environment then you would understand the value of food being grown there. With this planting we hoping to see a harvest of 3 to 4 months.
Whats great about growing anything in Kanaio is the southern exposure, what is challenging is the wind , the lack of rainfall and the free roaming cattle.
We love being there though with all that it has to offer.

Its a highly charged environment, having a meditative medicinal quality about it, that brings us back again and again sunset after beautiful sunset......

Some very beautiful under story also grow here in Kanaio with lichens and ferns among the moss covered lavas

Swim and Cultivate

2007-12-23T22:56:00.000-08:00

Aloha from the island, spent the first part of Saturday with Irene at Makena Beach

/> it was all I wanted and needed it to be. The ultimate workout for me is swimming the length of this pristine beach. I am very appreciative and fortunate to have such a place to move and strengthen my body.

We spent the nite in Kanaio and this morning

I went and cultivated the sweet potato.
It looks real dark green and lush,
even with not being watered this past week.
I dug out a pit on the south side of where it was planted and am encouraging it to grow in this area.

With the weather being windy today I got to see how it wips the foliage of the potato. I built up the windward side with rocks to break the wind. Also laid down several stems and covered them with soil and a rock to encourage them to tuber underneath. Covering the inside of the pit with mulch, will keep it from drying out I will add cow dung from the area mixed with soil so to build the soil fertility for when the potato grows in that direction. I left a gallon of water with a drip onto the stand and also watered in a second gallon I brought.

Christmas is but two days away. Happy holiday all!!!

Winter in Hawaii (somebodys got to do it)

2007-12-20T16:12:00.000-08:00

Aloha All Its five days away from Christmas. The weather here on the north east side of Wailuku is kind of Christmas like, overcast and cool,(low 70ties) which suits me just fine. This Saturday they are calling for beautiful low wind sunny hot weather on the south side of the island. Thats my cue to head south to Makena and swim the length of the beach, which is by far the best workout I know of it just removes all of the cobwebs for me.

Our non profit Ma'a just submitted our grant proposal for the educational center at Bayan Tree Park to the county. We should know by the first of the year as to whether or not we will get it.

Our market at Banyan Tree Park is looking beautiful
in time for the holidays, thanks to the creative touch of my wife Irene.

Be well All and stay warm! Aloha

2007-12-16T22:38:00.000-08:00

Aloha on the tail end of my first weekend back on Maui. Went to the farm bureau Christmas party Sat nite. My wife Irene was the hostess in charge of the food and overall setup. It was enjoyable evening, with farm families gathering for a chance to socialize with other farmers after some losing alot of their crops with the past damaging storm Maui encountered.

We then went on to Kanaio around the south side of Mt. Haleakala (for all of you mainland readers) to her families land and spent the nite in a family cabin, no electricity,or running water yet the spiritual energetics of the area runs strong. Was windy when we got there and it calmed down to a deafening silence throughout the evening making for a wonderful nite of rest and rejuvenation.

I hiked to the site that I planted the sweet potato before going to the mainland and found it just jumped out of the ground.(picture on the left is just planted and one on the right is from today which is twenty two days after planting.)
With spears of growth up to two ft long. I then took some of the surrounding topsoil and built it up around the the greens. Down below where I planted the greens I came across a bee hive attached here is the link to the video in U tube, check it out!!!

On or way back home we passed this mass of bikers lining both sides of the road by Grandmas coffee house up past Keokea park in Kula,part of the ride associated with the toys for tots Christmas tour that happens every year, delivering toys for children in need.

Back in the Hood

2007-12-15T07:50:00.003-08:00

Home now on Maui, the storm that passed through while I was here (go to the concerned voices link on this blog for some graphic photos of the storm) it did leave this island home of mine looking very lush. Here are some photos of what that looked like from the sky coming in from the CA. the first being of Mt. Haleakala and the next of West Maui Mtns.(usually the West Maui's at this perspective is brown)

It was a twelve day trip that took me to Phila, Louisville Ky. and then to Berkely Ca. What amazes me in these trips to the mainland is how it always feels like I've been gone for such a long time.

While there I was able to work on writing of a grant for Ma'a for the Banyan Tree Park Educational Center we hope to create, along with the farmers market.

Inspired by the number of folks that come by the market wanting to get info on basically what works in being well in the foods they eat,how to prepare them along with learning how to grow their own food. We feel that this place here in the center of town could very well offer that information and support, with on going educational programs that leads up to the end of the year with our conference slated for the second weekend of October 2008.

This final picture is of island family friends that came to visit us at the market, they are based out of the island of Kauai. A beautiful family that shown here is four generations that we feel fortunate to know as friends and feel as ohana. The spirit of Aloha lives strong in this ohana as is evident in this photo and in how they have shown up in our lives.

Be Well All!!!!

Back in the Hood

2007-12-13T21:07:00.000-08:00

Home in the islands......Good to be back in Maui. The storm that came through here when I was gone left this island looking lush. Today the shortest day of the year in the Hawaiian calender, it feels like winter too, getting the wind and rain that comes with this time of year, more so this year then years past. I leave with some more of the pictures from my stop in Berkley. Hanging out in Tilman Park hangin too with the redwoods
............ Aloha

2007-12-08T20:29:00.001-08:00

Well its all over the 2007 ACRES USA conference ended with poet, essayist, and conservationist Wendel Berry, the room was full and appreciative of his wisdom.

Earlier I was inspired hearing Bob Cannard of northern California speak about his system of farming and how he stresses diversity to make the engine go.

Later in the day Jerry Brunetti gave a profound dissertation on how to live healthfully while derail cancer forming in our bodies. It was so crowded that folks were sitting around the perimeter so to hear his presentation. Whats great about Jerry is that he uncovers the cause then goes inside scientifically disseminating how the cancer is able to form and how to reverse its development all in layman's terms.

It was great to see how many people were here this year and how turned on everyone was to the message of all the bright minds here presenting. So its off to Ca. to visit a friend in Berkley and while there go to the farmers market and visit the sprouter that I know who has great product and has developed a wonderful system of growing this high enzymatic food. I'll be back on Maui on Wed. From the pictures I've seen on the concerned voices blog that is linked to this site it should prove to be an interesting homecoming. Lots of rain and wind over the past week from a southern storm created havoc in my island home and on our farm. So I'll check it out when I get there. Until next blog be well all. Aloha Vincent

2007-12-07T11:23:00.000-08:00

Aloha from the first day here at ACRES USA conference. It was a full one. There was a film on Polyface farm of Joel Salatin along with the major line up of eco agriculture books with the trade show made up of 100 plus vendors. Then there was the
presentations seven scheduled in three hours. Choosing between Neal Kinsey and Gary Zimmer who were speaking at the same time was difficult yet I'll just buy the mp3 files of the conference to hear all of the presentations.

In the trade show a farm from Lancaster Pa. Millers farm traveled 10 hours to sell their farm fresh raw products. Great to have nutrient denser food fresh from the farm to offset the effects of being indoors in a heated environment.

Fletcher Sims who just turned 90 years young who is the "Dean of Compost" is here an old timer of ACRES,along with his wife and in this picture Anne Walters the matriarch of this long time event now taken over and run by her son Fred. Anne and her husband Chuck the founder of ACRES are going to be coming out to Hawaii in February. I've spoken to them and will put something together when I get back to honor their coming. Its great to experience all this history.

Just watched the movie "King Corn" I highly recommend anyone even young students interested in knowing about agriculture and the food they are eating to see this film. It was made by a couple of students from Boston who found out after traveling to a small town in Iowa called Greene that their great grandfathers were both from that town and were farmers.

Dr. Richard Olree who co-wrote the book with Chuck Walters
"Mineral of the genetic Code" has agreed to speak at our
conference next October, I'am very excited to have him on
board he is quite the presenter who is intelligent and engaging
in his delivery. He also is quite the chiropractor.

Thats it for now I will check back in tomorrow which is the last full day of conference. Aloha Vincent

Chuck Walters the founder of ACRES USA and I

Travel and Reunion Day

2007-12-05T21:23:00.001-08:00

Aloha from Louisville Kentucky my home for the next few days attending the ACRES USA conference. It was touch and go today with the weather. My flight was delayed leaving Phila from a cold front packin a snow storm, while the planes wings needing to be de-iced. What loomed in the back of my mind was our needing to go through Chicago, which we heard was having major delays.
Well thankfully a window of sunshine opened up over Chicago just in time of our arrival which got us to connect to Lousiville on time.

Thanks to my supportive and beautiful family I get to be here to be around leaders in this realm of sustainable innovative thinkers. Upon checkin the lobby of this hotel was full of festive cheer, with many reunions taking place in the form of beautiful friendships of conference attendees arriving for this wonderful eco farm conference.

This has become a sort of a Mecca a touch stone of sorts for those that value the magic that can be created in honoring the soil as a living organism in the growing of our food. More tomorrow!!! Aloooha, Vincent

Blowin in Philly and Maui

2007-12-04T21:30:00.002-08:00

Aloha from chilly Phila. its been blustery here as in Maui I hear. Only difference is its about 40 degrees colder here.
I leave for ACRES conference tomorrow, in the meantime I wanted to share a couple of things going on.

We at Ma'a are in the process of writing a grant for the Wailuku Banyan Tree Park to develop an educational center in town that will highlight programs and workshops on sustainable growing of food, along with workshops with its relationship to our own health and well being.

By our having a farmers market there for the past five months we have been challenged in making it go financially.
Even though the community loves us in being there, especially all of the elders that walk there to shop and share the prepared foods they make from what they purchase.
The rent is too high for us to sustain it in the way we have it set up.
Bringing in Maui Aloha Aina Assoc. a 501c3 organization (www.mauialohaaina.org) to develop an educational center there around sustainable practices will take the pressure off the market in paying the rent since Ma'a would take over that aspect.
Its been a struggle though to develop the concept in a way that can make it feasible for Ma'a to fund and sustain the lease of the park.
Well I just got word today that our market was dealt a blow, literally from the kona storm that has been hitting the area, the sign that hangs over the entrance to the park landing on top of our tents rendering them a tangled mess of bent metal. My question is what metaphor is this representing in all that has been happening?
With this challenge to keep the market going let alone having the effects of the windy and rainy weather over the next few days Irene is potentially not going to being able to open. So we shall see how this is all going to unfold.

One bright spot in all of this though is Irene and I were given a large sweet potato which we let sprout and then took out to her family land in Kanaio a wind swept dry area of Maui that was known to have been a good place to plant sweet potato in times past.We planted this just before I left away from any ability to care for it on a daily basis.
With the advent of the rain Kanaio has been receiving planting it before coming here turned out to be fortuitous timing. (I saw in the weather report that just south of Kanaio in Kaupo they have received about 7 inches of rain in two days, so I'm sure Kanaio got its fair share of the wet stuff too.)
There are cows that graze in the area and would love to chomp on these sweet sprouts so we planted it in an area that is remote and cows can't get to.
What we are counting on is it taking hold and then being supported by winter rains and our getting out there from time to time to check on how its doing while facilitating its ability to spread out once it grows outside of its hole. The energy of this storm has been destructive to our market yet supportive of our planting. Based on the result of what that means pragmatically for making a living, well doing the math one would think the blow that the market took is where the focus needs to be, in our development as a business.
I just wanted to share that the planting has a pragmatic side too in planting of seeds that seem on the surface to be remote and unproductive in making a living for its face value yet have a potential to produce abundance in the long term of food and spirit. (By the way the sweet potato is planted under the sedge I'm standing in front of)
A year from now we will see what this planting yielded not only in produce but in the spirit of a deeper appreciation of the natural forces that drew us to plant and bring us back to care for this planting out in this very spiritual place called Kanaio Maui.

I'll check in again tomorrow nite from Louisville Kentucky at the ACRES USA conference and share with you my experience there, Be Well All. Aloooha...

2007-12-03T22:18:00.001-08:00

Aloha Here in Philadelphia visiting family, before heading out to the ACRES USA conference, which begins this Thursday.
For all of you that attended our Body and Soil Health conference this past October on Maui, know that I will be seeing three of the four presenters from our conference at the ACRES conference.
Namely Jerry Brunetti, Gary Zimmer and Bob Shaffer whom will all be presenting at ACRES.
I also intend to invite some new presenters to our future events so stay tuned in the next few days as to my experience at ACRES.

While here in Phila I went to Lancaster with my sister and visited an Amish farm family whom we've befriended.
We purchased farm fresh products while there and also were so moved by the purity of spirit of their children in how they exhibited such beautiful work ethic and attitude in the running of the farm.
The picture of the Mom and her four of five sons, (there are also two daughters not shown) speaks for itself. The raw milk, cream,yogurt, cheese, butter, eggs and apple sauce topped off a wonderful visit we had.
Truly a beautiful family and a farm that needs to be valued and protected for future generations.
Aloha Vincent

2007-11-29T22:26:00.000-08:00

Our First Post

2007-11-26T20:41:00.001-08:00

Hi all, this is our first blog! One of many to come. watch this space.