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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0363.017 1996-1998 r. ill E Testimony for the council committee meeting of July 22, 1.997 Howard O. Wright, Ph.D. P. O. Box 11414, Hilo, HI 96721 phone (808) 969-7102 RECEtvED Data----------°------------ County Gauncil Chairman Ray and other council members, greetings. Thank you for giving everyone the chance to be heard on the appropxlate use of 4400 acres of county land. I believe that this is the start of a long discussion on what kind of island we want to live on, and how we want to live. Land is the foundation of our existence. The agricultural system of Western civilization is based on the assumption that farmers should conquer nature. Many non-Western peoples have learned to work with nature. Those of us whose ancestors came from the Philippines, Japan, China, Southeast Asia or from Hawaii can be proud that they worked with nature in a variety of ways. They rarely used as much as three acres per family. Many of the old ways have been destroyed by centuries of impexlalism, but enough of their methods survived for us to use as models. The Hawaiian practices are now being revived. All of these systems need to be modified to fit the land, the people and the economy of modern Hawaii. The model I am presenting is one such adaptation. The farm model on the poster board assumes that the labor of at least two people will be required to operate it. In about fifteen years a couple should be able to be semi-retired, leaving a forest that can live indefinitely while being harvested with care. Three acres may seem too small, but it may even be too large for one family. For people to get started on small scale intensive agroforestry to grow high-value trees, food, and flowers, they need some land, a lot of education, and farm advisors of all kinds. Some of us are working to set up the educational effort to help people learn to farm in this way. We will solicit help from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which is sending agroforestry teachers and advisers throughout the South Pacific. Hawaii could use some of the kind of aid the USDA is giving Palau and Kiribati. We would welcome help of all kinds. What would help most would be the availability of small plots of good land. I recently asked a successful farmer of orgaxric fruits and vegetables how much land he has. He said he had three acres, two of which keep him very busy. His land is not in some high-paced place with deep soil. It is in Glenwood. Does intensive farming really pay? One of the most economically successful farmers I met inherited nine acres of sour, sandy soil in Washington. People told him it was useless. He had little capital but he was smart. He didn't see the need to plow, so he didn't. He didn't see the need for pesticides, so he didn't use them. He didn' w~~t atttts ~a.~ Lt. !tit ~~~.~,1,' leaf. "`-~-P~- 2 2~~1~7 " to follow his neighbors' practice of abusing and underpaying their laborers, so he got a reliable and skilled work fox•ce. In about ten years, he had several helpers year round and many more seasonally to farm his nine acres of organic blueberries. I met him at a conference on organic farming in 1986. He was flying his large private plane up and down the West Coast for fun. Even if most of us don't do that well, three acres per family is enough to px•ovide a reasonably comfortable life. Stories of success on small acreages are not unusual in the world, but they are unusual in the United States. When I was growing up, om• family just made it on two hundred acres. We were deep in debt for tractors, draft horses, farm equipment and even for food. We had to fight every day to get a few crops. When, in his old age, my father heard from his sons that he would have been better off with fewer acres, less equipment, and perhaps even less work, he wasn't pleased, but he felt lucky he had quit farming to become a postal clerk and union leader. I grew up being told that the bigger the enterprise, the bigger the profits. Usually the truth is that big enterprises just concentrate the profits in fewer hands. The profit margins are often lower than for small entexpxlses. Many big enterprises go bankrupt, as we all know, especially big tree or sugar plantations in the tropics. We are here today to learn how to make the disaster of plantation agriculture into an oppox•tunity for us, the people, who own the land. The poster boards show how many people can be suppox•ted on the 4400 acres of county land by various land uses. The numbers tell us what would happen if we approve the Oji contract. Oji says that, at first, 55 persons will be hired to prepare and plant 3125 acres. After that, optimistically, they can then employ about 4 persons acres after the trees have grown. Intensive agroforestxy on the 4400 acres of county land will require nearly 3000 persons, all working for themselves, making decent incomes. Which would you choose? • Ka`u I,anding December, 1996 Small-Scale Agroforestry: ANew/Old Future for Hawai `i - by Howard O.•WrlgJtt, PhD agriculfural extension agents who more Ihan I S years. Mainland With the collapse of the sugar will help in the transition. wood workers tested and approved industry, the state and county are How could a family use our sathples circulated in 1995, and a looking [o diversified agriculture wonderful human and meteero- major hardwood dealer offered i [o fevive Hawaii's economy, pi- logical climate to make a decent three dollars per board foot, if versified agriculture seems prom- and satisfying living'1 As an ex- 30,000 board feet (about the ising, but [here are problems of ample, 1 will describe a system amount that could be grown on knowledge and attitude to be over- that can work now, if farmers can one fourth acre) could be deliv- come. Par[ of the delay in tusking muster attitudes [ha[ will help erect. A good marketing effort diversified agriculture the new ba- them through the early days of could increase the price. sis for our economy is confusion inevitable trial, defeat and success. Planting too many trees of one ! about what should be done, and Windward Hawai`iis one of the species causes the kind of discs- . ? .toward what ends. Models of the bust places in the world to grow ter that hit the papaya industry. ~ past now seem inappropriate, trees for food, timber and fiber Most of the corporations that have Plantation agriculture seems un- The problem in growing trees has planted huge tree plantations in ' 'profitable, The older 1{awaiian been the lung wail to harvest, plus the tropics have made the mistake model gives us Ideas, but cannot a lack of good data on what to of monocropping. Their trees die i support modern levels of Con- plant. Persons familiar with the of plant diseases and insect sumptioa. New models of Agri- timber industry are not surprised plagues. culture and new ways of rural life that an acro of large trees is worth Although Tree crops promise are needed. ~ hundreds of thousands of dollars, high income in the future, people In this article ! Wlll describe a but they usually assume, as in the who need the income to eat now . new way of life for'fartulies no case of Douglas fir, that many de- cannot afford to wait lung. With longer employed vn the plants- cedes must pass before harvest. agroforestry, the same tract of land bons, examine why nt:W Ways seem • In our climate some species can used for trees and for crops can difficult, and explain how some dif- bring income in months. Not all '"ficulfies can be overcome; Any pew ~ „ t the land must be devoted to trees, '•systejn;of diversified agriculture ~ ~f% anii man mush rovid a level of income ac- Y good crops grow well P 4, between or in the shade under ' Geptable.to the poten8al farmers trees. Why build a shade house if ' quickly enough to be practical. It a net to catch falling branches will must be sustainable over the long ` suffice under the shade of [roes? term, for its practitioners, for the ~ One can make a living right island, and for the world. We can- ~ ~ now growing organic fruits and noF • afford more disasters of the ~ A vegetables to be sold locally. For, ^'dor<Gaused by modern pestieldes. ~ example 65°6 of tomatoes eaten '"They'made'farming harden iq the ~ - in Hawai'iare imported from the .long run, while helping the oil and ~ mainland, often from Mexico. Bet- chemical industries dominate the ~ ? ^ e =i.y ter tomatoes can be grown here, world. New systems should help ' t :7'' with proper methods. In the Hilo ~ -rebuild families and communities, Farmers' Market, many of the best Encouraging young people to stay organic farmers are not only not .with their families and communi- local, but not even Amerirut. '."'ties. That is a big order. II is pos- Some are from Scandinavia.'I'hey Bible if we recognize that new ways succeed partly because, when they of ~farmjng require new altitudes ~ came here, they did not know what toWard'`QPr relationship with the to grow, nor how to do it. They eat'th, Wlth ourselves, and with each knew [hat they would have to in- otheG vestigate the possibilities, keep- ..The agricuhural research estab- ing an open and pragmatic mind. IiShmenl, much influenced by big (My father, who started fanning ~,,c41'~oratigns; cannot. create new without capital in the depths of 'yWa~S~ Ills slow to look at nodels the 1930s depressimt, succeeded ~')'etStttingf from outside that estab- for the same reasons.) 1 lishtnept, Anthropologists and ar- The Scandinavian organic !chaeologists bf[en know of other farmers had a caring attitude to- ` tnodel$' that were and are ex- f2 year-ofd Rainbow fJnrk tree ar ward the earth when they arrived I, - Polarri Road and Marnalaboa Hivy. p;;{l'g([lply pfodtlptiVO and truly sus- and wanted to care for their new '`tryp{tblq,^ bUt Ihei[ knowledge be harvested in 15 years or less. home. They expected to work K faiEly' helps modern people make The best example of such a tree is hard, both physically and in[el- ~•abet[erliving.~~;` rainbow bark, Eucalyptus lecutally. 'they are not getting t',~'°Several ways to make a good deglupta. Unlike other eucalypts, rich, especially since a proper dis- 'Jivigg in farming have been de- rainbow bark produces excellent tribution network for their crops 6.veloped by dedicated researchers furniture wood, without major remains [o he se[ up. Bu[ they are ou~Slde, the establishment. Still, problems of checking or warping. surviving. With added technical 'those new ways are rarely carried Joseph Dalrymple of Pahoa bus help and, perhaps, a good loan beyond experiment. For instance, planted, raised, felled, and milled program, they could prosper. The the system often called Biody- rainbow bark. He uses the lumber flow of food from the mainland to namlc drench Intensive (devel- for furniture and for construction. Hawai`iwill be reversed when oiled by' Harold Chadwick, car- Ilis data, supplemented by my enough of the rest of us follow sled farther by John Jeavons and own research, give a solid basis the Iced of the presently success- Mid-Peninsula Ecology Action) fur suggesting that species. ful fanners. has rarely bfen used to actually Other species, such as narra, Let us see how a typical Ha- make aliving, though i[ works may he equally suitable, but I lack wuiian family, soy on three acres well When tried: Ancient systems enough data w recommend thew of luvn loud near l'ahoa, and with that sustained Javanese civilize- here. Timber trees must be planted . little capital to invest, can make a lion and the Valley of Mexico for close enough together kr muse homestead to support Iheir family centuries are not being exported them to grow tall and ,straight, into the indefinite future. and adapted )o, modern circunr wittmut excessive branching. Sven For income without a full lile- stances., Indeed, they are ~ disap- with minimal care at planting, with time of heavy labor extending into pearingl in their homelands. Lo- nu added (crtilizer, and in coarsely oW age, a portion of the I:md must tally, however,' Wa are blessed broken pahoehoe, rainbow bark be devoted primarily to income wilhanopen-minded small school trees will grow 120 feet lull and ten ur more years down the line. of agriculture and With excellent two or more feet in diameter in no Cnnrinaed on ne.n page 1 i; December, 1996 hu`u I,undin~; 1 I Page 26 Cominuedfrorn previous page, ~ Cominuedfrom previous page ,That means trees. One to one-and- a premium price, reyuire mini- add value m the crops. They can ~ riculture of Western society origi- important, the attitude of working a-half acres of trees is enough, mum cash for pesticides and ter- sep hot sauce as well as market- i sated ten thousand years ago as a .and living in harmony witq the leaving space for a house and fur ' tilizers, and du nut threaten the ing onions, garlic and tomatoes. ~ religious ritual. Growing sacmd earth, working together as fami. smaller crops that require full sun. family's health. When thinning the woodlot, the ~ grain was associated with the re- lies and communities, does not : The safest plan is to plan[ trees Proper money management is trees removed can be sold us poles ligion that worshipped coercive feed [he drive for power over 0th-' bo[hfortimberandforfruil.Some necessary. Borrowing money to ex- or made into rustic furniture. ~ power andcontribu[edgreatlyto ers that characterizes modern trees. °nch as mangoes (or chest- pand is a trap. More than half of When the trees are large enough ! successful wars of conquest Western society. nuts righ elevations) can pro- the farmers in the Corn Belt wem to use as timber, they can be sold ~ against peaceful folk who found Fortunately, even our politi- . . duce both. For nitrogen to help broke in the 1970s and 19gOs by as logs or, better yet, made into other ways of making a living, clans so "share the spirit of aloha ' the trees grow faster, and for quick buying too much land and equip- high value furniture. Each Western society's agricultureis a and the desire to build a loving income, a legume, such as the men[. Many who stayed small sur- family's methods will be as unique way of dominating the earth as and prosperous society that they many species of peas and beans, vived. One of the most successful as its skills, end each member can i much as it is a way of getting" will, when shown the way, coop- f or a nitrogen-fixing tree that pro- farmers 1 have met had only nine contribute in a way that isperson- ' food. That model does not help erate in providing the small help daces fodder for animals, can be acres. He had the good sense to ally fulfilling. us, nor do the attitudes associated needed from thtgovernment. De- grown. The leguminous crops will eliminate all activities that seemed When the first trees are Itar- " with it. In Java, sttiall-scale spite our faults, I believe that our crowd out weeds. unnecessary. In windward Hawaii, vested, other trees, perhaps of agrofores[ers have been pushed island and our state can pull to,. A good market exists for many irrigation is needed only occasion- various species, can be planted iti ~ out of the way to grow teak and gethe[ to offer the technical sup- j other export crops that benefited • port and the spirit to make a bet- : O O O O D n BufPcr oP m~...go~~, f7gs, Penof~s, ci+rys, e+c, o p o p p O ~ the Dutch and, now, theft succes- ter: life for our people through O (}A o ~,~OQ000~(~7Q_ r;~Q~QQQ[ [~~jpQQ~Qp(~~} ~ ~ flQ sots, the native generals. small-scale egrofores[ry, oQ n~° 9~(O~~QQQOdS~I~t.~p~pD~Qo OOap a ~~Q~ ~ o O o The sort of system described Howard Wright's academic 0 0 ' ' ^Q,~,~-t~ fl ~flp0 O o 0 0 0 0 ~Q~Qn o o d above can make people happy and background (Ph.D., zoology, etc.) y~( }y~(~pp Q ~ Q o ~ ~ ~ prosperous, but it makes no profit and experience are in multiple ~ ~'wq O O o c~pa 0009 for oil and chemical companies, fields. He is writing a book on ~S?.~pS~ 9~fl p ~4 ~~~QQ ~ suppliers of big farts equipment, technology and religion in West- Qo G,, r~ Q 6~ {im{aer' trbe9 COQ ~y ~R or banks that need to loan money - ~ ern civilization since 70,000 BC. ' Q iso ' ~R , v" ~ Value, when. Met+w"G.-._ Qvp to farmers to expand. Even more ,yC a~.: ir, ~ O OO.. 0900 • ~ 1,500 per }reG) Q ~mostl rd,., - Q„ So„mc I, miru+r~ trees Planted U L Sc.~~ d ~ aP3°",,,t`Ol ~ fa ntrrocn 4nd fooci> mostlyy ~ i-rccsC~ ~ry~)~j~ harve9ted a~ more valuable. °""'g> ~ O }tees need apace. Q'~oodyla{d) 0 00.0'0 I 'S g6Q4D 4 ~ Shaie~ lovk~ -Frec,~ p~rowrv under l~ CNcto Pt~ under 1 e- j to u.mcs~OQ krmbe.r -tre s (orrlwrds, ferns> Q -Fr~s.}o O arrtku.riwns> cacao, Mailc~ etc.) D ca{~-fruat) rf~tttbp ~'6~~r vrncs g ~ Orchards dorm bufftl^ Slow- oww ~ around -Fimber knees t^d'v~6"'.'at ~ P~saQeats QQ }o help break wind. +h:n~ed °~ct,~- Cg C-Por jo,n, I d 1, ell L\uce> IN'1 sable O Tl ntbC/' tfee9 Planted uSL~ Q1 Poles. ~ wo I r"4tl'v~~~p~,,0 well away ~r'a+c ner¢hbors' O ' k Qtr<.Wfdt, o4t~ `t,~'y1 ~'.~at M i1tC, nw~. rNa- V o p h045G5> In CRSG ~ /ry u~~~ i V O t/Jtt/rtv/c . PIo,t6 hwr4cr+.ne. O to . O . g 6 /~o~+.o o(~yo~..~~~ ~-~^~{q-~ Roo T;,~ ~ i no vent-.. aOVVC~...~~w i~~~?v~/«-~L~C~t~OOOfltJO 1 I ~ Icfs o4id,ens A1~~ spores I~~ © Mova bk- ryitcken ~f . ~ , 'V ~ till inndi.e. tads, ef:,w nape wertts P pp wA invcmts. soybeans, ttc.> I f' ~+P°~sc<1 ~ fu~~,i..i ~bj ~c•-u~ Pnttin¢ ct+od corc+wt ~lvnsO Onp~oa}`~l+,ra~ I L 'i--- c°nw? ~ I .p vntct ~7 ~ ~A-~-- :oq~~i~Potobt~~e" ~ disenK ~n~l y (IF scuJ.n4y fev,ce needcci, b s rvw~l eF cr nm ' ) Irr',~aiian ~ ~ n~t~tu'"'e- ~ dbw?~,aavtll~a, etcq Y P' Pl>k S ' dUWINO BY HOWANH WNIOITr ANO JANE TAKAHASMI kinds of peas and beans, includ- ally, so a large, inexpensive catch- their place. The land can be grade- ing -beans, winged beans, ment is usually enough. Fish and ally guided toward a state of con- favas, .nd many others. lluring shrimps can be grown in the catch- sinuous sustained harvest. It will the firs[ months of tree growth, ment for home use or for sale. come to resemble a natural forest, the legumes chosen must be low- If there is no house on the land, with ever greater beauty, diver- growing or carefully kept from and if the family is short of money, lily, and stability; producing a de- overgrowing the trees. The tree a building permit can be obtained pendable income .stream. The i. roots are shallow, so no-till meth- and temporary quarters used until farmers will no longer seek to con- ! ods must be used. Later, taller le- time and money become available goer the earth, but will coexist in f ~ games will produce saleable crops to complete the house. That saves harmonious balance with the com- ~i ~ while improving the soil and en- rent and makes it easier for the munity of plants that they hove i couraging the trees to grow tall family to work on and guard the nurtured. I and straight. For good growth and farm. Bringing in a whole ex- If such methods work, why 1 nitrogen fixation, one must use the tended family to help build and hasn't it been done long ago'? F proper bacterial inoeulant when plant will build 'ohana, while True, technical support is badly planting legumes. lightening the work load and mak- needed, bm om~ older residems Many other crops can be ing it more enjoyable. If there t, know how m go most of the way. ~ grown. Good market research and uo extended Family to help, orga- Ethnic llawaiians can stud from I Car siic assessment of the nixing formal or informal coup- the systems used by their ances- ~ ~'I famur s available labor are im- eratives of neighbors builds com- tors. The main reason that portant. • Equally important is munity while easing the wort: agrofurestry seems difficuh is that eho'osing methods and crops that load ht the long run, cooperation small-scale sustainable ~ reyuire no heavy expenditures of is ecunnmically beneficial and ugroforeslry cunllicls with the . capital or labor, On small plots of builds the uwuial support and uh- must basic assumptions ul patri- land, a tractor is not needed. A ligation Ihal creates community. archal, hierarchical, earth-domi- family using the best intensive The first income from planting sating Western society. As most j methods can manage less Than an can come wilhiu a 1'ew months. specialise who study the'origius ` aer~ of land in vegetables. Organic The produce can be mm~keled di- ul agricuhure now admit, the ug- methods produce crops that sell al redly, but the Family's skills eau Cnnrirwed on nest page