It was great to hear the Rapune brothers speak about their farm and just hold a Q & A about the lifestyle and financial reality of the farm profession.
My predominant take away was that farming is NOT just about growing food, fortunately and unfortunately. The skills you need to market and manage your farm as a business are wide and varied, and it's difficult to find all necessary skills in one person. Farming is a dynamic profession just as any other. This FREE course is willing to train people that are seriously considering this noble profession in ALL SKILL AREAS, and in a super nurturing, community environment. PRETTY UNFUCKING BELIEVABLE. Below are my notes from the evening.
- Bone marrow of fish (I think I heard that right?) is the Rapune brother's primary fertilizer. They like that it is slow-release, but it's low potassium, so they also use imu.
- care of Hawaii has an enormous amount of food waste that could be composted. UH throws 400k pounds a year away, before it even get's to the plate.
- Cover crops are useful to take care of the soil.
- Green waste should be collected in communities. Park a trailer in a subdivision for collection?
- How do small farms build a customer base? Open market, Whole foods and Food land prioritize local, some restaurants and grocery stores contract with farmers for specific items. Value-added items, like making jams, jellies, honey, etc from your crops is valuable.
- Current challenges for Rapune brothers: "staying young"
- Most difficult aspect of farming is acquiring land
- Landowners are reluctant to break up large farms to diversify crops. "People don't want to make communities"
- Perhaps we need to get crazy.... "sink a freighter!!"
- Are regulations making success as a small farmer more difficult?? The Food safety law? There's a need for safety regulations.
- Kalani high school has students gardening, but can't eat the product because, for example, birds might have pooped on it.
- Crops, papayas for example, use to have appearance standard!!! Penalty fees if you sold a papaya not up to standard
- Advice: Read Michael pollen
- Average lease? Depends on where.... Punaluu ag park $315/acre
- Access to land biggest obsticle. Landowners (KS, State) in the past didn't want to do 4 acre lease but now they are more willing. They looking for farmers, looking at these graduates, they want trained experienced people....
- Mainland farmers can own land
GoFarm
- 13 potential plots
- AgSchool 1: Sat 8am to 12pm students are in the field, 1k square feet. Wed 5pm-7pm academic, ag and business.
- "Farm coaches"
- AgSchool 2: 1/4 acre, 10k square feet, 6 months.
- Incubation phase: On your own with more land, pay small lease
- Business plan development, possible access to small loans. Land owners interested in GoFarm graduates, they have been vetted by the program.
- Agribusiness incubator program. People that didn't know how to farm asking for business advice. Teach ag things, nooot how to farm.
- Farming is not just growing stuff. No one can't fulfill all the roles you need!!!
- Get interested folks exploring
- Cohort situation.
- GoFarm is run by the Director of soil and water conservation here on Oahu
- Looking for commitment, desire, passion.
- July 15 application due. July 22 notified. aug 3 start. Recruit twice a year.
Only 20-30 of the 50 or so attendees of that required seminar will be accepted to AgExposure (pickmepickmepickme). I sent in my application essay last night. Maybe they'll appreciate the cannibalism reference. Or maybe they'll tell me I should try to be a writer not a farmer.
Justinefreebird Espiritu <[email protected]>
6:54 PM (18 hours ago)
to gofarm
As a Political Science student in 2010, I learned the theory that Peak Oil had already past us and that Hawaii imports nearly 90% of its food. I began befriending farmers and volunteering on farms hoping I could secure a place of refuge when the ships stopped coming in to Oahu and people started eating eat other. Since then, my ambitions have geared more toward self-sufficiency. I would like to no longer be dependent on large corporations to provide me with processed or nutrient-deprived foods when I can very well learn to provide more nutritious options for myself. Farming, even part-time, where the product is a combination of science-learned-through-experience, love, and the natural nutrients provided by the earth, and can be delivered directly to families and communities, seems to be the most gratifying profession. In 2011, I got a business license to work as a retailer for two farms at the farmer’s markets and cherished the community I became a part of. I also successfully developed a customer base and managed my expenses. I have the skills, experience, and enthusiasm to engage with and build relationships with customers, but lack substantial knowledge about growing food on a larger scale and developing a business model. I am willing to commit to the required 6-10 hours/week for the gofarm program to develop these skills.
Thank you!
Justine Espiritu