Hurricane

Papaya Families Hit Hard by Iselle

Richard Ha writes:

There's an article in today's Hawaii Tribune-Herald called Ag Crops Sustained Extensive Damage From Iselle.

IMG_0872

Everyone is busy gathering data as to the extent of damage. We just had a meeting of the Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United and a preliminary discussion with the USDA Farm Services Agency, as well as the Board of Ag chair by phone. The outcome was that we needed to get clear data from which the various agencies could start to work. We are busy getting this done.

IMG_0872

Ollie English from WH Shipman, Ltd., was up in a helicopter to get an aerial view and the various industry representatives gave a report. 

IMG_0872

IMG_0872

We were interviewed by John Burnett of the Hawaii Tribune-Herald. 

IMG_0872

In addition to just numbers, those of us in the room heard a papaya farmer family describe how hard the last few cycles have been. A mom described how 10 acres of her family papaya farm had been cut down by vandals a little bit ago. Beside paying all the clearing, fertilizer and pest control costs, the crop that had been cut down represented the income to help one son to go to college. They were very discouraged and wanted to quit. Two of her sons told her it would be poho (wasteful) to not use the equipment that they already had. So the two decided that they would continue on. They had a strong outbreak of a fungus about a year ago. And that put extreme pressure on the family. But they persevered.

A year later, now, the new plantings were just ready to start harvesting. The fruit column was full and heavy. They were looking forward to two years of harvest where they hoped to recover the cash out and make some money. But Hurricane Iselle came through and snapped off all the heavily laden trees at the point where the most mature fruit were.

IMG_0872

We in the room were quiet. We all know the despair that she, her husband, and two sons felt. This is representative of all the papaya farmers who had wind damage. 

One of the independent papaya processors told of being in church and seeing a papaya farmer and his family. He told us that it brought tears to his eyes and that he couldn't look at the farmer. The overall sense of despair was very hard to take. 

Colleen Hanabusa has met with farmers here more times than any county council member or any other politician for that manner, and that's why farmers really know and trust her. It's nice that she was on the island.

IMG_0872

IMG_0872

Hurricane

Helping the Papaya Farmers

1 Comment

Richard Ha writes:

Today, Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United are meeting to figure out how we can help the Big Island papaya farmers who had such devastating losses in Hurricane Iselle. We are going to support them in any way we can. That is absolute first priority.

My son Brian has been making ice at our tomato packing house. He did that Saturday, Sunday and again today (using our hydroelectric, powered by the river) and then taking it down to Hawaiian Beaches where they don't have electricity.

He and his friends made 400 quarts of ice and took it down there with a sign, "Mauna Kea Banana Ice," and he said it was gone in five minutes.

We are planning to take bananas down to the papaya packing house, where the papaya farmers are packing up whatever they can, and distribute the bananas to the farmers there. The rest will go with Brian to distribute wherever he ends up in Puna. 

The most important thing is how we can help the rest of the farmers.

papaya

Hurricane

Hurricane Iselle: 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday

Richard Ha writes:

Hilo is all boarded up with very few cars on the road. Here's Kamehameha Avenue, downtown.

There's very little wind at this point. It's relatively calm at the farm, but the river and flume are pumping.

The banana leaves are not shredded yet.

It's now 7:21 and it's relatively quite in Hilo.

As Hurricane Iselle approaches the Big Island, it seems part of its outer bands went north to Waimea, and part went south to Puna.

We are waiting for the storm to hit the island head on in a couple of hours. We'll see what happens.

Hurricane

Hurricane Iselle: 11 a.m. Thursday – Preparing

Richard Ha writes:

We're wrapping up here at the farm. We tied things down, protected them from rain, and everyone will go home by noon. 

We did the major prep work 15 years ago when we put in our windbreaks. We knew that we needed to protect from north and south winds, which meant we needed to plant windbreak rows on the east and west.

But it was more than just that. We knew that at our latitude the sun lies somewhat to the south. So we put  windbreaks on the south side of the existing roads. That way, the shadow from the windbreak falls on the road, instead of on the plants. Modern farming is all about the physical sciences. 

Back then, we had no wind protection at all. Now, the eucalyptus we planted as our windbreaks are  pushing 70 feet tall. 

Bananas, Hurricane

Hurricane Iselle: The Night Before

1 Comment

Richard Ha writes:

I have been a banana farmer for many years and I have seen the exact moment when all the bananas snap off the trees.

It happens all at once. The wind gets stronger and stronger and you can feel the strain. And then, somewhere around 55 mph, all the bananas snap at once. One second before they were all standing, and then the next, you can see in all directions where formerly banana trees blocked the view. 

Not many have seen that happen, but I have. I hope I don't see it again.

Bananas

Science

Over The Top Anti-GMO Writer

9 Comments

Richard Ha writes:

Mike Adams runs the anti-science, anti-biotech Natural News.com and he had a whopper of a post recently, even for him. He has lots of websites and makes lots of money from scaring people, but condoning the murder of pro-GMO supporters is over the top, and the anti-GMO movement should be careful not to be used by this nut case.

From Genetic Literacy Project:

FBI turns up heat on Mike Adams as ‘Health Ranger’ fiasco widens, plus Adams’ archive

Jon Entine | July 28, 2014 | Genetic Literacy Project

Last week, Mike Adams, the founder and editor of NaturalNews.com–a favorite site of Dr. Oz and anti-GMO campaigners, from Vandana Shiva to Center for Food Safety’s Andrew Kimbrell to the Food Babe to Jeffrey Smith, but also dubbed by scientists and journalists as the number one anti-science site in cyberspace–launched an all out offensive against crop biotechnology.

Adams posted a screed on his website (since sanitized by Adams; we’ve included link to the pre-censored version) attacking supporters of genetic engineering as modern day Nazis, suggesting that anti-GMO activists should consider murdering scientists and journalists for their crimes against humanity. Adams then alerted readers to another site, Monsanto Collaborators, which was more or less a handy online list of these so-called ‘Nazi perpetrators”–aka scientists, journalists and news organizations that believe biotechnology can play a constructive role in farming–for crazies who might want to follow Adams’ marching orders and begin assassinations. I was prominently mentioned by Adams, no doubt because of the scathing Adams profile and fact sheet summary GLP posted in April….

Read the rest here

Science

Interview 4: Is Roundup Safe?

Richard Ha writes:

Having farmed for 35 years, I have seen herbicides become safer and safer for both people and the environment.

This video is the fourth in my series of short, expert interviews with Dr. Shane Burgess, who is dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at the University of Arizona.

In this segment, I ask Dr. Burgess to talk about whether or not Roundup is safe.

See previous video interviews with Dr. Burgess here:

Education, Mauna Kea, Science

Thirty Meter Telescope Receives Final Approval!

Richard Ha writes:

Today the Land Board approved the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT). That's the final word. It's over.

Along with several others, I attended the Land Board meeting today in Honolulu where they heard testimony. Then they went into executive session and made their decision. 

It's hard for me to find the words to say how important this is.

Last night I attended a presentation at ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center of students from about ten different high schools from around the world. Each gave a scientific report and they were so high-level they were just mind-boggling. One was some kids from India describing how to measure the mass of the Milky Way. They went into every little step of how a planet forms and dies, and it was evident they hadn't memorized anything, they actually knew it. It gives you so much faith in human beings and their ability to think and do these kinds of great things.

There was also a presentation by high school students from Keaukaha on how to make a koa and fiberglass canoe. It was much more involved than I would have thought. And a robotics team from Kalani High School that was made up of three girls. One of them told the audience that before she got involved in robotics she was very shy. But now, through robotics, she has discovered a passion for teaching small kids and especially girls. She raised her hand and said, "YES!!" It's amazing to see students achieving what they didn't think they could achieve. 

The Thirty Meter Telescope sponsored this event at ‘Imiloa. There are all sorts of interesting things going on, which we don't necessarily know are happening, because of the Thirty Meter Telescope and its commitment to education.

YES!!

Here is the testimony I gave this morning to the Board of Land and Natural Resources:

Aloha, everyone,

I have been involved with the TMT project from the beginning and decided to support it because of TMT's efforts to do the right thing for our Big Island. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us. A project like the TMT will never come our way again. The benefits to the Big Island's young people – not just today's generation, but future generations too – is enormous.

The TMT is giving $1 million dollars annually to The Hawaii Island New Knowledge (Think) fund. The annual installments begin next month and last through the ten years of construction and the 50 years of viewing time.  

The Big Island has the lowest median family income in the state, and education is the best predicted of family income. The TMT partner's contribution is strictly discretionary spending. It is money out. There is no money coming in. If we stretch the waiting period too far, we could lose the whole project. 

Time is of the essence. Please do not jeopardize this education fund for our young people.  

Aloha,

Richard Ha

President, Hamakua Springs Country Farms and its 70 workers.

Also representing the Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United. This grass roots organization represents 90 percent of the farm value produced on the Big Island

Also, President of the Big Island Community Coalition. Its steering committee members in their private capacities are:

Dave DeLuz, Jr., President, Big Island Toyota
Rockne Freitas, Former Chancellor, Hawaii Community College
Michelle Galimba, Member, Board of Agriculture and Ka'u rancher
Richard Ha, President, Hamakua Springs Country Farms
Wallace Ishibashi, Former Chair Big island Labor Alliance, DHHL commissioner. 
Kuulei Kealoha Cooper, Trustee of Kealoha Trust
D. Noelani Kalipi, Former Staffer for Senator Akaka. Helped to write the Akaka Bill.  
Ka‘iu Kimura, Executive Director, ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center
H.M. Monty Richards, Kama‘aina Cattle Rancher
Marcia Sakai, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, UH Hilo
Kumu Lehua Veincent, Principal of Kamehameha Schools, Hawai‘i Island campus
William Walters, President, W.H. Shipman., Ltd.

Articles, Science

Interview 3: 99.9% of Species Ever on Earth Are Extinct Now

Richard Ha writes:

The third in my series of expert interviews.

This is Dr. Shane Burgess again, dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at the University of Arizona, talking this time about how 99.9 percent of all species that ever lived on the earth are now extinct. It's  3 minutes and 20 seconds long. Very interesting; have a listen.

 

Science

Interview 2: Are GMOs Safe?

Richard Ha writes:

Shane Burgess is dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at The University of Arizona. I was sitting next to him when there was a discussion about endangered species, and I was impressed with his knowledge of and passion for the subject.

I asked him, in this interview clip, to speak on whether or not GMOs are safe. I was impressed with how clearspoken and easy to understand he is.