Richard Ha writes:
The Hamakua Coast is becoming the Wild Wild West.
A stop sign on Highway 19 is shot full of holes.
Someone cut through our iron gate with a torch just recently.
They left a flashlight (by accident?)
We're installing camouflaged infrared monitors at different places on the farm.
Our neighbors at the quarry had fuel stolen and their surveillance camera stolen.
Many farmers are reporting product and equipment stolen.
It's not easy being a farmer.
Richard Ha writes:
Save the dates:
On these dates, the Hilo Hamakua Community Development Corporation will hold a series of community meetings to discuss agriculture on the Hamakua Coast. All are welcome (and refreshments are free).
We will take a 40,000 foot view of ag and its outside influences, and then look at the resources available to help us, such as the Daniel K. Inouye-Pacific Basin Ag Research Center (PBARC), the College of Tropical Ag and Human Resources (CTAHR), and the College of Ag, Forestry and Natural Resources Management (CAFNRM) at UH Hilo.
There are many scientists researching various subjects. What do we want them to work on?
Farmers will be at the meeting to share their knowledge and experience.
Are you looking for land to farm? Kamehameha Schools/Bishop Estate with be there, and the Hamakua Ag Co-op has vacant land.
John Cross, former land manager for C. Brewer/Hilo Coast Processing, will attend. Did you know why all the sugar cane equipment had tracks, rather than rubber tires? Did you know that the plantations frequently planted banyan trees as significant landmarks?
Jeff Melrose will be at the meetings. He recently did a study that's a snapshot of agriculture on the Big Island. He will talk about on what is grown on the Hamakua coast and why.
Come and talk story with the presenters, learn where you can get additional information, and speak up on what you would like to know more about in the future.
Richard Ha writes:
What a storm! The house shook with intense thunder and lightning last night. This morning, an eleven-mile stretch of Highway 19 was closed, 20 miles north of us, because of the storm.
During the day today we expect no more than 6 mols/meter square of plant-useful sun energy. Ideally, tomatoes need 25 mols/meter square.
Cloud cover and rain are most associated with low sun energy. This low sun energy applies to PV systems on people’s roofs, too. Leaves are another kind of solar radiation collector.
But even though the sun energy is down, our new hydro generator is at max production.
So, if the sun is bright, the plants smile and so do we. If it’s rainy, we generate more electricity.
Either way, we are happy.
Here’s information on waterflow in nearby Honoli‘i Stream as of this afternoon. It’s from the USGS (click to enlarge).
Here’s the same information year to date.
