Trifter

A scent of basil

During the morning of September 15th, 2009 Glenn, Peter, Brad, Al and I gathered around a table for early breakfast at Ken’s in Hilo. Glenn pulled out our tour plan that was prepared by Natalie, the farm manager of Olomana Gardens. While handing tour plans copies around Glenn was alreadyon his mobile phone talking with the local farmers to connect, give some schedule estimates and get some road instructions. We then stationed ourselves at UH Hilo PACARC while waiting for Bob, Ed and Brian’s arrival from Maui and for Diga, Matt, and
Jim from the Big Island. James and Karala, experienced photographers who turned aquaculturist, asked to join us and started loading their precious equipment on the bus. With Diga at the bus wheel and Matt driving the truck we started our tour north of Hilo aiming at our first aquaponics farm.

A strong and reviving scent of basil hit our smell buds as we met David who was surrounded with hundreds of the green plants, standing tall on their floating foam racks inside arched greenhouses. As we spread around David’s farm to enjoy the smell and view while exploring the farm we were given some lessons from Glenn on the latest innovations of our host. We have learned about the special drill bit that David created for the floating foam racks and the unique tray that helps in the seeding of the basil while using a vacuum cleaner. We also learned of the special way David was cutting the bottom of his seeds growth cup to allow easy and safe transfer of the young plants. We could have stayed and listened to both David and Glenn for many fascinating hours but we had a long day of visits ahead of us and we had to say mahalo to David and leave Kamuela for a visit at Tim and Susanne’s farm at Honokaa.

Back to where aquaponics started on the Big Island

Aquaponics’ legend Jim Rakocy taught Tim, who came back from the Virgin Islands
to transfer the information to Hawaii aquaculturists and agriculture enthusiasts. We
found Tim and Susanne busy with their farm while working on a new addition. Tim was
kind enough to give us an educated tour, while sharing with us the latest features.
Friendly Aquaponics supply their lettuce to COSTCO and to ensure the quality Tim and
Susanne are using special Canadian screen net to cover their plants. It appears that this
net does not affect the plants shape and growth while giving good protection from in-
sects. Tim will host a new workshop during October and some people are already looking forward to attend it.
From Friendly Aquaponics we continued to the near by Honokaa High School and
we have learned of the way they are teaching their students to work in aquaponics while appreciating the farming and its hardship. It seems that they are developing a unique program.Friendly Aquaponics

Traditional Hawaiian Ceremony

We then met Dennis and Liz Dacus in their farm in Paauilo surrounded by close friends who gave us lots of love and care. Their good Hawaiian friend took us through a spiritual ceremony that helped us to be more bound to earth and mankind. After expecting and learning more about the farm’s aquaponics system and its features we had some refreshments and opened a discussion about the need for the aquaponics farmers to join forces and share in order to be able and survive and succeed through these hard economic times.

This is not a Jacuzzi although the food is definitely Italian

Justin and Cheriess Bugado from Honomu surprised us with an amazingly unique aquaponics system that looks like an upgraded Jacuzzi or a bar. We saw in the couple’s garage a one-piece unit covered with beautiful ceramic tiles. The fish tank is in the center while the walls surrounding it carry inside them the troughs that hold the many small ceramic balls that contain water and nitrifying bacteria while holding the embedded plants upright. After admiring Cheriess’ imagination and plan and Justin’s outstanding technical ability we visited their big aquaponics system and greenhouse. Again, the winning combination of Cheriess’ plan with Justin’s construction ability created a good and marketable greenhouse that can be attached to any available aquaponics system. We sealed the first day of the Aquaponics Bus Tour with an Italian dinner prepared by our gracious hosts.

“Small landholders are the most precious part of a state.” -Thomas Jefferson

Most likely, President Jefferson would have been very pleased to see all those small to medium size aquaponics farms that are spread along the eastern coast of the Big Island of Hawaii. Sarah and Y.B. Ko, who grow and teach their kids on their small backyard farm while developing and learning their aquaponics system as they go, have adapted this theme. Their dedication is seen everywhere on the farm and results are to prove it. During July, Jim Rakocy, Peter, Matt and I visited their farm and since then I could see only development and improvement.

Stewart Blackburn, at Sea View Estates, showed us an aquaponics system with a round fish tank and greenhouse targeted at upright-climbing cherry tomatoes. The greenhouse can use some ventilation but the system by large seems to have a great potential. After practicing aquaponics for some time, Stewart arrived at the conclusion that he is made of neither farmer nor employer and decided to sell his aquaponics system. Kindly, take it into consideration.

We continued our tour down to Pahoa and met with Keikialoha at Kua O Ka La Charter School. Their hydroponics system is undergoing drastic metamorphosis into aquaponics, where Glenn is providing his good advice and hard work on fish and filtering and “living lung” tank system while Keikialoha is coming up with original ideas for troughs made of recycled ammunition containers. It seems that the school needs additional pairs of working hands and a good and fresh mind and thus Brad, Glenn’s intern accepted our suggestion to stay and work with Keikialoha.

Our next visit was at Diga, Kaika and Maayag’s farm of the Dragon’s Eye Center at Pahoa-Kapoho. They have a very unique, relatively large scale aquaponics system built from board that was made from the local albizia trees. We have found many innovative ideas and fresh and challenging approaches. The system is based on tilapia as in most systems that we have visited but the variety of plants we found there was beyond all what we have seen
thus far.

We continued our way down the road from Dragon’s Eye Center to visit Lyn’s aquaponics backyard farm and we found a relatively compact system that looks like a shrine where the roof covered tank is rising about all the plants’ troughs. Lyn had a variety of troughs to
provide different conditions to different plants. Lyn showed us all her ideas that helped her maintain the farm and our interaction seemed to be well received. Once again we have encountered a water surface plant similar to the one we saw previously at Tim’s farm. Jeff’s special healthy cookies added to the family atmosphere that we all shared.

Our last visit on our second day was at Peter Boucher’s farm in Hilo. We found Peter working intensely on his prototype aquaponics system to be shown on September 18, 2009 at the Waikoloa Hilton Village. Peter gave a short tour while darkness engulfed the surroundings forcing us to take our place between the pupus and BBQ prepared by Peter’s family. This was a wonderful gathering to end the second day.

Conclusions

Throughout our tour people were walking around in the aquaponics farms while exploring, taking notes and photos and sharing their knowledge with great enthusiasm. The curiosity kept us alert and the sharing of information broadened our knowledge and filled our hearts with joy and appreciation. Highly technical experts such as David have inspired us while we were saddened listening to Stewart’s story. We were tuned to both the technical and to the spiritual. It was quite clear to us that Tim has made some adaptations to Rakocy’s methodology and Tim’s students continue to add their own adaptations upon building their aquaponics systems. The adaptability and divergence from Rakocy’s methodology to the various aquaponics systems found in the Big Island can be sometimes most beneficial to the farmers who have unique conditions, related to available building material,
fish, plants, physical conditions and market. Nonetheless, certain adaptations can bring about some confusion and the need to “reinvent” features that exist already in Rakocy’s systems.

This tour would not have been possible without one man who has a big heart, strong mind and capable hands, namely Glenn Martinez. Mahalo to you all for a great aquaponics tour and for starting a wonderful tradition.