Puna co-op work/food trade?

[asly]

I've seen over the past year or so that on several occasions the word goes out to help dig sweet potatoes and then people get to keep some of the bounty in exchange for their labor. We've discussed lots of great suggestions and resources for growing cacoa, coffee, tea, other stuff, but for some of these foods the processing costs are prohibitive for a backyard grower/producer. It would be wonderful to be able to help out during a harvest or process in exchange for some of the product. I've done this several times at a couple of our local wineries and it also provided a great learning opportunity too. Does anyone know of, or need help with other types of harvesting and processing of foods?

Enjoy the day! Ann

Back to blogging at
http://crazypineappledream.blogspot.com

[Carey]

There are many different ways to help with food harvesting and processing here. There are many informal groups that co-op, and there are groups that come together for worthy causes to glean, and there is also many WOOFer opportunities on island. We have many people that stop by & ask if they can pick from our trees, and I am sure others have too.

Coordination of any effort is the main thing with the co-op type thing... Without a defined 'harvest season' and with weather that can turn on a dime, it is hard to coordinate a harvest time with a group of loosely coordinated people (this from the years we have been doing it with the sweet potatoes... There are many times when the fruit is ready, the people are scheduled & the rains are too heavy to work in the fields...when everything is ready again, the people may not be available)

Many people also share their harvest here by bringing the extras to most any event here, and/or leave the fruit in a basket or whatever to share with neighbors...

[asly]

Thanks for your comment Carey. I'm thinking maybe more along the lines of a learning harvest, like trying it on for size a few times to learn all about a crop before one jumps into trying to farm it and then has to learn from trial and error. Maybe doing the WOOFer thing is the way to go, or maybe calling around to places that one may be interested in learning about their crop is the way to go. I can see how ogranization can be an issue when dealing with the weather - such is farming! :-)

Enjoy the day! Ann

Back to blogging at
http://crazypineappledream.blogspot.com

[Blakeyboy1]

Ann I read an article on Milk and Honey Farm near Pahoa recently. I cannot find a web presence for them though. I can scan the article and send to you if you want.

-Blake
http://www.theboysgreatescape.blogspot.com/

[Devany]

Ann once you are here... I have some people I can hook you up with for that. Most anyone loves free help and is willing to share their knowledge here.

Aloha au i Hawai`i,
devany

www.myhawaiianhome.blogspot.com
www.eastbaypotters.blogspot.com

[Hotzcatz]

Drat, potato digging was last week. Well, there will be more later. If you aren't sure if you are going to like a certain crop, try planting a small amount of it and then expanding it if you like it.

On my first sweet potato planting I learned that putting them in hills is done so they are easier to harvest. I also could have planted them at about 16" apart instead of the 3' that they were planted and not all varieties of sweet potato get mature at the same time.

---

"I like yard sales," he said. "All true survivalists like yard sales."
Kurt Wilson

[pslamont]

Oh, Man... I missed potato digging? I really want to do that soonl.

I want to be the kind of woman that, when my feet
hit the floor each morning, the devil says

"Oh Crap, She's up!"

[Hotzcatz]

Shootz! I'll plant more potatoes if you wanna come help dig 'em up!

---

"I like yard sales," he said. "All true survivalists like yard sales."
Kurt Wilson