Wonder if our food prices are about to increase...

[unknownjulie]

Hamakua Springs is phasing out all tomato growing- as of the end of November, and the Maui initiative to ban all GMO just passed over there. Where will the farmers go? And how will farming remain profitable? Will the farmers of Maui relocate to BI?

[kalakoa]

Short answer: yes.

Long answer: it will be an artificial price modification for political reasons.

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

Mr. Ha on phasing out his tomato operation:
http://hahaha.hamakuasprings.com/tomatoes/

Perhaps someone will take the opportunity to fill the void left when he ends his production. Clearly there is a demand.
There was a thread a few months back that included a discussion about growing vegetables hydroponically:
http://www.punaweb.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=19323

[james weatherford]

The Maui GMO ban should have zero effect here -- the 'farmers' planting GMO's are corporations producing corn seed and that has nil to do with food prices here.
The silly hype about it being a 'farming ban' was just that, hype, and there is no reason to think farmers will need to leave Maui.

As for Hamakua Springs tomatoes, I have always found them inferior to others I buy locally, such as from Johnson Farm in Opihikao.

[kander]

I remember a time when farmers grew food with abundance before gmo. They didnt even need to buy seed because they saved some from the year before. GMO does not equate to cheaper.

Stuff grows, Rotate crops to keep pests from taking hold.. smile.

[Kenney]

We've got tomatoes in the back yard. I throw them around, the hens spread them and Voila! Tomatoes!

[Obie]

quote:

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Originally posted by james weatherford

As for Hamakua Springs tomatoes, I have always found them inferior to others I buy locally, such as from Johnson Farm in Opihikao.

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Can the Johnson Farm fill the void and supply all of the farmers markets and the grocery stores that Hamakua Springs did ???