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I'm pretty sure Mr. Ha stopped the hydroponic operation because cost of operation / maintenance were prohibitive.
Something to think about, 'stuff' costs more in Hawaii.
Hydroponics requires a lot of equipment. Most of those who prattle on about organic, sustainable, food sustainability, aquaculture, etc have no clue about the realities of running a business.
Maybe if you were some minority ethnicity and could get a start up grant from the government you could start a business here.
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The world is changing. This area has something most agricultural lands don't....water. The sheer number of California farms faltering from the drought could put plenty of pressure on price of produce, so much so, that coupled with even cheaper oil for transporting it, you can probably secure contracts for something you agree to grow. There is some major USDA regulation on exports to overcome, but the rules that protected California growers will likely have to be relaxed to fill the need on the mainland. There's also a big growth in fresher food grocery chains like Sprouts and Whole Foods that would be ideal customer for everything grown here.
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This area has something most agricultural lands don't....water.
For about the same shipping cost, there are other agricultural lands which lack minimum wage rules and workplace safety regulations. We currently import produce that "should" be cheaper to grow locally.
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quote:
Originally posted by Newgirl
The world is changing. This area has something most agricultural lands don't....water. The sheer number of California farms faltering from the drought could put plenty of pressure on price of produce, so much so, that coupled with even cheaper oil for transporting it, you can probably secure contracts for something you agree to grow. There is some major USDA regulation on exports to overcome, but the rules that protected California growers will likely have to be relaxed to fill the need on the mainland. There's also a big growth in fresher food grocery chains like Sprouts and Whole Foods that would be ideal customer for everything grown here.
Well, despite being "new", you are going down tired old tracks. There is a lot of fresh water on the east side, there are drought conditions on the west side. Bananas grown here locally are about 25% more than being imported from South America which are first imported into the US, then exported with a resale markup plus transportation cost. Many things don't grow here naturally. Grapes, strawberries (not in an open field), apples, cherries, asparagus, so on. Mangoes from Mexico are 99 cents each on the mainland, $2.99 per pound here. If you look at the coconut water in the store, almost all of it is from Thailand. Even coconut water is cheaper to import from thousands of miles away rather than be produced locally.
The ground water around the whole planet is disappearing, at least from where it was originally located. This is looking like the evaporation caused by global warming, evaporating fresh water from the land and dumping it into the ocean. There are going to be multiple long term trends from this, early indicators already happening. The Marshall Islands has about 70 square miles above sea level across hundreds of populated islands. Those are starting to experience the higher sea levels first, whole villages starting to be washed over by high sea waves.
http://i.guim.co.uk/static/w-940/h--/q-9...ds-001.jpg
Many Micronesians are migrating to the mainland if they can. The government is very quietly relocating Micronesians to Hawaii, that is why the homeless rate in Honolulu is skyrocketing. There is planning going on to start relocating displaced Micronesians to southern Hawaii island. Vanuatu is also starting to be regularly flooded with high sea waves and they are looking to relocate to another island.
All organic farming means is fertilizing with manure. Organic farming is monstrously inefficient with water usage. The large scale farming in California is highly dependent on massively inefficient use of water, wells to pump up fresh water, open irrigation ditches, giant sprinklers from there. The other news that is being kept quiet is many of these wells are going dry, they are having to drill deeper, and empty aquifer roofs are collapsing, causing sudden sink holes. Existing methods of farming assumed there would be unlimited fresh water forever. Looks like forever may be about 20 years from now.
Being dependent on west coast produce is going to start becoming more and more expensive, on top of the import transportation cost. It would benefit Hawaii island to wean itself off this addiction. There are solutions but they won't be done by people from Puna, since technology is involved. Others are proceeding ahead and they will benefit. Also, there is ground water, which even Hawaii has a decreasing supply, but there is water that is not being talked about, probably because just the word drilling causes many people in Puna to lose their minds.
"Aloha also means goodbye. Aloha!"
*Japanese tourist on bus through Pahoa, "Is this still America?*
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quote:
Well, despite being "new", you are going down tired old tracks.
Well, thank you for setting me straight. I'll be the first to admit that I have much to learn about my new environment, I just mentioned the obvious points having observed the conditions in CA.
I hear some tropical crops like cacao and coffee are failing due to change in climate, and I can't help but form the opinion that we're entering a different normal. I wonder how those poor countries with low labor costs will ride out the environmental changes around them since they have the least resources to do so.
But point taken, I'll keep reading and asking questions until I can forge me some new tracks.
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quote:
All organic farming means is fertilizing with manure. Organic farming is monstrously inefficient with water usage.
I don't believe that's true, and while the trend has been towards industrial/chemical farming, it's not particularly dependable as technology, certainly not without it's own consequences. Here's where I think organic agriculture will be headed:
http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archiv...on/380825/
And there is the looming problem of phosphorus shortages to consider:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/201...083830.htm
I don't understand your comment here, if you can kindly explain.
quote:
There are solutions but they won't be done by people from Puna, since technology is involved.
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I admire the Amish; they're smart, hard-working, frugal, and, above all disciplined. I wonder why they haven't started a colony here in Puna? Be that as it may, we do have UH School of Tropical Agriculture, and contrary to popular belief, many of the professionals there are not on the payroll of Monsanto, Syngenta, or Northrop-Grumman. Sure we could grow poi or breadfruit, but try and make a self-sustaining business of it. Farmers have families to support and few are willing to settle for a third world existence. It seems the majority of those among us who happily live in grass shacks and peddle around on a bicycles are adverse to endless toil, and have little in the way of business acumen. I sincerely hope that one day soon the enlightened ones will purchase a tract of arable land and teach us how to feed the people, while denying themselves the temptations of Babylon. Until then, I'll trade my dollars for groceries grown by the Filipino and Thai families who make it around here -- somehow .
Un Mojado Sin Licencia
Un Mojado Sin Licencia
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I'm working a deal with the State and PGV now... with a potential of $16 trillion over the next 20 years and 80% going to the State. It wont bring many jobs though but it will provide yearly citizen kick back allotments at a projected $65k per person over the age of 18 and allow the State to make substantial investments in infrastructure State wide. Part of the deal is gearing up the Big Island for the future and I'm still hammering out my expectations on that matter. Yes... that's more than the yearly federal budget, you are correct... this State will be the wealthiest in the world. I'm setting up a REEs extraction plant from seawater near Kapoho using an extraction method I developed a decade ago, PGV will be our energy provider. Platinum 190 is one of the target materials worth 1 billion per troy ounce. The deep depths so close to shore, the central to vortex ocean currents and the geothermal energy make it a prime collection location for many of the desired element isotopes we're after.
How's that for a load of Puna morning horse crap? ;P
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How's that for a load of Puna morning horse crap? ;P
Do you deliver?
I could use it for the organic farm I'm starting...
"I'm at that stage in life where I stay out of discussions. Even if you say 1+1=5, you're right - have fun." - Keanu Reeves
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"Do you deliver?
I could use it for the organic farm I'm starting..."
How many tons do you need? 
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