Aloha kakou,
for those of you that heard about our mongoose massacre earlier this year we’re happy to say our two survivors Lili’u and Sally are still with us, along with ten youngsters. Tomorrow we’ll be adding three Ameraucanas for diversity. Unlike the Isa Browns we have right now that lay beautiful brown eggs,
the Ameraucanas will be laying blue green eggs in a month or so. Both breeds are good with keiki and help us add nitrogen to the soil and lay about 6 eggs a week. So with 15 chickens x 6 eggs/week that’s about 90 eggs or 7 dozen a week! Yep we’re still wondering what we were thinking when we put in the order, but these girls are here to stay.
if any wahine out there haven’t signed up for this year’s `Aha Wahine, it’s not too late! Go to www.ahawahine.org to register. The mini-`aha held earlier this year was such a success thanks to Mehana and all the other organizers, committee members, volunteers, and presenters. There are presentations and workshops on leadership, health, healing, hana no`eau, and much, much more. This `aha will be held at Leeward Community College, right in our backyard. Hope to see you there!
This Sunday, July 29th, 2012 come join us at Thomas Square to celebrate Ka La Ho`iho`i Ea, the day Independence was restored to Hawai`i after British occupation. We’ll be selling smoked meat plates, mamaki tea, and the usuals T-shirts, etc. Hope to see you there!
we want to say mahalo to all of you who have helped us this past year. Looking back we’ve had some successes and some heartaches but overall we were able to holomua and bring us ahead to planning this year at Hanakehau. Here’s a look at 2011:
:: Hui Ku Maoli Ola – we traded five barrels of `ae`ae for a number of koki`o St. Johniensis, hinahina`ewa, ko`oloa`ula, naio, and many more. This gave us a head start on planting natives to keep the california grass down and start some shade for the mala.
Wetlands at Hanakehau
:: Farrington High School & De-Tour: Pete Doktor, Hawaii Peace and Justice (Kyle Kajihiro and Terri Keko`olani) brought several student groups from Farrington High School to talk about demilitarization and the importance of malama `aina. They also did a lot of work with us. Take a look at where we were earlier this year:
Most of it was bare dirt.
:: MANA came several times for work days, working tirelessly and bringing kalo from Uncle Danny Bishop with Homestead Poi.
:: Punana Leo `o Wai`anae – the kane made the imu, cooking a pig, `ulu, `uala, and kalo and all our `ohana came the next day to enjoy an `aha `aina, talk story, and enjoy with our keiki.
:: Kamehameha Schools Ipu Kukui Program October Intersession — Kumula`au and his staff brought 60-80 haumana from high schools in the central and Leeward area to Hanakehau for a week of learning about malama `aina and the issues we face as a lahui today as we look to traditional understandings of malama `aina and how we apply those concepts today.
:: KSBE 7th & 8th grade boarders community service day: the students helped us plant 5 rows of `uala (piko variety) and 1 row of `uala (lehua variety) as well as to open a channel to the future `auwai, spread mulch (the least favorite but important job out here), and plant more natives.
Many, many others came to help us over this past year so if we did not include you, e kala mai! Hanakehau is for our lahui and we definitely could not do this without all of you. This year, together we:
:: planted over 100 native plants
:: dug an imu and used it to learn about cooking in an imu, make laulau, and to feed well over 200 people
:: spread mulch across the open areas, the most effective, labor saving, toxin-free weed control (gives us more time to spend on other things)
:: built 5 raised beds and planted 6 rows of `uala for future imu
:: cut back on weeds and bridges to support our resident `alae`ula pair as they birthed 4 sets of offspring
And much, much more…
Plans for this year? This year we plan to host a workshop series on hana no`eau, politics, and other areas to build our lahui and to continue to host Ipu Kukui, FHS, Hawaii Peace and Justice, MANA, PLOW and others to provide a place and space to learn and – just as important – to hana, to do and engage, practice, and grow.
Two months ago, we got a call saying “Hi, this is Asagi Hatchery, your chicks are ready!” Um…Huh? Our what? How many?!?
Apparently we ordered a dozen browns – a hybrid of the White Leghorns (excellent layers) and Rhode Island Reds (good temperament). When we went to pick them up, the ladies at Asagi threw in two extra for good measure. So, our long-term goal of raising chickens to condition our soil, provide fertilizer, pest control, and fresh farm raised eggs became a fast reality – all fourteen of them.
First things first. We needed a brooder to keep the chicks warm for the first month.
Building the brooder box
Lucky thing we have a few tools and a skilled woodworker!
Next was a warm light, chick starter mash and a feeder (we bought vegetarian natural feed), a waterer (chicks always need fresh water available), and some bedding. We read that chicks need a little bit of texture for their feet, and so the paper towels.
Two days old Two weeks old
Pretty soon they needed a bigger home. Lucky thing we had the perfect purple pidgeon cage ready.
At one month
Now it’s time for the next move. We’d better get moving.
teenagers at two months
According to Ka`uiki, their only fault is that they don’t know how to follow their kumu (her, of course).
Aloha `aina
Update:
Unfortunately our moa wahine met up with a mongoose that wiped out most of our population. We were devastated to find their cage empty except for their carcasses. We’ll spare you the details. Needless to say, mongoose is not on our list of favorite alien species. After doing a number on the `alae `ula, our chickens were pretty much sitting ducks. Two survived the carnage and we’re hopeful they aren’t too stressed to lay. We also were fortunate to pick up ten two-week old chicks from our friends at Asagi Hatchery. So we’re back in the brooder for another week or so. Meanwhile we’re building a reinforced heavy duty chicken tractor. Post to follow soon!
Those of us at Hanakehau Learning Farm created this blog to keep our volunteers, visitors, friends, family and partners updated on farm happenings, workshops, and progress.
For those of you who haven’t visited us yet, we hope to have you over soon! We are a grassroots organization dedicated to reclaiming and providing cultural space for our lahui to learn/practice/engage in Hawaiian traditions and practices.
Why are we called a Farm? The short answer is, it is a farm. We’ll be restoring lo`i kalo, growing a small garden, and planting native and non-native food plants and others for material, lei, ceremony, etc. However, our real focus is on growing consciousness and helping to raise our keiki to be knowledgeable in their cultural practices, our history, and the current political context we face today.
Mahalo nui to all of you who have volunteered your time, trucks, dirt, sweat, and energy to making the farm happen! We’re on our way.
KO'IHONUA 