Today was one of our most jam-packed days yet! Our tour bus today was a bit smaller that what we've been riding on, but as we twisted through the hills and turns of Maui we soon learned why there were some places our long bus could not have traveled!
We began our morning at Monsanto Hawaii. Our first speaker was the Executive Director of the Hawaii Farm Bureau who educated us about the very diverse agriculture of Hawaii and the challenges facing the various industries. Just as in Ohio, the state's Farm Bureau is hard at work trying to educate consumers and lobby the state's legislature in support of Hawaii's farmers. Incidentally, there are 11 county Farm Bureaus in the state of Hawaii.
Our next speaker was from Hawaii Commercial and Sugar Company. The company has roughly 34,000 acres of sugar production on the island of Maui. However, they are facing significant and difficult challenges from environmentalists involving disputes over diverted water. Water is an obvious necessity for agricultural production, yet in the islands the rainfall is sporadic, so there are certain times of the year where water is plentiful and others when the island is in drought making water availability a significant issue.
HC&S has diverted water for more than 100 years to irrigate its cane fields, but a three-year drought and restrictions on the amount of water it can take has left it short and contributed to mounting losses.
HC&S reported losses of $13 million in 2008 and an estimated $30 million in 2009. The drought and water restrictions have caused sugar cane production at HC&S to fall from 200,000 tons six years ago to 127,000 tons in 2009.
Of course, we also heard from three different presenters from Monsanto who shared how testing of corn plots is conducted at the Hawaii research facility. It's amazing to think that what these scientists and researchers are doing today may be what ends up in our Ohio fields years down the road. It's like getting a glimpse into the future.
We were also stunned to learn that each field must be assigned a monitor. These monitors act as human scarecrows walking the plots, watching for birds and clanging a noisemaker that will protect the plots from birds. One species of bird, in particular, likes to swoop in and work their way right down the rows removing all the seeds. Certain laws restrict what can be done about these nuisance birds, thus creating the need for these human scarecrows who must spend their days in the hot sunshine protecting the fields.
As a side note, my family also received some exciting news in the form of a phone call that came while we were visiting Monsanto. The group cheered as we learned that my brand new nephew has arrived! Needless to say, I'll never forget receiving that news while in Maui!
From there we boarded the bus and made our way to the Surfing Goat Dairy Farm where we saw another fascinating aspect of Hawaiian agriculture. Of course, with cattle dairy farms disappearing from the islands, the goat dairy is one of the few places to get freshly made cheese and dairy products. And, the farm is suitably named for the goats who like to play on surf boards!
While there, the farm's owner Tom, treated us to an amazing feast of salad, sausage, steak, chicken, sweet corn, bread and more! We also celebrated the birthday of one of our travel companions as we surprised him with a cake and candles. Happy Birthday David!
Our final stop was at the Ali'i Kula Lavender Farm. This 10.5 acre farm showcases over 45 varieties of lavender, olive trees and native Hawaiian Gardens. Situated at 4,000 feet elevation on the slopes of Haleakala Crater, the farm offers breathtaking views. We learned that while many may just think of lavender as a pretty flower, it actually offers much. It repels mosquitos and other insects, acts as a natural disinfectant and antiseptic, can reduce symptoms of congestion and headaches and can help heal cuts, scrapes and burns.
As you can imagine, our group was tired as we ventured back toward our resort. Yet that didn't stop the conversation on the bus, which erupted into an improv as everyone began taking turns telling jokes!
This evening some are opting for quiet nights on the shores of the beach or in their rooms. Others are going to dinner in one of the nearby restaurants. Tomorrow is a free day in Maui, but the majority of our group has decided to take a whale watching excursion in the late morning. In the evening, we will celebrate our trip with a traditional island luau!
With all of the beautiful gardens, I took lots of pictures today which you can enjoy by visiting ABN Radio's Facebook page and becoming a fan.
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