July, 2013 | Dog Eaters

From Ocean to Table

Posted on 07.19.13 under Uncategorized

Somewhere on the coast of Kahakuloa…

The smaller smoke on the right is the sugar mill and that little hill in the background is Haleakala with rises to over 10,000 ft. and forms more than 75% of the Hawaiian Island of Maui, which gives you an indication of scale.

For the schedule of the next burning, click here.

Hana is lovely…

Posted on 07.17.13 under Uncategorized

Dark highway to the St. Anthony’s

Cross overlooking Hana Bay.

Going mauka at the Mile 33 marker to

Ala Kukui — formerly the Hana Retreat. Lots of books of Eastern religion, New Age spirituality and philosophy, beautiful place but without a strong identity. I suggest a landscaping do-over emphasizing endemic and indigenous plants.

Chanting on the pa, a place for ritual and power.

Waianapanapa, a place of hala and legend…

The caves where the pre-historic case of domestic violence occurred.

Pi’ilani Hale Heiau, Honoma’ele, Hana. Believed to the the largest heiau in Hawaii. Pi’ilani, was the 16th Century chief who united (conquered) Maui which resulted in a peaceful and productive reign. I guess having too many factions creates an unstable political situation. And war…

This baby monk seal looks to be at peace, though.

Coast of Pi’ilani Heiau.

The wide fields were used by Pi’ilani’s army to practice. There is the seeming contradiction: large armies create peace…

Deep water taro lois.

We worked it, pulling weeds and burying them in the mud. This creates underwater mulch.

Muddy work, but someone has to do it. For a non-GMO life!

Uncle John feels the mana of the glass poi pounder…

We washed off at Koki Beach, Keanae. That’s Alau Island off the coast.

Even with the washing machine-like intensity of the waves, some of the mud refused to come off!

Lovely scenic drive, but a daily commute would be a killer. Once you’re there, if you never had to leave, it might be heavenly…

the curse of abundance…

Posted on 07.12.13 under Uncategorized

Too much, too soon… Can you handle that?

On the practical side, food storage is so important, yet so taken for granted. Without power, refrigeration is not possible. When that happens, all you can do is eat and hibernate!

We made smoothies and banana bread, and froze the rest. And with photovoltaic and back-up batteries, we can be pretty confident we’ll be okay unless the freezer door is left open. Which has happened in the past!

Aquaponics construction has started at Anekona

Posted on 07.02.13 under aquaponics

In lieu of starving if the status quo is not maintained, Anekona is building a 1024 sq ft aquaponics system. We visited Aquaponics No Ka Oi in Kahului to see how Patty and Larry have been doing it for the past 3 years. Their system, No Ka Oi, is based around a 512 sq system, but there are a lot of “add ons,” like an ebb and flow bed, bio-filters, and the nursery.

Larry Yoneshiro (right) is the chief consultant for the system with

Wesley Chun, the plant expert.

Hmmm… Fish provide the plant nutrients, not chemicals? Yes, it’s more of an art than a science.
Bryson (right), a master carpenter, is part of the construction team.

Ivo, of Wildco Construction and the contractor for the construction (and of all of Anekona), measure and lasers to pull strings for the outlines of the vegetable troughs.