KUDOS TO ALL WHO GROW IN THE WINTER

[Raychel A Watkins]

The first thing I want to say is You people who grow in the winter are fabulous.  I couldn't pull it off.  I think about you (seriously) when I am out complaining about the hot sun and the lack of rain.  We got our first rain in 10 months the other night. Hallelujah It was about an inch.  I live on the dry side of Oahu.  I am so impressed when I read what all of you are doing.  It makes me believe that this movement is here to stay.  Keep it up we need everyone of you. 

Things here on Oahu are moving pretty fast also.  So many groups working towards a common goal.  I now find my self a member of a few of them myself.  Of course I am involved with the Aquaponics Association, ( those of you who aren't should consider it seriously) but I joined a group called Transition Oahu.  If you don't know what the transition movement is Google it.  Many of the members here have an aquaponic system going.  We despartely need this type to thing to happen in all our communities.  It brings us close together and we do not need to feel like we are fighting by ourselves.  Then I got into the Master Cho Natural gardening group here in Waianae.  We are a bunch (small right now but growing) who want to restore the land and get back to the natural way of doing farming.  It is amazing how are group is growing.  We have a organic farm here callled Kahumana Farms.  It is less than i/2 mile ( as the crow flies) from my house.  By the way we don't have any crows here I guess I should say Myna bird flies.  We are all coming together each Monday to build the ingredients to make our IMO4 which is the key ingredient to natural farming the Master Cho way.   We even have people there who are not farmers who want to participate.  These people are very dynamic and filled with a passion to restore our farming land, to provide healthy food for ourselves and others, We are all dedicated to teaching as many people as we can to do likewise.  We have another group which involes much of the same people who are being networked together by a fellow named Brian.  He set out to pull the farmers together so we could help each other.  It is pretty lonely out there when you think you are alone.  low and behold it is not so, We have many farmers here that want to participate.  Again in the group there are people who are not farmers who want to help.  There is this very Young girl who want to help and she has the connections to do so.  She  knows about grants and the like and wants to share her knowledge. 

This past Thursday a lady joined our group. She runs a farm called the Naked Dariy.  We used to have many daries on Oahu now we have none except hers.  She is a very brave woman actually there are 2 women running this.  She has 20 cows and has had to import food from the mainland.  She makes butter and cheese but has plans to pasturize milk (raw milk big brother says  is bad for you) She is going to bottle it in glass bottles.  She has made a promise to stop buying mainland feed for the cows and find or make a way to grow it.  She has a very small acreage.  What a brave promise when you live on the draught stricken side of the island.  She is about a mile from me.  People like this are beyond words to express how they are.  What a revolution and I am thrilled that I am a part of it.

How ironic last night as I went to bed last night I always leave on the radio and listen to Coast to Coast just to here the sounds of the voices as they are soothing.  They usually talk about ghosts, ufos, shadow people all of which are outside my realm but I like the voices in the background.  Well last night they had a guest on talking about Mansanto and GMO's.  It was really good what I heard.  We had better pull togther and make our movent count or we are going to be swallowed up by these people..  They hold a  lot of power in this world not just the US.  I am encouraged they have made some progess in Europe to get things labelled GMO free.  But it only by us working together and raising our voices and growing our fresh healthy food and showing our systems to every one we can however we can that will make that difference.  I hope I will see it in my lifetime I know most of you will if you keep moving the way you Have.

This week Glen is bring the Farmers Union group (another one I am joining) by my farm for a tour.  I feel priveliged to have them come to see what I am doing no matter how small I think it is.  Then we are going on to Ma"O farms for the meeting and pot luck.  MA"O is a large organic farm very close to me that involves the young high school in the farming.  They earn scholarships to college for working there.  They do all the farming.  They sell their products on the market, Eventually Glen and I will convince them to add a little aquaponic system to their farm so many others can learn.  It all networks together.

Mahalo Nui Loa  which is thank you iin an very large way for all of you on this web site for all that you do.  Continue to share the way you do.  Consider joining the Aquaponic Association so that we become an even louder voice for healthy sustainable food

I Love you all Aloha Raychel

[steve]

Thanks!! Raychel, Life in paradise. Thinking about the small local stores here and the poor people paying big prices got me thinking again. Why not start Cooperative Grocery stores?? The advantages could be huge. 1. Lower cost food for active and possibly inactive members. 2. Work for people without. 3. Possible production of some goods on site, for max. freshness. (bakery, AP system, deli, eggs?) 4. Last but definitely not least. Allow the people more control over which products they want. Maybe our store does not want GMO corn or herbicide drenched tomatoes, meat raised in unethical conditions, chemical bathed products. We would have a choice to buy more local products moving in a sustainable direction.  I envision this in time in varying sized stores depending on community, some Mom and Pop sized, others larger than Walmart.                                                                                                                                                                        Think its time to make some changes and move into an age of cooperation. Not that I don't like free enterprise. Just things have gotten out of control. This would be a way of getting a bit of control back, and later could move in several areas. Back to Democracy.  "Every dollar spent is your vote for how you want the world to be"

[Steve Perreault]

Thanks for the great post. I grew this winter for the first time in an un-heated greenhouse here in Rhode Island. I am pleased to say that it's been worth it. I grow enough to keep me in fresh salad all week.

I agree with your thoughts on Monsanto. You may want to sign this petition to stop former Monsanto VP Michael R. Taylor from being promoted to Senior Advisor to the Commissioner of the FDA. Here's a link to the petition - > http://signon.org/ 

All the best to you!

[Raychel A Watkins]

Hi MIchael

Yes this drought is unusual We usually have a nice rainy season that starts about Dec,  About 7 years ago we would have to dig trenches to get the water off the fruit trees.  We had about an inch a week ago but with sun and wind that doesn't last long.  I cover all my ground with 4 inches of mulch which I get free from tree trimmers.  This helps the soil to hold moisture.

[Michael Welber]

Hi Raychel. Greetings from the Florida Keys. 

Is this drought unusual? Has your climate changed in the last few years? Our winters are normally dry but we're having -- once again -- a very dry winter so far. Only .24 inches of rain this month. Fortunately I put in a 5000 gallon cistern so I'm able to use that water in the fish tank. Our water that comes via aqueduct from the mainland is  very alkaline and, sometimes, they add desalinated water. Very worrying. 

[Sahib Punjabi]

Very Nice...You are so inspirational Raychel :-)

God bless