Maui Food Sustainability

I've been thinking about the idea of the island of Maui being self sustainable in terms of food. Would something like this be possible? Could we really supply all that we consume in homes and restaurants on this small island in the middle of the Pacific ocean?

I would like to think it is, but I haven't done the calculations. I read that supermarkets only have a 3 day food supply. So if for some reason, we couldn't ship food here, we would only be stocked for three days. It may not be possible to make Maui completely self sustaining, but I'm sure we are far from being as good as we could. How could we create an independent food surplus?

I don't believe it would require all to take to their backyards armed with hoes and seeds, although that wouldn't be a bad thing. I don't think we would have to slow down much, though again, it might not be negative. It would require, however, a shift in values and philosophies about the land, capitalism, human interaction and heightened awareness of the natural world. This would probably prove to be the largest obstacle, as we are creatures of habit.

Some steps we could take to move towards paradise sustainability would be to:
-have fruit/productive trees in parks and public areas
I would love to walk through a park and pick some fresh mangoes or mulberries from the tree I was sitting under. Nutritious and free.

-use unused lots in the "city" for food production
I wouldn't say Maui has any real cities, but the unused urban land could be used for something productive that could either be sold in a market, or donated to families/communities who need it. People could volunteer or be community service hours for lawbreakers.

-school gardens
Schools could independently provide some of their food, reducing need for gov't funds. Students could have the satisfaction that they grew their own food.

-youth gardening programs
Getting the youth accustomed to veggies and gardens would be a large step. If more people grew up with gardening skills, they would be more apt to use them.

-rooftop gardens
What wasted space the roof is. They get great sun and rain exposure and take up a large percent of urban space. Reclaim the roof.

-city parks/gardens
Imagine a park where all could go to see how gardening is done. With beautiful as well as useful/productive plants, people would be inspired to recreate it at home. the park garden would provide useful examples of plant companions, resource management and layout to assist the home gardener. The garden could also sell plants to subsidize its existence.

-dedicated place for a farmers market
I have been to the Maui farmers market in the Maui Mall. It looks pretty sad, with a couple of tables of fruits and vegetables. And come on, the Maui Mall! Who goes there? If Maui had an area designated for a farmers market, possibly enclosed, complete with information on farms, gardens, growers, latest guidelines, tips, contact information, etc., it might be a more fruitful venture for all.

-Maui specific online resources and education
You might often read gardening tips that are irrelevant to your situation. Do I really need to read about last frosts here on Maui? No. What I want is water requirements and heat/sun preferences, soil recommendations, etc. that relate to my situation.

-label food with foodmiles (the distance it travels from farm to store)
I am willing to bet that if all things being the same, you would choose the strawberry that travelled 5 miles, opposed to 500. That would motivate local farms to supply the local demand.

Just some ideas. I will to share them with those at the Master Gardener class, including the instructor.

Challenge #3: Tell one person about this blog

I came across this article that deals with farming, the global economy, oil, global warming, and all that junk and thought you all should read it. Those oil men really do control the world. From the blog of PMH Atwater. This story is about mariju..., I mean, hemp.

Read the article then think about why hemp is illegal, not how you feel about it.

An article about food safety and the future of it going down the drain. We can have an impact if you believe you as an individual can foster change.

Challenge #3: Tell one person about this blog. A friend would probably be easiest.

This may seem a bit self-indulgent on my part, but if you believe in and appreciate what I write here, then you ought to share it with others. On my side, more activity will provide motivation for bigger and better things.

Master Gardener: Week 2 Botany and Plant Propagation

Let's delve right into it. Today was plant botany and propagation. Lot's of horticulture minutae was tossed around today about dicotyledons and chlorophyll and stomata and germination and xylem's and rhizomes and... that it was hard to catch it all. Although I don't have a superb memory, it is amazing what interest will do for your retention of the subject. Many of the concepts were familiar, but again, many were not. I did my best to find places to fit the information in my brain.

The plant propagation section was especially fun, as we had hands on time working with plants and practicing various methods of propagation. There are many ways to propagate a plant, the most common being from seed. Some other common ways are division, grafting, layering, budding, and cutting. Of these, I had experience with cutting.

These pictures are from the MCC demonstration garden. We are learning and practicing "air layering," a propagation technique.

I now have new tools in my attack on the yard. Next week we will cover soils. Can't start nowhere but from the ground up.