Farm in Hawaii
ReportLocation: Hilo , Hawaii, United States
7.6 acre sustainable farm and Bed and Breakfast with two running streams on both sides. Located on the Hamakua Coast, 5 miles north of Hilo, Hawaii on the Big Island of Hawaii.WE DO NOT TAKE COUPLES. (No Exceptions)
We are now 100% solar electric and hot water. Using a grid-tie solar array (15kV) powering our complete farm. We produce our own manure for all our vegetables using "Green Alga Technology" Using Tilapia fish in multiple 300 gallon tanks. An all gravity flow system using no electricity. We raise 150 chickens for eggs, manure and breed stock. We incubate and raise pullets at certain times of the year. Planting, cutting, chopping, harvesting, cleaning and pressing Sugar Cane. We make Sugar Cane Juice. Nursery stock. Plants of all kinds, palms, fruit, ornamental, trees, tropical plants and flowers. Crops, 150 stands of bananas, coffee, corn, beans, snap peas, kale, chard, tomatoes, carrots, eggplant, peppers, passion fruit, oranges, lemons, limes, tangerines, avocados, and many other tropical fruits and vegetables. PROJECTS, A) Harvesting bananas and drying them. B) Maintaining our aquaponic gravity flow fish/chicken fertilizer system C) rotating raised beds in our cover houses for growing root vegetables D) Keeping up with our Mulching System. E) Planting and re-potting Garden and Nursery plants. F) Repairing the chicken area. We require some hand weeding. Also, cleaning out the chicken coop waste for the collection of the fertilizer for our gardens.
You will most likely be teamed up with another Wwoofer, who is experienced in what we are already doing. Learning will come from doing, and questions need to be asked if you are interested in what the farm is all about and how we do the things we do. This is not an Internship or a formal instructional course on farming. You are a visitor, invited to see how a farm in the Tropics works and what it takes to grow all year long. We have a growing season like anywhere else. So, Spring, Summer and Fall are our busiest times. Late Fall, Winter, and Early Spring will be slower.
We have a three room Bed and Breakfast which is the backbone of what we do. The sustainable farm is part of the experience. Some maintenance will be required for the upkeep of the Bed and Breakfast. A lot of our effort is being put into the Bed and Breakfast at this time, so most of the work by the visitor will be managing the vegetable gardens and doing the chores each morning, which is feeding, watering, and cleaning up after the donkeys (Chicho and Malika), the chickens, and two pigs (Arnold and Miss Piggy). The projects that are listed above are ongoing and happen when needed. We have been very busy with the workings of the Bed and Breakfast this year, so my time is limited on the farm, but I am always available and open to questions or giving advice. We have other construction projects going on at this time. So you may be asked to give us a hand with these as they progress.
Length of stay for a Visitor is 2 months, or longer if we both agree. We have a private room with private entry open for use with a shared bath. We have a maximum of 3 farm visitors at one time. We would need the cooperation of anyone staying in these rooms to keep all levels of noise to a minimum for the respect of the other bed and breakfast guests in rooms nearby and to be very courteous and well-mannered when a bed and breakfast guest might be encountered. Work starts bright and early with breakfast at 7:00am. Visitors will prepare their own meals in a shared kitchen.
We do not cater to special diets (vegan, vegetarian, gluten free, lactose free or anything else)do not come to our farm if you live this kind of lifestyle, you will be asked to leave. Please find another farm that caters to these eating lifestyles. We do provide the three basic food groups: meat, breads, cheese, eggs, fruits and vegetables that are grown on the farm. You will have to purchase any special foods/products that you might need that we do not provide. We will start our morning at 8:00am and take a lunch break at about 11:00am and begin again about Noon and end at about 3:30pm. These times can vary depending on the weather or the task. This is hands on and over time you will learn many aspects of vegetable growing, animal care, preparing fields, and learning about Green Alga Technology.
We are not USDA Certified Organic. We grow with organic practices when we can. We do not spray insecticide, but we will use herbicides (Honcho) on some areas, like fence lines and areas that are hard to mow. We also try to limit our use of chemical fertilizers when possible. We use very effective Rat Bait and Snail Bait. The Islands have Leptospirosis, which is from Rat populations. The Islands also have Rat Lung Disease. This is from slug and snails, but carried by Rats. The safety of our Guest, Visitors and our Family is very important to us. This is the main reason we choose not to be USDA Certified Organic.
If you are looking for a USDA Certified Organic farm, we are not what you are looking for. Please do not come knowing the above and think that you can give us advice or tell us how to run our farm. You will be asked to leave on the spot. Choose a farm that fits your lifestyle.
We are looking for Visitors that are self-motivated, organized, clean and neat, mature and respectful attitude, non-judgmental, willing to put in some hard work, as well as learning what we do and how we do it. If you are just looking for a cheap place to stay. Go elsewhere! Non-complaining with a good attitude when working with others. We have a Zero Tolerance Policy, meaning we cannot allow Visitors who have issues to remain on the farm. This is not to scare you off; this is to assure you that we are serious about farming and taking care of the growing grounds and our animals. So anyone coming as a Visitor who does not take it seriously, will not follow the rules, or has issues will not remain on the farm. No drugs, drinking, or smoking allowed. This also means if you are trying to quit smoking and using a non-smoking device (you will be asked to leave on the spot). Please do not waste someone’s chance to come to our farm if you are not truly interested in learning about farming. If you need more clarification on this, please call us.
Two days a week will be for rest and relaxation. Nearby area sights and fun things to do include Beaches, Secret ponds, Botanical Gardens, Old Hilo Town, Water Falls, Volcano, Parks. We can pick up at the airport. Local County Bus service and Convenience Store located about a mile from the farm. English only is spoken. Children and pets are not accepted. We do not allow motor vehicles, mopeds, or bicycles on the property.
We have had some problems with Visitors in the past. To make sure that we are a good fit, please read the following.
Make sure that you are Mentally and Physically able and prepared to do this kind of work. This means, if you are NOT NOW Mentally and Physically able, you will not be when you are here doing the work on the farm, so find another farm that fits your lifestyle and please do not waste our time. You will be asked to leave if you are not able or willing to participate.
For example: Could you put down a suffering chicken? Could you butcher a chicken? Could you drown a Rat/Mongoose in a cage? These are some of the things that have to be done on a real FARM.
If you have religious convictions or just do not believe in killing animals for food, culling, lame or a pest, find another farm that fits your lifestyle. We catch/trap Wild Pigs that damage our growing crops and cause erosion. We shoot them and they are given to the local people for food. You will be involved in some of the above and if you are squeamish or have problems killing bugs and other pests, do not come to our farm, find another farm. If you can't do this now, you will not be able to do this when you come. You will be asked to leave. Please do not waste our time.
We are in our mid 50's from conservative back grounds, trying to be libertarian. To some we may seem like your grandparents, parents, or sibling. If you have poor relationships with your family, you will probably have the same with us. So please spare us all the trouble and find a better fit.
Make sure you are coming for the right reasons:
We have found in our experience that some Visitors come to us having their own agenda. Sometimes they get a rental car and it becomes a 2 or 3 week vacation; or looking for a life changing experience; or trying to get away from problems, and this is a way to solve them. This does not work for our farm; meaning that, we become a stepping stone or short stop off point for a Visitor to make their next move. This can pose a problem for us as a host, in that the 2 month commitment is only good until the Visitor finds something different or a new place that they think fits them better. I write this to make it very clear that we are not looking for someone who is unable to commit to our farm and our 2 month commitment. We are looking for a person who will commit to their word, and has the ideals that we (our farm and bed and breakfast) come first, and that we are the agenda for the next 2 months. After your 2 month commitment, you are free to do what life has in store for you and we will let whoever knows that you are a person of your word and a great worker with integrity. Do not come to us if you cannot commit to your word and fulfill your two month commitment with us. We have also found that many Visitors come thinking that they are free on their off hours (not days off) to do whatever they want to. Meaning going into town every night and staying out late and coming back to Island Goode’s making noise and disturbing our Guests and other Visitors. This will not happen! You need to be the kind of person who can chill out and be comfortable after a hard working day. Can kick-back, read a book, listen to music/dvd on your laptop (using headphones) and enjoy your time off on the property/farm. On your days off you are free to do what you want and come back to the farm at a reasonable time, being on time for work the next day—ready for work. We make trips into town almost daily, and you are free to go with us to do shopping, visit the library, farmers market, and scheduled adventures.
In a nutshell this is what we are looking for, someone who is coming to learn how a tropical farm works. Doing the daily routine and getting the full two month treatment of what it takes to do this. This is a Visitor coming to our farm to help and support us. This is not a vacation, surfing, watersports, communal experience, one with nature/religious experience, foodie experience…it’s learning what we do and how we do it.
During your time with us, we will make short excursions to places like Kona, Volcano National Park, Waterfalls, Ocean adventure and downtown trips… it’s not all work.
I will only respond to your emails if they are short statements/no rambling AND you provide the following:
1) Link to your profile.
2) Resume of yourself with your full name (first, middle (no initials) last name) and your age.
3) Clear, close up picture of yourself.
4) Arrival and departure dates.
5) Will you have health insurance during your time at the Farm?
6) Any problems with getting dirty (Chicken Poop)? Are you Germ phobic? Meaning, you have to wear gloves because you don't want to get your hands dirty?
We have safety issues that need to be addressed... as we have family, children, grand-children and Guests/Visitors...we want them safe. So.....
IF YOU HAVE/HAD A CRIMIAL RECORD, EX-CON, DRUG ADDICTION/ALCHOLIC, CHILD MOLESTER/CONVICTED CHILD MOSESTER, OR QUIT YOUR JOB, CAN NOT FIND WORK AND JUST NEED A PLACE TO KICK BACK...DO NOT INQUIRE HERE!!! We are not a rehab center...there are social programs that will help you. Please do not inquire here, we will check you out and report you .
