Hearing: Maui Island Plan – South Maui – Tuesday, May 29, 9am

THIS MAY BE THE ONLY CHANCE FOR PUBLIC TESTIMONY ON SOUTH MAUI GROWTH

Where: Maui County Council Chambers, 200 High St Wailuku

If you can’t go, send comments to General Plan Committee: committee@mauicounty.us

The Hawaiian Heritage and Environmental Sustainability Fair

On Saturday, April 17th, The Hawaiian Heritage and Environmental Sustainability Fair will be held in Paia, featuring sustainable companies and projects from all over the island.

See details.

Sign up to help with planting at the KES Garden!

No gardening experience is needed. Our garden volunteers are always a big help to teachers and students, and it’s a lot of FUN for the volunteers too! New volunteers from the community are always encouraged to join us, so even if you can’t make this event, let us know you are interested and we’ll add you to our school garden mailing list!

Sign up by selecting form below or call Kathy at 344-0469 or email kathy at southmauisustainability dot org to sign-up or get more information. You have your choice of several days and times.

Click to sign up. Please make sure to submit the form. You will receive confirmation within 48 hours.

Tour de Kihei Bike Ride

Saturday, August 28
9:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Kamaole Beach Park III

Join us on the Tour de Kihei Bike Ride. Come out and support greener and safer transportation on a ride for bike awareness and bike safety for South Maui and also have a chance to meet candidates running for office.

On the morning of August 28th, we’ll be starting from Kamaole Beach Park III and ride down Kihei Road to Lipoa St. We’ll stop for a water break at St. Theresa’s Church and return by riding south on the Kalama Park Pedestrian Trail. We finish back at Kam III where we’ll have water, light snacks and a chance for people to find out more about bike riding and safety issues in South Maui. The ride itself should take less than an hour. For safety reasons, we’ll be riding in groups of about 10 people.

We have invited our elected officials and candidates for office to join us for the bike ride so they will be more informed about the bicycling needs of the South Maui Community. At the end of the ride, we have suggested that they make themselves available to meet and talk story.

Please RSVP and let us know, so we can plan for snacks. Signup for The Tour de Kihei here (or visit www.goKihei.org) or contact us directly at  874-5955.

Special thanks to: Kihei Community Association, South Maui Bicycles, South Maui Bicycle Coalition, South Maui Sustainability and the local bike riding community for their support.

Support New Local Farmer’s Market in Kihei

Saturdays starting July 31, 2010
8:00 AM to noon (but come early!)
The South Maui Center on Lipoa

Did you miss the opening of the Lipoa Farmer’s Market last weekend? It sold out early at the Grand Opening and we are anticipating more participation by local farmers each week. There is a wide variety of fruits and vegetables available, all grown on Maui and all clearly marked with name, grower, organic/traditional etc. The farmer’s will only keep coming – and more will join them – if the market is successful. That usually means selling out early so they can leave and get on with their day.

The Lipoa Street Farmers Market is located in the parking lot of the new South Maui Center at 95 Lipoa. Easy access and lots of parking is available. Bring your own shopping bags as our goal is to be a “Plastic bag free market”.

South Maui Sustainability has an information table so drop by and talk story about ways we can promote, encourage and support local food production. The market opens at 8 AM and closes at noon or when sold out. Hope to see you there just a few minutes after eight, after we’ve gotten our shopping done 😉

weFarm@Kapalua: Friends of the Farm Work Party

Saturday, July 17
8:30 A.M. to noon-ish
4900 Honoapiilani Hwy

Grab your farm curious friends and family and join us for the first community work morning at weFarm@kapalua . Help us move the farm forward while meeting your neighbors and local farmers. learn our vision for a more food secure Maui, and find out ways to be engaged.

We will meet at the office at 8:30 A.M. and vanpool to the farm. The office is located at the corner of the highway and Napili Hau St. across highway from Napili Plaza. Together we will work through farm tasks assigned by farmer Dan. Around 11:30 A.M. we will wrap-up in the field and head back to the office for a potluck lunch.

Bring: long pants, a protective top, gloves (if you have them), sturdy shoes, sun protection, a water bottle, a dish to share for lunch and lots of energy. RSVP toinfo at uluponosustainable dot com. Reply early as space is limited.

Introduction to Aquaponics – June 21, 2010

On June 21, 2010, Upcountry Sustainability hosts a free Introduction to Aquaponics in Haiku from 4:45 – 6:30. Lloyd Fischel, of Lanikai Farm, at 20 N. Lanikai Place, in Haiku, welcomes attendees for a tour of his aquaponics system where he raises fish to eat and gains nutrient-rich by-products to enhance his gardens.

Lloyd runs Lanakai Farm in Haiku, a fish farm, as well as Fragrant Orchids of Maui, an orchid retail business. Lanikai Farms is a unique fish breeding facility that uses biological filtration and rainwater runoff channeled from adjoining nursery structures to create a healthy and financially efficient environment for raising fish. Designed by Lloyd Fischel, this commercial operation is the first of its kind on the island of Maui.

Visit www.lanikaifarms.com/
for more information about the operation and about Lloyd.

4:45 PM to 6:30 PM in Haiku

Space is limited; to attend, please sign up here. You must close the spreadsheet to complete registration and you will not receive any confirmation email, but if your name is on the list, you are registered.

Register for this event at www.upcountrysustainability.wordpress.com.
Call Melanie at 573-9260 with questions.

Living History of the South Maui Region (2)

DATE CHANGE to Friday, June 25  6:30-8:00 PM
Kalama Heights Retirement Center, Garden Room

Due to several conflicts with the Maui Film Festival activities we are rescheduling the Living History study group to meet the following Friday on June 25th.

This is the  second meeting in our cultural studies series on “Journey of Knowing the Lands of Kula and Honua’ula” (the traditional districts now known as South Maui). We continue to talk story with Lucienne DeNaie, co-author of Project Ka’eo. Please contact Teri Leonard at teri at southmauisustainability dot org for more information.

Feel free to join us even if you missed the opening and join us for future discussions and walks. We invite local residents and kupuna with knowledge of the area to share their mana’o. We anticipate that this will be about a year-long journey that includes monthly discussions and field trips such as walks in the makai and mauka areas of South Maui.

You can download the book or an Executive Summary at
http://projectkaeo.blogspot.com/. The book is a large, lengthy download – so give it time. CD’s will be available for free at the meeting.

Please use the makai driveway (lower parking lot) for easy access to the garden room.

Maui Growing Local: Ideas and Action Steps

Group 1 Regional Composting

1. Develop legislation requiring that all green waste go to composing sites (This has been in process for the past 10 years)
   1. Meet with county council members
   2. Educate the public
2. Multiple Transfer Sites, rather than multiple composting sites
   1. Feasibility study
   2. Meet with county council members
   3. Locate sites and purchase large containers to hold the green waste
3. Education
   1. Experts in composting to speak at schools
   2. PSAs and educational materials for the public
   3. Composting website

Group 2: Replenishing Soils

1. Increase organic matter
   1. Education – Community gardenwork, UH, Farmbureau and Union, Consumers to pay more for local and organic, educate farmers about grants for change (Using cover crops) HRCS, WSARE
   2. Help with grant writing
   3. Build biochar plant
2. Government planning and tax breaks
   1. Tax incentive for replenishing soil get farm bureau to make presentation to council
   2. Ag rate for water
   3. % of dedicated remediated land
3. Prevent erosion
   1. NRSC program
   2. Education
4. Amendments (rock powder and lime)
   1. Collaborate with local suppliers
   2. Growing/buying co-op

Group 3 Edible Landscapes

1. Create a Planting Guide Resource (virtual and physical)
   1. create a committee
   2. have work-shops/tours
   3. identify resources
   4. create local edible landscape guide book
   5. connect with Maui Food Web online network
   6. create regional resource centers/meet-ups for education, model and seed swap
2. Plant Share/Neighbor Swap
   1. Contact school/ churches to identify and organize grower swaps (e.g.~PTA meeting)
   2. Coordinate with farmerʼs markets and other events to schedule swaps.
   3. HOA’s coordinate neighborhood swaps
3. Garden Kits -Suggest to plant oʼo~native hawaiian plant that is useful as a planting tool
   1. Coordinate bulk group purchases
   2. Acquire funding via grants (Tamara/Susan)
   3. Research current kits

Group 4 PROTECTION AGAINST INVASIVE SPECIES

1. Upgrade harbor / inspection facilities
2. U.H. to develop high-tech controls
3. Community involvement to identify the species and help to implement controls
4. School education / community awareness
5. “Got Local” type initiatives, support local nurseries
6. More stringent inspection / enforcement / penalties
7. Restore funding which has been recently cut; possibly restructure G.E. or food tax to fund
8. Re frame: use public relations to promote protection, as in “it’s a health issue”
9. Use weed-risk assessments for new plants / crops / biofuels
10. Mitigate/ change liability issues as in deer eradication: allow hunting
11. Form collaboratives: schools, council, state government, etc.

Group 5: Native Hardwood Restoration

1. Large and small scale propagation by comunities and individuals.
   1. Sustainability groups propagate native hardwoods-refer to LHWRP techniques
   2. Encourage schools to plant one tree, per child, per year
   3. Add to South West Maui Watershed Project agenda
2. Locate funding for current and future projects created by LHWRP, DLNR, schools.
   1. Research stimulus money opportunities
   2. Research the Clean Water Act regarding the health of the reef
   3. Contact Earth Foundation
3. Cultural Involvement
   1. Engage cultural practitioners
   2. Research historical references

Group 6 Fair Allocation of Water Resources

1. Provide public educational forums to educate about water issues
   1. Create a group or a partnership of groups to organize the forums
   2. Create a system to make the public aware of dates, times and locations when decision-making will be happening
   3. Use water bills and/or yearly water report to send out notices and/or information about water issues
2. Support water self-reliance for citizens by promoting various forms of home/business water catchment
   1. Identify present or proposed water policies that support catchment, greywater use, home reservoirs and other water self-sufficiency techniques
   2. Educate public about present or proposed water policies concerning ‘catchment’ through public forums
   3. Educate public about techniques to be water self-reliant
3. Create infrastructure in Maui County to use R1 water
   1. Have a public forum with experts who could describe what it would take to make R1 water usable and available
   2. Support the DIRE Coalition which has detailed ideas on how to use R1 water and end the use of injection wells
4. Support the restoration of stream flow
   1. Attend the hearing on May 26 of the State Water Use Council
   2. Highlight and support proposed policies that support restoration of stream flow
   3. Form a group to apply for a grant to study the cost/benefit analysis of stream flow restoration vs other options

Group 7 Construction Grade Bamboo

1. Certify bamboo by the ICC-rated structural
   1. Must pass degree of testing to comply
   2. Takes time
   3. several years
   4. Need money
2. University accredited testing lab
   1. Professor Carson is a good contact person
   2. Getting the lab approved by IAS ($100k)
   3. Getting the head of the lab to support construction grade bamboo
   4. Use alternative/already accredited University labs
   5. Test 5 species
3. Needs a UL listing for safety and performance for commercial construction
   1. Needs to pass rigorous amount of testing , numerous times
4. Write grants to pay for research, testing, etc.
   1. Find any and all grant opportunities

Group 8 Hemp

1. First Step
   1. Research Hemp Farming: political solutions, industrial uses, financial impacts
   2. Gather existing research and data from U.S, Canada, Europe
   3. Get studies done by high-profile institutions like the University of Hawai’i
   4. Identify all existing hemp products
   5. Setup website or facebook page for exploring how to make hemp farming legal on Maui and in Hawai’i.
2. Second Step
   1. Identify local opposition and local support – invite all stakeholders to the table for discussion and finding solutions.
   2. Conduct an Island specific study of impacts, problems, financial costs and savings, and benefits.
3. Third Step
   1. Polling and Marketing: Maui news poll shows 70% pro industrial hem farming and industry, 80% pro medical marijuana.
   2. Partner with existing agricultural companies to promote and learn hemp farming and manufacturing
4. Fourth Step
   1. Make the State and federal legislation to legalize hemp farming and manufacturing.

Group 9 Government Incentives

1. Find incentives to acquire land and preserve it for ag/farming
   1. Form small group to gather information from stakeholders
   2. Take info/proposal to committee of stakeholders
   3. Identify “land candidates” and incentives necessary to make it work (i.e. zoning changes, water rights)

Group 10 Restoring Coastal Fishponds

1. Utilize freshwater ponds and Reservoirs
   1. Inventory existing ponds, reservoirs and their water sources.
   2. Prioritize most likely ponds to use.
   3. Stock ‘em pono.
2. Encourage menehune action
   1. Just do it!
3. Localize fisheries management
   1. Amend laws
   2. Community will (responsibility)
   3. Community makes action plan
4. Educational component
   1. Support and attend Statewide Fishpond Association (meeting on Molokai this summer?)
   2. Include in community plans
   3. Public awareness
   4. Begins at home

Group 11 Aquaponics

1. Workshops – Breakdown the workshops into different sections :
   1. 101 Overview of Aquaponics: Informational -include safety of fish-address issue of creating our own local food source for fish
   2. 102 How to build a system: actually do it in a chosen site -Find place to have workshop #2 potential site, Temple of peace 5755 Haiku road
   3. 103 Commercial Aquaponics: create a way for creative work fund
   4. *Tours can be included at all levels of these workshops
   5. Workshops promoted through SMS, WMS, US and SLIM
   6. Get Bob, Mike, & Nick as trainers
   7. Pay them with a workshop fee
   8. Develop Web page on Sustainability Group web sites to promote workshops as well as inform the public about Aquaponics
2. CERTIFICATION
   1. Certified Organic build system and get it certified organic
   2. Accredited professionals – create guild or association that furthers the mission of Aquaponics as a viable method of farming. The Guild would share common values, ethics, resources, etc.,
   3. Could be done within Maui College/UH system with Bob’s help, part of extension services
3. TOURS
   1. Nick’s Aquaponics farm
   2. Mike to provide Slideshow of Aquaponics happening on Big Island
   3. Use Sustainability Groups to coordinate efforts.

Group #12 School and Community Gardens

1. Education
   1. Sustainability Fair
   2. Keiki Garden Festival
   3. Classes at Temple of Peace
   4. Garden Tools
   5. Farm to School Symposium
2. Collaboration
   1. Continue “Today”
   2. Form non-profit group
   3. Create Website
3. Incentives
   1. Ag water for community gardens
   2. Change HOA rules
   3. Tax incentives