Kaʻū News Briefs Sept. 7, 2024

These chickens live with a duck in pastures and lay eggs at Ancient Valley Growers in Wood Valley. Photo by Julia Neal

 HAWAI'I FARMERS UNION UNITED AND ANCIENT VALLEY GROWERS FARM in Wood Valley welcomed the public to Matt and Andy Drayer's farm tour on Saturday to see the family style growing of animal and plant based food through regenerative agriculture. Andy, who is President of the Kaʻū Chapter of Hawai'i Farmers Union, noted that Farmers Union represents family farms in the Hawai'i Legislature

Matt Drayer shows marigolds protecting kale from pests. Photo by Julia Neal

and in Congress. It helps with education, access to funding and connecting farmers to help one another and build the family farm community.
    The farm day included a visit to Ancient Valley's free range egg producing chicken farm. The Drayers took the group to areas of the farm where they rotate a pair of pigs that are also fenced put have a lot of room. The fencing is moved from place to place where there is falling fruit under trees and other edibles for the pregnant sow and the boar, who are kept for breeding. The farmers showed a personal relationship with the animals, grooming them and relaxing among them.     The milk cows are also pasture raised and grazed with much human interaction.
    The group visited plantings of kale interspersed with marigolds to keep away insects. The walk took the guests to mamaki tea and vegetable fields and orchards that included apples and nectarines. The farmers explained simple and affordable practices to produce, on the farm, much nutrition for plants and also preparations to keep away pests.

A pair of pastured pigs live in a fenced area that is moved around on the Ancient Valley Growers farm. Photo by Julia Neal

    The event wrapped with a farm feast, followed by a presentation by Sustainable Bioresources founder Ed Rau. In addition to sourcing the high protein food plant moringa, he is working on nitrogen fixing corn plants to increase soil nutrition on farms. They are bread from ancient varieties.
    On the mainland, National Farmers Union was started in 1902 in Point, Texas, before the creation of the Farm Bureau. It was founded to advocate for increased co-operative rights, fair market access for farmers, direct election of senators and voting rights for women. Its efforts led to the enactment of the Federal
Farm Loan Act, which established 12 Federal Land Banks.

Keiki attended the Kaʻū Hawai'i Farmers United event at Ancient Valley Growers. Photo by Julia Neal

    National Farmers Union states that its aim is to work to protect and enhance the economic well-being and quality of life for family farmers, fishers, ranchers and rural communities. Its core principals are Cooperation, Legislation and Education.
    Attending the Wood Valley event was Maureen Dada, the statewide Secretary of Hawai'i Farmers Union and co-owner of Adaptations in Kealakekua. Adaptations is a community food hub with an islandwide Community Supported Agriculture entity that buys and brings fresh food from and to Kaʻū, with Ancient Valley one of the sources and drop off places. Dad praised the Farmers Union and its President Kaipo Kekona for helping to bring transportation funding for picking up harvests from some 75 farms on this island and delivering to restaurants, stores, processors and some 375 families.
    See more and contact Ancient Valley Growers at https://ancientvalleygrowers.com/. See more and contact Hawai'i Farmers Union United at https://hfuuhi.org/. See more and contact Sustainable Bioresourses at https://sustainablebioresources.com/.