Keepers of the Soil

From visits on the land to researching historical records, there are always layers of information and knowledge to be learned when working on any land conservation transaction. On my most recent site visit to Kahumana Organic Farms farm expansion location on Kuwale Rd., I had the opportunity to walk the farm with Christian Zuckerman, Kahumana’s Farm Manager. Seeing regenerative agriculture being lived on lands that were previously covered by haole koa and kiawe, growing thousands of pounds of lettuce, vegetables, herbs, kalo, and traditional medicines in a way that builds the health and vitality of the soil. As we moved from a field of recently planted salads, we approached a field of Sunn Hemp, being grown as a cover crop to build the health of the soil after harvest. Christian shared that the Sunn Hemp literally captures nitrogen from the atmosphere and adds it to the soil, serving as a natural fertilizer for the soil. At that moment, he walked over, pulled one out of the ground to show us its roots—check out these gorgeous nitrogen-fixing nodules on the root of this Sunn Hemp—the small pink-ish white start looking things! I’ve read and seen Sunn Hemp before, but seeing it in action, boosting the life of the soils in Waiʻanae, a breadbasket of our kūpuna was inspiring. HILT is very thankful to partners such as Kahumana Organic Farms for caring for the land and community. Learn more about Kahumana Organic Farms on the website at www.kahumana.org (their farm-to-table Cafe is amazing and they provide CSA’s for the community, among many other community services).

HILT is working with Kahumana Organic Farms and partnered landowner Manana Valley Farms, to secure an agricultural easement in early 2021, over 24 acres of agricultural lands in Lualualei, Waiʻanae, Oʻahu, with funding support provided by USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) and the Freeman Foundation.

— Shae Kamakaʻala, Director of ʻĀina Protection