Hi everybody. The last time we posted we had just arrived at Josanna's Garden in Kapoho. It's been so hard to get computer time in town that a month later we haven't been able to tell you anything about it.
The farm is so beautiful it's like paradise, with dozens of fruit trees spread out over six acres of rich volcanic soil. It's well off the grid, with no electricity except what can be generated on a solar battery system and no water except rainwater they catch and filter, with a deep well for backup. It's less than a mile from the easternmost point in Hawaii, where the trade winds and ocean currents bring us the freshest air and water anywhere in the world.
The land here is shaped by the temperament of the active volcanic region to the west, where spontaneous lava flows sometimes emerge and meander across the landscape heedless of road or farm until they reach the sea. The result is islands of lush jungle between reefs of jagged lava rock and steam vents. The active earth also provides some wonderful features, like ponds and caves where heated fresh water seeps into ocean tide pools, making natural hot tubs and saunas. Floating in one of these ponds looking up through the trees at blue sky is one of the most relaxing experiences I've had in this life. There are also tide pools cut off from the sea by a'a rock, where we can swim with tiny tropical fish while giant waves break on the shore just feet away, sometimes rolling over us and turning the water into a roiling whirlpool for a few seconds.
Josanna's Garden has 60 varieties of fruit and vegetables, some of which I've never seen in bloom or even heard of before. A partial list includes: coconut, pineapple, white pineapple, ten varieties of banana, tangerine, orange, lemon, meyer lemon, coconut, lime, tahitian lime, avocado, papaya, cacao, coffee, mango, brazilian cherry, plantain, mulberry, vanilla, cashew apple, mountain apple, star apple, turmeric, blue olena turmeric, galangal, ginger, lychee, summer lychee, soursop, white sapote, mamey sapote, rombutan, rollinia and more... If you've heard of all of these, give yourself ten points. Needless to say we've had some amazing meals recently. The setup is also gorgeous, with cabins and yurts for workers to live in strewn around the property under and between the fruit trees. Our home was affectionately dubbed the "Jungalow". The weather is often sunny and warm.
The downside to all of this is that the woman who runs the farm is what some would call a quirky personality and what others would call unstable and verbally abusive. Susannah and I arrived at what seems to be a stressful time at the farm. They are thinking of selling most of it to a man who came from California to live there for a while, and his arrival started a spate of rumors and seemed to create a rift between workers and management. There was no communication of goals or a real work schedule. No one cooperated or collaborated on projects but did whatever they felt was best. In short, Sus and I felt that as much potential as the place had to be a learning and nurturing place, we were not learning anything or being productive. Of course we want to enjoy ourselves while on this Hawaiian adventure, but we also want to gain organic gardening skills and apply them. Because of this, seven days ago we decided to leave the farm.
We teamed up with Wendy and Aubray, a couple from Winnipeg who had come to the same decision, and set out on a brand new adventure, which I will have to relate in future posts. For now know we are happy and healthy and having fun. Stay tuned!
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