Lawrence asks: I am going to be able to retire in my mid-50s. I am thinking farming might be a good semi-retirement option for me. Do you have any advice about what kind of farming might work for a semi-retired person?
Tropical Gardener Answer: I can relate to the attraction that farm life holds. Here in Hawaii it can mean living on a beautiful piece of land and growing your own fresh fruit and vegetables. Living like this can be financially and physically demanding, however, so be sure you have the resources and stamina to support your new lifestyle. If you want to try to have the farm provide any income, you need to view it as a business. This means you should do a business plan before you start that includes potential expenses and possible income to see if your farm can sustain you financially.
Of course, a wide range of possibilities exist. Making farming work for you will depend greatly on where you choose to farm and what you decide to grow. You definitely want to start doing some research to explore your options. Connect with other farmers, visit farms and go to events that farmers attend and check UH CTAHR free publications online about specific crops. You might also want to consider hiring an agricultural consultant. Learning more about local agricultural issues can help you decide if, where and what you want to farm.
Andrea Kawabata, the UH CTHAR extension agent in Kona posts a list of agricultural events monthly at http://hawaiicoffee.weebly.com/events-and-announcements.html. Local farmers sell the produce they grow at a few local markets. Lots of farmers have booths at the Sunday Green Market in Captain Cook, across from the Manago Hotel. Farmers can also be found selling their produce at Wednesday afternoon’s Sunset Market in the K-Mart parking lot. The Saturday morning market in the Keauhou Shopping Center is run by the Kona County Farm Bureau and all of the vendors are members. You might consider joining them or some of the many other organizations that local farmers belong to and start attending their meetings. Hawaii Farmers Union United, Hawaii Tropical Fruit Growers, Kona Coffee Farmers Association and Kona Young Farmers are a few of the active groups you can find out more about on the internet. Commodity groups for avocados and macnuts also exist. Check them all out. If you feel overwhelmed by the options, you might want to get some help “making farming work for you” from FarmWorks Hawaii through their website: farmworkshawaii.com.
Festivals and conferences also offer a chance to get information about local ag. The Hawaii Farmers Union is holding their annual conference on the Big Island at OK farms in Hilo from Friday, Oct. 14 through Sunday, Oct. 16. You’ll have an opportunity to see OK Farms’ production of high-quality tree crops such as coffee, mac nuts, lychee, longan, citrus, cacao, heart of palm as well as other tropical fruit and spices. The event itself will host some congressional representatives as well as Scott Enright, director of Hawaii’s Department of Agriculture. All will be speaking about the state of ag here in Hawaii. Other speakers will have presentations on topics as diverse as food safety, fruit farming, soil health, Natural Farming, aquaponics and alternative energy production. This event will provide a unique opportunity for education as well as networking. Go to https://hfuuhi.org for more information or to register for this conference.
Put your name on email lists to receive notification of future events and get busy on your research. Good luck as you begin planning for your future in Hawaii’s agriculture.
Email plant questions to konamg@ctahr.hawaii.edu for answers by Certified Master Gardeners. Some questions will be chosen for inclusion in this column.
Diana Duff is a plant adviser, educator and consultant living on an organic farm in Captain Cook.