I first heard about Deano’s compost business from his mom. She was at the Keauhou Farmers Market handing out cards for her son’s new business. I took a card and started ordering soil from Deano for my farm and the nursery where I worked. I was impressed with his dedication and the quality of his product as well as his friendly customer service. That was more than 10 years ago and his company, Organic Matters, has grown in size, quality and service ever since.
“My mission is to close the loop for local agriculture, so our farmers and gardeners can be successful,” Deano said.
It matters to Deano that he is sustainably producing an organic product that keeps green waste out of the landfills and offers a way to amend our Kona soil. He is even pursuing organic certification for his compost. This guy is dedicated.
Gardeners and farmers know that healthy soil is the key to healthy plants. Soil that is alive and friable contains enough organic matter to encourage microbial activity and to make it easily workable. Healthy soil has space for air and water as well as the ability to hold nutrients. For some growers, improving Kona soil can be a big challenge. Deano has been coming to the rescue for a while now.
His main product is the compost he creates from mostly local and organic inputs.
He has a long list of ingredients.
“I start with wood chips combined with some of the county mulch and some local green waste. I also add a variety of other ingredients to enhance the nutritional value of the compost,” Deano said.
Nearly every component of Deano’s compost is locally sourced. Over the decade he has been in business, he has created valuable local partnerships that supply most of the ingredients needed to make a high-quality product.
He is currently working with Hana Hou Recycling who supply brewery waste products and the ‘Ulu Coop who share their processing by-products. Dragon Heart Farm makes the fish amino acid and the FAA Spirulina Tonic with EM-1 that Deano also adds to his compost. On special request, he will add local bio char and vermicompost to his mix as well. The black cinder and nutritious Hamakua soil that add texture to his planting mix come from Sanfords Service Center who hold the mining and quarrying permits for these products.
Deano uses these ingredients in a process based on his scientific research as well as his experience. The result is a premium compost that is dark brown, rich and crumbly with a pleasant earthy aroma. He mixes his compost with texture-enhancing ingredients for a high-quality planting mix.
His compost inputs are stacked in long, tall windrows on his 2-acre part of a 5-acre plot in the Keahole Ag Lots. He shares the leased acreage with his father’s sod business and his sister’s moringa nursery. His family is definitely supportive of his business.
When I asked who helped him in this large operation he shrugged and replied he did most of the work himself. Occasionally his daughter Selah will offer to help for a few hours.
“If I really need help,” he reports. “I’ll call on some of my friends that I jokingly refer to as ‘incidental laborers.’”
He turns his wind rows at least once a week and regularly amends them with nutrients and microorganisms. During the process, he sends material to several labs to be sure he is maintaining the desired nutritional and biological content.
Stacked in full sun, the curing process can heat up the rows enough to kill weed seeds as well as pests. An overhead irrigation system is used to maintain the temperature at around 140 degrees as the material breaks down.
Of the four rows he now has working, each is turned downhill every four to six weeks when the bottom row is ready to move to the screener. This means that each row is cured for at least four months. Once sifted, it becomes the major ingredient in both his regular and fine compost. Both are nutritious, hygienic and fully composted products.
Deano happily reported on his latest purchase.
“Every few years, I’ve been able to upgrade my equipment, after starting with a borrowed tractor and a homemade screener. I now have a state-of-the-art revolving trommel screener that saves lots of work and definitely improves my product,” he said.
He also has his own wheel loader as well as an official Organic Matters truck that allows him to deliver loads of healthy soil to his clients.
When I asked how Deano got into this business, he pointed to his dad who was out checking on the growth of his sod plots. Evidently, his parents strongly encouraged him to get a college education before making a career choice. He grew up seeing his dad enjoy his work in many agricultural businesses and sharing good agricultural practices with his kids. This helped Deano decide to do his graduation pilot project on composting to complete his degree in business administration. That got him started for sure.
Family encouragement got both Deano and his sister involved in agriculture and Deano’s degree certainly prepared him to administer a successful business. Though he inherited an interest in agriculture, it has grown into a dedication to providing a much needed and high-quality product to serve his community. In fact, he often donates compost to improve the soil for local school and community gardens.
Deano has certainly learned a lot, become very knowledgeable about soil and has had the gumption to figure out ways to apply his knowledge to improving his product. Check out Organic Matters online or go by his ag lot at 73-887 Kupaloke St. to witness his giant windrows and take home some compost for your garden.
Diana Duff is a plant adviser, educator and consultant living part time in Kailua-Kona.
Gardening Events
Every Saturday: “Work Day at Amy Greenwell Garden” from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Meet at the Garden Visitor Center across from the Manago Hotel in Captain Cook. Come with a mask and be prepared to practice social distancing. Volunteers can help with garden maintenance and are invited to bring a brown baglunch. Water and snacks provided. Call Peter at (808) 323-3318 for more information.
Thursday, Dec. 2: “Crop Insurance Live Q and A” at 10:30 a.m. online. Learn how coffee leaf rust is covered at recordings at https://bit.ly/3kbxRGr then register for Q and A at www.HawaiiCoffeeEd.com/coffeeinsur or by calling Matt at (808) 322-0164 at least two days prior.
Anytime: “Macadamia Orchard Management Workshop Videos” recordings of Hawaii Macadamia Nut Association’s 2021 workshops. Go to https://youtu.be/IF53xjCH9Fw and/or https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1o2jsp9Gz4k87LJdmkIsO7xfsbLLEO5M
Farmer Direct Markets (check websites for the latest hours and online markets)
Wednesday: “Ho‘oulu Farmers Market” at Sheraton Kona Resort and Spa at Keauhou Bay
Saturday: “Keauhou Farmers Market” 8 a.m. to noon at Keauhou Shopping Center. Information on their online market: keauhoufarmersmarket.com/onlinemarket
“Kamuela Farmer’s Market” 7:30 a.m. to noon at Pukalani Stables
“Waimea Town Market” 7:30 a.m. to noon at the Parker School in Waimea
“Waimea Homestead Farmers Market” from 7:30 a.m. to noon at the Waimea middle and elementary school playground
Sunday: “Pure Kona Green Market” 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Amy Greenwell Garden in Captain Cook
“Hamakua Harvest” 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Highway 19 and Mamane Street in Honoka’a
Plant Advice Lines
Anytime: konamg@ctahr.hawaii.edu; Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to noon at UH-CES in Kainaliu at (808) 322-4893.