Alaska Kids!

I am very much enjoying having our Alaska kids, Lori & Dave, here for a nice long visit, and getting to know our grandbaby Acacia all over again. 

She is a not-so-little whirlwind of inquisitiveness and curiosity, astonishingly intelligent and charmingly demure at times... and just plain old Two at other times.  In other words, my kind of kiddo! 

We have fallen into a pleasant pattern of alternating active out-and-about days with quieter at-home days.  It works nicely with a 2-1/2 year old's temperament, as well as with getting things done on the farm, while still allowing us lots of time for explorations and sight-seeing.  And the timing of cloudy rainy days between sunnier ones has helped tender pale skin to heal from sudden tropical sun exposure.  Today is one of the cooler, wetter days, so while it's naptime I will see how much I can get accomplished here for your perusal and enjoyment.

Hulihe'e Palace in Kailua-Kona: Lori, Dave, & I did the grand tour while Grampy & Acacia strolled and explored the grounds. (Kerry stayed home while we went to pick up the kids from the airport - it's an overnight trip and she had work and took care of the farm. Thanks for holding down the fort, Kerry!) (Oh yes, and since I am Grammy, it follows that Mike must be Grampy, his new title.)

Back home, everyone settled in well together in extended family mode.  Acacia took to each of us right away, thereby letting Lori relax and kick back a little.

Acacia got to try her first musubi, a local treat, at the Hilo Farmer's Market.  She picked out the spam to eat and let Daddy finish the rest.

Onekahakaha, also known as Baby Beach for it's sheltered calm water and shallow sandy bottom.  This place has been such a hit that we have returned a few times already, and will be sure to come back for more.

Lavender honey, best licked off a stick, is a special treat after a picnic at the beach.

Panaewa Rainforest Zoo is always a favorite place for meandering the paths while seeing some of our fellow creatures, as well as beautiful plantings like this water lily pond. 

And no, I haven't gotten any work done on my book since they got here.  It can wait; I have better things to do right now. 

(Sadly, and as usual, the spacing gets funky somewhere in the ether between drafting and publishing the post. sigh...)

Winter into Spring

We continue to be busy with the pigs, chickens, guest house, and farm tours.



13 piglets thrived, grew quickly, and were sold off after weaning; they weighed in at 40 lbs each, bigger than the average wean-off.  We changed our minds about expanding the pig herd at this time due to the high cost of feed.  Our food crops are coming along nicely, but pigs eat a lot and it takes a lot of feed each day to keep them in tip-top shape.  So, we're back to just Big Mama and Spot as our breed sows.  Both of them have recently been bred, with three weeks between them, so we should have an easier time of it come May and June when they're due to farrow again.

All 50 chicks I ordered last Fall survived, plus another 9 from our own birds.  They grew quickly, and are in full production already - except for the roosters who are gradually filling our freezer.  Farm fresh eggs, anyone?  I'm gathering almost 5 dozen a day!  I sell them from home, and a friend takes the excess to the Hilo Farmer's Market twice a week, to sell at her produce table. (Thank you, Cherie!)

Our guest house has been bustling with bookings all winter.  Among those many bookings were old Daybreak friends.  It's always deeply satisfying to reconnect with good people from long ago and find that we continue to have much in common.

We had the opportunity to go back to Ho'okena for some beach-camping with a few good friends.  It was a much-needed respite from the torrentially downpouring rains of our tropical winter.  It still amazes me how different the weather can be on another part of the island.  I wonder if I will ever get used to that?

The biggest news is that I've written a book of our farm tour!  It is at the editor's now. (Thank you, Lori!)  We're aiming for release in late spring.  Those of you who have been to our farm will like the book for remembering all the information presented on the tour... and those who have not had a chance to visit will be able to see more of what we are doing here.  Of course, I will let you know when it is available. 

Meanwhile, we continue to plant food! Like I said, the food crops are coming along nicely - amazingly well, in fact.  I think we've finally got it figured out: Korean Natural Farming is the key.

Five Years & Counting!

It's been five years since we moved onto the island as full-time residents.  Five years! 

As I look back at earlier blog postings, I realize how much we have gone through in this past half-decade, how much we've accomplished in this span of time.  We have learned a lot - about the island, about Hawaii nei, and living in the tropics... about Natural Farming, and raising pigs... and about ourselves, too. 

We have definitely been busy, though we've had plenty of fun along the way as well.  Some days have been better than others, of course.  

We would never have lasted this long if it hadn't been for our island ohana - a joyous collection of friends from our various circles, who have become like family.  Most of them - but not all! - are also transplants from the continent, or even further afield in a few cases.  Mahalo nui to each of them, just for being their own unique selves.

We have adapted well, I think, and this place is home now.  That's important.  I wonder what the next five years will bring?  More adventures, I have no doubt!

Meet the Piggies...

On a farm, most working animals are female.  They are the ones to give birth, produce the milk, lay the eggs.  So I thought it was about time to properly introduce the working girls of Hubbell's Hog Heaven.

First, we have Big Mama (aka Big Girl).  She had her first litter in May: 7 girls & 1 boy.  Big Mama lives up to her name, being the largest sow in the piggery at 420 lbs!

Spot is a sister of Big Mama.  She's such a friendly girl!  They were both born last year on Independence Day, so are a little over a year old now.  Spot weighs 400 lbs.  Her first litter was born in June: 1 girl & 7 boys.  Both these sows have been bred again, and are due to farrow in December.

Penelope is Big Mama's daughter.  She weighs in at 110 lbs.  (All these weights were taken about 3 weeks ago, so they actually weigh more by now.)  She's a bit skittish still; we'll need to handle her a lot more to help calm down her nervous personality.

Then there's Freckles, or Frecklebutt - so called due to freckles guess where.  Well, we needed a way to tell all those squirmy piglets apart!  She's from Spot, and is a little cutie at 50 lbs.  Both Penelope & Freckles will be raised up to increase our breedstock.  They're keepers.

And here we have Hammy, Freckles' brother and the lone boy of the group.  His dark coloration, and Freckles' freckles are from their Landrace-Hampshire-Yorkshire cross heritage.  Hammie is mellow and so soft.  He will fill our freezer at a later date, once he's big enough for the hams and bacon we all crave.  Right now, he's about 60 lbs.


Huli-girl was Penelope's sister.  I say "was" because, well, her name describes her fate.  She was well cared for, and met her end in the most humanely possible way.  She never felt any pain.  Yes, I cried when I said my goodbyes and thank you to her.

Huli-girl became the star of our recent lu'au and was much appreciated by everyone present.  She weighed over 100 lbs and dressed out at 80 lbs.  I must say this was the most delicious pig I ever tasted, spit-roasted to perfection by Chris Hara.  If you're on-island and need someone to do the pig for your next lu'au, he's the guy to get.

In related news:  We recently hosted what may have been our most important farm tour yet, as part of the Swine Seminar held in Hilo last month.  Ours was one of three piggeries chosen for the field trip portion of the two-day seminar.  Among the participants were several officials from various State and Federal agencies, including the guy who's in charge of rewriting and updating the laws regarding the housing aspects of swine production on a national level.  He was very pleased with what he saw here, and will be recommending Korean Natural Farming method of raising pigs as one of the "best practice methods" soon to be okayed for the entire US!! This is HUGE!!! And this is what we've been working towards with our 'crazy' barn with pens 3 feet above ground level... utilizing micro-organisms to do the work for us... no waste treatment necessary... and all the rest.  Mission accomplished!