Soil Remediation with Natural Biological Amendments

FSH received a grant from County of Maui’s Office of Climate Change, Resiliency and Sustainability (CCRS) to assist with Maui’s New Green Building Material Project. FSH researched the potential for growing bamboo, hemp, both eco-system healers, and developed soil regeneration systems. This installment of our blog highlights the results of our soil regeneration systems portion of the grant.

Microbes

are the only things that can actually help us reverse climate change while also ensuring our food security, and our health. It takes the right balance of microbes to restore large-scale damaged eco-systems so that the earth’s eco system can regain its balance.

In addition to looking at sustainable building materials, part of this grant was to work on the spread of microbes to our island. By creating MOUs with Soil Thrive Hawaii, LLC and Maui Nui Marine Research Council, Food Security Hawaii was able to work on its long-time goal of reducing the dependency on agricultural chemicals and increasing the use of regenerative farming methods by the big resorts, farmers, home owners, and HOAs. We have made huge strides and there is much left to do.

Maui can grow year around and yet so few do because it is difficult to work with our damaged soils. The damage started back when the Hawaiian kings started to sell the Sandelwood and Koa trees. This sort of deforestation started drying out the soils and the small water cycle of our island was impacted. This trend was accelerated by the sugar and pineapple industries which opened up over 100 square miles of agricultural land on Maui – removing native vegetation that cycled water from ocean evaporation and protected soil microbes from the tropical sun. Step one in reversing this downward spiral is to work with the microbial communities.

Microbes develop in number and diversity from correct conditions. So if a person undertakes planned intensive grazing the microbes increase. Or if a person plants a collage of symbiotic plants that benefit each other the way the ancient and modern Hawaiians are doing then the microbes increase naturally. But in order to cover large parcels of land and to assist existing farmers to nurture their microbes it can be helpful to grow and apply those microbes following either the Dr. Elaine Ingham Soil Food Web system or the Dr. David C. Johnson Johnson-Su Method. This is also true for rehabilitating land damaged by the Lahaina fire. We need to be able to blanket large areas with bio-diverse microbes and this grant has been instrumental in helping Food Security Hawaii and it’s partner, Soil Thrive Hawaii, LLC make huge strides in this direction.

During the last 3 months of 2023 we participated with MNMRC in a pilot program to prove to 13 resorts, HOAs, Condominiums, a large farm and the Kea’lia Pond National Wildlife Refuge that they can achieve their objectives of healthy lawns and gardens without the use of agricultural chemicals that endanger the health of our reefs and put our tourist industry in danger. From this is coming commercial contracts - the desired outcome!

Eliminating agricultural chemicals from our island!

In addition to developing and spraying microbes we need to stop killing microbes with the use of agricultural chemicals. Soil Thrive Hawaii is working with consultants to put together a suite of non-toxic alternatives to pesticides and herbicides. We have begun trialing a product that has been made for years from crab shells that is not only non-toxic it kills hard-shelled insects by allowing them to eat an enzyme that dissolves the hard body parts of the beaks with which they eat and injure plants. This same product is being used on the big PGA golf courses to safely control nematode infestations at a fraction of the cost of agricultural pesticides. White flies on Hibiscus, Plumeria and Gardenias are a huge problem for the resorts and condo units. Those flowers are iconic to Maui and the landsacapers use chemicals to keep them looking good. This will no longer be necessary once we begin to import and demonstrate this product.

A Safe Replacement for Round-up and Paraquet!

Even more exciting is the new to the market replacement for Round-up for which we will be importing for use on Maui. The Resorts are willing to stop using chemicals but until now it has been difficult to find a work around for spot treating weeds along fences and around buildings. This product is a huge break though for the environment. Recenlty approved by the EPA – this product which was developed in Australia uses a strong vineagar and natural minerals to kill plants on contact in a way that functions like Round-up. We are applying to Maui Dept of Agriculture to help show the resorts the potential of this product.

The Resorts and Condos and HOAs of Maui are at risk of falling into the same sorts of law suits that have been following the Round-up victims around the world. This spring, according the ABC News, similar trials are about to start with Paraquat and its role in Parkinson’s Disease. By switching to a Safe yet effective alternative Maui’s Tourist Industry could be avoiding legal nightmares.

Home Gardeners and Food Security

In preparation to working with cover crops for both fire remediation and for helping home gardeners develop their garden microbes I did experiments with planting vegetables into cover crops. This experimentation is on-going as we have a greater need to protect our garden soils from the extreme sun than do mainland gardeners. Growing vegetables within a cover crop not only protects from the sun but also builds soil quality and feeds the main crop.

Although it seems easy to develop microbes that will benefit the entire island - it is definitely not! First you need to create really vibrant compost. Then you need to brew the compost with different foods for each type of application without contaminating it with anerobic microbes.. And then you need to apply the brew with equipment that will not kill the microbes before they reach their target. And lastly you need to scale your equipment up to a size that is efficient and can cover a large area.

Working with this grant and a supplemental grant from The Atherton Family Foundation Food Security Hawaii traded in its old truck for another used truck with 4 wheel drive and together with a good mechanic we designed a unique little spray truck with a solar panel and batteries for power, a 12 volt pump and two reels with 200 ft of hose each. We can drive into a property and cover a swath 400 ft wide making short order of applying microbes

We are working with MNMRC to help transition Maui Gold Pineapples to an all-natural system of cultivation. This will entail designing brewing and spraying equipment that is appropriate at their scale, designing a transition period, supplying microbes, and helping them make the transition.
And we continue to make new microbes and experiment with adding more oxygen to the fermenting process. Again we are working with tropical plants adding a layer of challenge to the learning curve.

Results

Here are a couple of photos that did not require testing as the results were dramatic. We were challenged by the landscape crew at the Four Seasons Resort in Wailea to do something with their grass disease. The second photo was taken only 4 weeks after the first photo and you can still see that outline of where the grass is growing back in. It finally got so good that you could not find the test spot.

We will continue to make new microbes and experiment with adding more oxygen to the fermenting process. Again we are working with tropical plants adding a layer of challenge to the learning curve.

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