Ka Hoʻopakele ʻAna I Ko Ჹɲʻ ʻOihana Mahi Maiʻa ‘He Hoʻokahi Maiʻa’ O Ka Manawa Pākahi
Ke Hoʻoikaika Nei ʻo Gabriel Sachter-Smith i ka ʻimi aku a loaʻa ka maiʻa kīnā ʻole pono loa na Ჹɲʻ. He 200 haneli nā mana maiʻa e hoʻomākaukau ʻia nei.
Kā ka luna hoʻoponopono noka:Unuhi ʻia naN. Haʻalilio Solomon. Clickhereto read this article in English.
I ka wā e kokoke ana i ka hoʻomaka ʻana mai o ka maʻi ahulau Covid-19, i nā mahina mua o ka makahiki 2020, ua loaʻa ka nūhou pōʻino iā Matt Hong, ka mea nāna i hoʻokumu pū i ko Oʻahu mau hale kūʻai mea ʻono ʻo Banan. ʻO ka mea hoʻolako maiʻa na Banan, ʻo Sugarland Farms, ua hoʻopau lākou i ke kanu ʻana i ke ʻano maiʻa a Banan e hoʻohana ai, he Cavendish, me ka haʻi mua ʻole ʻana mai hoʻi.
ʻO ka mea pōmaikaʻi, no Banan, he ala hou aku kona e lako ai: ʻo Gabriel Sachter-Smith, he akeakamai a mahi maiʻa hoʻi e kapa ʻia nei ʻo “Banana Gabe.”
Ua hoʻopukapuka kālā ihola ʻo Banan he $10,000 he mau makahiki aku nei i kōkua no Sachter-Smith i ka hoʻokumu ʻana i wahi hoʻoulu maiʻa ma ko Haleʻiwa Counter Culture Organic Farm ma nā one ʻākau o Oʻahu, wahi a Hong. ʻO kā Sachter-Smith ʻoihana maiʻa, i kapa ʻia ʻo Ჹɲʻ Banana Source, e pala mai ana nō i ia manawa, ʻo ka wā nō ia e nele ana ʻo Banan i ka maiʻa ʻole.
Ua ʻōlelo maila ʻo Hong, me he mea lā he hoʻokupu hoʻopōmaikaʻi i loaʻa mai ma hope o kona hoʻomanawanui ʻana, ʻo ka lūlū lima ihola nō ia ma waena o lāua ʻo Sachter-Smith me ka ʻaelike aku, e hoʻokaʻa ʻo ia iā Banan i ka maiʻa i ka wā e hiki ai.
“Me he paʻi mālie lā o ka lima ma ka hokua ka ulu ʻana o ka maiʻa, i hōʻike ʻia mai ai ka hana mana hoʻopōmaikaʻi,” wahi a Hong.
ʻO ka hana pū ʻana a Sachter-Smith lāua ʻo Banan, hoʻokahi nō ia o kā ia kanaka puni maiʻa, he 32 makahiki, lawelawe ʻana i ka hana e kūkulu hou ai i ko Ჹɲʻ ʻoihana maiʻa, me kona hoʻohui ʻana i kona ʻike kulanui i loaʻa iā ia ma o ka ʻimi naʻauao ma ke Kulanui o Ჹɲʻ ma Mānoa, a me ka ʻike i loaʻa ma ka huli ʻana o ka lima i lalo i ka hana mahiʻai me ka piha ʻeu o ka naʻau.
Ke mahi akula ʻo Sachter-Smith ma kahi o 200 mau mana maiʻa ma ka Hulina ʻĀkau. ʻO kekahi, he iholena no loko mai o ka moʻokūʻauhau mua ma ka wā i lawe mua ʻia mai ai nā mea kanu Ჹɲʻ ma luna o ka waʻa a kanu ʻia ma nā mokupuni e nā kānaka Polinekia i noho mua iā Ჹɲʻ. ʻŌlelo ʻo Sachter-Smith ua hiki ke hoʻoulu ʻia ia mana maiʻa ma ke ʻano laulā ākea.
ʻO nā papahana ʻē aʻe e lawe ʻia nei, ʻo ka hoʻopiʻi ʻana i kekahi pūmaiʻa liʻiliʻi nāna e hoʻolako mau mai he mau pūmaiʻa e kanu ai i loko o nā māla o nā home ponoʻī. No Banan hoʻi, ke hoʻoulu akula ʻo ia he mana ʻo Gros Michel ka inoa, ʻo ka mana kumu no ʻAmelika Waena me Hema i hoʻolilo ʻia mai i waiwai no ʻAmelika Huipūʻia ma mua o ka pani ʻia ʻana o kona wahi e ka mana he Cavendish, ʻo ia ka mana e kūʻai pinepine ʻia ma nā hale kūʻai mākeke.
Eia hoʻi kekahi, ʻo kā Sachter-Smith papahana ʻimi naʻauao, ʻo ka hele mamao ʻana i nā wahi kuaʻāina e palapala ai i nā ʻano mana like ʻole o nā mea kanu, ʻo ia nō ʻoe ʻo Indiana Jones e ola maoli nei ma ke ao maiʻa.
“Nui loa koʻu hōʻihi ʻana iā Gabe,” wahi a Richard Manshardt, he polopeka no ka ʻoihana kanu a mālama lāʻau ma UH Mānoa, kahi i ʻimi naʻauao ai ʻo Sachter-Smith a loaʻa ka palapala lae pua a lae oʻo ma ke College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources. “Makemake wau e ʻōlelo aku, naʻu i hoʻoulu i nā ʻaoʻao maikaʻi ma loko ona, ʻaʻole naʻe i hiki.”
ʻO ka ʻoiaʻiʻo, wahi a Manshardt, ua “maʻa ʻē ʻo Sachter-Smith i kekahi hapa nui o nā papahana ʻimi noiʻi ma ka ʻoihana kanu pūmaiʻa o ke ao nei” i kona hiki mua ʻana mai i Ჹɲʻ ma kona kūlana he haumāna lae pua mai Colorado mai kahi ona i noho ai i kona wā ʻōpiopio me ke kanu pūmaiʻa ʻana a mahi hoʻi i nā mana hapahapa. He mea ʻē hoʻi ka piha ʻeu o Sachter-Smith i ka mahi ʻana a he mākaukau kū hoʻokahi kona i ke kūkulu pilina me nā kānaka.
ʻO ka mea nui loa naʻe, wahi a Manshardt i ʻōlelo ai no Sachter-Smith, he “kamaliʻi ʻike loa i ka ʻimi noiʻi no ka maiʻa.”
Ka Loaʻa ʻAna Mai O Ka Mea Kanu E Kanu Ai I Ka Lepo
ʻAʻole hoʻi paha ʻo Banan ka mea hoʻokahi e kākoʻo ana iā Sachter-Smith i ka hoʻolilo ʻana i kona mau moemoeā he mea ʻoiaʻiʻo. ʻO kekahi mea e pono loa ai, wahi a Sachter-Smith, ʻo ia ʻo Rob Barreca, ʻo ia kekahi o nā mea akamai i ka ʻoihana e kupu hou mai ana ma Ჹɲʻ he mahi ʻai ʻano like ʻole. Ua hoʻokumu ʻia e Barreca ʻo Counter Culture Organic Farm ma kona wā e hoʻokumu ana iā Farm Link Ჹɲʻ, he mākeke kū pūnaewele e kūʻai ana i nā ʻai i mahi ʻia ma nā mālaʻai kūloko ma ke halihali pūʻia ma nā kauhale, he mea hoʻi i pahū kona waiwai i loko o ka maʻi ahulau.
Ua kaʻa ihola nō nā ʻeka he 40 ma lalo o Counter Culture, pēlā pū me nā pā ʻāina 5-ʻeka he ʻelua e kokoke ana iā Haleʻiwa, a he pā ʻāina 30-ʻeka i loaʻa iho nei e kokoke ana iā Waialua. Na Sachter-Smith e hoʻolaukaʻi i ka ʻaoʻao mahiʻai, pēlā i nui aʻe ai ko Barreca wā e mālama ai iāFarm Link, wahi a Barreca.
ʻOiai he mau mea kanu ʻē aʻe e hoʻoulu ʻia e Counter Culture, e laʻa ka hēʻī, ke kalo, a me ka ʻōlena, ʻo ka maiʻa ka mea e piha ʻeu loa ai ʻo Sachter-Smith. I loko o ka nui o ka ʻāina a me ka wai e loaʻa iā Banana Source, hoʻokahi nō ālaina, wahi a Sachter-Smith i pane ai.
“ʻO ke ālaina hoʻokahi ʻaʻole hiki ke hemo wale aku, ʻo ka ʻimo o ka maka a loaʻa mai nā mea kanu a kanu ai i lalo o ka lepo,” i ʻōlelo ai ʻo ia.
ʻAʻole naʻe ia ālaina he mea e pau ai kāna paʻu ʻana. Loaʻa mai nō iā ia nā mea kanu hou ʻakahi nō a kupu mai mai ke kauwahi i kapa ʻia ʻo ka Biodiversity International Musa Germplasm Transit Centre ma Belegiuma, e ʻōlelo ʻia nei ma kona paena pūnaewele hoʻi, ʻo “ko ke ao nei waihona ōewe nui loa a puni ka ʻāina.”
Akā, nāna hoʻi e hoʻokawowo aku ia mau kawowo i mau mea kanu he nui. I kekahi manawa, no ka hoʻokō ʻana pēlā, ʻoki ʻo ia i ke poʻo o ka mea kanu a ʻokiʻoki kaʻakepa i ka hā o nā pūmaiʻa oʻo ma nā kula mahi i mea e hoʻokawowo aku ai a loaʻa nā ʻohā. ʻO kekahi ala o ka mahi ʻana, ʻo ka mahi ʻana i pōpō i like me ke aʻa ma ke kumu o ka mea kanu, i kapa ʻia he ʻiʻo, me ka mahi ʻana i kekahi mau kawowo mai loko mai o kēlā me kēia ʻiʻo.
Akā, he wā nō hoʻi e hana ʻia ai kēia mau hana a pau, a he hana nui hoʻi ia i ka wā e hoʻolawa aku ai no hoʻolako nui ʻana i kekahi ʻahahui, e laʻa ʻo Banan, nāna e hoʻopaʻa hau i ka maiʻa no ka hoʻolilo ʻana i mea ʻono i like me ka hau kalima, he ʻoi aku nō naʻe kona maikaʻi no ke ola kino.
Ua hoʻokumu ʻia e nā hoaaloha he ʻeha no ke Kula ʻo Punahou, me ko lākou holomua ʻana i ka hoʻokumu pū ʻana i pāʻoihana ma hope o ko lākou hui hou ʻana aʻe ma Ჹɲʻ ma hope o ko lākou hele kulanui ʻana ma ʻAmelika. No laila i hānau mai ai ʻo Banan, he kalaka kūʻai mea ʻai ka ma ʻaoʻao iho o Lēʻahi, i kūʻai ʻia no nā kālāhe $2,000 e nā mea hoʻokumu o ia pāʻoihana.
I ka wā i hōlapu aku ai ka maʻi ahulau, ua ulu aʻe ʻo Banan he ʻehā kona mau hale: ʻelua ma Waikīkī, hoʻokahi ma Kailua, hoʻokahi hoʻi ma Mānoa ma kahi o ke Kulanui o Ჹɲʻ. No kekahi wā, ʻelua nō hale o Banan i kūkulu pohā ʻia ma Iāpana.
Ma mua o ka maʻi ahulau, i kona wā i paʻa loa ai kona ʻoihana, e pau ana nā maiʻa he 5,000 a 6,000 paha paona i loko o ka pule hoʻokahi, wahi a Hong.
ʻAʻole hoʻi he “ʻaʻohe pilo maiʻa” ke ʻano.
Ua ʻike ʻo Banan, ʻo ka maiʻa ʻāpala e hoʻoulu ʻia ma Ჹɲʻ, he mea keʻakeʻa i kā lākou mīkini, no laila, ʻo ke Cavendish wale nō ka mea pono ke hoʻohana ʻia e lākou, ʻo ia ka mana maʻamau e kūʻai ʻia ma nā hale kūʻai. ʻO ka pōmaikaʻi, no kekahi wā hoʻi, nui kā Sugarland lako i ka maiʻa Cavendish, a no laila, pau nā maiʻa a Banan i ka hoʻoulu kūloko ʻia, pēlā i kō ai ko Banan ʻōlelo nuʻukia, ʻo ke kākoʻo ʻana o ka ʻoihana mahiʻai kūloko ma o kēia papahana lawelawe pololei i ka mea ʻai mai ka mālaʻai aku a luna o ke pākaukau, me ka loaʻa pū hoʻi o nā kūlana hana ʻano nui a waiwai no kāna mau limahana.
Akā, ʻo ka hiki maila nō ia o ka maʻi ahulau, pēlā pū me ka nūhou e hoʻopau ana ʻo Sugarland i ka mahi maiʻa Cavendish. Ua ʻōlelo mai ka mea ʻona māla ʻai, ʻo Larry Jefts, ʻo nā mea kūʻai mai a nui loa i kāna mahi, ʻo nā hōkele a moku holoholo moana, a i ka wā i pani ʻia ai ka ʻoihana hoʻokipa malihini e ke Covid-19, pau loa ka manaʻo akamai ʻo ka hoʻoulu maiʻa Cavendish. Ua hōʻike maila nō naʻe ia he oia mau nō kona hoʻoulu maiʻa ʻāpala.
Ua ʻōlelo pū mai ʻo Jefts, ʻo kekahi papahana ʻūomo ikehu lā nui e kūkulu ʻia nei, ʻo ko 176 Power Global Māla Mahi Mana o ka Lā ʻo Kupehau, ʻo ia kekahi mea e paʻakikī ai ma muli o ka lawelawe ʻia ʻana aku o nā ʻeka mahiʻai o Sugarland i hoʻohana ʻia i kekahi manawa no ka hoʻoulu mea kanu, e laʻa ka maiʻa ʻāpala. ʻŌlelo mai nei naʻe ʻo Jefts, ʻo ke kumu mua loa i haʻalele ai ʻo Sugarland i ka hoʻoulu maiʻa Cavendish, ʻo ia ka hiolo ʻana o ka mākeke ma muli o ka maʻi ahulau.
Me kēlā, huli akula ʻo Banan iā Sachter-Smith.
ʻO ka nīnau, pehea ka wikiwiki o kona hoʻomāhuahua ʻana i ka mahi maiʻa ʻana i mea e kō ai nā kauoha a Banan?
Ua pani ʻia ko Banan hale ma Mānoa, ma hope o ka naʻi ʻana o UH i ia hale kahi ona i waiho ai, wahi a Hong.
Akā naʻe, ma ka pani ʻana o kekahi o kona mau hale, ʻo ka nui maiʻa e pono ai ʻo Banan, aia nō ma luna o ka nui i hiki ke hoʻoulu ʻia e Sachter-Smith, wahi āna.
ʻŌlelo maila ʻo Sachter-Smith, aia mau nō ʻo ia ma ka pae “hoʻomaka hōʻīnana” o kāna ʻoihana, ʻo ka hoʻoulu ʻana i nā maiʻa he 2,000 paona i loko o kekahi pule i nui o ka mahi ʻana.
He mea hoʻopio hoʻi, he hoʻopae mai ʻo Banan i ka maiʻa mai nā ʻāina ʻē mai, wahi a Hong. Akā naʻe, kūpaʻa kona manaʻo, he hiki nō iāSachter-Smith he hoʻomāhuahua mai a hoʻolawa i kā lākou hemahema.
“Inā hoʻokahi wale nōmea i hiki iā ia, ua hiki nō iā Gabe,” wahi āna.
ʻAʻole ʻo Banan ka mea kūʻai hoʻokahi no Sachter-Smith. Kūʻai aku hoʻi ʻo ia ma o Farm Link, ke kūkulu nei hoʻi ʻo ia i mau pilina me nā mea ʻona hale ʻaina e makemake ana e hoʻomāʻikeʻike aku i nā meaʻai Ჹɲʻ maoli.
ʻO kekahi kumu alakaʻi, ʻo Juicy Brew, he hale ʻaina ʻailau ma ke Alanui Waiʻalae ma Kaimukī. No kekahi mau makahiki lōʻihi, ua hoʻolalau ʻia e lākou ka manaʻo e kau ma luna o kēia mea he ʻulu, ʻo ka mea kanu i lawe ʻia ma ka waʻa, ma o kā lākou hoʻomoʻa ʻana i loko o nā meaʻai.
I kēia manawa hoʻi, aia kekahi mea kanu i lawe ʻia mai ma ka waʻa, ke hoʻohana ʻia nei e Juicy Brew, ʻo ia nā maiʻa iholena a Sachter-Smith. Wahi a Christina Hee, ʻo ia kekahi o nā mea ʻona no Juicy Brew me kona kaikaina/kaikuaʻana, ʻo Jennifer, hoʻohana lākou i ia maiʻa no nā ʻumeke Cuba a black bean, a no kekahi meaʻai taco.
“ʻO ia kaʻu mea e hana ai me ke aloha nui: ʻo ka hōʻike aku i nā lauʻai kūloko, oki loa hoʻi ʻo ka lauʻai kūloko ʻano laha ʻole hoʻi,” wahi a Christina Hee.
Akā naʻe, he nui anei a lawa ke kauoha ʻia ʻana o kekahi mea kūʻai a Ჹɲʻ Banana Source no ke kākoʻo ʻana i kekahi māhina ʻai e nui aʻe nei?
“No kēlā me kēia mea aia nō iā ia kekahi mea kūʻai, he wahi kona e kū ai,” wahi a Jefts, he mahiʻai ma Oʻahu no nā makahiki lōʻihi he nui, i aʻo ʻia ma ka ʻoihana hoʻokele waiwai. “Inā he mākaukau akamai kāu lawelawe ʻana i ka ʻoihana, e loaʻa auaneʻi kahi māhele o ka mākeke iāʻoe.”
He ʻIke Lehia ma ke Kuhi ʻAna i ke ʻAno Maiʻa
Ma waena o nā mea e hilinaʻi ana, e hoʻopōmaikaʻi mai ana ʻo Sachter-Smith iā Ჹɲʻ, aia ʻo Anne Vezina, e noho ana ma Quebec ma ke ʻano he mea kākau no ke akeakamai a he ʻimi noiʻi hoʻi i noho akula ma Montpelier, Palani he mau makahiki ma ka hana pū ʻana me ka International Network for the Improvement of Banana and Plantain, he ʻahahui alakaʻi ma ka ʻoihana mahi maiʻa.
Hoʻomanaʻo aʻela ʻo ia i kona hele pū ʻana me Sachter-Smith i ka huakaʻi ʻimi noiʻi ma Samoa, kahi o lāua i holoholo ai ma kinohi o ka huakaʻi ʻana. Ua ʻike ʻia akula e Vezine kekahi mau pūmaiʻa ma luna o ka ʻāina, ma hope mai hoʻi ua ʻōlelo ʻo Sachter-Smith ua ʻike nō hoʻi ʻo ia la, me ka helu pū ʻana mai i nā inoa he ʻumi a ʻoi o nā inoa maiʻa a lāua i māʻalo ai, wahi āna. Hoʻomanaʻo aʻela o Vezine i ke ʻano ʻeʻehia o kona naʻau.
“ʻAʻole hiki ke wehewehe ʻia, kona ʻano e helu ai pēlā,” wahi āna i ʻōlelo ai no ko Sachter-Smith akamai i ka wae ʻano ʻana i nā mana maiʻa. “Kohu mea lā he ʻike ia no loko mai o kona naʻau.”
ʻO kā Sachter-Smith koho ʻana e holomua ma ka ʻoihana mahiʻai, he mea e nele maoli ai ka ʻoihana ʻimi naʻauao akeakamai no ka ʻoihana maiʻa, ʻaʻole hoʻi ka ʻimi ʻana i ke kēkelē lae ʻula a lilo i mea ʻimi noiʻi ma ka wā piha, wahi āna.
He mea naʻe ia e pōmaikaʻi ai ʻo Ჹɲʻ, wahi āna. Kū nō i ke akamai ka manaʻo o Sachter-Smith e hoʻomau i ka mahi ʻana i nā maiʻa iholena, i ʻōlelo ai ʻo ia, ʻo kekahi kumu, no ka wikiwiki o ka ulu a hoʻohua ʻana o nā mea kanu, me ka ʻāwīwī i ʻoi aʻe ma mua o ko ka maʻi e kapa ʻia nei ʻo Banana Bunchy Top, ma mua o ke kaʻa ʻana iho ona.
Ke hilinaʻi nei ʻo ia e pōmaikaʻi maoli mai ana kāSachter-Smith mau papahana ʻimi noiʻi ma nā mea kanu hapahapa a hoʻokawowo ʻana hoʻi. Nui nā kuleana āna e ʻauamo nei; ʻo kekahi o ia mau kuleana, pehea lā hoʻi e kō ʻole ai, i nīnau mai ai ʻo ia.
No kāna māhele ponoʻī, ʻōlelo ʻo Sachter-Smith no kāna pau papahana kālaikali a ʻimi akeakamai me nā ʻano, mana, a hapahapa like ʻole, me nā hoʻokawowo ʻana hoʻi, hoʻokahi nō pahukū e lōkahi ai ia mau mea a pau.
“Ua pono nō hoʻi au ke loaʻa mai iaʻu he hoʻokahi wale nō maiʻa maikaʻi,” wahi āna.
Hoʻolako ʻia kekahi hapa o “Ჹɲʻ Grown” e nā pūʻulu kālā mai ka Ulupono Fund ma ka Ჹɲʻ Community Foundation, mai ka Marisla Fund ma ka Ჹɲʻ Community Foundation, a me ka Frost Family Foundation.
