Korean Natural Farming: It's All in the Microbes

KNF Chicken Coop. Photo by Kat Thomas.

So this is the last post on my trip to Hawai’i and it’s a pretty Auh-Mazing one!

In Hawi I was introduced to the world of Korean Natural Farming (KNF), which involves collecting and culturing indigenous microorganisms (IMO) and reintroducing them into an agro ecosystem, which has been managed by people (aka farms).  In the same way we drink Kombucha to rebuild our

Pighouse at Ho'ea Farms. Photo by Kat Thomas.

gut, IMOs rebuild the soil.  KNF with IMO’s is a smart and clean approach to organic farming that is practiced successfully in over 30 countries, in home gardens and on a commercial scale.
 
Korean Natural Farming is cheap, easy, and effective, a trifecta of awesomeness to a farmer’s ears!  It has helped many Big Island farmers overcome the challenge of dead soil (soil blasted by chemicals for so many decades of sugarcane farming that there wasn’t an earthworm in it).  I myself saw impressive results while replanting some tomato plants in the greenhouse as those feed IMOs perked up after a day, while those feed just water were noticeably more wilted. 

Korean Professor, Han Kyu Cho, is considered the father of Korean Natural Farming (which is also sometimes known as Thai Natural Farming and Asian Natural Farming).  The basic principle behind KNF is to create a farming environment compatible with naturally occurring organisms in the farmland.  Korean Natural Farming recycles nutrients from various herbs or farm waste, and combines them into a foliar spray for fertilization based on different stages of growth of the crop.  Crop enhancement of indigenous microorganisms are more likely to be accepted by the soil than alien beneficial organisms (such as the trademarked Effective Microorganisms).

Indigenous Microorganisms (IMOs) refer to various homemade solid and liquid cultures of beneficial microbes. To culture beneficial IMOs, these are materials are concocted from various local materials such as forest/field plant materials as well as fruit, vegetables and even fish scraps and snails.  Therefore, few, outside or purchased inputs are required.
 

Chicken Raised with KNF. Photo by Kat Thomas.

Mr. Han Kyu Cho formulated and fine-tuned these practices for 40 years and has trained over 18,000 people at the Janong Natural Farming Institute.  One of the people he trained was Dr. Hoon Park, who in 2005 brought the Korean Natural Farming to Hawaii.  A retired M.D. from Hilo, Dr. Park was in South Korea doing missionary work and noticed commercial piggeries with virtually no smell that were using KNF methods.  Dr. Park came back to Hawaii, his home, and began giving classes for free. 

The Korean Natural Farming is unique in that it is not meant to be commercialized, but rather practiced by farmers, with cheap, easily available ingredients, and microbes or mycorrhizae indigenous to each locale or farm.  Mycorrhizae are “fungus roots” and act as an interface between plants and soil.  They grow into the roots of crops and out into the soil, increasing the root system many thousands of times over.  They act symbiotically, converting with enzymes the nutrients of the soil into food the plants can use and taking carbohydrates from the plants and turning it into nutrients the soil can use: “sequestering” carbon in the soil for later use.

Ho'ea Farms KNF Piglets. Photo by Kat Thomas.

Miles of fungal filaments can be present in an ounce of healthy soil.  Mycorrhizal inoculation of soil increases the accumulation of carbon in the soil by depositing glomalin, which in turn, increases soil structure, by binding organic matter to mineral particles in the soil.  Glomalin is a glycoprotein that binds together silt, sand, or clay soil particles. By supergluing the small, loose particles, this gooey protein makes larger granules that protect the soil from eroding through wind and water.  One way to anchor or feed mycorrhizae in the soil is by adding charcoal, specifically charcoal, which is made without fossil fuels (such as Biochar).  Charcoal provides shelter for the mycorrhizae to live in with its myriad of tiny holes.

A healthy fertile soil is a soil alive with a multitude of microorganisms. Research found about 700 kilograms of microorganisms to live in 0.1 hectare of land.  Natural Farming recreate the conditions found in Natural environments such as old growth forests.  Chemical application of pesticides, herbicides and fertilizer kill all that precious life in the soil eventually turning it into a compacted lifeless dust bowl.

Greenhouse watered with IMOs. Photo by Kat Thomas.

Korean Natural Farming techniques are also used in regards to livestock such as chickens (like the chicken coop at the farm I was at) and pork (which I viewed at Ho’ea Farms in Hawi). As Mr. Cho said, “a farmer should have parental love towards his crop and livestock. This is a heart of a true farmer.”

The biggest bonus to KNF animal hutches being that there is no pollution, no smell, no flies, no wastewater, disease, or cleaning needed.  In other words, the IMOs on the floor will break down the chicken feces and there is virtually no smell and no need to muck the coop.

When the Chinese were preparing for the Olympics to be held in Beijing in 2008, China, the Chinese army came in, bringing with them their pigs, which they raise to feed themselves.  The population of Beijing was suddenly assaulted by the smell of pig waste and protested violently.  The head of the Chinese army sent two men to South Korea to study Natural Farming, which he had heard about. The men came back and the army immediately started practicing the Natural Farming methods and the smell went away.

With chickens the egg quality will be superior with super sturdy yokes.  With pork, the pigs are more content to laze and root around in such natural bedding.  Also, reportedly, there is no risk of skin diseases compared to pigs raised on other surfaces.

Talk about smart (and clean!) microbes!

Let's All Do the Chicken Dance!

Araucana Chicken. Photo by Kat Thomas.

While I was on the Big Island I spent copious amounts of time with chickens (which is evident by the amount of fowl photography on my iPhone)!  During my time at the organic farm I was in charge of taking care of this fine feathered friends from watering and feeding them in the morning to opening their hutches for their afternoon walks to making sure they were secure and protected from mongooses at night.

Buff Orpingtons. Photo by Kat Thomas.

In the beginning I was scared I would get pecked by my co-workers, but in reality most of the chicken scattered as soon as they saw this new stranger approaching.  But once they got to know me a little more they were super affectionate and would allow me to give gentle stroking pets on their backs.

Rainbow Eggs. Photo by Kat Thomas.

Chickens are funny birds!  When I would ride the tractor in the fields they would follow me grabbing seeds and bugs that were scattered around in my wake (this is where I learned the true origin of the car racing game “chicken,” instead of running away the hens would stare me down until I was forced to veer away (at which time they would promptly move).  

Rhode Island Red.  Photo by Kat Thomas.

Another crazy thing about chickens: they take baths in dust!  They care for their feathers and skin by digging shallow ditches in the driest dustiest dirt and then toss it onto themselves.  The dirt coats their feathers and settles next to their skin, absorbing excess moisture and oil.  At the end of a dust bath, the dirt is shaken off and the chicken proceeds to preen and groom its feathers back into place.

Photo by Kat Thomas.

At my farm in Hawi there were three main types of chickens:  Araucanas, Rhode Island Reds, and Buff Orpingtons.  All heritage chicken breeds.  All which laid different colored eggs.  When I would collect the eggs the basket would contain what looked like lightly dyed Easter eggs!   Each chicken type had its ins and outs:

Plymouth Rock Chicken.  Photo by Kat Thomas.

ARAUCANA:
Chilean in origin, where they are thought to have been bred by the Araucanian Indians. Super popular at Farmers Markets they are known for their blue/green eggs!  Plumage varies in combinations of black, silver, brown white, and gold. Some Araucanas have tufts or crests, or lack a tail.

RHODE ISLAND RED:
Rhode Island Reds are held in such high esteem that they're the official Rhode Island state bird.  They were once hugely popular on small American farms, but fell out of favor as farms got larger.  Today they’re making quite a heritage fowl comeback.  Rhode Island Reds are known for being the do-everything bird: they lay exceptionally well (brown eggs), are very hardy, and they're valued for their meat (but not at this farm since their chickens were only used for egg production!).

BUFF ORPINGTON:
One of the most popular American farm chickens during the late 1800's and early 1900's.  They are known for their bright gold plumage, excellent egg production (these were usually pinkish brown), and exceptionally tasty meat (but, once again, not at the farm).  These birds are known for their personality, along with their beauty (and their fluffy chicken bottoms!).

Another Reason to Pop Macadamia Nuts!

While on Hawai’i Edible Skinny was lucky enough to tour the Hamakua Macadamia Nut Company.  With choices including Island Onion, Wasabi (for which they originated the craze), and SPAM (not for this Vegan!) there was rainbow of flavor choices for the palette.

Hamakua Macadamia Nut Company is named after the district of Hamakua on the Big Island where the first macadamia nut trees in Hawai’i were planted in 1881. Although native to Australian rainforests, mac nuts thrived in Hawai’i and the state became the site of the world’s first commercial plantations.  Today, these delicious, hard-shelled nuts are one of the Hawai’i Island’s largest crops (and absolutely one of my most favorite foods on the planet!!!).

Hawai’i’s rich volcanic soil, abundant rainfall, and perfect temperatures combine to produce some of the best macadamia nuts in the world.  Hamakua Macadamia Nut Company grows, purchases, and processes 100% Hawai’ian macadamias that are grown on one of the Big Island’s four mountain ranges.  

Along with spreading a huge smile on your face, there’s a lot of reasons to pop a mac nut in your mouth.  Macadamia nuts are high in monounsaturated fatty acid (good fat), which help reduce overall cholesterol levels.  Macadamia nuts contain flavonoids (a photochemical) and tocopherols (Vitamin E), which aid in protecting against cancer and heart disease.  Macadamia nut oil contains Omega 3 known to reduce the risk of heart disease and high blood pressure.  The macadamia nut is one of the few foods that contain palmitoleic acid, a monounsaturated fatty acid.  Palmitoleic acid may aid in fat metabolism, possibly reducing stored body fat.

Macadamia nuts aren’t harvested from the trees; instead they fall to the ground fully ripened.  However, you don’t pick one up expecting to shell it and pop it into your mouth.  It requires 300 pounds of pressure per square inch to crack a mac nut shell.
Which is one reason Hamakua Macadamia Nut Company is also a green company (which is very very popular on the island of Hawai’i).  


They use no fossil fuels in the drying of their nuts; instead they are dried by burning the high energy macadamia nut shells and converting that energy into steam, which is then used for drying.

Hamakua Macadamia Nut Company has installed a 30,000 square foot photovoltaic (PV) system, which generates 75% of their electricity needs.   With another 10% from biomass and increased energy-saving measures, their goal is to replace 100% of their electricity needs with renewable resources.


Not that you ever need (in any way!) an excuse to eat a macadamia nut, but Hamakua Macadamia Nut Company just made this taste experience a little sweeter!

Kona Coffee!

Photo from Kona Mountain Coffee.

If there’s one thing the western side of the Big Island is known for it’s coffee, Kona Coffee to be specific!  Hawai'i is the only state in the US to commercially grow coffee; and among the islands, only the Kona district grows this caffeinated treat.

Kona Coffee actually celebrated its 200^th anniversary last year.  This thriving industry began in 1813 when King Kamehameha’s (the warrior-king who unified all the islands of Hawai’i) Spanish interpreter and physician, Don Francisco de Paula y Marin, planted the first trees on O’ahu.  A few years later, the Rev. Joseph Goodrich brought the trees to the Big Island before missionary Samuel Ruggles planted the first Arabica trees in the western side of the island in 1828.  

Coffee prefers shade and dry, cool summers so it did well on the Big Island’s volcanic slopes where clouds sweep in during the afternoons, and ocean breezes temper the tropical sun.  Kona Coffee is known to have a finish with floral notes with hints of peach, plum, and chocolate.

Although Kona coffee has been around for over two centuries, it did not became popular among connoisseurs until the 1980s (which worked perfectly for the farmers of Hawai’i as it was the same time that sugar cane farming was beginning to phase out). 

Photo from KonaCoffeeFarmers.org

Harvesting occurs year round and yields some of the best cherries (the red colored coffee beans) in the world.  But because the cherries must be picked by hand in the rugged sloped coffee terrain (some of which is grown as high as 3,200 feet above sea level) it has a tendency to translates to higher labor costs (to generate a sellable pound of coffee beans requires 7 pounds of cherries) which translates to high coffee costs (the beans usually run between $30-$50 a pound).

The process starts with a pulping machine that removes the tiny beans at the center of the cherry (usually there are two beans facing each other in a cherry, although occasionally one bean fails to divide leading to a high prized peaberry!).  Then the beans ferment in water and followed by being placed in drying racks in the sun.   Finally the beans are milled to remove the parchment skin, with the remaining green beans to be graded and roasted. 

The majority of Kona’s 600 coffee farms are small, family-run operations of 2-5 acres although there are a few larger farms (such as Kona Mountain Coffee).    

Exotic Fruit Exploring in Hawi!

Hawi Honor Stand.  Photo by Kat Thomas.

I’ve been on the Big Island of Hawai’i in the town of Hawi

for over a week now as part of an organic farmstay and let me tell you Hawai’i is really another world!!!

The Big Island is the largest of the seven Hawai’ian island (around the size of Connecticut or twice the size of all other Hawai’ian islands combined), but only has a population of about 160,000.   Although Hawai’i Island is full of barren lava fields, the majority of the state’s agricultural products are grown and processed here. 

The hip little enclave of Hawi is only about an hour drive north of Kona, but this upcountry hamlet (with a population of slightly more than 900) is worlds away from its neighboring “city” (which with a population of 35,000 it’s hard for this Los Angeleno to considered Kona a city…)! 

Nestled on the northern most point on the island, it's a town that’s a block long, Hawi is full of supportive organic farmers who sell their wares at the local farmers market and at “Honor Stands.” 

Soursop. Photo by Kat Thomas.

Honor Stands are exactly what they sound like: farm stands where fresh fruit and vegetables are sold daily and where payment is made on the honor system.  At night you don’t even leave money, but instead write down your name and phone number. 

Choices vary according to what’s in season but in the last week I’ve had the ability to explore four different types of fruits that I had never even heard of till I came to Hawi!

Langsat

These tiny, yellow, orb shaped fruits grow in clusters and can be quite sour when unripe, but are perfectly sweet when ripe with flavorings similar to an orange and grape.  

Lilikoi

The passion fruit plant produces a spectacular flower with yellow of purple fruit (where I’m staying it’s yellow!).  Seeds of the purple varietal were first planted on Maui in 1880by Eugene Delemar who brought them from Australia and planted them at his ranch in an area still known as “Lilikoi Gulch.”  Flavor profiles include similarities to mangos, papayas, pineapples, and lemons.

Soursop

Although the outside of this plant is green and prickly the inside of this fruit is similar to the flesh of uncooked Halibut (in a good way!)! The flavor is a combination of sour citrus, pineapple, and strawberry with an underlying creamy texture similar to a coconut, banana or cherimoya.

Rambutan

Rambutan. Photo by Kat Thomas.

Similar to lychees, rambutans are covered with soft spines.  Indigenous to the Malay Archipelago, the name of the fruit comes from the word “hairy” in Malay.   And you can definitely see why from the picture!  Once the hair exterior is peeled away (most people chose to give the fruit a slight bite with their teeth to break the skin) the tender, fleshy fruit offer a balance of sweet that is similar to larger white grape.