I visited B and H Farm on an overcast spring morning. There was a noticeable chill in the air that could be expected at their 2,300-foot elevation in South Kona. About 20 minutes above the highway, a one-lane, partially paved road took me to a lovely farm that Michael Hayley and Precille Boisvert have enjoyed for nearly 25 years. Though high temperatures will hit Kailua as summer approaches, they report that temperatures over 80 degrees are rare at their farm even late in the season.
Both came to South Kona to farm after several years in Hilo.
“We were stuck by the quiet beauty of the land and saw the potential for a happy life here,” Precille remembers.
They bought the fee simple farmland in 1995, put up a yurt and a catchment tank and began planting. Over 100 mac nut trees had been planted on the property in 1948. The trees were part of a Dillingham Trust project that planted several experimental mac nut orchards on the land the trust owned at the time.
All the trees on their farm were the Keauhou variety. They are known for their large nuts with good flavor. Michael and Precille had dependable pickers and a local producer who bought the nuts for many years; at least up until the pandemic. Now, they are waiting for word that the producer is open for business again.
Without dependable pickers today, Michael is picking the nuts himself. This allows him to be very selective, which means the nuts are higher in quality, but somewhat fewer in quantity. They are now able to sell about 10,000 pounds a year, down from some of their past harvests of up to 25,000 pounds.
Both Michael and Precille love eating mac nuts so they have a small processing system on the farm. After the nuts are picked, they dry them on outside racks then husk them, crack them, dehydrate them and eat them. They taste great and are a good protein source, grown and processed right on the farm.
Michael reports that he is considering making nut butter and maybe even pressing the nuts for oil. He really has to continue to harvest the nuts just to keep them off the ground.
“If I leave them on the ground, they are a safety hazard. Walking through an unharvested mac nut orchard means stumbling over large marbles,” Michael said.
When they first saw the farm, both of them noticed the good soil and started by planting fruit trees. Growing up in rural Quebec, Precille remembers her childhood where an orange was a precious commodity.
“I was delighted to think that I could grow oranges year-round and enjoy them whenever I wanted.” Precille explained.
So orange trees went in early. Avocados, bananas, papayas, lychee, sapote, breadfruit and Tahitian lime trees were planted soon after.
After more than 10 years in their yurt, Michael and Precille started planning to build a house with separate rooms including a kitchen and a bathroom. Some of Precille’s Canadian relatives were happy to come for a summer in Hawaii and help them build. They first cleared some space by removing a few trees from their macnut orchard. The building went well. Overall, it was a summer well spent. Luxury arrived in the form of their new house about 12 years ago.
The cleared land around their house, has allowed them to put in lots of ornamental plants as well as some new herbs and edibles. Raised beds in their back yard hold herbs and some interesting vegetables as well as a few pineapple plants and lots of orchids.
They are growing one very interesting cucurbit that was new to me. The tromboncino plant produces green curved vegetables that are a zucchini relative. Michael reports they are easy to grow and very tasty. The plant has a vining growth habit and grows well with a trellis for support. The fruit usually turn a beige shade and can get large and heavy if left to full maturity. He especially likes to grow them as they are resistant to a lot of common cucurbit diseases. Seeds are available online at several different seed companies.
Precille is particularly fond of the flowering plants on their farm. One of her favorite activities is to tidy up the flower beds.
“I love how nice the flowers look after a good weeding session,” she exclaims.
Several trees around the farm had cascading orchids in their branches. A lovely surprise.
When the pair began farming, they were both state employees. Michael was a librarian at the Kailua-Kona Public Library and Precille worked as a teacher. Seven years ago, they each retired and now consider the farm a hobby.
This means they can start their day with stretching and long walks, spend a few hours doing farm work and relax the rest of the day. Relaxing for this pair is not snoozing. They are currently taking art classes through the Hawaii branch of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI Hawaii). They have turned their yurt into an art studio. Among the easels, they also have a desk and computer where they can enjoy other OLLI offerings, including their gardening classes.
When asked what their biggest challenge was on the farm, they both said, “The road.”
More than 100 residents live along the 2-mile stretch of road to B and H farm. Each resident is required to pay $50 annually for road maintenance. Traffic and rainstorms take their toll making road maintenance a constant challenge. To retain their physical access to the outside world, residents need to participate in the maintenance work. Getting a group out for the maintenance work is always a challenge, however.
Both Michael and Precille noticed that many of their neighboring farming families have wisely chosen to have one person work the farm while the other has an off-farm job. They think this might mean a greater farm income with a fallback onto the working person’s salary if the farm needs financial support. This might be good advice for future farming couples.
Michael offered a bit of humorous advice for new farmers: “Don’t feed stray cats.”
Animal lovers, Michael and Precille started feeding cats whenever they appeared figuring they would help keep the rat population under control. Yes, they have done that, but the feral cats have also brought all their friends and relatives to the farm. Today, they are definitely rat-free, but are also feeding 13 healthy cats.
Their retirement years have definitely allowed this pair to slow their life down and truly enjoy and appreciate their farm. It shows in their delight as we toured the farm and their farm is certainly well-maintained as a result.
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 bag lunch. Water and snacks provided. Call Peter at 323-3318 for more information.
Online: go to training videos at https://pesticideresources.org for Worker Protection Standard safety information videos.
Thursday and Friday: “Hawaii Coffee Association Annual Meeting and Conference” Virtual event. For more information go to hawaiicoffeeassoc.org/events. For schedule and to register go to https://my.demio.com/ref/wqXU6XBC8Oboy30Z .
Webinar and Presentation Recordings View recorded webinars and presentations for CBB and CLR, risk management, whole farm and crop insurance, USDA FSA disaster assistance and financial record keeping at the Kona Extension YouTube channel.
Farmer Direct Markets (check websites for the latest hours and online markets)
Wednesday: “Ho’oulu Farmers Market” at Sheraton Kona Resort & Spa at Keauhou Bay
Saturday: “Keauhou Farmers Market” 8 a.m. to noon at Keauhou Shopping Center
Information on their online market at 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 central 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. – 2 p.m. at Amy Greenwell Garden in Captain Cook
“Hamakua Harvest” 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Hwy 19 and Mamane Street in Honoka’a
Plant Advice Lines
Anytime: konamg@ctahr.hawaii.edu Tuesdays & Thursdays: 9 a.m. to noon at UH-CES in Kainaliu – 322-4893 or walk in Mon., Tues. & Fri: 9 a.m. to noon at UH CES at Komohana in Hilo 981-5199 or himga@hawaii.edu