Ifirst met Mike McCann a few years ago. He was in a class I was teaching to help farmers write business plans. Mike wrote a solid plan that enabled him and his wife Chalida to acquire a Kamehameha Schools lease in 2021 for three quarters of an acre in Honaunau.
Skip ahead a few years and this dynamic duo are now running a profitable farm on this small piece of land. They recently were granted an additional lease for another acre adjoining their farm. Stand back…these two will surely be able expand their production and provide more locally grown, organic practices, produce to more markets and restaurants on the Big Island and beyond.
The pair met 23 years ago at a friend’s graduation party in Chicago. They spent some of the intervening years working together on farms in many different places around the country, including a market farm in Illinois and a community garden in Colorado. They developed some good farming chops and were ready to move to a place where they could farm year-round.
After a few months working at a Kona lettuce farm, they felt ready to try farming on their own. Mike took on a garden project in Kealakekua in 2013. He cultivated and maintained a quarter-acre plot behind Annie’s Burgers where he grew produce to supply the restaurant. The surplus was sold at the Keauhou Farmers Market on Saturday mornings.
The McCann’s next project was a one-acre lease in the Lalamilo Ag lots in Waimea. They grew lots of roots, greens, and herbs. With increased skills and a desire to be in Kona, they were delighted to get a piece of leased land in South Kona. The small parcel they were able to lease had been abandoned for more than 10 years.
According to Chalida, “We were attacking weeds and grasses that were chest high. We couldn’t see the driveway and the house was a mess.”
They proceeded to remove about thirty African tulip trees and hired an excavator to remove the invasive roots so they could create a terrace to expand their production of greens.
After major clearing work, they trucked in about 100 yards of topsoil and compost and created some long growing beds. They were able to plant and start harvesting within a few months.
They also took on the project of refurbishing the dilapidated home on the property. That made it possible for them to live on the farm and work closer to home.
When I asked if they had home improvement experience for such a project, Mike’s reply was, “We just figured it out as we went along.”
Living on the farm meant they could plant and maintain over twenty different species of plants on their well laid out farm. They currently harvest and sell on average five hundred pounds of produce weekly. They continue to sell at the Keauhou Saturday farmer’s market offering a variety of greens and lettuces as well as root vegetables, herbs and papayas. As they further developed their growing areas, they were able to expand their sales as well.
Chalida reports that their most popular crops are baby romaine and kale. They sell these along other veggies to Adaptations for distribution to local restaurants as well as to supply their Fresh Feast customers who are members of their Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) group.
The butcher shop RC Kona buys greens and herbs for their meat marinades as well as their soups and sandwiches. Mike and Chalida have recently added the small grocery store, Kainaliu Fresh to their list of clients.
With the additional acre recently added to the McCann’s lease, they will be expanding their growing area and hope to add tree crops and maybe even some coffee plants to their farm. They will definitely be expanding their customer base to include clients around the island and eventually on Oahu
and other islands.
When I asked what their weekly chores included, Mike said they check all their beds, and water their seedlings daily. They also plant, start seedlings and do propagation on a regular basis. They often check their drip irrigation system and apply fertilizers when needed. On Fridays, they harvest for the market and gather seedlings that are ready for sale as well.
Both Mike and Chalida stressed the importance of checking their beds daily. They designed their farm so that daily tours would be easy to accomplish, allowing them to spot and deal with problems quickly. Their daily inspection routine means early spotted issues including pests and diseases, can be controlled before they become a major threat to their production goals.
Though the business plan that Mike created in my class, got them off to a good start, they have found they needed to make some important changes to adapt to situations they’ve encountered along the way. With a good starting plan, however, changes have been easy to make and helped improve their progress.
In the process of writing a good business plan, the issues that farmers need to address become clear and help them realize that farming is a business and by starting with a solid plan creates a path to success. The McCanns are always glad they thought through the process clearly at the beginning and created a plan that would help them succeed.
Planning ahead seems to be a common theme among the new farmers I have met. It makes it possible for them to make a living while enjoying a lifestyle that makes them happy.
You, too, can make farming work for you. Start with a plan and a determination to put in the hard work to turn it into a successful reality. You won’t be sorry.
Gardening events
Saturdays: 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. Visit the website www.amygreenwell.garden/get-involved/volunteer-1/ and sign up for the weekly email for more information on work days.
• Perennial peanut plants are available at the Kona Extension office in Kealakekua. Contact Matt at mnmiyahi@hawaii.edu to reserve your tray. Limited quantities available. First come, first served.
Saturday, May 18: “14th Annual Mango Festival” from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Hale Halawai in downtown Kailua-Kona. For more information Contact Randyl at randylna@earthlink.net or text or call Randyl Rupar at 808-936-5233. Or got to https://hawaiianwellness.com/events.
Tuesday, May 21: The Hawaii Invasive Species Mini Conference webinar starts at 9:30 a.m. Topic: Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle. For more information go to Hawaiian Invasive Species Council website or call Roshan at the UH Extension Service office at 808-322-4892.
Save these dates
Wednesdays, May 29 to Aug. 3 (10 weeks): Ag Orchard Cohort, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. (online), Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Oahu orchards. Cost $200. Learn how to plan, plant and manage a productive commercial orchard. Contact gofarmhawaii.org for more information or to apply.
June 1-8: Ka‘u Coffee Festival will have a week of events. Go to www.kaucoffeefest.com for more information.
Wednesdays, June 12-July 6 (4 weeks): Agrifloristry, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. (online), Saturdays 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Various locations around Oahu, Cost: $150. Learn ways to plan your flower farm. Contact gofarmhawaii.org for more information or to apply.
Thursday, Friday and Saturday, July 18-20: 29th Annual Hawaii Coffee Association Conference at the Ala Moana Hotel in Honolulu. Currently seeking lecturers and conference volunteers for the Trade Show and Statewide Cupping Competition. Check their website for more information at https://hawaiicoffeeassoc.org/Conference-2024.
Farmer direct markets
(Check websites for the latest hours and online markets)
Wednesday and Friday: “Ho‘oulu Farmers Market” 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.- Sheraton Kona Resort at Keauhou Bay
Saturday: Keauhou Farmers Market, 8 a.m. to noon at Keauhou Shopping Center; 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, rom 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 Honokaa.
Plant advice lines
Anytime: konamg@hawaii.edu
Tuesdays and 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 CE.
Diana Duff is a plant adviser, educator and consultant living part time in Kailua-Kona.