 Today we have a very special guest, not only for the studio and our other hosts, but for me personally and professionally. Our show today is called Ma'ili'ili Musings, Sustainable Agriculture in Waianae. And we're going to talk to our guest, Frankie Kothi, a little bit more about Ma'ili'ili, what it is, and her extremely amazing watershed management project in Ma'ili'ili, on the west side of Oahu. So usually our show we're talking to farmers or chefs or restaurateurs, and I always want to talk about the people who make all that farming happen besides the farmers, the people who help the farmers behind the curtain. So today we have Frankie Kothi, Project Coordinator of Oahu Resource Conservation and Development Council. Super long name, right? Also known as Oahu RC&D, an organization very close to me because I work for them as well. So Frankie is my colleague and co-worker, and she and I have been working together for about two years now, working with farmers in the field, providing technical assistance, community outreach, and conservation planning. But today she's the star of the show, not me. We're not talking about me. So right now I'd like to take a quick second and introduce and do a warm introduction for Frankie Kothi. Oh, thanks, Steph. Hi, Frankie. Hey. I'm going to pretend like I don't know you at all. Sounds good. So Frankie, so you work with this organization called Oahu RC&D. I thought maybe you could give us a quick elevator pitch of what that is. Yes. Okay. So Oahu RC&D, which we do go by the acronym a lot more, is a sustainable agriculture nonprofit. And our work mainly focuses on the farmer and those partners of the farmers. And we reach out to them and help to promote stewardship of the islands through community outreach, like workshops and events, conservation planning and technical assistance. People who are having trouble on the lands and need some help, we're here for them and can provide them resources. And of course watershed management and watershed restoration, which is the grant that I work under. And yeah, it's been a really great project and learning experience to be under. And so it seems you're talking about watershed management. I think a lot of times when people, you know, I don't think people are sitting around all day thinking about watersheds like we are. So I thought you could just take, just give us a brief overview of maybe what a watershed is and why is it so important specifically to farming? Definitely. So watersheds basically run Mt. Kutimakai, mountain to ocean. Anything that is up higher is going to trickle down into the ocean. So for my project in this episode, we're talking about Mo'ili'ili, which is what I work under. I work in the watershed of, I'm sorry, the Ahupua'a of Lualuale. And a smaller watershed piece of that is Mo'ili'ili. And so it's a small little piece of the pie of the Lualuale Ahupua'a or Latin division. All right. Yes. And you know, obviously people here know Ahupua'a, but watersheds may be a more mainland idea. So I thought maybe we could pull up a map of Mo'ili'ili. I think we have an image of this. Yeah, there it is. Can you tell us a little bit what we're looking at? So I understand we have a bunch of lines here. Oh yeah. But for everyone who doesn't understand maps, maybe you could give a quick overview of what this is. Absolutely. So besides a bunch of lines, I'll break it down a little bit more simplistic. So if you were driving out to the west side of Oahu, this is kind of what you're looking at. At the bottom, you'd see Nanakuli, like the corner of that yellow index. And you'd keep driving along and Mo'ili'ili is in the middle of that. And you start to hit this red dotted line. That red dotted line is the project boundaries. So this project was delineated through this land boundary, which is a smaller piece of the Lulule watershed, which is the yellow boundary. So Ahupua'a Yellow, red dotted project boundary. And then within that is an even smaller division, which is the project area, the focus area, excuse me. And that's about 2,000 acres. And that's really where the farm hub is of Lulule. The area Mo'ili'ili is known, it means small pebbles and because the land there is so pebbly, the farmers work in a very interesting environment working around those different obstacles, but the soil is extremely fertile. So it's a huge hub of farmers in that small focus area where I'm working. Yeah. I think it's, you know, we keep talking about this project that you're working on Mo'ili'ili. And, you know, who is this through? Is it a state entity? Like, what is this project and how did it come about? Definitely. So these funds originally are Environmental Protection Agency, EPA funds. Okay, federal funds then. Federal funds that get trickled down into the state level, which is through the Department of Health, Clean Water Branch. Clean Water Branch puts out grant funding and Oahu R-C-N-D applies for these grants. And one year, Mo'ili'ili happened to be one of the focus areas, and we said, hey, let's do it. And we took a stab at it and applied for grant funding, and we're awarded funds to help these farmers in Y&I, specifically for erosion control and preserving the watershed and keeping the waters clean. So the Department of Health, Clean Water Branch, ultimately clean, they want clean water, right? Yeah. And you can do that through reducing erosion, right? Yes. Preventing soil from getting in our waterways. So you're working with farmers and ranchers and landowners there to do what exactly? So, you know, the goal, reduce erosion, improve water quality, how are you helping farmers do that? Definitely. So it's really funny because a lot of people you talk to who aren't in agriculture and you say, oh, I do sustainable agriculture. They kind of look at you like, because it sounds oil and water, like agriculture, soil, tilling, things like that does not usually mix with the idea of sustainability and generations to come, and sometimes it has a stigma. What this project does is marry the two of sustainability and agriculture by helping to implement best management practices or BMPs, which is basically green infrastructure on the property. So adding that greenery to help reduce soil from just washing off their property because everything that's on land can go down into the ocean, anything. And there's so many streams there. And Y&I has such a unique environment that it's so dry and then as soon as floods and waters come in, which it does, it's not like it's used to the water coming through. So it washes everything out. It has a bigger impact. Yeah. Sometimes I get calls and they're like, this stream just washed out half, like it's double. And that's just how it is. So the farmers, they're extremely aware of it, which makes my job really easy because I have farmers who want to add in that green infrastructure and put in green belts and put in grassed waterways, things that are going to trap the soil. So I come in and help these farmers with projects that they ultimately want to do, but don't always have funds to do it because as we know agriculture in Hawaii is extremely financially stressful. And it's a lot of times they're doing double jobs or they're trying to make this work as a full-time job. It's really difficult. And so having these funds helps the farmer to make that possible. So total, we gave out $65,000 to farmers within that focus area to work on projects that they felt could improve their properties and make it last for generations to come. So yeah, it's been really great to see these projects come to life. Yeah, so something, people probably not in natural resource management, erosion is a natural process, right? We could do the best practices in the world and you're still going to have some erosion, especially here in Hawaii with the geology of Hawaii. And why specifically are you working with farmers? Farmers are just the most resilient people I know. Resiliency is a hot word right now, yeah? Oh, we want. Right, it totally is. And whenever somebody asks me about my work and they're like, oh, how is it, like, how are these farmers? Like the first word, there are two words that come to my mind. One is resilient. The farmers are so resilient. They want to make this work. They are struggling, but they are thriving in what they do. Every time they think it's two steps backwards, they make five steps forward. It's unreal. The work that they do is just so rewarding to them and you catch it, like you want them to do well. And so we pick this watershed knowing that there are going to be farmers in here that are going to want to do some good for the environment. The original land stewards, if you will. Yeah, they are. And I'm just there to help them along the way. And I'm not forcing them to do anything. These are projects they wanted to do. So I mean, they've just been inspiring. The second word that comes to my mind whenever I think of these farmers and especially agriculture in Waianae and Mo'ili'ili is momona, which is fertile and rich and usually it's used to describe food, right, which is so perfect, but they are momona. Like they just have so much that they can give to the land and that they put in. And what they get out of it is just even more beautiful, like their crops, their work, everything culminates into these great farms and great productions. And you can see it in the owners. You can see it in their farm workers. Everyone comes back. They come and volunteer. Yeah. I think Oahu, RCD, we work with farmers specifically, but these watershed projects focus on farmers because we know that they want to do good in Hawai'i. Yeah. Yeah. And they also manage larger pieces of land, too, right? So like by reaching one individual, you might be able to reach 10 times the amount than if you just reach one homeowner or a small landowner that way, too. Yeah, definitely. I was just out the other day and I met with this farmer and he had one acre. We spoke for maybe two or three hours just talking about what's going on, what's happening. He just wanted to hear everything. I was talking to the story and learning from him what he thinks of the area and why he's here and why he loves this as his home. And at the end of the day, it wasn't going to work out. And he was like, well, you know, I got auntie next door who's got five acres. She could use some help. Oh, wow. You know, so it's a community out there. They want to help each other and everyone is connected in that watershed. So you really see, to me, the local culture of Hawai'i come out in some of these more rural areas, especially Waianae. Yeah. So, I mean, it's just great being out there. It's very refreshing. Yeah. Well, it seems like you definitely have enthusiasm and passion for this project. And I was wondering, have you always had a passion for agriculture or is it something, you know, born out, you know, just loving nature? Where did this come from? Agriculture was not my background, as Steph knows. But... I don't know you. No, you don't know me at all. No, not at all. Agriculture was not my background, my mom's gardens, but that's probably the extent of it. I grew up suburbs Mililani. When agriculture, to me in my time growing up here, was not a big thing. You don't see the gardens and aquaponics that you see now. I walk through the middle school now and there's this huge aquaponics thing going on. I'm just like, what is this? Like, this was not here before, you know? So it wasn't in my background, but I was always out in nature. My mom always took me hiking. And then me and my sister got involved in paddling. So I mean, to me, nature is extremely important and I always had this desire to want to learn more about it, which is why people get island fever here, but I've never gotten island fever because every time I go outside, I learn something new, even if it's on the same hike, you know? And so I always wanted to help. I've always been somebody who wants to help out wherever necessary. When I finished my undergrad here in zoology, I knew I liked helping people and I knew I liked helping the environment, but I went for my master's in natural resource management and that's what led me into managing resources and ultimately led me to Oahu, our CND. So it's been great learning about agriculture and I feel very in tune with the communities of agriculture as of now. Yeah. We're going to take a quick break, but when we come back, we're going to talk to Frankie Moore about her specific project in Me'ili-ili and how she's supporting sustainable agriculture in the Waianae area. She took her passion for natural resources and nature and her ability to work with local community and just provide technical assistance and we're going to see kind of before and after shots of this project and how you, the audience, can help support her as she continues to work in Me'ili-ili. We'll be right back. Hello. I'm Yukari Kunisue. I'm the host of New Japanese Language Show on Think Tech, Hawaii, called Konnichiwa, Hawaii, broadcasting live every other Monday at 2 p.m. Please join us where we discuss important and useful information for the Japanese language community in Hawaii. The show will be all in Japanese. Hope you can join us every other Monday at 2 p.m. Aloha. Hello, everyone. I'm DeSoto Brown, the co-host of Human Humane Architecture, which is seen on Think Tech, Hawaii, every other Tuesday at 4 p.m. And with the show's host, Martin Desbang, we discuss architecture here in the Waian Islands and how it not only affects the way we live, but other aspects of our life, not only here in Hawaii, but internationally as well. So join us for Human Humane Architecture every other Tuesday at 4 p.m. On Think Tech, Hawaii. Welcome back. We've been talking to Frankie Kothi, project coordinator for Oahu R. Sandy. The name of our show is Ma'ili'ili Musings, right? So we're talking about Ma'ili'ili, what it is and what she does specifically in this watershed to help farmers, ranchers and landowners provide sustainable agriculture here in Hawaii. So we talked a little bit about her love of nature, her background in natural resource management and all the technical assistance that she's providing in the field, specifically in the watershed of Ma'ili'ili. Frankie has been with the Oahu R.C.N.D. for about two years now and she's hit the ground running, coordinating with local community and farmers to really impact the land here in Hawaii. So right now we're going to be talking about the specific projects she's been doing in Ma'ili'ili and the farms that she's been working with. So her project is basically helping farmers implement practices that reduce erosion and improve water quality through a grant through Department of Health Clean Water Branch here in Hawaii. So they are focused, their goal is to improve water quality specifically in the Ma'ili'ili watershed. And Frankie's been working with farms out there because they have a larger impact on proving our water quality and also providing local food. So we are now going to jump back to Frankie and we're going to talk a little bit about, so you kept talking about you're helping these farmers, you're helping these farmers. Are you, you know, you're providing technical assistance. Are you also providing money or, you know, what does that look like? Yeah, so the money that we provide the farmers, so yes, we provide them with funds. Funding for farms. Funding for farmers in Waianae specifically, you know, it's so important that they see some of that too. It's a huge hub out there. The money gets divvied out to some farmers who have qualified based on an application that they put through to us. We saw that they were a good candidate and we awarded them funds, total of $65,000 among a number of farms and we provide 76% funds and they have to come up with the rest. And that can be through monetary or matching, like labor and donated materials, volunteer days, any kind of those things, so they can make it up pretty well. And it brings in this really good collaboration of, okay, we have these funds and I'm going to bring in some money here and let's have this huge volunteer day of everyone moving rocks. And it's just, it's huge, it's wonderful to see, it's a very powerful project. And the goal is to identify those resource concerns that they have themselves and provide the funding for them to achieve those practices. So example, one of these farms is on a stream bank, a stream bank runs through their property. When it floods, the stream pulls out and pulls out some of the land. So they cleared keave, they use the funds to clear it and to stabilize the bank by adding in native plants like poshina hina and a'ali'i where it does well in dry environments and it's going to flourish really well. And they're doing a small piece of it and once that's set, then they're going to continue on after the project ends because they can propagate and use the same materials. And at the same time, they're using other erosion tools like vetiver, which is a really strong grass that's not, it doesn't spread, it's not like California grass. It stays in one place and it acts like this amazing barrier that when soil comes through, it blocks it and it just stays right there and then they can take that soil and put it back on their land and they're using it for that too and every measure they can take to keep that soil on their property, they're trying to do it. So that's just one project going on and again, 76% of the funds come from us and then they make up the rest. It's an investment on everybody's part. Yeah, you know, creating this team effort to manage the land not only helps with like the responsibility of like someone being like, you got to do this, we have a timeline. But also, you know, like you said, decreasing the cost so it makes it easier for the farmer to implement and also, you know, it's not stealing money away from their business, but ultimately provides for the community, right? Because you're now not getting all this fertile topsoil that you were talking about washing into the stream, going down into the ocean and ultimately the coral reefs. So, you know, I thought maybe we could talk, you know, we keep talking about these farmers, these farmers, maybe we can talk about the specific farms that you've worked with. So I think we have a logo here of the farms you've been working with. Yeah. So tell us who these farms are and what they do. So these are just a few of the farmers that we work with and, you know, I call them farmers, but they're more like my partners in this. They're just so great to work with. And as they learn things from me, I learn from them even more. So one is Kahumana, an organic farm out there. And they do a bunch of these diversified crops. The second right next to that is Ma'au. And they do a lot of diverse organics as well. Two great organizations and farms and also really good friends. Like the farms are friends. It's unreal, you know? They're like, oh yeah, you went over there and saw them. Yeah, yeah, yeah, you know? There's no, there's no, it's, there's not a competition because there's such a need for local food. So it's really, it helps each other when they work together. That's what's unreal. Down below that wonderful little bee is. Adorable. Adorable, as is their family. The Tallentino's, Tallentino farms. They're known for their honey. So if you went to like four seasons or some, I think even at salt, yeah, they'd have some great value added honey. And besides that, they were known as like the eggplant kings in the 70s. So they have a long history of farming it in Y and I. It's funny to go from eggplant kings to now honey kings. Second generation, that's why. So they've got, they've got the generations rolling in and a fun back story about their, their introduction to honey was they were out of pollinators. So what they did was they started planting flowers and fruiting trees so that they could bring the pollinators back. And that's how they got into honey and the kids kept going with it and. Yeah, it's natural transition. Yeah, yeah. So they do both at the same time now, the commercial agriculture and the honey. All right. Yeah, and then the last one on there was Naked Cow Dairy. And they are, they are the only dairy on a Wahoo is what I know of. And they do specialty cheeses, which are amazing and butters, which are also amazing. You can find them in Safeway, I know that. Safeway. And I believe they do events out at Salt Cockroach too. So, you know, they're out and about and they are busy and they work so hard. That's one thing they all have in common. They work so hard, all of these guys. So they, all four of these amazing farmers have projects and funding to do some of this conservation work. Okay. Yeah. So let's take, let's take maybe Kahumana photo. Yeah. We'll show up before and after. And you can kind of tell us what we're going to be looking at, at this Kahumana photo. So, left is? Left is October 2017. Okay. So they had broken ground on this hillside and it was fallow lands and they wanted to do an orchard and they weren't sure how they were going to do it. They wanted to plant a bunch of trees and they didn't have the funds to be able to do contour. They were like, we're just going to plant the trees and call it. Okay. The project allowed them to properly do contour planting, which means that they, the water, when it comes down the slope, it won't just wash off. It'll catch on those trees and it's way more sustainable than planting in rows down the slope. So on the right side, January 2018, they have graveled that top road, which will help for road access instead of bringing on vehicles on this dirt road and driving everywhere. Yeah. They've got this amazing gravel road, which is still intact and we're in June. It's really stable. They did an amazing job and then you can see some of the trees that they're planting just coming up and stabilizing. Little babies and they've mulched everything, which I was just amazed by. I was ready to see like, okay, it's going to be dirt and contour. Here we go. They're like, oh no, we mulched it all. I was like, great. I was like, awesome. So they are really making some huge strides. Yeah. Yeah, and that mulch is going to conserve moisture, right? So they're going to reduce on irrigation costs, especially out on the west side, right? Where it is definitely drier for sure and not as much rainfall. So maybe would you like to look at another farm? Let's do another one, yeah. We'll let our producer pick, which, all right. Okay, this is Naked Cow Dairy and this is a really fun project. So Naked Cow Dairy is on a property that had a lot of concrete underneath it. Okay. So they worked with it and they had paddocks and their cows could roam around, but they couldn't grow grass for doing rotations. Wow, for feed. Yeah, they couldn't do feed because they've got concrete all over the ground. Right. And who has money to pull up concrete? Oh gosh. And I mean thick industrial concrete. Acres and acres of concrete. Yes, and it was unbelievable. And so they pushed and pushed and they pulled out all this concrete. And you can see the piles in September 2017 on the left. That's mid-process. Okay. And then on January 2018, it looks greener. It's because of the rain season. What's missing are those concrete piles. They're all gone. And if you see it in the very far back, it looks like pebbles in the back. That's from a volunteer day of 40 people stacking up those. 40 people. Yeah, like really, really like pebbles that I'm talking about. I mean, they're big pebbles, man. Yeah. It's rough. They're rocks. They are rocks, yeah. So they've collected them all and they were getting them out of there on that site visit. So now they can put in pasture. So that's going to be a huge game changer for them in terms of conservation improvement. Yeah, so it sounds like you, I don't want to call you a tool, but you're basically a tool for farmers. They already have these great ideas and they want to do it. But like you said, they're farming or they're ranching. And then they're also trying to build their business, marketing. They're out at salt. They're out here. They're out in four seasons. They're doing value added production, but they don't necessarily always have the time or money to do it. And so you help them with that by providing funding, but also that technical assistance in the field. So we have some pictures of you just out in the field talking to farmers. Tolentino's here. You've got the little ones out, that farming family you're talking about. Yeah, and obviously holding workshops out in Y&I, cover crop cocktails, just field days, just so not only so we can help farmers, but farmers can help other farmers as well. Definitely, yeah. Well, I want to thank you for coming on our show today. It's been a pleasure to talk to you in this way. Thanks for having me. I see you. I saw you this morning, but yeah. So thank you again. You're a huge friend to the show host here, Pomai, Matt, and myself. So thank you for coming on and updating us about the Ma'ili'ili project and what you've been doing. Of course, many times. Definitely. We were joined by Frankie Kothi, project coordinator of Oahu R-CND. You can learn more about her and her job at www.oahurcd.org or just come out to a neighborhood board meeting out in Y&I or one of our workshops to talk to her directly. She loves connecting with farmers, landowners, ranchers, or basically anyone in the community. Very personable. So I want to thank her and thank ThinkTech for having Hawaii Food and Farmers series on. We'll see you next time.