Ep 25. Christy Wong - Kauai Animal Education Farm

In this episode we talk with Christy Wong, founder of the Kauai Animal Education Farm. Christy talks about the purpose and mission of the education farm and how it serves as a place for youth, kupuna, and community to come together and heal through the process of taking care of neglected pets and rescued farm animals.       

Brought to you by University of Hawaii College of Tropical Ag. and Human Resources, and the Seeds of Well-being (SOW) Project. This podcast is supported by the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network (FRSAN) grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture and Hawaii Department of Agriculture.

#wellness #mentalhealth #farming #agriculture #stress #hawaii #stressmanagement #agproducers #seedsofwellbeing #horticulture #horticulturetherapy #kauai #kauaianimaleducationfarm 

Resources:

• Kauai Animal Education Farm Website
• Kauai Small Business Development Center
• Hale Kipa 
• Hale Hoomalu - Child & Family Service
• Hale Opio Kauai
• Aina Hookupu O Kilauea
• Save Our Shearwaters
• Spirit of Can

Find out more about us:

• Seeds Of Wellbeing website
• Seeds of Wellbeing Resource Hub
• All the SOW links

Transcript

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The views, information, or opinions expressed during the Seeds Of Wellbeing series are solely those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily represent those of the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources our funders, and any affiliated organizations involved in this project. Welcome to a Seeds Of Wellbeing Voices from the Field Podcast, featuring voices of Hawaii agriculture producers for Hawaii agriculture producers. These podcasts are made possible by a grant from the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, also known as CTAHR and the Seeds Of Wellbeing or SOW Project and is supported by grant from the US Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, and the Hawaii Department of Agriculture. The intention of these podcast series is to create a safe space for respectful and inclusive dialogue. With people from across a broad and diverse spectrum involved in growing and making accessible the food we share together. A diversity of voices perspectives and experiences can serve to deepen mutual understanding, to spark creative problem solving and provide insight into the complexities of our agricultural system. If you our listeners have experience with Hawaii agriculture ecosystem from indigitous methods, permaculture, smallholder farmers to large including multinational agricultural, industrial companies, and everywhere in between, and you would like to share your story, please contact us. We welcome your voices and perspectives.

Alex: 1:52

Aloha mai kakou welcome back to another episode of Voices from the Field a production by University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources. This is the Seeds Of Wellbeing Project and my name is Alex Wong, and I'm here with our special guest Christy Wong, who represents the Kauai Animal Education Center. Aloha Christy, I was wondering if you could start off by sharing a little bit about yourself, where you come from and what your organization and your farm is all about.

Christy: 2:29

Oh, mahalo. Alex, it's good to be here. Thank you for inviting me. I am from Kauai originally up from Kapahi and we started Kauai Animal Education Farm based on the needs to address a lot of issues that our community on Kauai was dealing with. One of it is an influx in species that were not native to Kauai without having the resources of dealing with animals that needed to be rehomed. The Humane Society is inundated with cats and dogs, we really don't have enough medical services to address these, like turtles, chinchillas, rabbits, guinea pigs, just like all these other animals that are being brought in through either PETCO or the people moving here. So we're providing this space for these amazing animals. We currently have 19 species. And we operate in Kapaa. The land not utilized by all these animals grows native medicinal and edible plants. This is a way for us to provide food security for these animals that we are housing being responsible for. It's also an education piece for our community to learn different styles of farming and growing food. And it's also you know, the natives not only do they heal us, but it also provides habitats for our indigenous native species. We are also stewards of our stream, Kainahola Stream which ends in the ocean and it starts at the base of Makaleha. So we are aware of our surroundings and being good stewards, understanding that that is basically very, very important for us to open, maintain, and keep healthy because that is the way for the oopu to go back home that is nesting safer, our alaeula, hunting ground for the oopu just so much so we have a lot of responsibility. And these animals help us our main goal is to provide a source for our community to be better people. So these animals is kind of the catalyst to help us bridge those gaps in communication in health in therapy in trade skills in stewardship. and leadership, just so many avenues of helping us to be better. And so we are looking at partnering with different organizations, I'm not a teacher, I'm not a therapist. If we can partner, then that's so much more effective in bridging those gaps that are needed to help facilitate that. Whatever the connection, the healing the support in our community. So that's what we're doing.

Alex: 5:34

It sounds like your animal education center is a great opportunity to connect people to animals to the land. Yes. And I was, I was looking on your website. I was wondering if you could share a little bit more about the specific types of people that participate in your program and the Education Center.

Christy: 5:55

We work with everyone, for kids of all ages. We work with a drug court we we work with child welfare services, we work with our judicial system, we work with our schools with field trips, special needs, instead of sitting at in the school, doing tests or whatever, they can come to the farm, they can contribute they can learn so much hands-on activity. We also work with our youth at risk we partner with Hale Opio. Hale Hoomalu, Hale Kipa, I can't even think of everybody but a lot of partnerships so that they are they have an outdoor resource so it's safe through COVID and also that it's not a mundane activity there's always something new there's always something happening and you know, we are a rescue so we're taking in animals that otherwise wouldn't have homes. So how fun is it to come in you know feed a baby goat you got a bottle feed the baby goat Oh, next week there's a cow Oh my gosh. So let's go learn and have fun with the cow there's just 19 species of animals there's a lot something for just about anyone. And if they're a little bit shy with the animals because something happened you know when the young he grabbed the baby chick them on come attack us so chickens aren't your thing. We have the space to be able to make you feel comfortable because there's enough there's so much to do and it's so peaceful and it's so beautiful and really, really gives you that chance to just be.

Alex: 7:39

Sounds like your farm is a great place to relax and unwind and address the stressors in your life for anybody really and especially those who are facing specific stressors and their own personal lives as well. That risk I saw that on your your website at-risk youth and even inmates I think I noticed it said. So you know animals help us heal and the aina, the land, helps us heal Yeah, so what an amazing opportunity.

Christy: 8:13

We believe in in being stewards of in how and how we use the land as a symbiotic relationship you know we've we've come from generations of a farming style that agricultural you just utilize the land consistent you you take as much nutrients as you can you throw a bunch of you know fertilizer in just a different way of farming so what we how we do it is you know symbiotic relationship we have the animals help us the animals eat, clear, poop, fertilize, and then we can use it for a crop or you know something the land tells us what what to do. We're not trying to force the land to say I want you to grow pineapple, I want you to grow this, I want you to grow that, we really want to try to listen to the land and say oh good Honohono grass is growing here we love honohono grass or whatever and then able to to use that knowledge and apply it and make it duplicatable throughout the land that the island and have work with nature and not against it.

Alex: 9:30

Sounds like you're creating a template or a model for other other landowners to follow in terms of creating a more natural Yes, yes. One that's one that's like you said symbiotic with the environment. Yes. Now is are you are you learning from another existing model?

Unknown: 9:51

So always, always. So um, I think it's Olomana Farms, Gardens Olomana Gardens in Oahu. I haven't even met him but like I have a he's just amazing.

Alex: 10:08

Okay. Olomana Farms?

Christy: 10:10

Yeah. I believe that is look, I should have studied and thought about this before I said, Oh,

Alex: 10:17

All good. All good. All good. I just, you know, it's where the conversation headed. I'm curious because, you know, it's yeah, that's what we need. We did we need more examples of regenerative farms.

Christy: 10:30

So it is it's Olomana Gardens in Waimanalo. In Oahu, he is our closest because there's so many business models that I'm following from the mainland. So I'm looking at, you know, guys have been living on their property since, like, the 1800s. So they have their farms, they have their stables, like, they have a pumpkin patch, and then they do farm tours, and then they do rides. And, you know, they have it all. It's a well oiled machine. Over here, I haven't known one family that is, I mean, besides the Haraguchi's, but really, that have been able to utilize the land for generations, this is kind of all new to us. Right? A lot. Um, so for, for me, looking at the business model and the services that I provide, I look to the mainland, but for our growing, because this is such a, we don't have seasons, we don't have the, for us, we have so much animals, we don't have a lot of the predators that we got to worry about. So and our focus is so much on the native, I'm not worried about bringing stuff from India and growing it. I'm not worried about bringing in more of things that haven't really been here. Because I would I don't want to be responsible for the effects later when the hurricane comes when things happen, right? We don't understand that. Repercussions of bringing in these new species. Our Hawaii has maintained millions of people for a lot of years, using a system that has worked for so long. Looking at the past to help us move forward is what I believe. And understanding how the symbiotic relationship works is I think, I think the most beneficial.

Alex: 12:26

It's the most sustainable, it's the sustainable thing to do.

Christy: 12:31

That's what it seems like. Yeah. And

Alex: 12:34

Otherwise, it's not going to continue. It cannot perpetuate itself. Right. Yeah. So so my question then for you is, do you have a nursery? Where you propagate natives and cultivars that you're growing currently or?

Christy: 12:48

No all a lot of what I see is basically looking at what we want to create. What we are doing right now is utilizing eight acres of property. And we've only been there four years. We're not government funded, we are not. We don't apply for grants. You hear how I talk, I'm not very intellectual. We are basically this is grass roots. This is uncles taking down his fence, he's not going to use it anymore. We're gonna use it. Our land is very, very, I mean, we cut down the guinea grass that's eight feet tall. Now we have a road. Now we have fencing for the animals to utilize. The plants that we planted, there are only two and a half years old. So everything is really, really brand new. This year. We're super excited because we were able to have a successful Easter event. So with that funds, we are able to put in more infrastructure. We are redoing fencing because of the landholders again, not that sounds super weird. But when Wedelia is taking over a certain area, that's not where to raise your animals right. Yeah, so adjusting and, and really learning what the land will provide so that we're working with it, not against it. So learning where the floods are learning where the how the seasons, the sun, the wind, the storms, when those north winds crank, all of that understanding the layout of the land, really, and then the intent because we're growing animals too. So we have to be doing right by the animals and not endangering their lives, right. So this year, we're really excited about making more habitats and infrastructure to accommodate all the animals that we have. And then the intent of okay, this is where our natives are going to grow. This is the best place, right? So we're kind of I kind of talk big on what we're creating yet. I'm not there yet. We don't have produce that we're able to sell. We don't have crops that we're able to sell. It's in our business plan. It's, it's coming. And we're not there yet. And another thing that we're dealing with is there's no infrastructure. So we don't have running water, we don't have heat. And we don't live on the property.

Alex: 15:16

That's a tough one. So in terms of water access, do you have access to is there a stream or a river?

Christy: 15:24

There's a stream. And then we also have water catchment, we want to do the three that's almost always we want to have three. So we have the water catchment, we have we can bring in water and then we use this stream.

Alex: 15:38

Any potential for well?

Christy: 15:41

So this is in Kulana, at some point, we'll have water. We've been waiting. Yeah. So at some point.

Alex: 15:52

Yeah. I mean, what you're listing has been also brought forth as some of the top challenges of other beginning farmers, people who, around the islands are trying to get their farm off the ground so that it can produce steady revenue stream. The hard part is, is if you're not backed by a wealthy uncle, or if you no more corporate interests that are you know, supporting you or like you said, if you don't have any grants, the ROI is very slow. Yeah, the return on an investment is super slow. And for every every time you sell like one harvest of tomatoes, or you make lei for one event, you get a little bit of cash. And then you gotta like, go down your wish list and pick out the most, the highest priority, most beneficial highest value thing that will get you to that next level. And it's so slow is so slow. I know the feeling I can empathize with that one.

Christy: 17:06

So for me, my biggest thing is because I know I don't know, I know shame ask. Now, I know that there are so many resources Kauai Small Business Development Center has been pivotal in helping us not only develop well really this is an organization that has never really existed here on Kauai let alone in the state, let alone you know, there's bits and pieces that we can kind Oh yeah, that's a kind of similar, but really nothing. So how how do I talk to people and be like, Oh, um, we're going to do this thing that hasn't been done before? What do you think? Yeah, you're crazy lady. So okay, I know that the I know that this needs to happen these animals cannot cannot be released in our ecosystem. That's it's not an option. Right? Okay. Um, our children are suffering from depression when our children join the club everyone, right? We're we are not a healthy society anymore. The depression anxiety, drugs, suicide, hopelessness. Everything. Everything is as it is at an all time high seemingly right now. How do we address these issues? Because for me, I cannot handle seing our people struggle so much. Me, I was homeless. I'm not a crackhead. I work hard. Yet I couldn't afford my husband got sick. He was the breadwinner of the family. Right? I had three kids, my two kids. Three. Okay. I have three kids, two of them are sick, medically sick from when they were born. With no answers here on Kauai we struggled. My, of my three daughters. You don't you don't we don't really talk about this. But suicide is is so prevalent in our community. I'm very tight with my my children, my family where we all work together, I homeschool my kids. Our families are very, very close. Of all the suicides that have been happening, we've had that connection, my daughters had known two that have lost their lives. These are families that they have that loss where the resources and if you don't know how to do better, you're going to stay in that same path. And I refuse that I refuse that for my kids. I refuse that for our community. And for these kids that are just what do we do? Why? What are our options? I suck at taking tests and stupid. You know how much times my teacher told me I'm stupid. No, you're not! You're, sorry, I'm getting off subject, anyway...

Alex: 20:00

No, no, no. This is this is on topic. This is why, why the Seeds Of Wellbeing was was grant funded was to have this conversation right here.

Christy: 20:11

Thank you. It's tough. It's a little too close to home. And when I talk, I'm not talking, because somebody's paying my bills. I'm not talking because I just moved here. I'm not talking because I don't know what I'm I talking about. I, I've been in the dirt I've been treading water I've swallowed water, tumbled, you know, the best advice I could give everyone who is struggling is, you're not alone. You have to reach out you cannot we as a people, as a human being as a species, and I work with animals. So I see a lot of the similarities. We are not meant to be by ourselves. We have to reach out, you struggling, there's somebody else that's probably struggling the same as you that maybe, is if they don't have that solution. They have the ear, I'm hoping right? And then I'm just by being able to be humble and let go of that ego that ego is one, that's a poison. I'm sorry, I feel like it's a poison, because it keeps you isolated. It keeps you thinking that there's a difference between you and that next person. I don't believe that. The more that we're able to connect, the more that we're able to talk, the more that we're able to share, the more that we're able to let go of our pride and be like, Why? How you guys had do em? How did you do this? How, you know, I'm struggling with this. I don't care what it is. Mites, a banana bunch this that, like, if we aren't able to build each other up, we're able to build our community up. And if you're succeeding, I'm succeeding, right? That's just how I feel. So as farmers as people that are choosing one of the hardest jobs possible, because there's no real there's, you're not going to make millions today, you're going to struggle, you're going to lose your crop, you're going to go with drought, you flood. Think it, and it's going to happen. And yet you persevere. That is a greatest reward. Right? Not not the nice new Yota or I don't know something materialistic, the reward is being able to, okay now I know how to do this, because this is what worked for me, let me help you do better. And I feel like that's where the disconnect is, is that I don't need to talk to my grandparents. I know. They know. Like, I got it. I know how I'll do it. They already went through it all, pretty much. Let's talk to our our community, the ancestors, the ones that came before, whatever, and let's learn from them to help us not go through, why are we going to reinvent the wheel? Why would we work double hard? They've already done it. Maybe we should humble ourselves and just be like,"Hi, how do we have these conversations?"

Alex: 23:30

Yeah, because if we, if we don't study history, we doomed to repeat the same mistakes, right? If nothing changes, nothing changes. So that's why you're doing what you're doing. And I'm doing what I'm doing. And we're here today. farming, farming this, you know, you're right. Farming does not grow lifted Toyota as it grows stronger people. It really does, stronger minds.

Christy: 23:58

Thank you. Yeah,

Alex: 24:00

I heard one. One quote from another uncle here on Kauai. He said that farming, agriculture is the slowest of the Performing Arts. And you grow animals and you grow plants. It's like a symphony, a green symphony in slow motion.

Christy: 24:20

Wow. That's heavy.

Alex: 24:22

Yeah, that's Uncle Jerry Ornellas. Yeah. Okay, so that's the reality that's the reality with with your with your life with your situation with your community. That's the reality for many people around Hawaii in rural areas and in the in the city in the urban jungle in the concrete jungle, that's the reality. But we have animals and we have people like you, Christie. So can you share a little bit about how your how you've seen your animals help heal people. How about for you? You specifically like? Why? Why are you so drawn to starting an animal rescue Education Center farm? Because I'm gonna be honest, I'm not a big animal guy. I like growing plants, but animals are cool. They definitely serve a very important function on a regenerative farm.

Christy: 25:25

You know, what I saw was, I saw... you know when you young, just about every single kid has some type of animal farm book. They have some type of animal snuggly toy thing, right? Like a little bunny bear, whatever. It's some type of animal. It's not a robot. It's not a, it's an animal. Right? From there, you kind of grew up eating kind of just become an older person. But there's always a weird connection. When they finally see a rabbit it's like Holy smokes! That's what a rabbit looks like. That's what a rabbit can do. Oh my gosh. That's what uh, uh, I don't know, goats, chinchilla, rat, guinea pig. I don't know. But the reality of actually seeing them is so mesmerizing when they're able to make that connection. Okay, so a teenage boys. every teenager is wonderfully weird. For teenage boys. They're going through something bizarre. We don't talk about it. They're supposed to figure it out. They're supposed to know. No skills for them. Okay, so they're just trying to be them. We have fancy pigeons. We have pigeons that are bred to have this big, beautiful chest. It's our air in their crop. And then another species that has feathers that could reach are like, four inches out from their feet. So they're Pomeranian pouters. They're ridiculously fancy. Anyway, I'm, I, I make animals live. But it's not like oh my gosh, like I have to have an animal. Okay, I like animals. They serve a purpose. Like that's how my relationship is. What I see is the powerful connection. So I have these teenage boys, they come into the aviary, and we're talking we just saw like 13 other species, we saw the cow, we saw the horse. We petted the sheep, whatever. Cute, okay Aunty, and the we go inside the aviary. And these boys are just completely quiet. They are in awe. They're looking at these birds. And not one word is said. And it's just, it's so powerful. What I witnessed because they're they're connecting, I don't know what's happening. They're not trying to flip them up. They're not trying to see what they can do. They're not trying to "Oh, wow, why, Aunty, what's going on? What's happening?" It's just this quiet moment. And they're, I don't know, something happens. Once that happens with any individual, all of the sudden, then the work can begin all of the sudden, then they can they're listening. All of a sudden they're seeing. It's I don't know what it is. Again, I'm not a teacher. I'm not medical. I'm not. I just know something powerful happens. And then I know that the work can happen. Like whatever that work is. The the barriers have been broken down. And I never do nothing. I open the cage and I said, "Here go."

Alex: 28:45

Well, you do do something you provide the opportunity. You like the magic? Yeah, like Mary Poppins. Yeah?

Christy: 28:55

That's the that's the thing is, is being able to provide a home for these animals that then in turn, help our people, right? Because, you know, when we're working with our youth, it doesn't matter if it's youth at risk. It doesn't matter if they're kupuna. It doesn't matter if they're in jail. It doesn't matter if they have disabilities. You work with the animal all of the sudden were on the same page. As with people and the animals, not with me, I'm saying with their relationship. What what sparkles in the Kupunas' eyes, when they come in, they see the animals. All the stories come back from when they was Kailua Kona and they was raising turkeys in their yard and oh my gosh, I remember when I had to bottle feed goats and oh my gosh, mucking out the stall. Like all of that comes back. Right? They haven't had that opportunity in years. So all of a sudden they're they're taking you back to their childhood and they're remembering and it's such a great connection. Okay, Then we go to like the disconnected from our, from our community, the ones that are incarcerated, or the ones that are on drugs or the ones that are in child welfare services. These these individuals have been hurt from the very beginning, from the ones that have promised are supposed to protect them, that are supposed to love them, that are supposed to provide for them that are supposed to nurture them provide the very basics for them to thrive, live, whatever, those have been broken. Right? How the heck they going supposed to? How the heck are they supposed to connect with one teacher? How are you supposed to connect with one therapist? How are you supposed to connect with all these one friend, they're gonna put up these walls, they got to protect themselves, right? And just pretty much robot. True Life. When when these individuals come, and I tell them the story of how maybe this animal was abused, maybe how this animal was neglected, because we all know animals isn't the best thing to I mean, like, how easy is it for forget, feed the fish, you know, a couple of days. Imagine having so many stories for each of these animals on the abuse neglect or just uneducated. Okay? So if I'm able to tell these stories about these animals, all of a sudden that hits and there's, there's understanding and now there's compassion. And now there's, there's so much that happens. It's what are anyway. Sorry. It's cool. It's super, super cool.

Alex: 31:52

I think it's um, perhaps feeling the life in another another living thing? Yeah. And sharing that moment where you realize both you are alive. And we both struggle. Everybody suffered and now I sound like a Buddhist but everybody suffers. They do though. We're alive. We're alive. We're alive. So that's amazing.

Christy: 32:22

And then you go outside and you pick the tangy tangerine unit over there mopping em then you give the skin to the rabbit because you know they need the vitamin C you know then go put your feet inside a stream and go look all the other fishes and the mendakas and you know it's cool! It's a cool thing!

Alex: 32:39

You're alive! You feel alive at the farm.

Christy: 32:41

Yeah. All your senses are you cannot you cannot just black out. You're not on your phone. Right? Yeah, ho teenage this thing is just not, disconnect! This is where we are, disconnect to reconnect. Because when you put your feet on the ground somehow that connection is made and for so much of our people the the Hawaiian people have been disconnected for so long and told you gotta go school. You got to work one job. You got to eat out of a box ride in a box live in a box. Watch a box. Think it's just it, It doesn't work with their naau. Their naau has that, that that drive that that you're created for so much more. Where's your passion? Where's your drive? And then Drink another beer. sometimes that's a little too loud or a little too uncomfortable. So we're going to numb it. Yeah, I cannot. How are you going? I gotta pay rent I get three kids this that. All the obstacles. So I'm going to just numb it. I'm going to check out I'm going to watch my TV. I'm going to sign my kids up for sports. Drama at school. Keep them busy. Keep them distracted. Yeah, yeah. And then the cycle continues.

Alex: 34:05

We'll do it again tomorrow.

Christy: 34:06

I don't believe that. I don't believe that. That's what we're designed for. I truly believe we're designed for so much more. And what we're hoping to create is that opportunity to have these conversations, the opportunity for us to share okay, this is how we did it. Not saying that you got to do it this way. But this is how we did it because this is what we believed in. What do you believe in? How can we help you? What do you need? If I know my friend Alex Wong here he can help you get started. Eh, I know this guy like, let's let's get outside of ourselves. Let's get outside of our boxes and let's just start doing what we're supposed to do. What are we called

Alex: 34:50

To live! here to do?

Christy: 34:54

Live free? Yeah,

Alex: 34:56

We're here to live. Not watch a screen Thank you. And yet ironically, here we are. We are through a screen it's double edged sword. There's a time and a place. Yeah, the responsibility. Yeah. These these kids these days they don't realize they have this device with so many answers to so many questions that they have.

Christy: 35:22

And yet, they stay playing brain bubble pop or something. Instagram. Tiktok. So how's this one we do a summer enrichment program right I told you we just finished our our Friday. I've been doing this for like eight years now. When we first started, I was so gung ho so excited. We we studied the animals all week during the day. Then that Friday night, Thursday night, sorry, Thursday night, we did a sleepover they had to learn how to make their own tent, their own fire, like basic, basic, basic skills. If these donkeys never know how to do, cook, okay, this is how bad it is. Okay, this is where my fire is so on right now, right? These boys couldn't figure out how to make make their tent they couldn't figure out how to do a fire. Then when they were sitting down. There's all frustrated, they look up. And they was like, wow, what is that? Alex, they was talking about the stars! They didn't know what the stars was! I'm not making this up! How old? They was eight years old! Kauai kids! This isn't from New York. This is our own kids. Wow. Brah, I lose my mind. I go what are you talking about? You don't know the stars? Because well, no. And then I go okay, but look at the fire. The fire is not well in Minecraft. What's it called Minecraft? All I need to do is...

Alex: 37:00

Wow.

Christy: 37:01

I like cry. How scary is that? This is our future?! Minecraft? No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. That was a huge awakening for me to know that. How disconnected our kids are. They're not living in, there's no more excuse! I mean, I'm going off. I'm sorry. But,

Alex: 37:27

No, this is very important. This is very important. You know. Another quote that I heard during this Seeds Of Wellbeing project was we got to forget, we cannot forget the "culture" in agriculture. Right. And the other thing too, is that agriculture is not one profession. It's not one job. It's not a career. It's a lifestyle. So these kids, right? If they're not living the lifestyle, then how they're going to know how to make a fire or, yeah, the stars and the moon cycle. It's more it's more than just you punch in and punch out, being a farmer. Absolutely. It's a mentality. It's a way of living, way of thinking. Going with the flow, the natural cycles of things, the sun and the moon. Yeah. And we got to reprogram ourselves, we got to deprogram the matrix and reprogram,

Christy: 38:32

Absolutely. And I think the hardest thing I think that when you know COVID hit, and we're all Oh, shoot, we need to be food secure. I'm going to start farming and start raising animals. I'm going to be the the excitement was real, that awareness was there. But then the disconnect was, "But I tired!" Yeah, "But I don't want to!" um, okay, "But I'm pau," and there's real there is no, you said clock in clock out, right? There is no nine to five. You doing this? The animal needs life consistently. The plants need to be tended to consistently.

Alex: 39:13

It's a practice. It's a dedication. It's a daily dedication, it's a devotional really, you got to show up for yourself just as much as you got to show up for the plants and animals. Right. So yeah, and there's a steep learning curve. There's a very steep learning curve with with keeping plants and animals alive. Absolutely. If you want to be good at anything you you got to put in the time.

Christy: 39:45

Yeah, our day and age just such instant gratification. Instant gratification. You're going to you know, buy Walmart, you know, Miracle Grow soil. We're going to put our tomato tree and it's going to just fruit and just constantly give us food. Okay, well, we got to understand soil, we got to understand the growing cycle, we got to understand trimming we understand so much more of than just okay, but I "You're a tomato tree, so give me tomatoes! You're a chicken. So I want eggs!" It doesn't exactly work like that. And that's why we named the farm the Education Farm is because we're really trying to empower others to understand. I'm all about food security, absolutely. But let's understand what it takes to be able to raise these animals sustainability, because if you're waiting for the feed to come, do you have money to pay for that feed? Are those barges going to be here with that feed? You know? If not, we have a problem. If you don't know how to source other products, you're gonna have a problem. If, if we're growing food, okay, how do we do it so that we're not working double? You know, how do we do it so that, okay, we're going to understand how, what this thing needs to thrive to grow. And guess what, the droughts will come the winds will come. They'll blow all the flowers off the tree, that it's it's every single farmer from, I don't know, what is it? When when when when do we start farming? 18, 1700s? They all go through seasons, right? It's not just one season. It's not just a few years, it's seasons continual, you're gonna have your good, you're gonna have your bad and the best thing to do is just don't give up. It's it's a lifestyle. It's a choice and it's hopefully going to get better.

Alex: 42:04

So speaking of inputs, and not relying on feed, bagged feed from the store from the wholesaler the retailer what what do you try and are you at the point yet where you're growing your own? Your own feed your own forage for your livestock, or do you have chickens? Yeah, you get plenty chickens. Yeah. What do you feed your chickens?

Christy: 42:32

Yes and no, we the goal is to be able to have the cover crop to be able to feed everybody and have that nutrients. So like the soldier flies in, something for sustaining the chickens. A lot of our animals are for the most part free ranging, they have enough of a habitat to be able to source what they need. We subsidize with Lava Lava Beachclub we pick up their slop every day and we feed it to the animals. So the pigs the ducks, the turkeys, the chickens. What else do we have? I think that's it. Eat that. The high maka maka ones like the love birds, the pigeons the quail. The chinchillas the guinea pigs, the rabbits, those we we have them in ground pens. And then some of the smaller ones like the guinea pigs, we moved the ground pens so they're eating our grass every day. Their food is subsidize because the grass is here isn't going to give them exactly what they need. So I honestly don't believe in having too much of the store bought because it is old by the time it gets here. And most of it's corn anyway. So we try our best to subsidize and we're not there yet. At some point. That's the goal. And you know, we did partner with Aina Hookupu O Kilauea. With Yosh guys. So we are the piggery for the system of of having far more people be more food secure. So say you wanted to you have a plot of land, you're going to start raising pigs. We are raising those pigs to go to your property as wean-offs. You the program under Yosh will or, forgive me, Kilauea Ag Center the program is they will build the facility. It's the Korean style the deep bedding system and they will provide all the food if you want to raise one pig for yourself then you're going to raise two. One pig is going to go back to the center, Aina Hookupu, and the other pig is for you. So that will be for your family. Or if you don't need it, then you sell it you can sell it back to them and they'll pay you top dollar for the product.

Alex: 44:57

For your time and your investment of, Yeah, you're taking care of the animals.

Christy: 45:01

Exactly, The goal is, is that we will have more. What happens if I can't get to Kilauea to go pick up our veggies from over there? Or, you know, they're starting to do meat and chicken and things like that? What if I can't go to there? So talking about it as a, like a store, right? If I could couldn't go there, where am I going to get my veggies from? If we have more sites throughout our community, then there's more access through our whole island of fresh, sustainable produce. So anyway, the piggery is one system that is a great ideal, except for we're feeding those pigs grain. And I asked Yosh, like, how is this sustainable? It sounds great. But if we run out of food, if the food's moldy if the pool gets wet, if something happens, like anything leaks off the building, and it's wet, I suppose, right? What are we going to do? He goes, Well, that's the goal. We start here. What we want to do is have that cover crop somebody else stepping up be like, brah, I'll do all the barley or I'll do all the, I don't know what pigs eat whatever, right? We'll do all of that and honestly, be sustainable. So the long term goal is to be able to care for our own. But right now we're just doing the best with what we can.

Alex: 46:31

Well, okay, so here's like, here's an idea. I've been farming over at KCC. And over there it is pig heaven. It is pig heaven because somebody had the foresight to plant soursop avocado all over the place. And it falls all day all night. And they have no predators. The humans nobody's hunting them. There's no traps over there. And so they come out in the middle of the day just wandering around. Yeah, so shoot if you just plant soursop trees around your property. Avocado around the property, lilikoi, they grind lilikoi all day, yeah, all day long. And one of them got into into our farm they got inside of our fence, and they just mapped all of our kalo. Oh, they love kalo, and you don't even gotta cook it for em. No. They'll just root it right out, the crystals don't affect them at all. They mash the corm and the huli so that they destroy it, so you cannot even replant them. Oh, that ouches. Oww. Yeah. So pigs they'll eat anything if Yeah. Any fruit that any human doesn't want to eat any fruit with some worms. Yeah, give it straight to the pigs. I guarantee they're gonna taste good eating eating that way. Yeah. Papayas.

Christy: 47:59

Mango, oh, my.

Alex: 48:01

So that sounds like a potential revenue stream for your farm as well. Is the pig program the piggery program.

Christy: 48:09

Well, it's the partnership with a Yosh. So it's we're not in charge of the piggies. We just raise them. It's for him to utilize what happens after. We're just making sure that the system works. We're kind of the experiment and that we have that product to be able to have these farm these these local communities, local people raise their own food source

Alex: 48:38

How about goats? Do you ever sell goats off?

Christy: 48:44

We have sheep sheep is a big commodity. The goats we don't have the infrastructure to keep a herd of goats. And the goats that we have. These are pets. They don't even know they're goats. You go by one. You scratch his back. He's in the back scratching yours. Like this is not food. Oh my gosh, all day long. It's a full time job.

Alex: 49:09

They don't make good kalding though? Like,

Christy: 49:11

For sure, but not these ones right? Like there's there's got to be everybody has to have a use. And so the goats that we have right now they're not for food to keep a goat. It's such a pain in the butt. They are the hardest animals I've dealt with besides cows and horses, because they don't respect wire. And just because they have food in here. They're like, make mahaoi and want to know why what's going on over there. Just in case I'm missing out on something. Um keeping them inside of the fence is really, really hard. So we just don't have the infrastructure to keep a herd of Bob's whatever's goats, you know, um, so to be able to have that as a food source, like, okay, not yet maybe one day. Yeah,

Alex: 49:59

I know a few farmers that are looking for goats for lawn mowers living lawn mowers.

Christy: 50:06

Sheep are way better. Sheep are better. Yeah, that's great because sheep are way better sheep will. They are grazers. So they will keep steady on just mowing down the grass. And they respect boundaries. They're not jumpers, they're not trying to get out and see what's what's out on the other side. Goats are foragers, their bodies are designed to travel and eat a little bit of this, a little bit of that what's happening over here, some bark some dry leaves, if you keep a goat in a pen, and you feed them all day just oh so really good protein because we're going to fatten you up or I have all this product that I need you to eat. It will probably die. They're just not made to eat that that good of a product. Single single diet. Yeah, yeah, it's not healthy for them. Okay, interesting species. So a lot of our a lot of our kalo farmers love sheep, because they will eat right up to the water, all the honohono the grass, all everything they'll eat, but they won't touch your kalo, they won't go inside and mess up all the loi beds. So we have a couple of good relationships with some West Side farmers, young young farmers that are just starting that we've just gave the sheep to. And they're happy. They're their babies are growing up. And they're like, oh my gosh, look da hipa, da cute! And they're happy because their lois are so much better maintained. Right? Yeah, it's a good system.

Alex: 51:42

It is a living living regenerative system. Yeah. So but Okay, so right now that your goats, their their value, their yoga, is that is that you guys still do that? The goat baby goat yoga?

Christy: 51:58

Yoga on the farm. So we don't have the interaction of the animals because there are pains. They want to nibble your ear and tell you secret. They jump on top you they leave little pellets. Yeah, not the best for the interaction. I don't get it. It's a whole New York thing, whatever. I don't get it. But yoga on the farm is a thing. And it was started because of when COVID happened. So many people are just not healthy. They're stuck in their home. There's so much fear. What do I do? Get your butt outside. Go do your stretching, breathing. Like re- Oh my gosh. Heal, right. And just feel 20 pounds less weight by the time you go home. So that's the thing. Yeah, we do the yoga.

Alex: 52:45

What's your yoga on the farm days and- little plug yoga on the farm plugs.

Christy: 52:50

It's four times a week, four times a week. Okay. Yeah. So Saturday, nine. We got Monday at 4:30. We got Tuesdays. I'm sorry, Wednesdays at 430. And Thursday at nine.

Alex: 53:06

And who should they contact to? Samsati Yoga. Yeah, this is this is the opportunity to kind of hype up all your partners, everybody you're collaborating with. I that's that's the other value of taking the time to do this podcast. And we're going to do that for all of our special guests. And so yeah, we got Samsati Yoga. Are there any other partners that you've been working with?

Christy: 53:29

Yeah. Big Brothers, Big Sisters, Girl Scouts. Can. That's kinda like the philosophy heck yeah. Is that the Kauai? Yeah. Yeah with Andy. Okay. And he's actually leading his own his own basically, positive mindset and mental health is is his jam. We partnered with him because we work with so many kids that if can can if no can no can, but they're not talking about going beach, doing their homework, cleaning up their chores, they're talking about life. And that's not an option can period like we are going to help you to just love you empower you embrace you because you can and we're here to help so can period. That was a super interesting partnership because we both went to Leadership Kauai I heard of who he was we were just I think breaking down. We just had the the what was it the April flood? Like I was not in a good place. It was just gnarly. 2018? That one? There you go. Yeah.

Alex: 54:45

That one affected you guys?

Christy: 54:47

Oh heck yeah. 10 feet of water through our farm at a different- Ten feet? Yeah, the water was still moving. It was swimming. Yeah, it was it was the most devastating part. Anyway, anyway. And that was the year that I was completing Leadership Kauai somehow, you know, through networking or whatever, I heard of Can period, and I reached out to him. And same thing. People. People hear of Kauai Animal Education Center, Kauai Animal Education Farm. Great. Do you do you, you got your animals. It's not for me. And I reached out to him once is he's super sweet. He was. Okay. Thank you for calling. Second time. He's like, Oh, wow, that's interesting. Have a good day. Third time he's like, Well, let me let me know more. What happened is I brought him to we were having drug court visit, drug court is going through the process of kind of leaving their their addiction behind and trying to fill new, fill that with more healthier, so that then there's not a void, right? So really giving them that those resources. So they visited our farm for a community service. I didn't call it that, but whatever. So what we did is we had 40 individuals, and we start with the people. And we basically lay the foundation, the expectations, who we are what we're doing here. I had Andy, he's the owner of Can, and I had him just kind of be there and participate. I also asked his good friend Makani Taniguchi to come and be a part of it. Then I asked them to speak of who they are and what they did each of them. Because basically, there's there is no there's no difference between them and me. There really isn't. That maybe they got caught, or maybe their their addiction is easier seen. You know, like we all kind of struggle with the same thing is what I'm trying to say. I'm not saying I'm an addict, I'm just saying that we have the same struggles of why we do these hurtful things, right. Okay. Anyway, sorry. So, Andy's doing his presentation. He's super uncomfortable. He hangs out with us throughout the day, he actually gives everybody a shirt or a hat, and just really stokes them out brah, they're pumped, man, they got new gear on. They're super pumped. They're, they're loving his testimony. They're stoked to be on the farm. The first time that they showed up, they got to do their puff puff, but their puff puff is way over there. So because they still have their cigarettes, well, we don't allow that our space is a safe space and we hold that for everyone who comes in. So you want to go do your stuff. Yeah perfect. I'll meet you back here when you guys are pau. So all of them were the one who cloud orange shirts clouds the second break that they took less than half when go puff puff the other guys, brah, full sweat biggest smiles ever. They're sitting by the stream brah, they stay pulling all the weeds, they stay making for the imu, they planting they planted over 40 native plants. These are plants that are not for my benefit. They're here for you know how many times they come back after to see how how big they brought their kids. Look, I did this. That's epic. Okay, anyway, getting back to Andy. So Andy is there and he spends a little bit of time with us by the time we close piko nobody's out there puff puffing we're all together we we close our circle we end our time together and we mahalo each other. Andy then got it he was all I see what you're doing. Now. Now I have a design whatever idea for KAEC-Can and so that was just um, what I struggle with in this organization is making that connection to break down the from I guess either the logo or the name to what it is that we're actually doing. There's a huge disconnect and I'm struggling with how to get that so it's not such a big like oh, oh, I get it because we need when you see the logo McDonald's you know exactly what you eating what you want. Whatever right? You see Nike you you know exactly what that is. Kauai Animal Education Farm. No... What? Huh? Who? Anyway, um, that's my biggest struggle. The reason is, is because where we are in Kulana, you know that that's a tricky situation. Our original name was Kauai Animal Education Center. The reason is because we weren't going to just focus on so much of being a rescue for the animals. We're looking at providing a large animal surgical Vet Center. We're looking at building a native rehabilitation, right now if alae ula, a pueo, even the bat if some species gets hurt, Save Our Shearwaters has the capabilities of fixing whatever problem that is, if it's a leg, wing, whatever, kind of healing them, but there's a whole, there's a whole difference between fixing and rehabilitating. We don't have those services on Kauai. So the animal is basically euthanized. Endangered animals and we're just killing them because we've cannot fix them. I mean, we cannot heal them and release them. And nobody wants to fund those, those costs to send them to Honolulu or Big Island where there are those services. So the thing dies. That's, that's anyway, I want to do better. So we want to provide that service.

Alex: 1:00:47

partner who who can provide the veterinary type services? Are you still looking?

Christy: 1:00:52

It would be the Save Our Shearwaters to provide those services, but what we need would be the rehabilitation, we would need that space to be able to make sure that they are so safe, and have limited human interaction so that they're not associating food or contact or whatever with humans. That they will be able to go and we're not there yet. We're nowhere near that. That's just our goals. And that's why the center was trying to cover all of these facets of what we're looking at. Okay, so we're wanting to do basically, the cultural side of what Waipa perpetuates with the culture, the services, the food, all of that. And they're, they're partnered with Kamehameha like they're legit, right, we know exactly what Waipa Foundation is doing. So that's what we would like to perpetuate or have. In addition, we would like to be just similar to the Humane Society in the rescue. And the sources of having that medical services for our animals. On top of we would like to be a little like Anaina Hou for having like leadership training. Just being that that open space to have all of these networking opportunities happen. When we have child welfare services visit we have the kids and the parents having their visits at the farm. With those visits, guess what, you guys could go get acai bowl because we're growing all these fruits and vegetables, right? How better to nourish, nourish your body nourish it, you know, like, it just seems like it would work. The other part would be the farm. The country store basically, right where we're selling these goods, because we got quail eggs, chicken eggs, honey, blah, blah, blah, whatever that the farm is producing. So that's a lot to, to put inside of a little one name or whatever. So it originated as center. But because of where we are structured or where our land is utilized, it's in Kulana it's really really hard to justify a center in an in a what is it condominium? Whatever, whatever. Yeah, yeah. So we renamed it to farm and then it kind of justifies yes, we're growing animals are growing food and we're doing the commercial activities too. So yeah,

Alex: 1:03:27

Above and beyond healing healing the nation. Well, thank you so much for your time. Mahalo for your manao and for sharing your positive energy and your your story. I'm looking forward to working with you more and and seeing all the great things that are going to come out of this project and this community that that you're you've helped create over on the east side. Is there anything else you'd like to share? I think we've been going for a while now so,

Christy: 1:04:02

I talk too much I'm sorry I don't know this,

Alex: 1:04:05

All good. This is good content. This is great content.

Christy: 1:04:09

For anyone who's struggling seriously you're not alone you know I don't know if you want to even reach out if if you felt there was a connection but you're not alone. And guess what? Just as much as as it is hard. There's the good that comes on the other side of this you know like a storm. Weather the storm, there is sunshine and rainbows oh now I sound like one hippie and I'm not okay, but there there is better on the other side. Hang in there. Reach out. You're not alone. My best advice is to find others to partner with if you're not so good at this find others who are you're not supposed to do it all by yourself. And you're you're choosing a noble noble noble thing to do. So, with that you will be tested above and beyond you ever thought. So, please just hang in there it is worth it.

Alex: 1:05:11

It is. We are in this together. We are in this together. Yeah. And, you know, one thing that that I've come to, to believe in strongly is if something is easily had, it cannot be worth very much. Yeah. And in this life, the things that we struggle hardest for are the most valuable things in the end. Yes, I agree. Thank you. Mahalo nui loa Christy,

Christy: 1:05:36

Mahalo, mahalo, mahalo.

Thao: 1:05:44

We want to thank our guests for their generosity and manao. We also want to thank all our ag producers throughout the islands, and especially those we have heard on the podcast for discussing ways they address the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual dimensions of Hawaii ag production. Each story each voice contributes to a broader understanding of what it takes to survive and thrive as we feed our communities, wherever you may find yourself within our island agricultural economies. If you would like to share your story in our podcast, please contact us. Thank you for listening to the Seeds Of Wellbeing voices from the field podcast featuring their perspectives of ag producers throughout the Hawaii islands. If you have found it helpful, please follow like and share this episode with others. And if you have any ideas about how we can make it better, please let us know in the comments or use the link on our website. Mahalo for tuning in.