What can one person do to change things for the better?  Some people will say not a whole lot and it’s just wasted time.  Some will defy those odds.

Meet my friend, Makani Christensen.  He had a dream to have the local people’s voices heard.  He has a vision for Hawaii that he wants for his family and it is just like what others want too.

I met Makani over a year ago through mutual friends.  I was invited to attend a talk story group organized by the fishermen and hunters.  Leaders in these groups had seen access to the resources slowly dwindling and a groundswell in politics promoting a loss of those island ways of living.  These folks wanted to do something to preserve their ways of living off the land and ocean.  As we all talked story, we all realized that we were in the same boat.

That group included long time local folks from many islands that decided something had to be done or we’d lose out.  There were folks from the Big Island, Kauai, and Oahu there.  Many wore their t-shirts and rubber slippers to the meeting.  As I listened to everyone’s story, it hit me that our voices weren’t being heard and if we could band together, we’d have a much louder voice as a group.  That’s where Makani led the charge to form the Hunting, Farming, and Fishing Association.

We were a small group of just 6 of us folks fighting to continue our rights to farm, fish, and hunt.  We had no money, but we did have passion and energy to do something about the loss of ways of living.  The very people who were against us, weren’t going to back down and collaborate on the plan to include these ways of living into policies.  From the animal rights folks down to the anti-GMO and anti-fishing folks, who were backed with full time paid activists and lots of money for media, they used any means possible to dictate the narratives that our groups were horrible people.  It simply was wrong but it didn’t matter to those who don’t live like us like this because they focused on only the end goal of taking people off the ocean and land.  Collaboration is not part of the mainland activists’ vocabulary.

Without any fancy public relations or huge social media presence, our group was disadvantaged to begin with.  That never deterred Makani.  Even some people within our group was anti-GMO and skeptical of it but Makani still pressed on to have people learn more before they formed an opinion.  It was hard to get people to educated when popular opinion was to be anti-GMO and most of their friends and family were leaning that way.  He helped to organize people to help show up at hearings to speak up for farmers and was threatened by none other than Dustin Barca himself.  He was not afraid to speak up for our farming family despite the huge opposition.  I was inspired that he’d put himself out there.

When it was time for the other user groups to be heard, I showed up at a hearing and learned their issues to speak up for them.  I had just had my son less than 8 weeks prior but still made the trek over to speak up for them.  With my baby sleeping over my shoulder, I gave testimony for the hunters that I had met and learned their stories.  Despite me not being a hunter, I was put on the news for speaking up.

This year, after much persistence, the hunters got their bill passed that helped create a gaming commission that amplified their voices in policies before the fact.  It was through hard work and lots of relationships developed in the community that worked to change policy in their favor for once.  It really was a collaborative effort on all sides to help each other out.

One person can’t do much alone and that’s clear. One person can make change that can be heard even in Washington, DC.  He didn’t need tons of money and the backing of powerful people to be heard, but he still accomplished to get the local voice heard.  Makani was that person who inspired so many to help speak up to preserve Hawaii’s ocean access to people.  He didn’t get paid or was backed by any non-governmental organization or non-profit funded by the wealthy to get the local folks heard but what he did have was the passion to speak up.

Several years ago, there was a proposal to expand the National Humpback Whale Sanctuary in Hawaii.  That expansion would have limited many ocean activities that are a part of life here in Hawaii.  Despite the glaring fact that the humpback whales were recovering without the expansion, there still was a push for this monument.  Makani and several others worked tirelessly to get organized and have people’s voices heard to stop this from happening.

So what could this one person do?  With his leadership and inspiring others to help increase awareness of this issue, he got the local folks’ voice heard.  With his t-shirt, board shorts, and a red wagon, he walked over 10,000 signatures to Governor Ige’s office.  That monument did not expand to take people out of the oceans and policy that was not soundly based in evidence did not prevail.

Many people think that Makani’s lack of “official” political experience is a concern.  Lots of people questioned this choice to begin with.  The old school wants a long timer in office to bring in lot of money to Hawaii but is that really helping out the local folks who continue to struggle to make ends meet?  Are their needs being heard in Washington, DC?  When our young students leave Hawaii, are they coming back with their hopes of working here or are they leaving because of the lack of opportunities?  There are many families who long to return home but simply can’t because of what’s happening here.  Is that how we are going to keep our island home special when all the local folks can’t even come back?

Well, one guy in his t-shirt and shorts did an amazing feat to get the local people heard loud and clear.  In fact, he’s a Hawaiian who got all the people’s voice heard in Washington, DC.  You won’t see him talking bad about others and in fact he’s been on wanted posters for the unpopular stances he’s taken, which is what has happened to me.  He did all of this with no money and for the local folks.

Actions speak louder than incessant radio commercials and I chose to go with those who have been in our communities and listened to the local folks’ stories.  I put my trust in Makani making Hawaii a better place for my children and for all the families of Hawaii.  He defied the odds and got our voices heard and continues to lead others to do the same and speak up for what is right.  My vote goes to Makani Christensen for US Senate because he not only wears the rubbah slippahs, he will speak for the rubbah slippah folks of Hawaii.

The rubbah slippah folks want to be heard!

Yesterday, I happened to check down on my phone and received a text from my mom that one of our farm employees had collapsed and needed to be transported to the hospital.  He had been picking papayas and suddenly collapsed.  Luckily, he regained consciousness while in the ambulance.

I was really shaken up by this because Dean is family to us.  He has been with our farm for several years now and a dedicated, hardworking, and humble person who has helped to get papayas out to thousands of people all over our island.  The general public tends to forget that behind that papaya they eat every morning is a person’s sweat equity.  Dean’s collapse was just a huge reminder to all of us that farming is a tough and dangerous job.

My brother, Mike, has been supported by Dean’s dedication to the family farm.  Without Dean, Mike would be putting in a lot more hours and probably much more tired.  Every person on our farm is important to us and we consider them family.  One year, Dean had broken his glasses accidentally and had to be without it, which made it really hard to function.  My kind hearted brother decided to do something for him and went to our family optometrist, Dr. Taylor Tom, who helped to get another pair of glasses for Dean. As a small token of appreciation, Mike presented Dean with a replacement pair of his prescription Oakley glasses at Christmas.  Dean was so grateful as was my brother for all of his hard work over the years.

Although farming has become demonized over the last several years, I know for a fact that farmers are some of the most kindest and generous people around.  Not only do they put in long hours, risk their finances at times, and dedicate their lives to feeding people, they truly care about their communities.  They aren’t getting any richer from all of this work but what they do get is a lot of thanks from those who appreciate what they get from farms.

People have spread rumors that my dad is so rich that farming is just his hobby.  Actually, if he was wealthy, you can bet he’d by buying that custom made tractor implement or a brand new, high tech sprayer, and other modern conveniences instead of trying to engineer something himself.  Farming is a love for him and he’s trying to set up the farm to be passed down to another generation.  He is the example to our family that you’ve got to put in a lot of hard work to get what you want out of life and that develops a sense of appreciation once you’ve got there.  Things just don’t fall in your laps and you’ve got to work for it.  That’s farm life and something too few can appreciate in this day and age.

Kindness, humility, and honestly is something we farm families know and we strive to take care of each other in our communities.  We will stand by the truth and support our and ask that others learn about our work before they form an opinion without even stepping foot on a farm.  No one is getting wealthy from the farm but the experiences learned on the fields is something that no money can buy and lives in us everyday.  Farming means family to me and don’t think that anyone can try to disparage family without knowing us as people first.

When you look down at that food you’re about to eat, think about how it got to you and all the people involved in growing it.  It was the agricultural communities around our country that helped to fill your stomachs and nourish you to do greater things.  We’ve got to support ways to help make their jobs easier, not harder.  They already have so much at risk with weather, unexpected events, and now the age of misinformation on the internet. We should not be blocking technology while having no clue on what it takes to farm.  That’s simply not pono.

Support your farmers, each and every one of them.  If you’re leader isn’t planning on supporting them, they are attacking our ohana.  Farming means family and in Hawaii, agriculture is one big family.

Dear “Progressives,”

Normally, I work Monday through Friday from 8 to around 4:30.  It’s nice having a regular scheduled day that’s always pretty consistent.  However, this week was different because I knew that my family needed my help.  Instead of working my usual schedule, I worked on Sunday so I could take off on Tuesday to help them on the farm.  I’m lucky that I have a flexible schedule to be able to do that.

Well, my dad, brother, cousin, and their employee, Jacob, started around 7 am this morning to pick the fields.  Yesterday, my brother’s main help, Dean, collapsed from heat stress and had to be rushed to the emergency room.  He had to remain at the hospital overnight just to be sure that it wasn’t any cardiac issues.  On top of the loss of help, the roadway that led up to their farm had washed away due to a water main break that left a 20 feet long by 12 feet wide and 8 feet deep sinkhole in the main roadway.  They couldn’t pick that field yesterday.  Yet another complication was that the recent tropical storm, Darby, had drenched the fields leaving it super muddy on Monday and limited their ability to pick it quickly.  With one person down, the acres of fields still have to be harvested.

Tuesday was the day that the food safety inspector was also supposed to show up on top of a heavy load of work ahead.  They conduct regular audits to ensure that we are in compliance with the law to grow safe food.  The sinkhole kept the audit from happening because they couldn’t access our fields.  I had planned to be at the farm after attending the fishermen’s rally at the Capitol since children aren’t allowed to be there during the processing of the fruit.  It was just a crazy day for everyone.

I finally made it down to my folk’s farm just before noon.  My mom and nephew were busy processing the 5 bins of papayas picked from the Laie field.  My two daughters and I quickly jumped in to start grading papayas, washing, packing, stickering them, and stacking the 25 lb and 50 lb boxes.  My parents worked straight through to about 6 pm but I had to leave around 4:15 to pick up my baby from the sitter on time.  I decided that it would be best for me to pick up dinner for the crew since I was out and about, just to make it easy for them.  My folks and the kids stopped to eat just for about 15 minutes and then headed right back to work.

We worked straight from noon time to nearly 8:45 to process some 2700 lbs of papayas between the 5 of us.  My brother asked his partner, Frank, to come by after his day job to help pack papayas too.  From 6 to 8:45, 6 of us were working like crazy to get all of the papayas ready for delivery tomorrow.  We didn’t finish because it just became too dark to get everything done.

My hands are achy and I’m drenched in sweat but I feel happy that I could help out at the farm today.  It does mean working six days a week, but if they need the help and I have the ability to help, I’ll do it.  The processing and harvesting is only part of the farm.  Wednesdays are delivery days and getting the papayas shuttled to customers.  Lots of boxes have to be hand trucked around and lifted in and out of the truck.  My 74 year old dad is still at it spending all day driving around town and parking a huge truck in tight spaces to get those fruit out.  My brother does the same too.  Many times, they face angry customers who want their papaya at a certain time and aren’t very forgiving if there’s traffic or a delay despite knowing Honolulu having the worst traffic.

The other days are spent tending to the fields and scouting for pests and diseases if any.  There’s a lot of busy work and there’s never enough time to do it all many times.  There’s even the occasional off the grid hippie walking into our fields asking why the water spigot doesn’t work.  They love to mooch off of our water because they won’t pay for their own and don’t care to walk down to the beach where there’s public water at the bathrooms.  Combined with the other issue of thefts, the heat and bad weather makes the job even more complicated.

It’s interesting that I received this card stuck on my fence from a “progressive.”  I simply posted on comment on his Facebook campaign page hoping that he’d support all farmers since he was printing his t-shirts on GMO cotton.  Instead of replying back to me, he actually found my address and tried to talk to me, which is weird to me.  It’s like you kind of stalked me down.

Now why would I want to “call you to talk about farming” Patrick?  I don’t see anything in your resume or page that indicates to me that you know anything about farming.  You aren’t spending days in the hot sun and heat tending to fields that give your livelihood.  Nor are you in an occupation where you’re growing food for people to eat year after year, week after week, decade after decade.  I somehow doubt that you know anything about the bugs and disease we face as farmers and have no clue last to what GMOs really are.  Have you ever lost your hours of hard work because of a plant disease that was beyond your control? I doubt it.  But hey, you apparently want to talk farming.

I’ve seen that you replied to me later acknowledging that you “fully support Gary Hooser.”  Do you seriously think that the anti-GMO politician is even more knowledgeable about farming?  He talks the talk about organic farming with Dr. Valenzuela like it is such an easy thing to do.  He’s never grown food for several decades but hey, he knows farming.  I’ve never ever seen a photo of him breaking a sweat, covered in dirt, or scouting for pests, but hey, you progressives know farming so you say.  I really LOVE how you talk about GMOs and pesticides along with Ashley Lukens who has never farmed either and have no indication that you’re willing to learn about it.

So, progressives of Hawaii, the kind of progress you want is to increase our imports to 100% with the stances you take.  By being fully dependent upon imports, that’s a really GREAT thing for sustainability.  Those lofty dreams of yours of taking down the “multinational corporations” leave us small farmers with higher costs for agricultural supplies and other inputs, including affordable ag land.

The rejection of science in agriculture will leave us with extinct ohia trees and other crops, like bananas, which is at risk for total decimation by disease.  We can all get to enjoy Williams bananas that taste nothing like our home grown apple ones.  There won’t be anyone wanting pesticides near their homes too because you’ve decided to fear monger around it instead of educating.  Local residents get to experience invasive species right in their homes because you’re promoting refusal of treatment to kill these creatures. By blocking modern tools like GMO mosquitos, Hawaii folks may get to feel the pain and suffering of dengue and Zika too.

Lots of these same progressives are stating that we have to close of our exclusive economic zones in the oceans too in the name of conservation but then stand with signs criticizing the fishermen, despite telling folks that fishermen wouldn’t be affected.  One local food source with become a thing of the past with the loss of ocean access.

Progress to me is adopting new technologies and ways to do things.  Those who feed people are working so hard and yet progressives want to turn back the hands of time to make their jobs even harder by denying this technology.  I stand for making people’s lives better by using technology and innovation.  We, as modern day citizens, have benefitted so much from technology and yet there’s a faction of people who want to take it away.

So Patrick and other progressives, if you want to talk farming, I have a better idea over talking.  How about you come down to the farm and not take a tour.  No, a tour doesn’t give you any idea of what it takes to grow Hawaii.  You come down at 6 am and start preparing to harvest those papayas.  See if you can drive the tractors and forklifts without knocking over trees and safely keeping your workers on the platform.  See if you can load a 60 lb bin onto the platform and then remove a full one and place it in a high cube truck.  Stack 6 of those bins in that truck too without having them fall onto each other during the ride back to the shed.  Better yet, drive that high cube without scraping the side view mirror in narrow spaces.  Then once you’ve spent hours picking those papayas, please come down and wash and pack it all out.  Make sure you get all the orders right and know where they need to go and how many.  Hand grade every single fruit picked.  After you’ve picked it, pack it all up so that your fruit is ready to go.  Lift some 200 plus cases of 25 lbs and don’t forget to carry the off grade ones too in those 50 lb boxes.  After you’ve done that, the next day you can deliver them all over the island and sit in traffic too to get them to the stores.

You simply can’t “talk farming.”  That just doesn’t cut it.  Until you come down and do this for several months or even years, you don’t know farming.  And to the public who gets their farm information from Google, you don’t know diddly squat from what you read.

My body aches and I’m tired.  I’m reminded about how grateful I am to those that do farm. To those people who think they know farming but have never been on one, get on the farm or shut up before you criticize.  Yeah, I mean it.  I hope that the public who listens to “progressives” view of farming realizes that they listen to people who only talk with no real action showing their willing to learn about it, let alone work on it.  If you ain’t feeding people or on the field, you don’t know nothing about farming.

Live it before you talk about it.  So, when are you planning to work on our farm progressives? We have plenty of work available for you!