Dragon Fruit.. The Pitaya

The Pitaya otherwise known as Dragonfruit is an exotic tropical fruit that grows on a cactus plant. It seemed surprising that a cactus would be growing and doing well in the rainforest, but I was assured by the nursury owner whom I bought the Dragonfruit from that it will do well out at Fieldhouse Farm. A beautiful spot was found for it in the rock garden that surrounds one of the farms many old Ohia trees.

The flowers of the dragon fruit plant only bloom at night and usually only live for one night. Pollination happens at this time to allow the fruit to emerge. The flowers of the dragon fruit give out a very beautiful scent, and the smell can fill the night air wherever the plant grows.

The fruit is eaten by scooping out the flesh. It is best served chilled.

Dragonfruit is very high in Vitamin C and therefore, an excellent immune booster. Dragonfruit is also noted for being able to lower blood glucose levels in Type 2 diabetes. The red fleshed varieties contain lycopene which is a natural antioxidant known to fight cancer, heart disease, and lower blood pressure.

ARBEQUINA - exotic Olive tree

Fieldhouse Farms welcomes new Arbequina exotic olive trees (Olea 'Arbequina'), a native of Catalonia, Spain. The arbequina olive is appreciated by connoisseurs for its nutty taste and ability to produce a high quality olive oil. We'll need some olive oil to sautee all the other wonderful veggies growing on the farm. The yield in oil is good (20 - 22%), of excellent quality with good organoletic characteristics We were particularly pleased to discover this type of olive tree grows in Hawaii since our goal is to be sustainable with what we can grow on the farm. And, personally, I can also picture nibbling on a few olives while sipping Jaboticaba wine.

We've been experiencing a bit of a storm here on the Big Island so I wasn't able to take a pictures of the arbequina trees in their new home. I am still deciding on where it will be best to plant them. They display beautiful and fragrant flowers in the Spring and so I am thinking somewhere near the upcoming farmhouse.

Health Benefits of Olive Oil - Organic and unprocessed olive oil contains a good source of Vitamin E. Olive oil's protective function has a beneficial effect on ulcers and gastritis. Olive oil activates the secretion of bile and pancreatic hormones and protects against gallstones. You can also use olive oil for a gallstone cleanse routine. Olive oil is also known for controlling LDL ("bad") cholesterol levels while raising HDL (the "good" cholesterol) levels. (1-3) No other naturally produced oil has as large an amount of monounsaturated as olive oil -mainly oleic acid. Another health benefit of olive oil is that it does not upset the critical omega 6 to omega 3 ratio and most of the fatty acids in olive oil are actually an omega-9 oil which is monounsaturated.

Mamaki - Hawaii's own Nettle Tea

Having harvested Mamaki leaves from Fieldhouse Farm, I am sipping on Mamaki tea, made from the dried leaves. If it is possible to make the tea from freshly picked leaves that is even better. I add a little honey to sweeten although it is nice without it as well.

Mamaki is a part of the nettle family and is endemic (meaning that it only grows in Hawaii). In the absence of predators, the nettle plant in Hawaii, grows without stinger hairs on the leaves which is very nice for when it comes time to pick it.

Mamaki is a tonic and cleansing agent (a diuretic). It is interesting that on the back of the leaves the veins are red - this is a way to identify that Mamaki is a good blood tonic. I think it is best to drink it three days on two days off. Just one or two cups is sufficient - using about 6 leaves per cup (you can reuse the leaves once for the second cup.) Because Mamaki is a diuretic, you should not exceed two cups per day and be sure to drink at least one glass of water which will also help with the purification of your system.

Helping to control high blood pressure and cholesterol, Mamaki is used for heart health. It has also been reported that drinking Mamaki has helped numerous folks respiration system from the VOG we sometimes experience here on the Big Island. It is also used to help with listlessness and to regain vitality from rundown states.

The berries that grow on the branches (which are white once they are ripe) are also helpful to the prostrate and urinary track, assisting to control the need to pee in the middle of the night as well as maintaining healthy yeast levels.

Fern Forest a New Hybrid of Coffee

Fern Forest a new hybrid of coffee arrives at Fieldhouse Farm. Pots of what was originally Kona coffee are ready to plant once the weeds are cleared out of a sunny spot in the forest. It will take a little patience to see them turn into actual pots of coffee, yet worth the wait! This hybrid of coffee is grown for local forest dwellers, and aptly named by Fieldhouse Farm as Fern Forest coffee, which will eventually be roasted Dark, Medium and Light.


We've been on the hunt for locally grown coffee plants, and this past weekend, were able to find plants already acclimated to Fern Forest.

I'd like to post the health benefits of coffee, but unfortunately, while coffee in moderation is okay, coffee is addictive (I cannot wait to go to bed so I can wake up and have some.) Coffee is a digestive irritant and adrenal stimulant and should be used in moderation.

Like all things that should be used in moderation, there is a huge appreciation for the indulgence. We wait with great anxiety (I mean calm patience) as the trees grow to maturity and produce beans ready to roast and toast.

JABOTICABA - Brazilian Grape-like tropical fruit

JABOTICABA -Myrciaria cauliflora a Brazilian shrub that is cultivated for its tasty purplish/black tropical fruit. The trees are short growing around 10- 25 feet tall. It is a very slow growing tree which prefers moist, lightly acidic soils for best growth.. sounds like a winner for Fieldhouse Farm.

We have planted a young tree just in front of a pineapple patch and covered the base with Te leaves. As with all our plants, there is also a layer of organic manure enhanced with BAM layered in to the gravel.

The fruit which is like a grape, but with thicker skin, can be eaten raw or be used to make jellies and drinks (plain juice or wine). Some compare jaboticabas to muscadine grapes. The aborigines made wine of the jaboticabas. The skin contains a lot of Tannins so it is advisable not to eat too many with the skins and also to make the juice and wine without the skins.

When continuously irrigated it flowers frequently, and fresh fruit can be available year round in tropical regions (thank you.). While researching more about this plant, I discovered that it has been reported from Brazil that solitary jaboticaba trees bear poorly compared with those planted in groups, which indicates that cross-pollination enhances productivity... thinking we should plant another tree nearby.

The fruit is formed only on the inner branches and trunk. When it first flowers it looks a bit like a giant cauliflower.

Medicinal Uses

The astringent decoction of the sun-dried skins is prescribed in Brazil as a treatment for hemoptysis, asthma, diarrhea and dysentery; also as a gargle for chronic inflammation of the tonsils.

Nutritional Highlights

Jaboticaba fruit contains a decent amount of Ascorbic Acid (vitamin C), Calcium, phosphorus, lysine and tryptophan (more good mood fruits growing at Fieldhouse Farm)

BAM BAM -Pathogens be Gone

The famous words from Barny's kid on the Flinestone's "Bam Bam," suggests that maybe he wasn't so much into breaking things, as he was a young visionary in the area of Sustainable farming, trying to let everyone know that they should BAM BAM.

BAM (Beneficial Active Micro-organisms) - is a patented product produced by Harry Arakaki of Organa Agriculture Hawaii, Inc, that we purchased for Fieldhouse Farm at Pahoa Pet and Feed store (PFF)... I noticed that the store's initials match my father's... crazy how some of the most important details regarding the nascent players of the farm tie right into his name.

In the early stages of project planning, Danielle and Jeffrey indicated that first on the list of purchases, right after the sickles, was BAM.

BAM is being used on every plant on the farm, and it is also being applied to our organic mulching piles to help speed the process of creating quality soil. Used properly BAM can improve the sustainability of water, plants, and animals by keeping harmful organisms out of the environment and encouraging the positive nutrients and organisms to flourish.

It is interesting to note that the word Pathogen is defined as "an agent of disease" and that bacteria are classified as either nonpathogenic (harmless) or pathogenic (harmful.)

BAM, similar to Kombucha tea, contains good yeast and bacteria - in a world of Good and Bad (health and disease) you want the good guys on your side. My plants drink BAM and I drink Kombucha. Three cheers to Good Bacteria!

BAM contains: Photosynthetic Bacteria, Lactic-acid Bacteria, Yeast, Fish Meal, Kelp, Sulfur, Saponin, Leonardite, and Wheat bran

Fully on board with Permaculture

100% cotton rags from Salvation Army

The plan here is to provide a cushion for a pool which will become a fish pond. The fish will share their habitat with pond lily's. Watering the plants with water from the fish pond, enriched by its inhabitants waste, will be a natural way to provide fertilizer for the plants.

Meanwhile, 20 pounds of rags and a car load of cardboard (under the rags) will be recycled naturally instead of going to an already burdened landfill.

Noni - Just looks like a stick now

Noni plant (Morinda citrifolia) can be reproduced by either sexually or asexual methods. It can be grown from seed or be propagated by means of stem cuttings. For the first plantings, we're going the route of growing from stem cuttings. The stick you see in the photo is a stem cutting from a Noni. Doesn't look like much right now, but someday visitors to Fieldhouse farm will see healing Noni Trees along the driveway.

It is interesting and wonderful how so many are rediscovering Mother Nature's apothecary. Used by Polynesian healers for thousands of years, the Noni tree bears fruit 365 days a year. This makes me stop to wonder if that means that it is good to use Noni everyday. My intuition tells me yes, if the Tree is making it available that frequently then there you have it.

The benefits of Noni are many. It is an excellent way to keep your internal organs cleansed. Drinking just 1-2 ounces of juice a day is sufficient for a healthy person. Noni has the ability to stimulate our bodies to produce serotonin, another way, like with the cacao to boost your mood. The drug companies will have you taking Prozac, the Gods and Goddesses offer heavenly fruits grown naturally and sustainably.

Xeronine found in Noni helps to repair protein cells. Scopoletin, also found in Noni has has anti-inflammatory, anti-histamine, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties. The entire endocrine system gets a boost from Noni which has beneficial effects on the pineal gland, the thymus gland, the pancreas, adrenal glands and both male and female sex organs.

In my opinion, Noni is not one of the most delicious fruits (it smells a bit like dirty feet), however, if you only need to take an ounce a day and there are so many benefits - why not. I've chugged much worse things in my day (for perhaps just a fleeting buzz :-)

Bella enjoying a day in the rainforest

Bella enjoying a day in the rainforest

Bananas, bamboos and the importance of July 30th

Banana is on the far left of the picture and bamboo to the right of it. Jeffrey was digging in this area to clear a space and hit water. Both banana and bamboo are heavy feeders so he decided this would be their home, where they will be able to drink up all the rain the forest has to offer. It's been a total wonder how the host forest has had such a large role in helping to design Fieldhouse Farm. I was amazed while clearing the grass to uncover natural little pockets forming around the volcanic rock, suggesting to me, here is where you can put a nice tree. The bamboo is LOVING the host forest, in less than a week new shoots are sprouting out of them. There are endless uses for bamboo. I see these new bamboo trees playing a role in the creation of a yoga studio. What a wonderful way to co-create a loving eco- environment. Speaking of Eco - Danielle and Jeffrey's cat, named Eco, has been out to supervise the planting and she gives two paws up to the forest and it's many wonders.

I discovered an interested fact today. Danielle, who has been instrumental in helping me launch Fieldhouse Farm was born on July 30th. The same day as my Dad, Paul Fieldhouse Fenton for whom I have named this endeavor. Coincidence? ... there are no coincidences. Isn't life so fun?

40 new plants including Superfoods

Danielle and Jeffrey recorded 40 new plants that they have delivered to Fieldhouse Farm. Joining the "Superfood" catagory where the Ulu belongs, are the Theobroma Cacoa (chocolate tree) and the Yacon.

What is a Superfood? A superfood is a single plant that provides over a dozen nutritional components and possesses a high level of anti-oxidant power.

The Chocolate Tree (Theobrama Cacao)
Let's first talk about the Chocolate tree (born a Fenton, I am thrilled discover I will be able to make my own, although once you heat the cacao bean and add sugar the medicinal qualities are out the door, but a treat from time to time is just fine.)

The Aztec's and Mayan's knew the value of cocoa beans, they used cacao beans as currency. Ponder that. If the banking system continues to fail we can always trade with cacao beans!

The Aztec's called the cacao bean "Yollotl eztli" which means "Heart blood". Cacao supports a healthy cardiovascular system and returns the body to homeostasis. Keeping the heart healthy, through one of Mother Nature's many gifts, also connects our heart to that of Mother Earth

The raw cacao bean is a true superfood boasting many minerals (Cacao seems to be the #1 source of magnesium of any food) and the highest content of antioxidants in the world! More than Acai, goji or pomegranites. Anti-oxidants shields our DNA from free radical damage and protects us from illness. Superfoods like cacao also potentiates the healing properties of Superherbs such as; medicinal mushrooms, cats claw, Pau d'arco.

Raw Cacao increases the levels of specific neurotransmitters in our brains including Seratonin and Endorphins... Now I can feel good about that!

Yacon Root

Another Superfood from South America with a potatoe-like quality. The Yacon Root is a distant relative of the sunflower with edible tubers and leaves. The tuber is often chopped raw and added to salads, and are also consumed boiled or baked. Yacon roots contain important quantities of fructooligosaccharides, minerals such as potassium, as well as antioxidants.

The yacon root is good for digestion, stimulates positive colon health, acts as a probiotic that feeds friendly bacteria such as acidophilus and bifidus, and helps with the absorption of calcium and vitamins.

Preparing Pineapple Crowns

We have prepared a pile of pineapple crowns ready to be planted. In order to prepare the crown for propagation, its lower leaves are peeled off to expose the root. The pineapple plant will only produce fruit once, and so to yield a new crop, you must continually use the crown after eating the fruit to replant. Pineapple is not only delicious, but also a valuable source of digestive enzymes. Bromelain is a proteolytic enzyme found in raw pineapple. It may help with damaged protein (internal scars) and may speed the healing rate of bruises.

First Ulu (breadfruit) tree

To the right is our low budget water catchment system and our first delivery of organic manure. The first trees and plants are finding new homes. Included in the first round of planting was; ulu (breadfruit) with uala (sweet red potato). Other trees and plants added nearby were; Rollinia deliciosa, figs, mulberry, mamey apple, mentholatum, cassava (tapioca) and lemongrass.

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Jeffrey looks over at the first 'ulu, the breadfruit tree, Artocarpus altilis, that he planted on Monday. Ulu is a particularly good selection to choose when thinking of survival. Ulu is one of the highest yielding food plants known. A single plant can produce up to 800 or more fruits per season. There are many delicious ways to prepare breadfruit. Breadfruit is an important source of carbohydrates, protein and minerals. If you had only one tree to plant this would be a good choice. In ancient times, a child was given a tree at birth, and it was believed this would keep that child fed for life. Here is a fun link to Hawaiian myth and legend about the 'ulu tree http://www2.hawaii.edu/~neprice/hawaii/plants/myths.html . At the foot of the ulu tree sweet potatoe vines were placed to root in and help nourish the young tree.

Starting with Sickles

The first purchase for Fieldhouse Farm was two sickles for use by the permaculture masters, Jeffrey and Danielle who will begin the first steps of creating the farm by cutting back the tall grasses to clear the land and to create soil from the grasses. One of the most interesting things about this project is that we are growing on a young forest with little to no soil. This is where the expertise of permaculture comes in and where it really gets interesting (stay tuned for the creative ways in which a lava rock field becomes rich fertile ground. Also learn why we love weeds) The next purchase will be a large two wheeled wheelbarrow (yellow of course). The initial use will be to collect lava rocks with which we can build our planting beds.

September 27, 2009 Fieldhouse Farm started

On September 27, 2009 Elizabeth Fenton Lochner submitted Fieldhouse Farm to be founded as an Hawaiian business on the Big Island in Puna, HI. The Farm is located in Fern Forest on Kokokahi Street. The vision for the Farm will be to provide an example of sustainable living and healing with whole foods and plants. In the future the farm will be open for health and spiritual retreats on a donation basis. We will also sell our produce at local Farmers Markets.