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.