Re: A tidbit from Hawaii

**R* M* M* <r*@comcast.net>**

Interesting, is food sold at the local farmer's market locally grown, brought in from elsewhere or a combination? Is local promoted in any way? I know we sell some seeds to market farmers but I'm not sure they are on Oahu.

Rose Marie Nichols McGee
www.nicholsgardennursery.com
On Mar 28, 2013, at 10:05 PM, hamptongar@aol.com wrote:

> Actually the very first thing I noticed was crabgrass.  It was growing at the base of a palm tree and was in full seed.  This was the broad leaf type.  I can only imagine that it was brought here like many other places as a potential grass plant to feed cattle.  I was also surprised when I visited a commercial foliage nursery today and pointed out a crabgrass plant to the manager and her response was "I thought that's what it was".  So it doesn't seem to be a problem but it's sure here.
> 
> 
> I hadn't thought about invasives until  you brought it up.  As you know we're having quite a problem with oriental bittersweet vine in New York and it seems to be pulling down many of our large and older shade trees.  As I was driving from the north shore of Oahu today and up into the very wet rainforest area I couldn't help but notice the huge philodendrons (split leaf and pathos) that twine up the taller trees and eventually topple them.  Not sure if anyone considers them invasive though but a similar action on the taller overstory.
> 
> 
> Other than that haven't really seen anything alarming.  It's been a very dry winter here though so it may not be a representative year.
> 
> 
> All the nurseries and farming operations were remarkably clean of weeds and I've seen few disease or insect problems with extremely limited use of pesticides.
> 
> 
> Lots of smaller farm to market operations and that seems to be hotter here than on the mainland.  All small operations but over 300 of them on the  island.  The larger markets are still buying their greens, fruits and veggies from the mainland because the claim is that commercial growing here is cost prohibitive due to high labor costs.  So a head of lettuce, an apple, a tomato is more than likely flown in.  But if you go to a local farmers market you can get just about anything except for apples and the like at very reasonable prices. 
> 
> 
> As for high labor costs...Dole told me that they can no longer produce some crops here because there is a state law requiring employers to pay 80% of health care costs.  But a nursery owner told me they have no trouble getting good labor because unemployment rates are high.  At Whole Foods on the north shore they were selling Maui Gold pineapples for 99 cents.  In New York they're going for $4 and up.  Bananas in the super market here were $1.29 a pound and imported from Equador.  They were growing on the plants about a half a mile away but aren't grown commercially here any more.  

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