Farm Fresh News from Hawaiian Gourmet Kava Farm
Fresh Harvest Newsletter
Summary:
This newsletter has two things in this issue.
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Vol 5. September 12, 2014 - Authored by Chris Allen
The Kava
Library
Kava and Hawaii
Hawaiian kava ('awa) is considered a native introduction - one of the 24 canoe plants. Native Hawaiian farmers are well known for having the most developed kalo (taro) knowledge and varieties in the entire Pacific and probably the world, so it is only reasonable to expect that they would apply this expert knowledge to the 'Awa. Hawaiians have a long tradition of perpetuating and developing over 30 varieties of 'awa. Currently, we can only distinctly identify 14 of them. The original islanders made their voyage by canoe to Hawaii and room in the canoe was scarce. We know they only had room for the very best kava and they were not going to sacrifice valuable space on the canoe for a plant that was regular or common. All Hawaiian kava is Noble with the only two exceptions, the Tudei Kavas Isa and Iwi. Hawaiians do not drink Tudei but they are more than happy to sell it to others. Hawaii is known for having the best Noble kava in the world.
Considerations Before Planting
When I plant the kava I have to make several considerations. Location is important; kava likes the side of a hill and not the top. It likes water, but does not like standing water. It likes sun but not when it is young. I also consider the variety of kava. If it is a windy area, I will plant a short internode kava like Moi. It is also important to intercrop the kava, so I plant my kava among some of the trees already growing in the area. I also plant certain things to help fix nitrogen and keep nematodes away from the roots. Most of the time I can get about 1800-2200 kava plants on a 25 acre area of land. This is because I plant the kava in and among the trees and plants already there. I also plant other plants with the kava to multicrop. Kava loves to grow along with Guava trees and other fruit trees. The largest kava plant I have grown was an 'Awa Nene which weighed in wet and cleaned at 238 pounds in 2 years.
Soil and the Old Hawaiian Kava Farmer
Research indicates that kavalactone content depends more on the type of soil, the availability of nutrients for plant growth, and the kava variety than on the age of the plant. I plant the kava in mounds on the ground and in an area where there is good air circulation so it helps to eliminate some of the conditions conducive to the growth of the Phoma fungus. Another thing that helps prevent Phoma in wet areas is to feed your kava plants a well balanced diet. I make my own soil using compost, worm casings, and other ingredients. It is a secret recipe that I keep to myself.
In making compost, I’m following the same technique used by a long time 'Awa farmer in Waipio Valley. He told me that the 'awa is a high energy plant that needs the food, so he developed a special recipe to feed the soil so his kava could benefit. This was an old Hawaiian man that had lived in the valley all his life and who grew 'Awa just like his father and his grandfather. I learned a lot of the Hawaiian language from him, as well as how to grow 'Awa. He called his soil "Lepo Ola"; Lepo meaning "Dirt” or “Earth" and Ola meaning "Life, Health, and Living". So this life dirt gave the 'Awa the food it needs. The way you plant the 'Awa in mounds and add some Lepo at certain times of the year also has an influence on the size the kava will get. The mounds make it a lot easier to harvest the 'Awa.
Planting the Kava from Cuttings
I will try to summarize the process of growing and processing the kava plant from start to finish:
First, I start by choosing a mother plant to take cuttings. I take these cuttings and cut them into 1-2 node pieces, then put them in wet moss for about 2 months. After a few months the nodes have roots on them, so I transplant them into small pots with potting soil. After a few more months, I will transplant them again into a larger pot. In a few more months, I will transplant them into the ground. This process gives me a more mature and healthy plant. At this point it is a game of weeding and feeding the kava. Food is very important for kava, and the all-natural compost I make is the only food it gets. As I mentioned, I do plant the kava in mounds and I will add more soil to the kava mounds at certain times in its growth cycle. Science says I can harvest in 18 months, but I like to harvest my kava at 4-6 years or even older. Harvesting older plants gives me a higher yield. I pay particular attention to harvesting, handling, and drying the kava since these operations have a major effect on the quality of the kava and the taste.
Harvesting the Kava
At harvest time, I start by using what we call an O'O bar or a steel bar, which I use to loosen the soil around the base of the kava plant. Then I tie a strap around the base of the plant and use my fork lift to lift it out of the mound very slowly, taking care to get all the lateral roots out of the ground. Once I get it out of the ground, I cut the stalks off, and then wash the root mass and the stump several times using a pressure washer. Then I cut the lateral roots off of the stump or corm of the kava plant. The stump is cut into smaller pieces so they can be dried. Then I do a second wash and put the kava in my dry box. This is a box that I made to dry Koa and other Hawaiian woods and it uses a dehumidifier and good old sunshine. We also employ a few small fans for circulation. This dries the kava gently and helps with the potency and flavor of the final product.
Processing the Kava
After the kava is dried to 8% moisture content, I grind the kava using a hammer mill. Please note this is how I make the medium grind kava, the micronized kava and the instant kava are made using a different process. It takes a long time to make all 3 grinds and that is one reason that I sometimes have one kava strain in only one grind. At this point it is ready for bagging. I bag the kava in 10 pound vacuum sealed bags and store them in a cool room or a room that is out of the sunshine all the time. I make smaller packages of kava in my usual "Gold" bags using these 10 pound vacuum sealed bags which ensures freshness and quality. The kava must go through several tests before it goes into the gold bags but my favorite test is the “drinking test”! lol.
I hope you all enjoyed your little ride with me on my kava farm.
May the wind be at your back and that of your canoe and may your kava cup always be full.
Aloha.
Chris
Chris Explains his Farming Techniques
Kava Farming in Hawaii
