• Give dairy farm serious review • No fishing bans without research, first • Dairy farm will provide many benefits • If cross is OK, then so are son’s actions • Give dairy farm serious review Proposals made seeking approval
• Give dairy farm serious review • No fishing bans without research, first • Dairy farm will provide many benefits • If cross is OK, then so are son’s actions •
Give dairy farm serious review
Proposals made seeking approval from government agencies, like for the dairy, should explain/inform, not confuse or obfuscate the truth. The government offices and public should be assured that no damage or harm is likely to flow from what is proposed. Some proposals include a validation of their need or necessity.
After a comprehensive, detailed review of the HDF proposal, I am convinced of one thing. Either they are indifferent to, ignorant of, or blinded by profit to a point of not seeing what their own data confirms will occur, or they simply are willing to expose all else to their folly regardless of its risk. They will do this at the expense of the environment, the ecological framework of Mahaulepu, the tourism of the Poipu area and Kauai, and the well-being of the residents all around it.
If they are great guys on the square, why would they do this? Why would any reasonable, caring individual person or group do this? All of us would welcome data-based, truthful explanations.
Most of us are for reasonably sized and sited dairies. None of us believe Mahaulepu is a legitimate choice, but they haven’t given one factual, tangible explanation that supports this choice. We believe that the New Zealand group of backers six years ago picked Kipu, but for some reason it wasn’t available to them.
The Mahaulepu Beach area, as a choice for a dairy farm, is truly unbelievable.
This project is so flawed that we have gone to exploring ulterior motives.
Please give it a full, serious, and detailed evaluation of your own. Decide and let your decision be known.
Ronald John
San Luis Obispo, Calif.
No fishing bans without research, first
Being born and raised on Kauai and an avid waterman who is out on the ocean weekly, I feel that, first and foremost, the decisions on fishing and protecting fisheries around Kauai should be based on sound research and supported with broad-based community input. No fishing bans off Niihau, or other areas around Kauai, should be put in place without these crucial components.
We, as a community, should be teaching and promoting stewardship and self-regulation of the land and ocean. The state legislative body should not attempt to make these important decisions without consulting Kauai residents first. While the legislative attempts at regulation might be well-intended, the discussion should first be brought back to Kauai where the fishermen who are affected can be a part of a conversation that could affect their lives forever.
Dylan Hooser
Kapaa
Dairy farm will provide many benefits
Makoa Ranch Inc. is a family-owned and operated third-generation ranching cow/calf operation. We currently run a 900-head herd on the Eastside of Kauai. We produce 800-plus stocker calves for local and Mainland markets and help other local ranchers with 3,000 head of cattle for market. We support the Hawaii Dairy Farms’ plans for a new dairy on Kauai. I want to share how this farm will support our local agriculture industry.
Hawaii Dairy Farms’ model of a grass-fed dairy is the same concept as we currently operate under with our cow/calf operation, depending mostly on grass as the diet for the herd. Given the structure of HDF, the only difference is the massive investment on the infrastructure of the farm to ensure financial success for true, sustainable farming for years to come without the dependency on feed shipped in from the Mainland.
The HDF intensive grazing plan is the best of both worlds. The HDF structure to have pulse-grazing to manage grasses and maximize the organic material to use as soil amendments is great and not a new concept. The organic material (manure), the same as you can buy at any hardware store, is the best way to regenerate the old cane ground on Kauai. The cows will (on their own) naturally replenish the soil and ensure the high yield needed to keep productive.
The farm will also make available many local agricultural jobs. The dairy itself will have a diverse skill set need that it will fill with local Kauai residents, but also will have many jobs created from the support of off-site operations and local businesses.
Hawaii Dairy Farms will need to have local ranchers help with growing programs, hauling of cattle, hauling of feed and supplies, fuel deliveries, grass-fed beef program processing, fencing companies, feed supplies and more. All of this is helping the entire local agricultural system.
This is the synergy of agriculture that makes true, sustainable farming and local food supplies available to the residence of Kauai. HDF will help ensure the longevity of the sustainable agriculture that local family farms like ours need to have a future in Hawaii.
We at Makoa Ranch Inc., a local family-run ranching operation, ask you to also support Hawaii Dairy Farms.
Bob Farias
Kapaa
If cross is OK, then so are son’s actions
These days on this little island, there is much that goes under the radar. In this case, I usually enjoy a morning cup of coffee from my upstairs lanai and gorgeous 360-degree mountain view.
However, a big surprise, this day, to see that someone had erected a ginormous cross at the pavilion backside Nonou mountain, Kuamoo end.
Now, if my son had all his spiritual tools confiscated and was issued a citation/ticket court date by DLNR bullies, then how is it that folks are able to set this spiritual tool and not be similarly critiqued as criminal behavior?
I’m asking DLNR to clarify and explain why the differences between the two? I am OK with the cross and would plead that what my son does at Kokee is as OK as this.
On April 2, state courts will be hearing warriorman’s case about this very issue. It would be awesome for viral support ending what is being perceived as a hate crime, specific to Kanaka Maoli practices.
Debra Kekaualua
Wailua
