PUA LOKE — Green took on a whole new meaning at this year’s M. Kawamura Farm Expo that opened yesterday and continues until this afternoon.
When agriculturalists grow things, they are happy when plants come up green. But for this year’s theme, in addition to growing green produce and lawns, the Pua Loke store emphasized green as being friendly to the environment.
“We have to bring the meaning to the people,” Ed Kawamura said as he pointed out a small garden created by laying several two-cubic-feet bags of assorted potting soils atop a wooden pallet.
Inside the bags, fruiting tomato plants, cucumber sprouting buds, and flowering plants clearly showed the plants’ delight at being in the bagged environment.
“Last year, it was trying to keep bathtubs from the landfill so we had “Mary Washington” (asparagus) in the bath, and Maui Onions in the tub. This year, maybe we can suggest other ways people can use wooden pallets to keep them out of the landfill,” Kawamura said.
As he spoke, the whirr of an Echo chainsaw filled the morning air as Bob King, a chainsaw sculptor with Echo products worked to transform a chunk of monkeypod into a breaching whale while his assistant used a pocket grinder to finish off a pair of dolphins that emerged from another block of wood.
Shindaiwa, a well-known manufacturer of farm and commercial equipment, introduced its new 242 line of trimmers that, in addition to special expo pricing, also came with a “Landscaper’s Bonus” valued at $65.
The 242 joins the line of C4 technology equipment that was introduced several years ago and identified by its special blue casing.
Greg Imus, the Shindaiwa vice president for sales, marketing and technical services, said the new products offer value for money, pointing out the fuel efficiency for the new C4 line offers consumers a free tank of gas for every four used when compared to its 2-cycle counterpart.
“It’s just like people who buy hybrid vehicles,” Imus said. “The C4 line offers the benefits of 4-cycle (engine) with 2-cycle performance.”
These include high torque, multi-positioning and great throttle response with the added benefits of low engine noise, improved fuel economy and reduced exhaust gas emissions, Imus, who came from Oregon for the event, said.
But the eyecatcher was the sampling of gasoline the M. Kawamura repair crew had extracted from various problem machines.
In one bottle, Kawamura pointed out the clear separation of water and fuel. This situation has become commonplace in machines that utilize fuel containing ethanol. Additionally, in one sample that came from an ailing lawn mower, Kawamura pointed out the beginnings of mold growth in the fuel sample.
“When the mold grows inside the engine, even carburetor cleaner can’t get rid of it,” he said.
To help equipment operators and motorists with this problem, Kawamura said he is trying out a product put out by Ethos.
That product, labelled as a fuel reformulator, offers three benefits — cleaner burning, more horsepower and better mileage.
According to the Ethos Web site, the product is a unique combination of high-quality, non-toxic, specially designed esters that uses only the elements of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen.
This combination of low molecular weight cleaning esters and high molecular weight lubrication esters reformulates any fuel.
The Web site further states that EPA lab tests confirm that Ethos FR is 99.99976 percent clean upon ignition and ashless on combustion.
According to the Web site, there have been a number of publications and television networks that have documented test results on the effectiveness of its product.
“If this product can help the equipment owners, then it will be worth it,” Kawamura said. “But right now, we’re just testing to see if it works.”
The M. Kawamura Farm Expo runs through Saturday afternoon.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@kauaipubco.com.
