Vibe in Hawaii

[pop_rocks]

that story was fun to read squid'!
thanks for sharing

 

[ctg]

The real deal
molokai frost is alive and abundant in seed form!

 

[oldhaole]

Gonna move to Hawaii would like advice on where? Which Island is best for growing or plus and minus for each island. Overall opinions on Hawaii market and growing lifestyle.

You don't ask for much do you?

Start at the beginning, which island? Each island has pluses and minuses. Big Island is the obvious choice. Land prices there are the best in the State. That said, there will be lots of competition because almost everybody grows, and it would be handy to have an outlet to sell off island. On island prices are miserable. And let's not forget about the volcanoes, the cheap land is all in the rainforest, so you will need to cover your plants, and all that cheap land lives under threat of eruption, so you get what you pay for. The Big Island can be neatly split into two districts, Hilo (north side, rainforest, volcano, cheap land) and the South side Kona (south side, far dryer, lava flows but dormant volcanos, land is expensive) on this side because the tourists live here.

Maui? I live here so I admit my bias. I think it's the sweet spot. But I got here 50 years ago when it was way different and aged in. Almost as many people on Maui as the Big Island and we're one tenth the size. Island gets between 250 inches of rain a year to less than 10. And everything inbetween. Micro climates are all over so you pick your weather by where you want to live. Paradise. But. It's expensive as it gets. Prices start at half a million for a shitty old plantation house in the sand hills. Market here is pretty good, you have both the tourists and the locals and lot's of people grow, but there are problems with scale, plant limits and all that shit.

Molokai? Possibilities there. Lot's of land available, and a market that'll eat everything you can produce just 8 miles away. By boat. But it's Molokai. It ain't big. And they don't like outsiders there. But....This is where I'd go if I had to do it all over again. No volcanoes, no rainforest, just deep red Molokai dirt under hot Hawaiian skies. There would be some problems. Lot's of Hawaiians on Molokai and they protect their island, if you go stupid and loud they'll eat you, but if you went in quiet and humble it just might work. Get lots of dogs. Molokai also has lots of deer so you'll need tall fences. And a boat, trailered, a small center cab with a deep hull and twin outboards. When the island gets too small that's gonna be your escape hatch.

Oahu? This will be your most expensive option. Your markets right there, but so is all the shit that goes with it. Expect to get robbed. Far too many rats in that cage.

Kauai? As nice as Maui, maybe nicer, but just as expensive. A beautiful place, but where it sits getting product to Oahu will be problematic. I don't think it would matter much, from what I hear the local market there eats it all.

As for your market conditions this is way different from the Mainland. We are a pretty much closed market. With the exception of the BI most of what is grown here is consumed here. There is no demand for Mainland product. Hawaii is all about who you know, and people behave differently when you live on an Island. When you first arrive here the "locals" will appear very standoffish. We don't think you will be here long and we don't want to invest our time into someone that will be gone soon. It will be up to you to prove us wrong. And the only way that gets done is if you hang in there and we see you constantly as time goes past.

Anyway.... that's how I see it from where I sit. Others may feel differently. Hope it helps