‘No$Spray’$Kona$Coffee:$ farming$without$herbicide Melanie'Bondera FarmWorks Hawaii Why? • Human'Health'(carcinogen) • Environment'(soil,'animals,'plants,'reef) Agricultural$Why? • Soil'Health'(kills'micro>ecology) • Yield'(reduces'coffee'cherry'yield) • Cost • SuperWeeds • 100x'stronger'than'1970 • Can’t'mix'with'MycotrolJ'reduces'B.'bassiana impact Maintain$a$Cover • Holds'soil • Holds'water HOW? Weed$Management • System • Combination'of'methods HOW? • Weed'Whacking'(steep'rocky'slopes) • Mowing • Hand'Weeding Cover$crops • Weed'supression • Paspalum • Nutrition • Desmodium • Alternate'Crop • Perrennial peanut • Mixed'cover • Wandering'Jews • Succession • Glyricidia • Planted • More… Shade • Coffee'is'an'understory'crop • Supress weeds • Allows'cover'crops'to'outcompete'weeds • Provides'an'additional'marketable'crop • Can'add'nutrition> nitrogen'&'leaf'litter Grazing$Animals • Sheep,'goats,'llamas,'cows,'donkey,' chickens • Manure'adds'nutrition • Animal'products Manage$Soil$MicroHecology • Coffee'prefers'fungal>dominated'soil • Desmodium prefers'bacteria>dominated'soil • Compost'teas • Korean'Natural'Farming'>>'Hawai‘i'Natural' Farming Understory$Crop • Sissou,'sweet'potato,'pumpkin,'taro… • Makes'weeding'worth'it • Additional'marketable'product • Better'land,'water,'fertilizer'use Mulch • Pruned'Coffee'branches• Weed'Suppression – Laid'in'row'&'flayed • Decomposes'to' – Chipped'&'spread compost' • Cherry'&'Parchment' • Faster'with'compost' from'your'mill teas'with'micro> • Other'farm'organic' organisms matter • Holds'moisture'in'soil • Weed'Mat • Prevent'emergence Organic$herbicides • Vodka • Vinegar • Clove'&'Cinnamon'oil • Boiling'water • Flame'torching Farm$Scale • 1'acre'– cover'crop • 5'acres'– weed'whacking • 10'acres'> over'&'under'story • 100'acres'> mowing Labor$Source • Family • Work'trade • Local'paid • Seasonal'teams • WWOOFers Costs • Labor • Management • Equipment,'gas,'maintenance'&'repair • Inputs • Feed,'supplements,'vet Comparison • Round>up • Mowing/weed' • Cost'of'herbicide whacking • Sprayer • Equipment,'gas,' • Labor maintenance'&'repair • Labor • Externalized'costs'of' human'health'and' • Increased'benefit'of' tree,'soil,'yield'loss mulched'clippings,' and'released'nitrogen Additional$Benefits • Increased'coffee'yield • Healthier'soil'micro>biology • Safer'for'farm'animals • No'carcinogens'for'labor'or'farmers • Family'farm'&'neighbor'kids'can'play'without'fear • Better'for'reef • Less'plastic'bottles • Coffee'tastes'better • More'B.'bassiana lives'for'longer Diana'Duff,'Kathy'Fleming, Sarah'Moore,'Melanie'Bondera [email protected] (808)'328>2441 farmworkshawaii.org.