12Trees
Demonstration Orchard and Educational Center Design
The planned orchard and educational center will be developed on a plot at the Kona Pacific Farmers Cooperative.
The design is the creation of Dick Kuehner, a former designer of visitor attractions for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. It will have walkways and signage to allow for self-guided tours.
With input from Coop board members, Kaz Shigezawa and other community agriculture groups, the 12 trees orchard will offer a number of features that benefit Kona’s farmers.
The orchard will grow the 12 types of fruit trees chosen by Big Island chefs and others involved in food marketing. There are more than 100 types of locally grown fruit in the Kona area. A minimum of 2 trees from each of the 12 fruit species will be relocated to the site to develop a sustainable polyculture system of production and marketing.
A variety of horticultural techniques will be used for the various trees in order to showcase sustainable and organic soil, pest and disease management practices. Cover crops, mulching, use of organic fertilizers, pheromone traps, and pest control are some of the production technologies that will be demonstrated. Production practices used in Asia not widely used in Hawaii will be demonstrated. These practices include use of fruit coverings and alternative pruning methods to keep the trees short and easier to harvest. With technical assistance from area farmers, horticultural practices will be refined over the remaining years of the project.
The site will demonstrate for growers how a simple agtourism attraction can be established and operated.
Once completed, the orchard will have two sitting areas where demonstrations and lectures can be offered.
The site design can be found at http://www.hawaiifruit.net/12TDw.jpg
For More Information:
Dr. Richard Bowen Ken Love
Tel: 808-956-8419 Tel: 808-323-2417
Fax: 808-956-2865 Fax: 808-323-2245
rbowen@hawaii.edu ken@mycoffee.net
http://www.hawaiifruit.net/12trees.html