Prairie Hog Country – Hawaii Farm Tour Time

Down a long narrow driveway, about 30 miles south of Keauhou in South Kona on the Big Island of Hawaii, we came to Kona Hawk Farm. My folks, who reside on the Big Island for the winter months, met Doug Pittman at the local market. When purchasing some of his items and through conversation they found out he has a few pigs on his farm. They explained that I was coming for a visit in a couple of months and publish a hog magazine and asked if it would be ok if I contacted him. The rest they say is history.

After getting to the end of this long driveway which is on the southwestern slope of Mauna Loa and arriving at the five acre property we were greeted by Doug and three very friendly happy dogs. This area Doug referred to as upland dry forest, a great place to grow at about 1500’ above sea level. In comparison the coffee farms just up the road are near about 2000’.

Doug, originally from California, has had Kona Hawk Farm for fourteen years which can be described as an organic non GMO farm, he explained as we walked through his property passing his avocado trees, garden plots, yellow dragon plant trees, white pineapples, and about 130 Macadamia Nut trees. The property has no electricity but is powered by solar panels, a wind generator, propane and a bio digester which produces methane – enough to even power a TV. Unlike Western Canada the climate is more forgiving for such an adventure. He along with his wife Sabrina catch water for the plants and animals and haul it for their use in the house. When they first started out they had goats for a while too, but soon found they were not the best fit.

Doug has taken a course on Natural Farming and put those lessons to work with his bio digester. He only puts in garden waste, the slurry a great source of fertilizer about a 2-1-1. Doug has also hosted this same course to help other farmers in the area become more environmental aware, to be able to create fuel from green waste. Kona Hawk Farm is part of the HOFA, Hawaii Organic Farming Association.

From his energy created from the bio digester he has also made a dehydrator to dry the coveted mac nuts, one of the items he sells at the market.

When wanting to expand his little farm he thought of pigs, as they are ever popular on the island with locals. Currently he has three; Crouton, a one year old Duroc cross boar, and Tomari, a one and half year old cross breed female currently carrying her second parity, and Lefty one female he kept from her first litter (different father). He sold the rest of the first litter at two and half months for $80 each. He was able to sell them in a couple days by word of mouth, with these same words and people waiting for the second litter. Since a good profit will expand the herd.

Feed is easy on the island, mostly organic as dry feed has to come from the main land and is very expensive, green bananas, nuts, corn, with some 16 per cent protein pellets to add in.

Although the pigs have a half acre pen to move about in, Doug allows them out to run around on the rest of the farm. Within this pen area is a portion that can be separated off for a farrowing pen. There is no smell and no flies.

When we approached the pen they were right at the gate and anxious to run out to see if any avocados had fallen from tree and eat any Macadamia nuts on the ground.

When asked how you get them back in the pen, he commented it is never too hard they just follow.

Crouton is so tame he allowed me to scratch his sides, back and belly when scurrying about. He even rolled over for a tummy rub. Lefty, a bit smaller and when eating nuts, allowed me right beside her to scratch her as well.

It amazed me how they could just crack the shells with their teeth, I, in the past, have drove over the nuts and not been able to crack as they have an extremely tough shell.

All three pigs were as happy as could be running around munching here and there.

They look very healthy and it is obvious how much care Doug puts in to his animals. Doug and Sabrina have been able to make a living with selling at the market on Saturdays, as Doug explained the cost of living, where he is, is much less so you don’t need to make as much. In addition to yellow dragon fruit, white pineapples, avocados and other produce they sell the most delicious sour dough and banana bread.

You can follow Kona Hawk Farm on Facebook.

Thanks again Doug for allowing us to come out and see your farm and meet your pigs, as I said right after I met Doug, big or small it is consistently the passion and dedication of farmers everywhere. •