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Where do Kava Farmers Farm?

KrunkMunster

KrunkMunster

Kava Enthusiast
I'm curious if Kava farmers farm on public lands or do they mainly do it on their own land? I'm really am more curious than anything given some of the recent debate. I don't want to cause a pissing match, but I will use Gourmet Hawaiian Kava as an example, since they are a US based farm/vendor. Chris has often made the comment that he doesn't want people to know where his farm is for fear of someone ripping off his Kava. The more I think about this, it doesn't make sense that this would be a concern on private land. I live in Oregon and pot is legal to grow and in fact there are large nurseries that have been converted to pot farms. Pot is alot more valuable than Kava, yet it is pretty well known where the bigger pot farms are and you don't hear/read much about big thefts at these places. These farms are fenced and probably have some security in them for sure, however you don't have to have degree in horticulture to know what they are growing there. Here in the US, guns are also legal and most people are smart enough to not just go on someone else private property and rip off crap for fear of being legally shot.

The fact that Chris seems to be worried about people ripping off his Kava seems to imply that it is planted on public lands and he is keeping it secret since anyone can legally enter these lands. In most cases, it is also legal in the US to harvest plants from public lands. The Big Island of Hawaii has quite a bit of public lands -- probably between 1/3-1/2 of the island. Granted, a bunch of it is covered in lava fields, but there is also quite a bit of forested public lands on the eastern portion of the island. Chris's pictures and videos seem to also imply that the Kava is planted on public lands because the plants seem to be just sort of out scattered around out in the woods. Doesn't look like a regular agricultural crop.

Anyway, I'd be curious to hear what those know know about Kava farmers say.
 
kasa_balavu

kasa_balavu

Yaqona Dina
See what the late Jerry Konanui had to say about this even back in 2014 when prices were still sane compared to today and theft was less of a problem than it is now.

Anon 1: "You guys don't have any awa down here?"
Jerry Konanui: "Oh... you know we never ask people that."
Anon 2: "Why is that?"
Jerry Konanui: "Because that's when they start ripping it off." *Laughs* "'Where do you grow this?' 'Oh the other side' *points off in the distance*. 'We don't grow awa here'"

He ends with "We've learnt to be wiser".
Chris Allen is just being wise and protecting his livelihood.

Watch the video from 18:15 to 18:53:

I personally know two commercial kava farmers who gave up and pulled out the last of their kava last year because they just couldn't take it anymore. People are stealing kava plants as young as a year and a half old. It's not really feasible for the farmer to harvest kava at that age, so at minimum he has to guard his plants for a year and a half until they're 3yrs old. 24hrs a day. Nobody can do this.
The government responded by banning the purchase of green (undried) kava by all but a few licensed buyers. Some of these unlicensed buyers still buy green kava no-questions asked so nothing has changed.

If I could grow kava in a place where nobody would find it, I would have a large kava farm today.

In comparison, marijuana is a low-footprint crop... you can grow a valuable amount of kava in a space small enough to protect with cameras and fencing. You can grow it indoors. And most important of all, it's ready for harvest in just a few months. You only really have to guard it for a month or two.
 
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G

gork

Kava Enthusiast
KrunkMunster said:
Interesting. I didn't know that people stole Kava so much.
Click to expand...
GHK and BHK can speek this way better than I can. Their's thread around here about where someone tried to steel some Hanakapi AI from earlier this year.--tried to being the word their. Local police and farm wardens litterally cot them in the act. The other question should be: why? is that valuable or are they doing it to be jerks?
 
Gourmet Hawaiian Kava

Gourmet Hawaiian Kava

Kava Expert
Kava Vendor
KrunkMunster said:
I'm curious if Kava farmers farm on public lands or do they mainly do it on their own land? I'm really am more curious than anything given some of the recent debate. I don't want to cause a pissing match, but I will use Gourmet Hawaiian Kava as an example, since they are a US based farm/vendor. Chris has often made the comment that he doesn't want people to know where his farm is for fear of someone ripping off his Kava. The more I think about this, it doesn't make sense that this would be a concern on private land. I live in Oregon and pot is legal to grow and in fact there are large nurseries that have been converted to pot farms. Pot is alot more valuable than Kava, yet it is pretty well known where the bigger pot farms are and you don't hear/read much about big thefts at these places. These farms are fenced and probably have some security in them for sure, however you don't have to have degree in horticulture to know what they are growing there. Here in the US, guns are also legal and most people are smart enough to not just go on someone else private property and rip off crap for fear of being legally shot.

The fact that Chris seems to be worried about people ripping off his Kava seems to imply that it is planted on public lands and he is keeping it secret since anyone can legally enter these lands. In most cases, it is also legal in the US to harvest plants from public lands. The Big Island of Hawaii has quite a bit of public lands -- probably between 1/3-1/2 of the island. Granted, a bunch of it is covered in lava fields, but there is also quite a bit of forested public lands on the eastern portion of the island. Chris's pictures and videos seem to also imply that the Kava is planted on public lands because the plants seem to be just sort of out scattered around out in the woods. Doesn't look like a regular agricultural crop.

Anyway, I'd be curious to hear what those know know about Kava farmers say.
Click to expand...
.
No I do not plant my kava on public lands for all to come and get. I own land and I lease land, I do NOT grow on public land.
Theft of kava was such a big thing that we used to put micro chips in the kava growing here on public and private lands and there are fences and gates and other security measures I will not get into.
At that time there was tons of kava everywhere, now because of the kava theft it is mostly all gone. There is still some kava in the wild but it is way in the back of valleys and very hard to get to.

It is also important to note that Mr. Pinner from Pinner Creek Organics stopped planting kava and selling it because of theft, email him and ask him and he will tell you. His website is here---http://www.pinnercreekorganics.com/index.html
Aloha.

Chris
 
kastom_lif

kastom_lif

Kava Lover
Back in the day, the rule of thumb was to plant three times more weed than you need: one third for Green Harvest, one third for cockaroaches, and one third that survives.

And that's for a crop that matures in only a few months! You can't hide kava in a sugarcane field. Not that there's any sugar any more, anyway, but you know...

In California, they made stealing avocados off the tree a FELONY. No joke.

Re: security gates: This is not specific to Hawaii, even. Some ranchers will let you on their land as long as they know who you are and what you're up to. Gates can have combination locks that get switched out regularly. You have to call and talk with them, and they'll decide if you're cool. Plus, in this day and age of cheap trailcams, they WILL find out if you shared the combination with your idiot friends.

Edit after watching the video... Unko Jerry is right. Kaʻu get nice fish. Maybe odda kine stuffs, too. ;)
 
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Gourmet Hawaiian Kava

Gourmet Hawaiian Kava

Kava Expert
Kava Vendor
kastom_lif said:
Back in the day, the rule of thumb was to plant three times more weed than you need: one third for Green Harvest, one third for cockaroaches, and one third that survives.

And that's for a crop that matures in only a few months! You can't hide kava in a sugarcane field. Not that there's any sugar any more, anyway, but you know...
Click to expand...
It sounds to me like you live in Hawaii or used to live in Hawaii. I have heard of that planting method before. ;) But you gave me an idea, maybe I should plant 3 times more kava than I need, (y) One third for me, one third for you and the other third for the kava forums. ::awesomesmiles::
Here is a riddle for you--- If you plant 3 Isa plants in 3 days, does that make them three day kava, one day kava, or tudei kava? :woot:
Aloha.

Chris
 
Kavafied

Kavafied

Kava Vendor
KrunkMunster said:
I'm curious if Kava farmers farm on public lands or do they mainly do it on their own land? I'm really am more curious than anything given some of the recent debate. I don't want to cause a pissing match, but I will use Gourmet Hawaiian Kava as an example, since they are a US based farm/vendor. Chris has often made the comment that he doesn't want people to know where his farm is for fear of someone ripping off his Kava. The more I think about this, it doesn't make sense that this would be a concern on private land. I live in Oregon and pot is legal to grow and in fact there are large nurseries that have been converted to pot farms. Pot is alot more valuable than Kava, yet it is pretty well known where the bigger pot farms are and you don't hear/read much about big thefts at these places. These farms are fenced and probably have some security in them for sure, however you don't have to have degree in horticulture to know what they are growing there. Here in the US, guns are also legal and most people are smart enough to not just go on someone else private property and rip off crap for fear of being legally shot.

The fact that Chris seems to be worried about people ripping off his Kava seems to imply that it is planted on public lands and he is keeping it secret since anyone can legally enter these lands. In most cases, it is also legal in the US to harvest plants from public lands. The Big Island of Hawaii has quite a bit of public lands -- probably between 1/3-1/2 of the island. Granted, a bunch of it is covered in lava fields, but there is also quite a bit of forested public lands on the eastern portion of the island. Chris's pictures and videos seem to also imply that the Kava is planted on public lands because the plants seem to be just sort of out scattered around out in the woods. Doesn't look like a regular agricultural crop.

Anyway, I'd be curious to hear what those know know about Kava farmers say.
Click to expand...
It is a great design challenge to figure this out. Every location will have a completeley different scenario. Its an on going process for us as you can see by following a long on our farming progress here: https://www.getkavafied.com/blogs/kavafied-family-kava-nursery-farms

We like to test out different theories and even reframe the problem itself. Like how can we change the percieved value of kava plants to deter theft? First crazy idea is to fence the lot in with a natural barrier of vanilla. With vanilla currently worth more it’s weight than silver ($500-$700 / kg) , theives may miss the kava field behind it entirely lol
 
ThePiper

ThePiper

Kava Lover
Well with cannabis you only need to protect it for a couple of months, (maybe less because only mature buds would be worth nabbing I imagine) not a couple of YEARS. And with cannabis being so profitable and easy to grow in small areas I have heard of some very high tech security or even 24/7 paid gaurds. Doesn't makes sense to do that with kava in a huge acreage for 3 years per crop when the profit is probably 10% or less of what a cannabis farmer makes for his efforts.
 
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