Meet your Producers: Green Farm

This week’s producer highlight speaks of a city girl and a country boy, Esther & Peter Kim.

Esther and Peter are the sole caretakers of their leased farmland located in Amauulu, Hilo.

When asked how they manage ten acres by themselves, Esther responded, “it’s a labor of love, and because there is no stress here, the work is peaceful. Everyday I’m curious what the plants are doing, and I sing and talk to them.”

Being a classically trained opera singer from Seoul, it’s evident thru her harvest how well of a vocalist she is.

Peter was raised in a farming family and learned from a young age how to grow cinnamon, Bae (Korean pear), and Sagwa (apple) in rural South Korea.

He attended an Agriculture High school which taught everything from Korean Natural Farming techniques to early horticulture development.

The parcel the Kims lease and manage was known to produce sweet potatoes in prior years to this husband-and-wife team. “My husband never stops thinking about farming” remarks Esther while hinting to a Johnny’s Selected Seeds catalogue.

For the past year, all work on the property has been done by hand. Clearing, tilling, soil prep and amendments, planting, etc. Instead of the usual challenges on other farms such as pigs or pests, Esther and Peter’s greatest challenge came in the form of beautiful red and yellow feathered friends: birds.

Their latest innovation to face this challenge are strategically placed auditory sensors covered in white bags which emit a sound when a bird approaches the crops.

We, at the DA BOX are excited for the new variety of crops Esther and Peter have planted and look forward to sharing these with our members in the near future.