Page 16 - Living Aloha Magazine March/April 2017 Issue

growing

’olena

aka:

tuRmeRiC

by Dr. Lew Abrams

The first Polynesian sailing canoe pleased to confirm that our efforts to microorganisms brewed in the
voyagers who made it to the malama the a’ina are bearing fruit. tradition of Korean Natural Farming.
islands of Hawaii carried with We began establishing a new field for After leaving the field undisturbed for
them several key plant species planting turmeric by creating a long a couple more weeks, when the top
layer of wood chips was pulled back,
they knew would help them arcing berm made from cane grass we were excited to discover a white
survive in their new home. These (Guinea grass) pulled out and piled 6 web of mycelium, the telltale sign of a
“canoe” plants were selected for feet high with an excavator. This wind burgeoning colony of micorrhizae, the
food, medicine, tools, and shelter. row was turned into rich compost beneficial fungi that live along the root
Olena- Curcuma Domestica, also by running a drip line on it to keep hairs of plants, helping them to absorb
known as turmeric, is believed to be it from drying out, and covering it nutrients from the surrounding soil.
one these useful canoe plants and with weed mat for several months.
has been utilized for generations We also pumped living algae-filled Finally, it was time to plant small, pinky-
as both food and medicine as well water from a nearby tilapia pond sized pieces of turmeric a few inches
as a golden yellow dye. Turmeric onto the berm to inoculate it with below the surface in rows about 2
has gained attention recently from beneficial microorganisms. After three feet apart. Vetiver grass for mulch
natural medicine enthusiasts as or four months we uncovered the and oregano as a ground cover were
over 40,000 peer reviewed research pile and turned it with an excavator planted around the perimeter of the
studies have documented its powerful to ensure that any remaining clumps olena bed. Non-GMO Papaya trees
anti-inflammatory and other health of undigested grass and roots would were interspersed along one edge of
enhancing qualities. be broken down. Six weeks later we the bed, providing some shade.
spread the cane grass compost into
Hawaii’s semi-tropical climate, volcanic a raised garden bed about 200 feet Soon the first green shoots began to
soils, and ample rainfall in windward long by 16 feet wide. Earthworms appear and within a month the vibrant
areas are ideal for cultivating turmeric. from other areas of the farm were striated green leaves of the young
To achieve turmeric’s maximum introduced to the planting bed and turmeric plants concealed most of
growth and potency, building soil we spread bags of oyster shell lime, the woodchip mulch. They shot up
fertility is essential. Ahimsa Sanctuary glacial rock dust, kelp (from Nova to three or four feet high and then
Farm in Haiku on Maui’s north shore Scotia) and a truckload of black cinder produced some strangely beautiful
has been exploring a range of natural to re-mineralize the soil and help waxy pale green flowers nestled
strategies for restoring soil health with drainage. Bio-char, a mixture of among the leaves. As winter solstice
and vitality using organic farming charcoal and manure, was then tilled approached, the edges of the leaves
practices. These regenerative farming into the top foot of soil. Truckloads of started to yellow and then just when
techniques involve careful preparation wood chips were delivered and spread we reached the shortest day of the
and supplementation of the beds into a 6 inch thick layer, covering all year, the turmeric plants suddenly
prior to planting to restore the balance exposed soil from the sun’s damaging laid down and began to die back,
of nutrients and microorganisms. As UV rays. Finally the wood chips were signaling that it would soon be time to
we unearthed a bountiful harvest of saturated with a solution of indigenous harvest. Earlier test harvests revealed
turmeric rhizomes this week, we were pale yellow tubers but by waiting

16 FEATURES Living Aloha | MARCH–APRIL 2017