Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Hawaii's Women in Agriculture Summer Safari Begins on Hawaii Island

Hi Guys,

As some of you may already know, I’m coordinating a book about Hawaii’s Women in Agriculture.  I'm traveling across our beautiful islands seeking stories about pioneering women in Agriculture on diverse levels of race, age and sector.  Some of the women will be familiar stars and others will be diamonds in the rough.  Me, along with my writer, my photographer, sometimes my mom and other Ag Leaders will be taking a summer long collabrative journey unlocking the sustainable secrets of these women, their businesses and the legacies they have perpetuated and hope to continue in a changing world.  I’m creating this blog to keep everyone updated on the adventure and my sustainable aloha insights.  I hope you will join us for this exciting summer safari of inspiring, cultural & educational lifestyles! 

We were on Hawaii Island this past weekend and took our fist steps on this cosmic course. Here we go!

First Up!!
Michelle Galimba~ Rancher
Kuahiwi Ranch~ Naalehu, District of Ka’u, Hawaii Island

Undoubtedly Michelle Galimba is a familiar name in Agriculture, she’s a Rancher and that’s a pretty big deal in this business. She helps manage her family’s 10,000 acre ranch on the South End of Hawaii Island.  I had never been out there but getting a feel for her actual lifestyle became imperative to telling and understanding her story.  Her directions were simply (much like she is), “drive on circle island road till you reach the Ace Hardware”.  Seriously, after we drove out of Hilo and passed Volcano Village it was the next town after an hour of driving (I heard that all the other islands combined can fit into Ka’u District).  They are not joking when they call it “Big Island”. We then drove 4 miles up a bumpy road where she met us in her truck with one of her dogs in the back.  All the stereotypes of a rancher fit, except the fact that she’s a woman.  Truck, dog, middle of no where-- unpretentious.  She looks like she has worked hard and seen many things in her life but her demeanor is mellow, unaffected, mystical.  We follow her to her house on a hill overlooking hundreds of acres of grass and an endless view of ocean~ it is beautiful.  All we can hear are dogs playing in the tall grass, bulls arguing in the distance, and the wind blowing through the trees. Being unaccustomed to such isolation we ask her if being so far from everything ever freaks her out, she replies “ no, I like being alone out here, its quiet”  she chuckles and says that she doesn’t have a TV and her daughter is at gramma’s house for a bit getting some TV time. We head out to her patio to talk story and she serves us tea with a pretty porcelain tea set.  This feels ironic.  We chat a bit about her life and I learn things about her that I never knew.  She tells us that her love for agriculture is in her love for horses (she has about a 100).  We can’t help ourselves and we ask if we can go out to see them. She nods and says “we go”.  Through the gate and out into the pasture with our slippers and camera phones we see them a football field away.  The horses sense her and immediately gallop like dogs toward us. Me, my mom, and my writer exchange looks of fright but Michelle is in her natural environment and seems completely oblivious to 10 fully grown horses charging toward us.  We try to remain calm and like curious children they nuzzle and cuddle against us.  I have rode a horse before but never felt this close to one.  They all love Michelle and bump each other out of the way to get affection from her.  My fears of these large animals have drifted and their majestic energy has become somewhat soothing. It then became so clear to me why she has such a strong reverence and connection with them and that their gentle power has become hers as well.