How to be the Perfect Pet Parent

Congratulations you're a pet parent!!

No matter if this is your first or fourth fur-baby (fish, fowl and reptiles included) it's always helpful to go over what it takes to be the perfect pet parent.

1. Be prepared. How well do you know the breed or pet you are taking home? Do you know the common health issues that may arise in the future? Are you able to afford food, spay or neuter, shots, and toys? Saving $10-20 each paycheck can help alleviate these expenses. Some veterinarians offer a pet insurance program with low co-pays that cover routine shots and visits. Remember, a healthy pet is a happy pet.

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Noni: A Powerful Antibacterial Agent

We all have heard how noni is a powerful antibacterial agent. But how can noni accomplish this? Read on my friends! Let's go into depth regarding the wondrous properties of noni: a powerful antibacterial agent.

First of all what does antibacterial mean?

Antibacterial is anything that destroys bacteria or inhibits bacteria's ability to grow or reproduce. Sounds like our immune system doesn't it? Mother nature is so amazing!

How does noni support the body to accomplish this task?

Noni: Natural Relief for Shingles

Approximately 1 out of every 3 people in the United States will develop shingles during their lifetime. This is because shingles is caused by the varicella zoster virus which is also responsible for chickenpox. After a person recovers from chickenpox, the virus becomes dormant ready to reactivate becoming the shingles virus.

Good news! The majority of the time, when someone recovers from shingles they don't get it again. In the meantime, below are some suggestions to help you to a speedy recovery!

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Albatross Breeding Season Draws to a Close

Every year around mid-July comes a bittersweet time for our family farm. The Laysan albatross chicks, who we’ve watched grow from egg to awkward fledgling, will soon be taking off on a 3000 mile journey.

The albatross have made their nesting grounds on our land since long before we arrived in 1982. Every year, adolescent and adult Laysan albatross return to the place they were born to gather together, engage in courtship, and mate.

They’re an important part of our farm, reminding us of the power of home and family, the rewards of perseverance, and the ability of nature to design amazing things. We’re lucky enough to have two of nature’s gems, Laysan albatross and Noni fruit, in abundance on our land.

From Birthplace . . .

This batch of Laysan albatross hatched in late January, one egg to each pair of albatross. After their egg hatches, both the male and the female fly back and forth to the cold, rich waters off the coast of Alaska.

They eat and partially digest squid, fish, and other prey near the surface, and fly home to the chick. The chick eats the regurgitated stomach oil.

By the time mid-July comes around, the chicks have grown from 7 ounce balls of fluff to 4-5 lb juveniles. Their feathers have mostly changed from fluffy grey baby down to the black and white feathers of adults, although there are usually still some silly-looking tufts of grey feathers. This means they’re ready to fly.

Soon, this year’s chicks—including your favorite, Blossom—will take flight and begin their 3000 mile journey. At least one of the parents of each chick will return to Kauai for the last time this season. They’ll spend the day grooming their chick, getting all ready for the big takeoff. Then, when the Trade winds are high, the chicks will take off into the wind and start the voyage.

Their destination? The cold, squid-filled waters off the coast of Alaska.

Read the full version to learn about the journey to the Coast of Alaska

. . . and Back Again

No one is sure how these remarkable birds find their way home after so many years at sea, but every year near the start of winter, familiar breeding pairs return to the island. About a month later, they are joined by a number of juveniles who are ready to start looking for a mate.

Their accuracy is amazing. There’s another colony of Laysan albatross just a few miles north of us at Kilauea point, but these birds come back to our land, where they were born.

The juveniles watch the adults, and start slowly choosing mate. They mate for life, so it’s a very important decision! So far, the colony on our land has 19 breeding pairs, and the number is increasing all the time.

When the juveniles are about 7 years old, they return with the other breeding pairs and start mating for life. The whole cycle begins anew each season, and we feel so privileged to be witnesses to it.

We’ll keep you updated on the chicks—especially Blossom—and let you know when they start their journeys northward. We should still have a few weeks with them, and we plan to treasure every opportunity to appreciate these amazing creatures.

7000 Gallons: Watering a Small Organic Farm

Organic farming is dependent upon hundreds of natural cycles—large and small. Nutrients, pests, pollinators, sunshine, water, and more come and go, impacting the plants’ ability to grow and produce healthful, nutritious fruits.

Noni in particular is a product of where it was grown. Abundant sunshine, nutrients, pollinators, and water work together to support Noni’s amazing healing properties.

We’re lucky enough to be situated on Kauai, where sun, pollinators, and nutrients are available year-round. Water is available year-round too, but it can be difficult to get it in the right place at the right time.

Our farm needs a lot of water—as most farms do. We use about 7000 gallons of water each day to water our Noni trees. So where do we get it?

Irrigation: A Question of Access and Control

The 7000 gallons of water needs to arrive consistently. It also needs to be gradual, rather than all in a rush. And all of it needs to go directly to the trees, rather than spreading out across our land.

The Water Cycle is nature’s way of distributing water on our planet. If you need a refresher on the Water Cycle, check out this image from the U.S. Department of the Interior.

You can see that the main sources of water on land are:

• Precipitation
• Stream flow and freshwater storage
• Ground-water discharge

Precipitation

Hawaiian Organic Noni is located on a part of the island that gets lots of precipitation in the form ofrain. The problem is, rain can be hard to predict and control. Since we’re running a business, we need a water source that we can manage.

Stream Flow and Freshwater

We get plenty of runoff from the high grounds of Kauai as it flows to the ocean, but it’s not consistent. We can’t control how much water is available, or where that water goes.

Ground Water Discharge

Water that is trapped underground slowly works its way up through springs, or is pulled out of the earth using wells. Over time, rainwater seeps into the ground to replenish the ground water.

But pumping water out of the ground uses a lot of electricity. It can be expensive and very inefficient.

So how can a small, family-owned farm get access to and control over the water they need?

Click here for the full version and read about our Search for a Source

Control: Responsible Stewardship

We settled on using solar voltaic pumps to pull water from drilled wells on our land. The solar panels absorb and convert sunlight into energy, which then powers the pumps.

We pull the 7000 gallons of water we need out of the ground and distribute it among our Noni trees. The trees take the water they need, and the rest seeps back down into the water table.

It’s very important for us to collect runoff so the water can seep back into the water table, to be used again later. Many farmers simply drain these underground resources, which take thousands of years to refill.

We think of ourselves as stewards of our land, which means that we have a responsibility to protect, nourish, and preserve the resources of our farmland. This especially includes water.

We re-use water and collect runoff so this resource will continue to feed us and our Noni trees for many years to come.

Sustainability: A Long Future of Healthy Noni Trees

The result is happy, healthy Noni trees. Most Noni trees only produce fruit 10 months out of the year. Ours haven’t stopped producing once in the last 8 years. Happy trees produce healthful Noni fruit, packed with beneficial compounds and enzymes to help the body heal.

In order to bring our family and you, our extended family of customers, nutritious, powerful Noni products, we conserve energy, save money, and preserve this most precious resource—water.