Creating a More Agriculturally Sustainable

Maui
Quinn Shapiro

Senior Seminar

Mr. Niko

8 Tuesday 2020

Preface
 When the Europeans first arrived in Hawaii, they destroyed the ahupua`a system that had

previously sustained Hawaiians for hundreds of years. Since then, Maui has lacked a sustainable

lifestyle for its residents. In fact, according to a study from the University of Hawaii, only 11.6%

of available food for consumption in Hawaii was grown locally in 2010(1). This creates a

plethora of disadvantages for the islands.

Firstly, we are completely reliant on outside sources for vital products. If our imports are

cut off, we do not have an incoming food supply. It is estimated that we only have a three day

food supply in stores. Importing goods also creates a large environmental impact. According to

an article from The Guardian, a single cargo ship emits as much harmful gasses as 50 million

cars(2). When these imports come in, there is also a risk of bringing invasive species with them.

In fact, there are currently 38 invasive species in Hawaii.

So how can we reduce the amount of imports coming to Hawaii? One way is to increase

the amount of agriculture done here. However, doing this would create a need for more imported

nitrogen for fertilizer. Currently, there are no local sources of nitrogen on Maui, but there could

be.

My plan is to grow legumes, in which nitrogen is created due to a process called nitrogen

fixation. Then, I will sell the nitrogen to local farms. This will not only decrease the amount of

nitrogen imports currently needed, but allow for more farming to be done on Maui.

Introduction
Driving Question

How can I create a more agriculturally sustainable Maui by reducing the amount of

imports needed?

Specialized Mentor

My specialized mentor is going to be Mario Guigerro. He has worked in the plant

breeding industry for many years and is familiar with agricultural processes.

Key Content Knowledge

For this project, I will need to learn how to cultivate a crop, how nitrogen fixation works,

and how to sell and distribute my product to local farmers.

Nitrogen fixation in legumes occurs due to bacteria that live in the plant’s root nodules.

The bacteria fix atmospheric nitrogen and create compounds that the plant can use. Then, when

the legume plant dies, the nitrogen is released, which fertilizes the soil.

I am hoping to learn more about how to cultivate a crop and how to sell the products

during my mentorship with Mario Guigerro.

21st Century Skills

One 21st century skill that I will need is communication. I will need to constantly check

in with my mentor for updates on the farm. If there is a problem, it is vital that we quickly inform

each other and find a solution. I will also need this skill to contact other potential workers who

can help out on the farm.

Another key skill will be financial, economic, and business literacy. After harvesting the

crops, I will need to sell the nitrogen to buyers. Hopefully, this project will help develop this

skill.

Limitations
 The main limitation that I will face is problems with the crops. One of these problems

could be rain. If it rains during certain times in the process, it can damage the plants. To

minimize the effects of this, I can stagger the dates of when I plant the crops so that they don’t

all get harmed.

Some other problems that I could face are pests, animals, and viruses that hurt the plants.

One way to combat this is to plant border crops. Border crops are planted around the main crops

so that animals, pests, and viruses damage only the unimportant plants.

Deliverables

For my evaluation of this project, I will turn in a powerpoint presentation that includes

pictures, videos, and data that I have collected from my project.

Resources/Materials Needed

For this project, I will need land for the farm, equipment, the crop seeds, and people to

help maintain the crops.

My mentor has the land, equipment, and crop seeds needed. One of my jobs is to help

him find workers. I have started to talk to people about working, and I already have three people

interested.

The last thing that I will need is my own time. I have set aside weekends, wednesdays,

and part of monday and friday to work on the farm. I predict that I will be working about fifteen

to twenty hours a week.

Budget

My mentor is funding the project, which means that I will not have to fundraise for any of

the equipment, land, seeds, or staff. My complete summary of costs will be finished by this

weekend.
Timeline

September:

● Begin research for argumentative essay

● Meet with my mentor at least three more times before the planting starts

October:

● Plant crops

● Document the planting of the crops

● Create and finish first Progress presentation

● Give first progress presentation

● Begin writing argumentative essay

● Meet with mentor to recap the month’s progress

November:

● Maintain crops

● Document crop progress

● Finish argumentative essay and create final draft

● Begin second progress presentation

● Meet with mentor to recap the month’s progress

December:

● Maintain crops

● Document crop progress

● Finish second progress presentation

● Give second progress presentation

 ● Meet with mentor to recap the month’s progress

January:

● Maintain Crops

● Document plant progress

● Meet with mentor to recap the month’s progress

February:

● Maintain Crops

● Start final project presentation

● Meet with mentor to recap the month’s progress

March:

● Harvest crops

● Prepare nitrogen fertilizer

● Sell nitrogen fertilizer

● Finish final project presentation

● Give final presentation

● Meet with mentor to recap the month’s progress

(1) https://doi.org/10.1186/2193-7532-1-10
(2) https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2009/apr/09/shipping-pollution