SUBHEAD: A video of the public meeting on the proposed Hawaii Dairy Farm impacts to Mahaulepu, Kauai.
By Staff on 25 October 2014 for Friends of Mahaulepu -
(http://friendsofmahaulepu.org/)
Image above: Man fishing along the shoreline of Mahaulepu. Photo by Juan Wilson 6/12/13.
Friends of Mahaulepu brought together experts in several fields to talk about the facts about Hawaii Dairy Farm on 10/23/14. See the video of the meeting below.
Friends of Mahaulepu is comprised of a group of concerned citizens (local and beyond) who are contributing their time and talents to protect the natural beauty of this pristine coastal valley.
Our latest challenge has been responding to the proposed large industrial scale dairy, operated by Hawaii Dairy Farms (HDF), that wants to bring 2,000 dairy cows to a 582 acre parcel less than a mile from the coastline. The white sand beaches and coral reefs of Maha’ulepu are currently free of any development.
The proposal to operate a large industrial dairy, where 2,000 cows will be grazed on just 24 acres per day (83 cows per acre), will result in at least 200,000 lbs. of manure and 16,000 gallons of urine being left daily on the clay soils found on the farm site.
The grave concern for the Friends of Mahaulepu, is the risk to the ecosystem and all of the protected and endangered species- many of them endemic- who make their home there.
The waterways too, are at risk, both streams and ocean, from pollutant runoff when either irrigation or heavy rains fall on the farm’s clay soils.
Also at risk, is the health of the visitors and residents who enjoy fishing, swimming, and surfing in the area adjacent to the farm, and may be exposed to harmful bacteria from the cattle’s waste. We have been working diligently to persuade authorities and HDF, that starting with a smaller scale operation would best protect Mahaulepu, since HDF is unable to identify any dairy operation in the United States that even comes close to the stocking and grazing density that they are proposing.
HDF’s proposal is based on a New Zealand model, which is not nearly as dense as the operation they plan for the Garden Island of Kauai.
Unfortunately, the very dairy model they claim to emulate, has been found responsible for a nationwide pollution problem in New Zealand. We need all the help we can get to scale this operation down and assure that HDF doesn’t cause irreparable damage to Kauai.
Video above: Created by Robert Zelkovsky. A record of the public meeting on the proposed Hawaii Dairy Farm in Mahaulepu. From (http://youtu.be/O5jO1qi7H78).
.
By Staff on 25 October 2014 for Friends of Mahaulepu -
(http://friendsofmahaulepu.org/)
Image above: Man fishing along the shoreline of Mahaulepu. Photo by Juan Wilson 6/12/13.
Friends of Mahaulepu brought together experts in several fields to talk about the facts about Hawaii Dairy Farm on 10/23/14. See the video of the meeting below.
Friends of Mahaulepu is comprised of a group of concerned citizens (local and beyond) who are contributing their time and talents to protect the natural beauty of this pristine coastal valley.
Our latest challenge has been responding to the proposed large industrial scale dairy, operated by Hawaii Dairy Farms (HDF), that wants to bring 2,000 dairy cows to a 582 acre parcel less than a mile from the coastline. The white sand beaches and coral reefs of Maha’ulepu are currently free of any development.
The proposal to operate a large industrial dairy, where 2,000 cows will be grazed on just 24 acres per day (83 cows per acre), will result in at least 200,000 lbs. of manure and 16,000 gallons of urine being left daily on the clay soils found on the farm site.
The grave concern for the Friends of Mahaulepu, is the risk to the ecosystem and all of the protected and endangered species- many of them endemic- who make their home there.
The waterways too, are at risk, both streams and ocean, from pollutant runoff when either irrigation or heavy rains fall on the farm’s clay soils.
Also at risk, is the health of the visitors and residents who enjoy fishing, swimming, and surfing in the area adjacent to the farm, and may be exposed to harmful bacteria from the cattle’s waste. We have been working diligently to persuade authorities and HDF, that starting with a smaller scale operation would best protect Mahaulepu, since HDF is unable to identify any dairy operation in the United States that even comes close to the stocking and grazing density that they are proposing.
HDF’s proposal is based on a New Zealand model, which is not nearly as dense as the operation they plan for the Garden Island of Kauai.
Unfortunately, the very dairy model they claim to emulate, has been found responsible for a nationwide pollution problem in New Zealand. We need all the help we can get to scale this operation down and assure that HDF doesn’t cause irreparable damage to Kauai.
Video above: Created by Robert Zelkovsky. A record of the public meeting on the proposed Hawaii Dairy Farm in Mahaulepu. From (http://youtu.be/O5jO1qi7H78).
.
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