Maui Gold Pineapple is partnering with a nonprofit environmental group to promote reef-friendly practices on its farm.
The company says it has created a test plot to pilot the Maui Nui Marine Resource Council’s Reef-Friendly Landscaping program at its farm in Haliimaile, Hawaii. The collaboration aims to complement reef-friendly practices already in place at the farm and increase Maui Gold’s commitment to protect the island’s coral reefs and coastal ecosystems, according to a news release.
Maui Gold Pineapple and the Maui Nui Marine Resource Council hosted a test plot launch at the farm May 8, with county of Maui Mayor Richard Bissen and Hawaii state Sen. Lynn DeCoite among the guests supporting the initiative in attendance, the release said.
“We are thrilled to join forces with the Maui Nui Marine Resource Council to pioneer this Reef-Friendly Landscaping initiative on our farm,” Darren Strand, director of agriculture at Maui Gold Pineapple, said in the release. “As stewards of the land, we have always recognized the importance of protecting our coastal ecosystems. Continuing to implement more reef-friendly practices at Maui Gold is one way to show our commitment to sustainability and responsible land management.”
The Reef-Friendly Landscaping program focuses on minimizing chemical pollution and runoff from agricultural and residential areas that may harm marine life and coral reefs. The plot at Maui Gold will be treated with a biological soil amendment, which is a liquid filled with nutrients and microbes that will nourish crops while enriching the soil at the same time, the release said.
Made locally by natural land-care company SoilThrive Hawaii, the amendment will be applied to the plot via a custom delivery system specifically designed for Maui Gold Pineapple, according to the release. SoilThrive will also conduct 19 types of soil testing and crop monitoring in the test plot throughout the pilot period.
“We are excited to have Maui Gold Pineapple pilot our Reef-Friendly Landscaping program on their farm,” Jill Wirt, program director for the Maui Nui Marine Resource Council, said in the release. “They are the first agricultural business to partner with us. We know the program’s success on their farm will demonstrate how agricultural businesses of all sizes can thrive while driving positive change for Maui’s land and reefs.”
Related links: Learn more about the partnership and the Reef-Friendly Landscaping program at mauireefs.org/rfl and mauigold.com.
