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LOCAL BUSINESS ANNOUNCES THIRD ANNUAL NATIVE CHRISTMAS TREE PROJECT
‘Planting Christmas’ campaign offers alternative to cut holiday trees imported from the mainland
MAKAWAO, HI, November 17 –The Permaculture Group, a Maui business which distributes and promotes local goods and services, is back for a third consecutive year with its ‘Planting Christmas’ native Christmas tree sale and educational campaign. Maui residents can begin placing orders on a variety of live, potted native tree species, between 3 and 10 feet tall – all pre-selected for decorating and displaying inside or outside the home during the holidays. Each order includes free delivery.
Several years ago, company founder and Olinda resident Joseph Imhoff initiated ‘Planting Christmas’, an annual Community-Supported Agriculture project that supports the local native tree farming economy and encourages native reforestation. Each year, The Permaculture Group asks Maui to re-think the Christmas tradition of decorating an imported, cut pine tree, considering the risks involved in importing plant materials to the islands, and the benefits of planting natives.
According to Lissa Fox, Public Relations and Education Specialist for the Maui Invasive Species Committee, “Supporting local agriculture, everything from landscaping plants to food crops and Christmas trees, is one of the most important steps to reducing the introduction of invasive species not known to be in Hawaii.”
Out of concern for the increase in invasive species in the islands, The Permaculture Group has partnered with local native tree farmers, who have grown the trees from seed, to offer this alternative. Each year, Imhoff hand-selects a variety of trees that he feels are best suited for the holidays, purchases them from the farmer, and consults with each customer to make sure they’re buying the tree that is best for their area. Interested buyers can also request delivery and planting assistance.
Dr. Arthur Medeiros of the Leeward Haleakala Watershed Restoration Partnership openly encourages the planting and care of Hawaii’s native trees: “Our native Hawaiian trees are a finite, threatened resource. To the Hawaiian way of thinking, they are more than representations of deities but thought to be actual physical manifestations of the gods themselves. They enrich our world in the colors, sounds, and scents of old Hawai’i. Knowledge of and care for them should be one of the most cherished part of the customs of our island home.”
While searching for the perfect items for this year’s inventory, Imhoff decided on three species of tree, including ohi’a lehua, ha’o, and kului (an endangered species). He has also selected two smaller plants that make great gifts, the native ahinahina, and dryland taro or kalo. The trees range from $50 – $100 each, and the plants are under $20. They are available now while supplies last.
For the past several years, Imhoff and his wife have used young, live, native Hawaiian trees as their holiday tree, and have planted the trees with their New Year resolutions each January. “The holiday trees that I’ve planted over the years are growing big and healthy and attract native birds, and its quite rewarding to experience”, Imhoff says. “It’s a big part of our company’s mission to encourage our community to support our local farmers, and I hope that more people are considering planting their Christmas tree this year, and especially a tree that belongs to this land and this culture.”
For more information, or to order your tree for the 2009 holiday season, please call Joseph Imhoff at 808-250-1469, or email your order to proudtobuylocal@gmail.com To purchase the trees online, customers can make secure payments at www.permaculturegroup.com
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The Permaculture Group is a distributor and promoter of local goods and services for socially responsible businesses on Maui, with the intention of creating opportunities which stimulate the economic and environmental growth of our neighborhoods. We are committed to supporting our communities through the core values of permaculture, ultimately sealing the bonds that allow our communities to thrive.
Through our Community-Supported Agriculture projects (CSAs), The Permaculture Group supports local farmers, native reforestation projects, and promotes land stewardship. We also offer media and marketing services which expand and promote all of the above. For more information, visit www.permaculturegroup.com
"Planting Christmas" project founder is pictured here with the native, endangered kulu'i tree
The young, native and endemic ohi'a lehua makes for a stunning tabletop Christmas tree.
