Dry times are nothing new
Retired farmer Paul Otani hauls a trailer of soil at Otani Farms at the Kula Agricultural Park in Omaopio on Tuesday morning. Otani, who has farmed on Maui for 50 years and now helps his son, said like most summers, they have let many fields go fallow to conserve water. He said the problem of drought conditions on Maui is nothing new. “The solution is simple,” Otani said. “We need more water. We’ve got to go find more water.” He said large scale tree planting projects, combined with a forestry management plan, would be one way to generate more rain on the island.
The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photo