Farm project builds self-reliance

Every weekday Robert Pa Jr. takes a two-hour bus ride from his home in Waianae to Waimanalo, looking forward to a full day’s work — not in a stuffy office, but under a sunlit canopy of blue.

Pa gets to dig his fingers into warm soil and fresh greens, and inhale the scent of honey while tending beehives.

"I love the smell. … This is the first job I’ve had," said Pa, 47, who was born with a hearing impairment.

"I enjoy it very much. I’m never bored here. I just do what I know is important and I really enjoy this work," Pa said through an American Sign Language interpreter.

Pa soon will be the first graduate of the Lanakila Farms program in Waima­nalo, a new employment training program for adults with disabilities under Lanakila Pacific. The primary mission of the nonprofit group is to help more than 2,300 seniors and people with disabilities each year gain independence and become fully included members of the community, said Marian Tsuji, president and CEO of Lanakila Pacific.

Supervisor Alan Cabebe, who learned how to farm in his family’s Maui operation, said he has been teaching people how to grow soybeans on 3 acres at ‘Nalo Farms since the program began eight months ago. Pa has been with him from the start, and three others have joined in the past few months.

"These guys are all good, hardworking guys. They give me their 110 percent and more every day," said Cabebe, a former Las Vegas hotel chef. "I’ve worked with guys with no disabilities and they didn’t give me half as much as these guys give me."

Before the farm project, Cabebe worked for five years training people in Lanakila’s commercial-grade kitchen to prepare thousands of meals daily for its longtime Meals on Wheels delivery program and other private catering contracts.

Tsuji said she approached ‘Nalo Farms owner Dean Okimoto, who was at the forefront 20 years ago of the farm-to-table concept in Hawaii, with the idea of a training program, knowing farmers always struggled with a shortage of labor. Okimoto, also the president of the Hawaii Farm Bureau, said he jumped at the chance not only to get more workers, but because his family company had a history of giving back to the community.

Lanakila sells the soybeans it harvests through ‘Nalo Farms distribution outlets, and gets to keep 50 to 200 pounds a week, depending on the time of the year, in overflow for use in its own kitchen, which cuts down on the nonprofit’s costs, Cabebe said. His workers will learn to grow other crops as soon as the program gets more trainees. In the past few months Lanakila has allowed students from Kaiser and Kailua high schools to train several hours a week, and after they graduate, they may start attending the program full time.

The program can last from six months to two years depending on an individual’s level of ability, Cabebe said.

"The basic skills we teach are being here ready to work on time, a good attitude, time management and being respectful of other employees," he said.

Although Lanakila hired a sign language interpreter for the Star-Advertiser’s interview with Pa, Cabebe said he has taught Pa everything about raising soybeans — from planting seeds to setting up an irrigation system — without using American Sign Language.

"I just show him what to do," one step at a time, using pantomime and other gestures, because most employers won’t know how to use American Sign Language, Cabebe said.

"He’s very motivated. Robert can work anywhere and he’d be a good asset. He enjoys working outdoors. ‘Nalo Farms will have the first opportunity to hire him" upon graduation, he said.

After a month of being taught how to do things, Pa said he was able to work independently.

"I take charge and watch the time here. I know when to take breaks when I’m out in the fields," he said. Cabebe said Pa can stay out in the sun working for three hours at a time and has the most stamina of all the workers.

Ivan Ho, 47, started working for Lanakila Farms in January, and likens the weeding of the rows of soybeans to cleaning offices, his former job through Abilities Unlimited Hawaii. His legs ache from squatting on the ground for long periods, but by the end of the day, he can see what a big difference his work has produced, he said.

Pa added, "We feel very proud and satisfied."

Cabebe said: "With these guys, they never have an excuse (to cheat out of working). They like to feel needed. As long as they’re doing something that’s challenging, even if it’s just pulling weeds, it’s a big accomplishment. At the end of the day, (after reviewing their work) they look forward to someone telling them, ‘You did OK.’"

Bryce Kienitz, 23, who has been working at the farm for four months, said, "This is my first job. It’s a very fulfilling kind of job. … It strengthens me; it’s good for the body."

Cabebe said Kienitz, who lives in Kailua with his family, has come a long way in developing self-reliance. At first, his parents used to drop him off at work every day, but Cabebe had him learn to ride his bike to the bus stop and catch the bus to Waimanalo. "And he’s been coming to work on time every day the past two weeks," he added.

Kienitz said, "It’s much more satisfying — independence."

Cabebe said: "You should see their faces when they get their first paycheck. It may only be $53, but that $53 was like $1,000 to them!"

When Cabebe visits those he’s trained at their places of employment, "they have big smiles, all happy that they’re still working," he said. "They thank me, they’re so grateful. But I’m more grateful than them to see them accomplish this. … I’m so proud of where I work. Before, I used to make my (restaurant) owners rich, but now I’m making my community rich."