“When people see the overlay of our young forest
Parziale has layered his diverse agroforest with canopy trees like avocado and breadfruit; understory plants like kava, coffee, and peach palm that grow between the canopy and the ground cover; and forest floor species like upland taro and seasonal vegetables. To cultivate regenerative fertility, grazing beef and dairy cows leave manure behind, which chickens scratch and spread, unearthing nourishing insects for healthy egg laying and enabling the plants to more efficiently absorb the nutrients from the manure. Parziale also enriches the soil with chop-and-drop pruning, so the plant cuttings decompose right where they grew, and mitigates pests through biological farming, bolstering natural predators that keep the pests
in check. For example, instead of spraying pesticides to kill nematodes (roundworms), he feeds soil fungi that naturally prey on nematode eggs and juveniles. The result is a self-reliant system that can operate without a continuous supply of imported inputs. Through the many programs at Common Ground, Parziale and the team share this knowledge, and the food it produces, with island residents and visitors alike. The Common Ground Incubator program has helped 17 local businesses develop systems and strategies for their food, beverage, and lifestyle products, essentially linking food entrepreneurs with local farmers to engender a collaborative, sustainable agricultural economy in Hawai‘i. A new cohort will launch this year. A farm- to-table restaurant feeds visitors with 100% locally sourced food. And the organization also acts as a local food hub and distribution center, establishing much-needed local supply chains. “Farmers are food providers. As trusted growers, they have a deep connection to the land and the community,” says Parziale. “When people see the overlay of our young forest ecosystem, the layers of edible ferns growing on the ground, coffee growing under the ‘ulu trees, the grazing animals, it’s an aha moment and people can grasp it — the interconnectedness and how it can strengthen our food security.”
/ PRODUCTS SPR UT
ecosystem, the layers of edible
ferns growing on the ground, coffee growing under the ‘ulu trees, the grazing animals, it’s an aha moment and people can grasp it — the interconnectedness
When we pick up an axe, as natural or as unwieldy as it may feel in our hands, we may experience some kind of primordial déjà vu. Somewhere, deep down within our human code, we understand that this tool once helped us make fire, build shelter, clear land to grow food — that it once helped us survive. Indeed, there’d be no humanity, no us , without this ancient instrument. And like the wheel, one doesn’t reinvent the axe. But, maybe, the axe reinvents you. When Best Made Co. founder Peter Buchanan-Smith moved out of New York City and into a small rural community upstate, he likely was reminded how important this tool — the brand’s original, popular product — actually is. A small brand from NYC that made a huge splash through the 2010s, Best Made Co. was known for its rustic but useful outdoor products and curiosities — from toolboxes and waxed jackets to first aid kits and, of course, axes and hatchets. After the sale of the company shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic, it all but disappeared. BEST MADE CO. Is BACK No axe to grind but their own.
and how it can strengthen our food security.”
Visit BESTMADECO.COM to learn more.
Buchanan-Smith left the Big Apple for a barn in the country, and as the pandemic fog lifted, he was offered the opportunity to buy back Best Made Co. He accepted and has since quietly resurrected the brand. His first product? A limited run of his legendary Old Gold No. 1 axes, which quickly sold out. Since relaunching last year, the Best Made Co. site stocks small- to large-batch runs of its patented strongboxes and solid brass rulers, its chore jacket, belt, handsome utility vest (with a loop for an axe, of course), and more. With a fierce commitment to quality and sourcing locally grown, USA-made materials that uplift communities close to home,
Buchanan-Smith ensures every Best Made Co. product upholds five crucial tenets: utility, durability, relevance, responsibility, and wonder. It’s that last one — described on the brand’s site as “intangible qualities that defy expectations” — that has always intrigued Best Made Co.’s community. It’s that wonder you feel, harkening back to something in you from long ago, when you pick up an axe and decide where in nature you want to take it. — BEAU FLEMISTER
Visit COMMONGROUNDKAUAI.COM to learn more.
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