Only three years old and already remarkably productive, Papaikou Paradise is Erik's own home project — a living testing ground and botanical repository on the Hamakua Coast. What started as an overgrown half-acre has become a thriving edible landscape featuring fruit trees, kalo, edible greens, cassava, sugar cane, and over 50 more species of edible, native, and medicinal plants.
What makes this project extraordinary is the return on investment. This entire system requires less than one day per month of maintenance — and most of that time is spent harvesting. The productivity is remarkable given how little labor goes in, a direct result of designing with natural systems rather than fighting them. Ice cream bean and other support species build soil, fix nitrogen, and provide mulch, making the whole system largely self-sustaining.
Project Highlights
- Over 50 species of edible, native, and medicinal plants
- Productive within the first three years
- Less than one day per month of maintenance
- Self-sustaining through use of support species like ice cream bean
- Serves as a testing ground and botanical repository
- Incredible return on investment for time and resources
Before & After
