# Agroforestry Design

## Design Principles

- **Biodynamic:** Farm as a self-sustaining organism; composting, cover cropping, biodynamic preparations
- **Permaculture:** Zones, sectors, stacking functions, water harvesting, minimal external inputs
- **Agroforestry:** Multi-story canopy system integrating trees, crops, and ground cover

## Anchor Crops

### Vanilla (*Vanilla planifolia*)

- **Role:** High-value understory vine; primary cash crop
- **Requirements:** Shade (50–70%), support trees/trellises, hand pollination, 3–4 years to first harvest
- **Curing:** 6–9 month post-harvest curing process — the value-add step
- **Yield potential:** ~0.5–1 lb cured beans per plant per year at maturity
- **Market:** Hawaiian vanilla commands premium prices ($200–600+/lb cured)

### Breadfruit (*Artocarpus altilis*)

- **Role:** Canopy tree; staple food crop and shade provider for vanilla
- **Requirements:** Full sun to partial shade, well-drained soil, wind protection when young
- **Yield potential:** 100–400+ fruits per mature tree per year
- **Products:** Flour, chips, frozen, fresh — growing mainland market for gluten-free starch
- **Synergy:** Breadfruit canopy provides ideal dappled shade for vanilla below

### Matcha / Tea (*Camellia sinensis*)

- **Role:** High-value understory shade crop; ultra-premium value-add product
- **Requirements:** Acidic soil (pH 4.5–5.5), heavy shade (90%+ for 3–4 weeks pre-harvest), consistent moisture, well-drained
- **Time to harvest:** 3–5 years from planting to first commercial harvest; multiple harvests per year at maturity
- **Yield potential:** ~1,000–2,000 lbs fresh leaf/acre/year at maturity
- **Products:** Stone-milled ceremonial matcha ($2,000–4,000+/kg retail), culinary-grade matcha, loose leaf tea
- **Synergy:** Natural understory fit beneath breadfruit/mac nut canopy; shade requirement aligns with existing canopy structure. Complements vanilla as another high-value shade crop with different harvest windows.
- **Scale:** Start with 0.25 acre under existing canopy; expand to 0.5 acre at Year 5–7 if plants thrive and demand is proven
- **Bridge strategy:** Mill imported Japanese tencha into fresh matcha for immediate revenue while estate plants mature (see `matcha-farm-economics.md`)
- **Local precedent:** Big Island Tea (6–7K trees, 20+ years), Aloha Matcha (Kilauea, Kauai), Maui Tea Farm

## Support Species (Draft)

> TODO: Finalize species list based on site conditions and availability

| Layer | Species (candidates) | Function |
|---|---|---|
| Canopy | Breadfruit, coconut | Shade, food, wind break |
| Sub-canopy | Cacao, citrus, avocado | Diversified income, shade modulation |
| Understory | Vanilla, matcha/tea, turmeric, ginger | High-value crops |
| Shrub | Coffee, ti leaf, pigeon pea | Income, nitrogen fixing, cultural |
| Ground cover | Sweet potato, taro, comfrey | Living mulch, food, nutrient accumulation |
| Vine | Vanilla, passionfruit | Vertical space utilization |
| Root | Turmeric, ginger, cassava | Below-ground production |

## Spatial Layout

> TODO: Map-based layout showing zones, planting blocks, paths, infrastructure, water flow.

## Nitrogen Fixers and Chop-and-Drop

> TODO: Identify fast-growing nitrogen fixers for biomass (e.g., Gliricidia, pigeon pea, leucaena) to build soil fertility from the pasture base.