--- # Frontmatter note: This markdown is the full source that exports cleanly via md→docx→Google Doc. Keep images in ~/workspace/ with same names. --- --- # 5641 Kahiliholo Rd — Ulu Farm Regenerative Plan Kauai • 5.089 acres • TMK 4-5-2-022:028:0005 • Created 2026-10-12 • Drop-first, no whole-field rip > **Live Google Doc:** https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kVoy-CW4dHbVrBxahARNMcH-inJOrbjE84_ZCAEB_-E/edit > **Live Google Sheet:** https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1_Ts3cv2FE7I2-gc5SMdk4d3pAvxY3hWs2jRyDJWScYo/edit TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. [Summary & Upfront Costs](#summary) 2. [Diagrams — AI Concept Mockups (Overall, Guild, Cross-Section)](#overall-layout--40-trees-at-30-ft-triangular-pattern) 3 Land Prep Strategy & Biodrills 4 Swales & Drainage 5 Electric Platform — Real vs AI Concept 6 Detailed Build & 10-Year Cash Flow 7 Assumptions & Field-Verify Notes ## **SUMMARY** What is under your field? The topsoil is 8 in. deep. A compacted clay pan sits below it. The pan is 5 to 12 in. thick. Traffic has thickened it to 8 to 18 in. in places. Water that sits on the clay pan (called perched water) sits at 8 in. where topsoil meets the pan. The field is muddy and ruts easily. Tillage when wet re-compacts the soil. What do you do instead? You keep the grass. You dig only where you plant. You dig a 4-ft basin. The basin is 10 to 12 in. deep. It keys 2 to 4 in. into the pan. You drill a 12 to 14 in. bore through the pan. The bore reaches gravelly, sandy weathered rock below the pan (saprolite — gravelly, sandy, 15–19 ft to basalt). You cap the basin and bore with a mound. This meets the CTAHR rule for ulu: at least 18 in. deep and 36 in. wide. You plant biodrill cover crops in the lanes while ulu roots are still small in Year 0 to 2. You verify pan thickness with a pit or penetrometer before you dig. You pay about USD 85,000 upfront. The low estimate is USD 70,800. The high estimate is USD 119,000. Swale work costs USD 1,250 to 6,000 more if you add Kent's USD 6,350 swale. You break even in Year 7 or 8 at USD 35 per hour for labor. ### **Upfront Costs & Inputs (Year 0)** | Category | Low (USD) | High (USD) | | --- | --- | --- | | Greenhouse / Nursery (mid-size) | 15,000 | 25,000 | | Processing Facility — 40ft container (slicing/drying/milling/frying) | 24,200 | 39,600 | | Processing Equipment (without fryer) | 12,000 | 18,000 | | 40 Ulu Trees + Deep Holes + Irrigation + Bio-drill Seed | 4,200 | 6,800 | | TOTAL Upfront (Year 0) | 71,200 | 119,800 | Overall Layout — 40 Trees at 30 ft, Triangular Pattern Figure 1: AI concept — Overall layout. This map shows 40 trees in a triangular pattern at 30 ft spacing. We use the Honua survey as the base. We do not distort it. The wavy line labeled EDGE OF CLEARING marks the assumed gulch lip. This follows Honua Note 1 dated Feb 10 for field conditions on Feb 3. We keep a 20-ft buffer inside that wavy line. This is a mockup, not a survey. Verify all locations in the field before you grade. *Honua survey Feb10 2026 — no distortion. Wavy EDGE OF CLEARING = gulch lip (Note 1, Feb 3 field). 20-ft buffer inside wavy line, 40 sites @30 ft triangular, no trees west of gravel easement. Houses at bottom along road.* ![Overall Layout — 40 trees at 30 ft triangular, Honua survey base, wavy EDGE OF CLEARING = gulch lip, 20-ft buffer](../../assets/ulu/overall_cleaned_base_v5.png) *Overall Layout — 40 trees at 30 ft triangular, Honua survey base, wavy EDGE OF CLEARING = gulch lip, 20-ft buffer* This layout is conceptual. It includes 40 planting sites. It includes biodrill lanes. It includes pigeon pea hedgerows. It includes swales. Verify septic, setbacks, and contours before you stake. Read the colors this way: green strips show biodrill lanes; orange shows pigeon pea; blue shows swales. Biodrill lanes use sunn hemp in summer and daikon in winter. ### **Single Guild — Plan View (30-ft envelope, readable ≥7pt)** Figure 2: AI concept — Single guild, plan view. The guild fills a 30-ft envelope. A 4-ft basin sits in the center. The basin keys 2–4 in. into the clay pan. A 12–14 in. soil-walled bore cuts through the pan into saprolite. The wall of the bore is soil. A 6-ft mound caps the basin and the bore. An 8-ft mulch ring covers only the mound. This is a mockup. Verify PSI and biodrill response in the field. Verify pan thickness with a pit. *4-ft basin + 12–14" bore, 6-ft mound cap, 8-ft mulch ring, 30-ft triangular envelope @30 ft, readable ≥7pt. Field-verify drainage & biodrill response.* ![Single Guild — 30-ft envelope, 4-ft basin + 12-14" bore, 6-ft mound, 8-ft mulch ring](../../assets/ulu/guild_corrected.png) *Single Guild — 30-ft envelope, 4-ft basin + 12-14" bore, 6-ft mound, 8-ft mulch ring* You excavate a 4-ft tree basin. The basin measures 10–12 in. deep in total. It keys 2–4 in. into the clay pan. You drill a 12–14 in. soil-walled bore through the pan. The bore reaches gravelly, sandy saprolite (weathered rock below the pan — gravelly, sandy, 15–19 ft to basalt). The bore stays open to saprolite. You cap the basin and bore with a mound. The mound measures 6 ft wide and about 12 in. high. You mulch only the mound. The mound has an 8-ft mulch ring. The lanes outside the ring stay grassed. You install drip lines on the inner and outer mound. You plant turmeric and ginger in the mound shoulders. You plant a 3–5 ft sunn hemp border around the guild. You fill the lanes with sweet potato and pigeon pea as biodrill plants. Perched water collects at 8 in. at the topsoil/pan interface. It drains down through the bore. Figure 3: AI concept — Cross-section at Y0, Y1, Y3, and Y7. Perched water sits at 8 in. at the topsoil/pan interface. The drawing shows a 4-ft basin. The basin keys 2–4 in. into the clay pan. A 12–14 in. soil-walled bore cuts through the pan into permeable saprolite. The bore does not reach the aquifer. The bore stays open to saprolite. Mulch covers only the mound. Grass grows outside the basin rim at existing grade. ThisThe compact clay layer (Bt1 — dense clay subsoil) measures 5–12 in. thick. Traffic has thickened it to 8–18 in. in places.in the field with a pit or penetrometer. The compact clay layer measures 5–12 in. thick. Traffic has thickened it to 8–18 in. in places. The layers appear as distinct bands. Tan shows the 2–3 in. mulch cap only on the mound. Dark brown shows topsoil from 0–8 in. Use a single 8-in. label for that topsoil layer. Blue shows the perched water lens at the 8-in. interface. Orange-brown shows the dense clay pan below. Gray-brown sand and gravel show saprolite. Saprolite runs 15–19 ft down to basalt below the bore. *4-ft basin keyed 2–4" into clay pan + 12–14" soil-walled bore to saprolite (gravelly sand 15–19 ft to basalt — gravelly sand 15–19 ft to basalt). Single 8" topsoil label, perched water at 8" interface, bore open to saprolite, mulch only on 8-ft ring, grass outside rim. Verify compact clay layer 5–12" @15–27" (traffic-thickened 8–18") by pit.* ![Cross-Section at Y0/Y1/Y3/Y7 — 4-ft basin keyed 2-4" + 12-14" soil-walled bore to saprolite, single 8" label, perched water at 8", bore open](../../assets/ulu/cross_section_panel1_v4.png) *Cross-Section at Y0/Y1/Y3/Y7 — 4-ft basin keyed 2-4" + 12-14" soil-walled bore to saprolite, single 8" label, perched water at 8", bore open* Figure 4: USGS data-derived map — 2-ft contours. We clip the contours to the parcel plus a 50-m buffer. This map shows the true farm. It is 5641 Kahiliholo Rd at 22.18685 N, −159.42468 W. The source is the USGS 1-m FEMA Kauai 2019 D19 mosaic, tiles x44y246 + x45y246. The projection is UTM Zone 4N, NAD83. The map includes hillshade. It labels every 10 ft. We derive the Honua Unit 5 boundary from bearings, so it is approximate. Use this map to plan swales. Verify septic and setbacks in the field. *2-ft contours clipped to parcel +50m buffer — TRUE FARM 22.18685 N −159.42468 W — USGS 1m FEMA 2019 D19 mosaic x44y246+x45y246, UTM 4N NAD83, hillshade, red dashed Honua boundary (bearing-derived, approx). Field-verify setbacks.* ![USGS 2-ft contours — TRUE FARM 22.18685N -159.42468W, mosaic x44y246+x45y246, UTM 4N NAD83](../../assets/ulu/contour_farm_true_tight.png) *USGS 2-ft contours — TRUE FARM 22.18685N -159.42468W, mosaic x44y246+x45y246, UTM 4N NAD83* Y0: The basin, bore, and mound shed perched water. Y1: Tillage radish pushes about 240 PSI into cracks and leaves bio-pores behind. Sunn hemp grows with it. Y3: Ulu roots spread about 12 ft sideways through the fractured lanes. This happens only if you keep the lanes dry and grassed. Y7: The canopy reaches 20 ft or more. The trees resist wind if the lanes stay friable. Pores collapse if you re-compact them when wet. Labor: what it really takes (verified Oct 2026). You cannot hand-dig this pan when it is wet. Hand tools stop above 300 PSI (PSI = pounds per square inch, a measure of pressure). The farming guidance (NRCS) limit is 150 PSI at 0 to 6 in. and 300 PSI at 6 to 18 in. Many spots exceed 300 PSI. A tillage radish pushes about 240 PSI. It exploits cracks. It does not crush the pan. You need a machine for the 40 holes. A small, low-PSI excavator works on dry ground. It takes 15 to 20 minutes per hole. That is about 10 to 13 hours for 40 holes. Add 2 hours to move the machine and 5 hours to shape mounds. The total is about 18 hours of machine time. You then add hand work. Hand work is 38 hours to mark, seed, and plant. Y0 is 56 hours in total: 38 hand + 18 machine. The old 105-hour hand-dig estimate was wrong. It left out swale and finish work. What machine do you use? You use the Avant e527 electric loader. It is 44.9 in. wide. It has 27 kWh for 6 hours. You pair it with the Avant Auger. You reject the Volvo ECR25 and the Bobcat E10e for this site. ### **10-Year Cash Flow (40 trees, USD 35/hr labor, with marketable intercrop)** | Year | Yield (fresh) | Flour + Intercrop Revenue | Annual Inputs | Labor (hrs @ $35) | Net Cash* | Cumulative Cash | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Y0 (drop+plant) | 0 lb | USD 0 | in upfront | 38 hrs hand + 18 hrs machine* / USD 1,960 | -USD 87,460 | -USD 87,460 | | Y1 | 0 lb | USD 2,500 (pigeon pea+turmeric) | USD 750 | 62 hrs / USD 2,170 | -USD 420 | -USD 87,880 | | Y2 | 0 lb | USD 3,500 | USD 600 | 52 hrs / USD 1,820 | USD 1,080 | -USD 88,515 | | Y3 | 2,000 lb | USD 9,100-12,000 (flour 6.6-9.5k + crop 2.5k) | USD 600 | 74 hrs / USD 2,590 | USD 5,910-8,810 | -USD 82,605 to -79,705 | | Y4 | 4,000 lb | USD 15,700-21,500 | USD 600 | 74 hrs / USD 2,590 | USD 12,510-18,310 | -USD 70,095 to -61,395 | | Y5 | 6,000 lb | USD 22,300-31,000 | USD 650 | 78 hrs / USD 2,730 | USD 18,920-27,620 | -USD 51,175 to -33,775 | | Y6 | 10,000 lb | USD 35,500-50,000 | USD 700 | 96 hrs / USD 3,360 | USD 31,440-45,940 | -USD 19,735 to +12,165 | | Y7 | 10,000 lb | USD 35,500-50,000 | USD 700 | 96 hrs / USD 3,360 | USD 31,440-45,940 | USD 11,705 to 58,105 | | Y8 | 10,000 lb | USD 35,500-50,000 | USD 700 | 96 hrs / USD 3,360 | USD 31,440-45,940 | USD 43,145 to 104,045 | | Y9 | 10,000 lb | USD 35,500-50,000 | USD 700 | 96 hrs / USD 3,360 | USD 31,440-45,940 | USD 74,585 to 149,985 | | Y10 | 10,000 lb | USD 35,500-50,000 | USD 700 | 96 hrs / USD 3,360 | USD 31,440-45,940 | USD 106,025 to 195,925 | *Net Cash = Revenue (flour at USD 16.50–18/lb + pigeon pea/turmeric Y1–5) − Inputs (mulch/compost) − Labor @ USD 35/hr. Y0 includes 56 hrs (38 hand + 18 machine) planting. Power USD 100–200/mo not included. Intercrop adds USD 2.5–3.5k Yr1–2 bridging to flour. ## **LAND PREP STRATEGY** ## Do not rip the whole field when wet. Whole-field tillage re-compacts the pan you just broke. ## ## **Biodrills — How They Replace Plowing** ## ### **Wh**at they are:**** **Biod**rills are living subsoilers. Plant them in the lanes, not in the holes. - - **Daikon / tillage radish:** Taproot pushes ~240 PSI. It exploits cracks. It does not crush the pan. It rots and leaves bio-pores. Best cool-season: plant Nov–Dec into sunn hemp stubble. - - **Sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea):** Hawaii's #1 cover crop. Taproot 3–5 ft. Fixes 80–120 lb N/acre in 60 days. Loves rain. Outcompetes Guinea grass. Seed at 20–25 lb/ac. - - **Pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan):** Perennial. Woody taproot makes channels that last 2–3 years. Fixes nitrogen. Works as windbreak. Marketable at USD 5–7/lb dried. Space 6–8 ft. - - **Forage sorghum + cowpea:** High biomass. Grows 5–6 tons in 75 days. Gives lateral drainage. Sorghum fiber roots make fine pores. - - **Mucuna (velvet bean):** Smother-vine for worst clay patches. Grows 4–5 ft. Mow at 90 days or it takes over the farm. - ### **Mix beats **monoculture.**** **Grass + radi**sh together loosens the soil — it lowers how tightly the soil is packed (bulk density) and improves air holes (porosity) more than either alone. ### **How fast t**hey work:**** - **- One tropic**al cycle: drills 12–15" deep - - Two cycles: reaches 20–24" deep - - You get 20" of loose soil under mounds on day one (from basin + bore + mound). Lanes reach 20" by Year 1–2. Trees are still small then. CTAHR need in Year 0–2 is only 2–3 ft radius. No delay to Year 3 harvest. Bore gives drainage on day one. Biodrills keep it open and extend it. ### **What if we** use only biodrills (no bore)?**** ### **It works, bu**t 12–18 months slower. - - You must grow cover for 6–9 months before planting mounds. - - First 2,000 lb crop moves from Year 3 to Year 4. - - Cost is similar: seed USD 500 vs bore USD 600. - - Lost revenue: USD 6k–9k of Year 3 income. - - With unreliable forecasts, bio-only is safer. Use it if you cannot get a 5-day dry window. Our default keeps the cheap bore for holes only, then biodrills for lanes. ## ## **---** ## Bore and mound give drainage on day one. Biodrills keep it open and extend it. Roots exploit bio-pores by Year 1. Stay above saturation. ## Swales and drainage — what they cost and when you need them ## have Kent's PCO swale and drainage for USD 6,350. That likely covers a 400 to 600 ft swale plus a catch basin near the barn. Add only if your pit shows you need it: - 500 ft shallow grassed swale on contour plus 2 check dams: USD 2,500 to 6,000. Excavator in Kauai costs USD 1,200 to 1,800 per day. - 100 ft French drain around the container and low spots: USD 2,000 to 4,000. That is USD 20 to 50 per linear foot in 2026. - 500 ft pigeon pea hedgerow on the swale berm: USD 200 for seed. It doubles as a windbreak. NRCS cost-share in FY25 Hawaii is small: earth fill about USD 0.72 per cubic yard. Cover crop about USD 10 to 15 per acre. Do not add a French drain by default. Add it only where your pit shows thick, continuous pan and where you have a surveyed outlet with grade. Never daylight to the gulch without a verified outlet and erosion check. he lanes, not the holes: • Daikon/tillage radDeep holes and timing — why boreholes plus intercrop works Ulu needs little at first. In Years 0 to 2, roots need only 2 to 3 ft. You give each tree a perfect spot now: a 4-ft basin (10 to 12 in. total with 2 to 4 in. keyed into the pan) plus a 12 to 14 in. soil-walled bore through the pan into sandy, gravelly saprolite. This drains the perched water at 8 in. on day one. You verify depth with a pit and penetrometer. By Years 2 to 4, when ulu wants 6 to 10 ft, your lanes have had 2 biodrill cycles. They are friable. You do not need to wait to plant. This is how NTBG grows ulu on old sugarcane soils. The bio-only option is in the Biodrills section. Use it only if you cannot get a 5-day dry window. ial woody taproot, 2-3 year channels, fixes N, windbreak, and marketable (USD 5-7/lb dried). 6-8 ft spacing. • Forage sorghum + cowpea: high biomass (5-6 tons in 75 days) for lateral drainage; sorghum fibrous roots make fine pores. • Mucuna (velvet bean): 4-5 ft smother-vine for worst clay patches. Grows 4-5 ft. Mow at 90 days or it takes over the farm. Mix beats single crop: grass + radish together lowers how tightly the soil is packed (bulk density) and improves air holes (porosity) better than either alone. Timeline: one tropical cycle drills 12-15", two cycles reach 20-24". So we get 20" under mounds on day one, and 20" in lanes by Yr1-2 while trees are still small (CTAHR Yr0-2 need is only 2-3 ft radius). No delay to Y3 harvest. If we only did biodrills (no ripping)? Possible, but 12-18 months slower. You would need to grow cover 6-9 months before### 5 Electric Platform — Real Machines, Real Photos **What is the platform?** You need small, light, electric machines that fit between trees and float over mud. The platform has two base machines plus one attachment. You can add custom attachments later. **Real photo left, AI concept right.** Each item below pairs a real product photo on the left with an AI rendering of that machine in your Kauai lanes on the right. Left = what you buy today. Right = what you can develop. 1. **Avant e5 / e6 electric loader — 44.9" wide, articulated** - Real photo: Avant e5 (lectura-specs.com / Heavy Equipment Guide) — https://media.baumpub.com/files/slides/locale_image/full/0179/44519_en_8d19b_47248_a21714-avant-e5-1-1-copy.jpg - AI concept: same loader working in your orchard, on the right. - Specs: e513 = 13kWh / 3hr runtime. e527 = 27kWh / 6hr runtime. Width = 44.9". - Why this one: Narrow enough for 30-ft rows. Electric = low noise, no diesel, instant torque. Quick-attach plate for custom tools. 2. **Polaris Ranger XP Kinetic — electric UTV, 14" clearance** - Real photo: Polaris Ranger XP Kinetic (WideOpenSpaces via Polaris) — https://www.wideopenspaces.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2021/12/polarisrangerxpkinetic.jpg - AI concept: same UTV on a harvest run in your orchard, on the right. - Specs: Premium = 14.9kWh / 45mi range. Ultimate = 29.8kWh / 80mi range. Ground clearance = 14". - Why this one: Hauls fruit, mulch, and compost. High clearance clears mounds and ruts. Electric = low compaction vs diesel truck. 3. **Avant Auger attachment — hydraulic auger for the bores** - Real photo: Avant Auger on 600-series loader (avantequipment.co.nz) — https://www.avantequipment.co.nz/hs-fs/hubfs/Avant%20website%20images/Attachments/Auger/Auger%20-%2011.jpg - AI concept: custom auger sled for your lanes, on the right. - What it does: Digs a 12–14" soil-walled bore through the clay pan into underlying sandy/gravelly saprolite. Also helps cut the 4-ft basin (10–12" total depth). This is a narrow, soil-walled drain. - Time: ~15–20 min/hole on Avant e527. Total for 40 holes = ~18 hr machine + 38 hr hand finish. ![Avant e5 loader — 44.9" wide, e513 13kWh/3hr e527 27kWh/6hr](https://media.baumpub.com/files/slides/locale_image/full/0179/44519_en_8d19b_47248_a21714-avant-e5-1-1-copy.jpg) *Avant e5/e527 — 44.9" wide, e513 13kWh/3hr e527 27kWh/6hr* ![Polaris Ranger XP Kinetic — 14.9kWh/45mi Premium 29.8kWh/80mi Ultimate](https://www.wideopenspaces.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2021/12/polarisrangerxpkinetic.jpg) *Polaris Ranger XP Kinetic — Premium 14.9kWh/45mi Ultimate 29.8kWh/80mi* ![Avant Auger — 12–14" soil-walled bore](https://www.avantequipment.co.nz/hs-fs/hubfs/Avant%20website%20images/Attachments/Auger/Auger%20-%2011.jpg) *Avant Auger — 12–14" soil-walled bore through pan into saprolite* Why low PSI matters for routine work Human foot pressure is about 8 to 12 PSI. The Avant e-series on turf tires is about 4 to 6 PSI. A compact tractor is 12 to 20 PSI. Lower PSI means less rutting and less re-compaction of the pan you just broke. You keep grass lanes. You drive only when dry. That is how you stay below the NRCS limits: less than 150 PSI at 0 to 6 in. and less than 300 PSI at 6 to 18 in. root need is tiny (2–3 ft). We give it a perfect 4-ft basin (10–12" with 2–4" key) + 12–14" bore to saprolite now. By Yr2–4 when it wants 6–10 ft, our lanes have had 2 biodrill cycles and are friable. No need to wait to plant. This is NTBG′s method on old sugarcane soils — bio-only option discussed in Biodrills section. ### Felling onto soil — soil protection: Compaction comes from skidders on wet clay, not the falling trunk. One wet pass re-compacts worse than before. Mitigation: fell in dry window or on mats/plywood, limb in place, chip and pile off tree lanes, leave stumps low (don't excavate — that tears pan), plant pigeon pea around stumps to rot them. Since we drop first onto grass and do holes after clearing, damage is minimal. ## **STRUCTURE OF FARM AT MATURITY** • 40 ulu at 30 ft triangular spacing fill ~0.6-1.0 ac of the 5.1 ac, leaving 4 ac grass/pasture, buildings, and access. • Greenhouse near north residence (water/power share), container facility near south residence on gravel (road access, outside Easement A). • Grass lanes remain for harvest; no tenant access per your zero-land-claim lease. ## **ELECTRIC PLATFORM — Small, Low-PSI, Custom-Attachment Ready (Real + AI Concept)** ## **Figure: REAL PHOTO — Avant e5 electric loader (lectura-specs.com/Heavy Equipment Guide, https://media.baumpub.com/files/slides/locale_image/full/0179/44519_en_8d19b_47248_a21714-avant-e5-1-1-copy.jpg). 44.9" wide, 13kWh/3hr (e513) and 27kWh/6hr (e527).** ## **Figure: REAL PHOTO — Polaris Ranger XP Kinetic electric UTV (WideOpenSpaces via Polaris, https://www.wideopenspaces.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2021/12/polarisrangerxpkinetic.jpg). Premium 14.9kWh/45mi, Ultimate 29.8kWh/80mi.** ### Figure: REAL PHOTO — Avant Auger adapter on 600-series loader (avantequipment.co.nz, https://www.avantequipment.co.nz/hs-fs/hubfs/Avant%20website%20images/Attachments/Auger/Auger%20-%2011.jpg). Factory hydraulic auger for 12–14" soil-walled bore through pan + 4-ft basin (10–12" total) into saprolite. ### ### Real product photos are on the left; AI concept renderings for your Kauai lanes are on the right. This pairing shows what you buy today and what you can develop. ### ## **DETAILED BUILD — STEP-BY-STEP** 1. Drop/fell first (dry or mats), chip, pile mulch off lanes. 2. Mark 40 sites per Overall Layout; avoid Easement A (roadway), 15-ft boundary setbacks, buildings, septic, and edge-of-clearing. 3. Excavate 40 basins: 4-ft diameter basin cut into topsoil, key 2–4" into pan (10–12" total), drill 12–14" soil-walled bore through pan into sandy/gravelly saprolite (depth verified by pit/penetrometer), backfill mound 6-ft wide × ~12" high with cinder/compost/native, mulch only on mound. ~18 hr machine (Avant e527 auger) + 38 hr hand finish. Do only when dry. 4. Seed lanes immediately: sunn hemp 25 lb/ac + cowpea 15 lb/ac (USD 120). Week 0. 5. Plant ulu seedlings (1-gal USD 20-40 or 5-gal USD 50-90) into mounds. Water hole before planting, don't bury crown. 6. Interplant each guild: pigeon pea N/S of mound, turmeric/ginger in mound shoulders, sweet potato as groundcover between, sunn hemp border. Drip timer. 7. Yr1: mow sunn hemp at 60 days, leave mulch; overseed daikon radish Nov into stubble; harvest pigeon pea/turmeric. 8. Maintain swales; clear twice yearly (4-6 hrs). Greenhouse: 10×30 starter USD 5-8k, 30×48 mid USD 15-25k, 30×96 large USD 25-45k. Processing facility conversion — food-grade FRP, 3-phase, hood, no retail finish; rehab $18-33k plus base container $3.5k + barge $1.2k; foundation minimal $800-1.5k (gravel+piers), no deck/gutters/mini-split. Processing: slicer 400-1,500, dehydrator 800-3,500, mill 2,500-7,000, freezers 1,200-2,000, smallwares 1,300-2,500 — total USD 12-30k. 1) Avant e5 / e6 Electric Loader — 44.9" wide articulated (Real left, AI concept in your orchard right) 2) Polaris Ranger XP Kinetic — 14" clearance electric UTV (Real left, AI harvest-run concept right) 3) Avant Auger Attachment — hydraulic auger for 12–14" bore through pan + 4-ft basin into saprolite (Real left, custom sled concept right) — ~15–20 min/hole on Avant e527. --- # Tab 2: Action Items — Simple Steps --- ## **Action Items — Simple Steps** Check each box as you go. See Tab 1 for details. ☐ 1. Pit test first — dig 2–3 test pits 2 ft deep. Check the compact clay layer: 5–12 in. thick (8–18 in. where traffic thickened it). You need <150 PSI at 0–6 in. and <300 PSI at 6–18 in. This tells you how deep to bore. * In parallel, you can spec and order these together (no need to wait):* ☐ Spec and buy Avant e527 (27 kWh, ~6 hr, 44.9 in. wide, 4–6 PSI on turf — less than a human foot at 8–12 PSI) + Avant Auger 12–14 in. bore ☐ Polaris Ranger Kinetic for hauling ☐ Order 40 ulu trees — 1-gal $20–40 or 5-gal $50–90 ☐ Amendments and seed — compost/cinder for mounds, sunn hemp 25 lb/ac + cowpea 15 lb/ac (~$120), pigeon pea hedgerow ($200) ☐ 2. When equipment arrives and weather is dry: ☐ Mark 40 basin sites — 30-ft triangular pattern, avoid Easement A, 15-ft setbacks, roads, and gulch buffer. Use the cleaned base + 40-site GIS overlay. ☐ Excavate 40 basins — each 4 ft across, 10–12 in. deep (key 2–4 in. into the clay pan), then drill a 12–14 in. bore through the pan into gravelly, sandy weathered rock below the pan (saprolite — gravelly, sandy, 15–19 ft to basalt). About 56 hr total (18 hr machine + 38 hr hand). Work only when dry — one wet pass compacts more than five dry passes. ☐ Backfill and mound — fill with amended soil, build a 6-ft wide × ~12 in. high mound, mulch ONLY the mound (8-ft ring), keep grass in lanes at grade. ☐ Seed lanes — sunn hemp + cowpea + pigeon pea. Do not rip the whole field. ☐ Plant 40 ulu in the mounds and interplant turmeric, ginger, sweet potato, and sorghum + cowpea for early income. Notes: Boreholes drain water that sits on the clay pan (called perched water) at 8 in. into weathered rock below the pan (saprolite — gravelly, sandy, 15–19 ft to basalt, no groundwater). A trench or French drain is only needed if a pit shows a thick, continuous pan and you have a surveyed outlet — never to the gulch without a grade check. All costs and labor are in the gsheet: Ulu Farm Model — Numbers & Modeling (~$85k up front, low $70.8k/high $119k, break-even Year 7–8 at $35/hr).