Here’s an interesting insight into the life of big wave charger, and permaculture farmer, Mark Healey.

After many years of successful big wave surfing Healey decided to set up a small farm close to where he grew up in Oahu. Under the careful guidance of his father, he established the plot in order to grow his own fresh fruit and vedge and provide an alternative food flow to that which routinely arrives on large tankers, which bring food from half way around the world to the islands of Hawaii.

“Eighty-five percent of our food ends up here from boats,” Healey explains. “A lot of ills can be helped with sustainable farming. The chapter in my life that I’m going into is finding efficient ways to live the lifestyle I want to, and help [others] at the same time.”

His farming plot utilises the traditional principles of permaculture, which requires careful of selection of plant species that compliment and sustain one another, keeping the soil rich in nutrients and providing a healthy ecosystem in which to sustainably grow food.

As the popularity of growing food locally and sustainably grows around the globe, it’s always interesting to get an insight into the practices of those putting a spade in the ground and making it happen: