Team AIR
About Us
Valerie Barber
Founder
I've spent over 50 years in small-scale family farming-growing market vegetables and flowers, running a native and ornamental plant nursery and landscaping business, and creating many permaculture gardens. My farms have been in rural upstate New York, Mendocino County (California), and three distinct microclimates on Hawaii Island. Aina Iki is my ninth small farm-ranch.
My work has always included caring for animals. I have raised and trained equine-assisted therapy horses, rehabilitated aggressive “last chance” dogs, rescued many cats, and worked as a parrot handler with advanced behavior‑modification skills. I’ve run horse hospice and animal rescue centers in Puna and supported outreach with Mendocino Humane Society. Animals have been my greatest teachers.
The common thread through all these experiences is serving Mama Gaia. I offer the knowledge and wisdom shared with me by the plants, animals, and people I’ve learned from, and I’m dedicated to helping others discover joy, wonder, and fulfillment in their relationship with the natural world.
Joshua Tate
Plant Man Extraordinaire
My first gardening memories are of long, sunny afternoons spent with my mother in her garden, where we tended rows of plants and harvested the most beautiful tomato crops. Back then I was probably more interested in playing in the dirt than in the yield, but those early days planted a lasting love of growing.
Since then I’ve had the chance to cultivate plants in a wide range of places and climates — from the flat prairies of Kansas to the rainy seasons of Oregon, the high-altitude gardens of Colorado, and even several months caring for crops in central India. Through these experiences I’ve learned to work with different soils, weather patterns, and plant varieties, always focusing on growing food and medicinal plants with care.
At AIR, I’m eager to both learn new techniques and bring my practical experience to fruition, helping produce nutritious food and useful plants for animals and humans alike.
Marla Keown
Animal Aficionado
Animals have always felt at ease with me, and I with them. At three, I was trusted to feed our German Shepherd after she gave birth — the only being she allowed near her puppies — and that early responsibility shaped how I view animal care: patient, respectful, and attentive. Raised in a cat-only household, I spent hours teaching my cat Sweetness to play fetch, sit, lie down, and shake, proving that animals respond to gentle training and consistent trust. Over time I wore down my mother’s “cat only” rule and adopted two rats from my honors biology teacher in high school, then later added bearded dragons and guinea pigs to the family. Each new species taught me different needs and temperaments, deepening my knowledge and curiosity.
On my first visit to the Big Island, I cared for six abandoned ducklings who grew up to become the parents of our current six flocks — an experience that showed me the importance of hands-on care and long-term stewardship. I’ve always loved animals of all kinds and enjoy learning how to care for them, from behavior and enrichment to nutrition and health.
Through AIR, I’m excited to be part of a growing menagerie that now includes goats, ducks, chickens, exotic birds, a chameleon, horses, and fish. I look forward to contributing my practical experience, calm presence, and willingness to learn to help every animal thrive.