Agriculture

Tropical Pumpkins

Wednesday, May 3rd, 2023

Community Contributed

By Glenn I. Teves, UH CTAHR Extension Agent

Tropical pumpkins, known by its Latin name, Curcurbita moschata, are among of the strongest and most resilient members of the cucurbit family that includes watermelon, cantaloupe, zucchini, cucumber and squash. It is known for its high yield, great nutritional value, good storage life and its ability to ship long distances. Native to Mexico and Central America, it’s been grown for over 8,000 years and is believed to be one of the oldest crops grown before corn and beans and carried with native people throughout the Americas. 

Many North American varieties were developed by ancient tribes such as the Seminole of Florida, Iroquois of New York, Cherokee of the Appalachians, and Lakota of the Sioux nation.…

Spring Vegetables

Wednesday, April 19th, 2023

Community Contributed

By Glenn I. Teves, UHCTAHR Extension Agent

Spring officially started on March 21, and it will only get hotter as we head into the first day of summer on June 21. So far, the weather has been cooler than normal but when the sun is up with Kona weather, it’s super hot and humid. In a normal year, this is your last chance to get some cool season vegetables sown or direct seeded before it gets too hot for most leafy and spring vegetables, but the weather is far from normal. Some of the cool crops to grow now include lettuce, mustards, radish, beets, carrots, beans, cilantro, snap and snow peas and basil, among many others.…

Program Brings Local Food to Kupuna

Wednesday, February 22nd, 2023

By Catherine Cluett Pactol | Editor

A new program allows community members to purchase fresh, locally grown food boxes and donate them for delivery to local kupuna in need. The Kupuna ʻAi Box program, launched by Sust’ainable Molokai in collaboration with the Molokai Rural Health Community Association, will provide kupuna who sign up with a weekly assortment of Molokai-produced food items such as kalo, ʻulu, poi, frozen beef, ʻuala, eggs and fresh fruits and vegetables. The boxes are available for purchase for $25 each through Sust’ainable Molokai’s weekly Mobile Market, an online marketplace that connects local farmers with Molokai consumers, and facilitates the sales, packaging and quality of locally grown produce.…

Farming Keeps Social Worker Grounded

Wednesday, February 15th, 2023

By Paul Hanley, Community Reporter

Brent Nakihei has been working on the ‘aina since he was a child. The youngest of 12, he used to do chores for his grandparents Albert and Agnes Ne on their piggery farm in Kalama’ula. Now 53, he has started farming again on the same land, originally leased by his great grandfather John Pua’a in 1923, the fifth Hawaiian Homestead on the Hawaiian Islands.

Molokai farmers like Kekama Helm inspired Nakihei to get back into farming and to do it sustainably. His initial venture is a 1.6-acre field planted into avocado, soursop, white guava, lichee, ulu, and different types of mangoes — about 50 trees in all.…