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Agriculture

Molokai Mom on a Mission: Raising Awareness, Inspiring Change

Sunday, February 3rd, 2013

Molokai Mom on a Mission: Raising Awareness, Inspiring Change

Community Contributed

Opinion by Mercy Ritte

On Wednesday, Jan. 16, a unified group of charter school students and teachers, environmentalist, conservationalist, Hawaiian rights activists, people of all ethnic backgrounds, and families trekked a three mile march, from Buckman Hall on the University of Hawaii campus to the State Capital, in an effort to push for labeling GMO foods.

According to the Center for Food Safety, “it has been estimated that 70 percent of processed foods on supermarket shelves–from soda to soup, crackers to condiments–contain genetically engineered ingredients.” Studies have also revealed, over the past decade, that GMO foods can pose serious risks to humans, animal life and the environment.…

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Molokai Ranch Returns to Ranching Roots

Thursday, January 24th, 2013

Molokai Ranch Returns to Ranching Roots

Community Contributed

By Clay R. Rumbaoa, Molokai Ranch CEO

Editor’s note: This is a letter reprinted with permission from the winter issue of Molokai Ranch’s quarterly newsletter.

Aloha & Comosta Molokai, These last few months have been a whirlwind of activity at Molokai Ranch, as we move forward with many of the initiatives I outlined in our last newsletter [the four pillars: animal husbandry, sustainable farming, renewable energy and green improvements]. First and foremost, we officially returned to our ranching and agricultural roots with the reintroduction of cattle operations.

Our intention is to raise and breed high-quality grass-fed and finished cattle for consumption in Hawaii.…

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Molokai Mom on a Mission: Fugitive Dust Storm

Sunday, November 25th, 2012

Community Contributed

Opinion by Mercy Ritte

Friday, Nov. 9th at 12:46 p.m. marked the largest, most disturbing, fugitive dust “storm” ever seen in Ho`olehua. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), fugitive dust is dust generated from open sources such as unpaved roads and agricultural tilling operations.

On this particular day, the prevailing trades had picked up, blowing over Monsanto’s recently disturbed and exposed land, lifting massive amounts of dust into the air and sending it miles and miles across the landscape, beginning from the Kualapu`u reservoir to Mahana stretch near the airport. I had never seen anything like it before.…

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Kalaupapa Eradicates Deer Hazard

Wednesday, November 21st, 2012

While axis deer have become part of leading a subsistent lifestyle on Molokai, their presence has caused some problems for residents down at Kalaupapa, including damage to coastal vegetation and gardens as well as posing safety issues at the airport and on the road. This week, the National Park Service (NPS) held a two-day deer hunt to eradicate an estimated 20 to 40 axis deer from the settlement.

The process started early Monday morning with the help of 15 to 20 people to help push, or navigate, the deer from the coastal, airport and settlement areas. They were herded to a holding pen in the settlement and then be dispatched using a rifle.…

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Living Local

Monday, November 5th, 2012

Living Local

10th Annual Business and Food Expo highlights Molokai vendors

Molokai is often known as “`aina momona,” or the fat land, because residents have always had the capacity to grow their own food, catch their own fish and hunt their own meat. The annual Business and Food Expo, hosted by Molokai Chamber of Commerce, is an opportunity to highlight vendors who use the bounties of the land to produce award-winning food and products that offer visitors and locals a taste of Molokai. Last Saturday marked the 10th expo, aptly named “A Taste of Molokai,” which featured local food and business vendors, celebrity chef demonstrations, gourmet food samples, prizes, music and entertainment.…

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Natural Honey Challenge Open to Beekeepers

Thursday, October 11th, 2012

Big Island Beekeepers Association News Release

The third annual Hawaiian Natural Honey Challenge (HNHC) will be held in conjunction with the Hilo Harvest Festival on Saturday Nov. 10, in downtown Hilo, Hawaii.  This year’s Hilo Harvest Festival is dedicated to honeybees and beekeeping.  Beekeepers from throughout the state of Hawaii are encouraged to submit entries of their favorite liquid, solid, and/or comb honeys for judging at this event.

The deadline for submissions to the Challenge is Friday, Oct. 26.  The requirements to be considered a Hawaiian Natural Honey include samples must be collected and bottled by the contestant from apiaries located in the state of Hawaii, no heat may be used in the extracting or bottling process, no additives, seeding or flavoring may be used and honey should not be processed in any way such as “creaming,” “spinning,” “churning,” or other manipulations.…

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County Begins Deer Harvest Cooperative

Thursday, October 11th, 2012

Molokai explores similar options.

Imagine higher agricultural yields, fewer invasive species, and a new economic product that’s as versatile as it is plentiful: venison. That was the vision of the founders of the Maui Axis Deer Harvesting Cooperative (MADHC), a new initiative organized by the County of Maui. Its goal is to help farmers, ranchers and landowners control invasive axis deer on their property while addressing food security with zero waste. MADHC members are a group of certified, trained, hunters who can provide harvesting services to those receiving damage from axis deer. The meat will be shared between hunters and landowners, and in some cases, local slaughterhouses will process meat for resale.…

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Papaya Production, Part II

Wednesday, October 10th, 2012

Papaya Production, Part II

Community Contributed

By Glenn I. Teves, County Extension Agent, UH CTAHR

A major problem growing papaya on Molokai is Powdery Mildew, fungus that looks like white powder on leaves and fruits. It germinates in 10 to 12 hours under ideal conditions of low light, high humidity, and temperature ranges of 64 to 90 degrees F, sending roots or haustoria into the leaf or fruit to feed on plant cells and juices, causing early death and leaf drop. Without adequate leaves, papaya plants will not be able to convert enough sunlight into energy then to food, called photosynthesis. Without adequate food, plants will not produce enough sugars which give papaya the taste we’ve come to enjoy.…

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County Begins Deer Harvest Cooperative

Wednesday, October 3rd, 2012

County Begins Deer Harvest Cooperative

The County of Maui has organized the Maui Axis Deer Harvesting Cooperative (MADHC) to help farmers, ranchers and landowners control invasive Axis deer on their property while addressing food security with zero waste. MADHC is made up of a group of certified, trained, hunter- members who can provide harvesting services to those in Maui County receiving damage from Axis deer. The meat will be shared between hunters and landowners, and in some cases, local slaughterhouses will process meat for resale after USDA inspection.

The cooperative began its four-month deer harvesting pilot program on Oct. 1, funded by a $37,500 grant from the Maui County Office of Economic Development.…

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The Food and Wine Festival

Wednesday, October 3rd, 2012

The Food and Wine Festival

Community Contributed

By Dillon DeCoite

Editor’s note: The second annual Hawaii Food and Wine Festival took place Sept. 6 to 9, with Molokai’s L&R Farms’ Lynn and Russell DeCoite participated. The DeCoite’s son, Dillon, a middle school student at Aka`ula School, wrote a story about his parents’ success in the Aka`ula monthly newsletter, reprinted here.

The Food and Wine Festival, in Kaanapali, Maui is located on the golf course. Twelve farmers and 12 chefs partner up to cook produce raised by island farmers. My mom and dad partnered with two chefs from the Westin Kaanapali Hotel. The dish they made was wild boar bacon with Molokai sweet potato gnocchi.…

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