• Failure notice from provider:
    Connection Error:http_request_failed

  • Submission Deadlines

    Advertising

    Thursday 4pm

    December 7, 2023

    Content

    Friday 4pm

    December 1, 2023

    To print on:

    Wednesday

    December 6, 2023

  • Join us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Follow us on Google Plus Subscribe via RSS

Agriculture

Agriculture Technology and Tools Workshop

Wednesday, August 10th, 2022

UH Molokai Extension News Release

Are you interested in learning the tricks and trades of using small equipment on your farm to become more efficient?  Join us for live demonstrations and a talk story session with farmers using these tools.  Tools include hand tools, cultivation tools, irrigation supplies/tools, walk-behind tractor, soil tilther and more.  

The workshop will be held on Aug. 16 from 4 to 6 p.m. at the UH Extension Farm (old MCC Farm) located just past Kumu Farms at 652 Huuai Road.  Funding for the workshop is provided by the USDA Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement.  Partners for this program include Sustainable Molokai, Go FARM Hawaii, and UH Molokai Cooperative Extension Service.  …

Posted in , commentsAdd your comment

Molokai Homesteader Appointed New Ag Director

Wednesday, July 13th, 2022

Molokai Homesteader Appointed New Ag Director

By Catherine Cluett Pactol | Editor

Molokai’s Kali Arce is the mayor’s appointee for the new Maui County Department of Agriculture. Arce, a Hawaiian homesteader who has been working in a variety of agriculture and conservation positions for over 30 years, will lead the department, pending confirmation by the Maui County Council. 

“I have more than three decades of experience in crop production systems, agricultural and biological education, agroforestry, land conservation and ecosystem restoration,” said Arce. “This will help me with the direction of Mayor Victorino to work with many people with various backgrounds to advocate for farmers and ranchers and serve as their voice. …

Posted in , , commentsAdd your comment

$1.5M Available for Feral Animal Impacts

Wednesday, July 6th, 2022

Maui County News Release 

Lokahi Pacific is accepting grant applications from Maui County farmers and ranchers for a $1.5 million assistance program to help with crop damage and other impacts from axis deer and other feral animals.

“I encourage our farmers and ranchers to apply for these grants as soon as possible to help them with damage caused by foraging axis deer and other feral animals,” Mayor Michael Victorino said. “Maui County is funding this grant program as a good beginning, but solving this problem requires a committed collaboration among the county, state, large landowners and other partners if we are to get this invasive species under control.”…

Posted in , , , commentsAdd your comment

Free Agribusiness Workshop Series

Wednesday, June 22nd, 2022

UH CTAHR Molokai Extension News Release

Are you a beginning to intermediate market gardener or food producing farmer who has less than five years’ experience farming/market gardening? Have you completed at least one ag related production course through either UH CTAHR Cooperative Extension, Sustainable Molokai, UH Maui College, or an equivalent? Are you growing food with the intent to generate income?  If yes, then this free Ag Business Summer Series is for you!

The first workshop will be held online on Thursday, June 30 from 4 to 6 p.m. This workshop will focus on Record Keeping with instruction provided by GoFARM. …

Posted in , , , commentsAdd your comment

Maunaloa School Garden Blooms

Thursday, June 2nd, 2022

Maunaloa School Garden Blooms

By Catherine Cluett Pactol | Editor

Since dreaming of a Maunaloa School garden for years and digging their shovels in the ground for the first time in a blessing of the space just over a year ago, the Maunaloa Mala – the school’s garden — is now flourishing. Each class spends time in the garden twice a week, incorporating lessons into hands on learning under the outdoor hale. At a fourth quarter Ho’ike to celebrate their progress in the garden last week, the school community enjoyed lu’au stew made with kalo grown by students, while keiki presented their recent work to ‘ohana and friends. …

Posted in , , , , commentsAdd your comment

County Recruiting Leadership for New Ag Dept.

Wednesday, April 13th, 2022

Maui County News Release

In November 2020, Maui County voters approved the establishment of a Department of Agriculture. Throughout 2021, an agricultural working group established by Mayor Michael Victorino set forth a draft of the new department’s mission, goals and objectives, and community meetings were held to get feedback on the direction and budget priorities of the new department. 

The Department of Agriculture will open on July 1, 2022. The County is recruiting a Director and Deputy Director of Agriculture.

Prospective candidates should carefully evaluate the roles, responsibilities and qualifications for each position and apply only for the position that best matches their qualifications. Applications will be accepted until 4:30 p.m. on Monday, May 9.…

Posted in , commentsAdd your comment

Kilohana Native Garden

Thursday, March 31st, 2022

Kilohana Native Garden

By Catherine Cluett Pactol | Editor

With fingers caked in dirt, members of Kilohana’s fifth grade class patted native plants into the ground, learning their names, their growing habits and cultural uses. The school now has a native plant garden thanks to their efforts and the support of several local organizations. 

It’s a dream at least 10 years in the making, said fifth grade teacher Tammy Castor. She said the school previously planted a native garden area behind the campus but it fell prey to deer and wild pigs, along with not being cared for over summer vacations. A new garden took shape earlier this month in a courtyard plot at the heart of the school, where it will be sheltered from predators, watered by timed irrigation over the summer, and can be easily accessible and frequently admired by the entire school. …

Posted in , , , , , , commentsAdd your comment

Budget for New County Ag Dept.

Wednesday, March 9th, 2022

Maui County News Release

Molokai residents are invited to join a virtual community meeting that will be held at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, March 15 to gather public input on the new Department of Agriculture’s fiscal year 2023 budget.

The County will consider funding requests and priorities suggested by the community for the Department of Agriculture that will open in July.

“We invite our farmers, ranchers and interested residents to get involved in making plans for this new department,” Mayor Michael Victorino said. “The County Department of Agriculture will meet our community’s needs by supporting local farmers and ranchers to help improve food security, build our agricultural workforce and promote new opportunities for economic diversification.…

Posted in , , , commentsAdd your comment

Grant for Local Food Distribution

Friday, February 25th, 2022

Sust’ainable Molokai News Release

Sustʻainable Molokai recently received a $34,375 grant from the First Nations Development Institute of Longmont, Colorado. This award will support the efforts of Project Hoʻokuʻikahi Aloha Molokai, which distributes locally produced food to Molokai residents through our island’s 22 food pantries.

This project began as a hui of community organizations that rallied together to provide food for our Molokai residents during the outbreak of the pandemic. The name Hoʻokuʻikahi Aloha Molokai means “uniting in love for our people of Molokai.” These and other efforts are covered in this short video, Island in the Pandemic, created by Quazifilms’ Matt Yamashita, which premiered on Oct 16, 2020.…

Posted in , , , , commentsAdd your comment

Monsanto Pleads Guilty to Illegal Pesticide Use

Wednesday, December 15th, 2021

By Catherine Cluett Pactol

Last week, Monsanto company agreed to plead guilty for previous charges including illegal pesticide storage on Molokai and using banned pesticides on Maui, along with new charges of knowingly using pesticides inconsistent with its labeling on Oahu, according to the U.S. Dept. of Justice. Court documents filed last Thursday in United States District Court in Honolulu include a deferred prosecution agreement related to a felony count of unlawfully storing an acute hazardous waste at its Molokai facility in 2013-2014. Monsanto will pay more than $22 million in fines. 

Monsanto admitted to spraying a glufosinate product sold under the brand name Forfeit 28 in 2020 in Haleiwa “a manner inconsistent with its labeling,” according to court documents.…

Posted in , , commentsAdd your comment