New Molokai Beginning Farmers Program

UH CTAHR Extension Service News Release

A new, island-wide Beginning Farmer Program will begin this month. Twice-monthly classes will be held in Ho`olehua at the UH Extension Office and at UH Maui College-Molokai Farm focused on commercial crop production. A beginning farmer is defined as one who has farmed less than 10 years.

The aging of farmers is a matter of national security. In 2010, the average age of the workforce nationwide was 37, while the average age of farmers was about 58. There’s has been a 30 percent increase in farmers over the age of 75 and a 20 percent decrease in the number of farmers under the age of 25.

If you’re interested in participating in this educational training program, please request an application by calling 567-6929, emailing shirleyh@hawaii.edu or by picking up an application from the UH Extension Office. We’re located next to the Ho`olehua Post Office. Applications include a questionnaire to help plan dates and times for workshops.

This program is sponsored by the UH College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources CTAHR), Cooperative Extension Service through a grant from the County of Maui Office of Economic Development.