Progress 08/15/16 to 08/14/19
Outputs
Target Audience:This project's target audience included Asian and Pacific Islanders as well as limited resource producers. In the final project year, our farmer training program's demographics consisted of30% non-caucasian individuals including Native Hawaiians and Asians, and 52% socially disadvantaged/limited resource producers. 61% of participants were female and a total of 70% had access to farm land. Changes/Problems:Our partner site in Kona experienced the challenge that about 50% of the people who sign up for the public workshops do not show up on the actual workshop day. The project partner has been using Eventbrite in order to being able to track workshop participants and reduce the administrative time spent answering registration phone calls and emails. They found that people would sign up and the class would appear to be full, blocking further registrations. "No-show" registrants have then actually taken a spot away from someone else. For example, the grafting workshop was capped at 50 participants because of limited supplies and materials, only 25 people showed up. This means that they could have opened up spots if people had notified them that they did not intend to show up. No shows decrease a workshop's cost effectiveness. The partner is considering for future projects the following strategies to increase the efficiency of their workshops: 1. Start charging a nominal fee of $10.00 for registration prepaid (no payment on the day of the workshop) so that the participants feel invested in showing up. 2. Developing a policy that blocks the registration to future workshops of anyone who does not show up to a workshop they have registered for (without notification). What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?In addition to the 18-session (120 hrs) beginning farmer program, including 45 hours of classroom instruction, 45 hours of on-farm instruction, and 30 hours of farm visits, the project has provided eightpublic lectures/workshops at Ma'ona Community Garden in Kona: Soil health(Oct. 27, 2018) with Dr. Melanie Willich, Director of Applied 'Aina-based Agriculture at TKC. Lecture about the traditional Hawaiian Kona field system, soil development, functions, and fertility management practices. A total of 7 people attended. Beginning Gardening(Feb. 2, 2019) with Una Greenaway, co-sponsored by the Hawaii Farmers Union United, Hawaii Department of Agriculture, Baker Creek Seeds and the Department of Health. If the federal government shut down had continued past the end of February 2019, March SNAP (food stamps) benefits would not have been issued. This would have had a profound impact on the food security of our families. There was a program (circa 2012-2014) that encouraged SNAP recipients to start gardens; food-producing plants and seeds can be purchased with SNAP benefits. However, not many people are aware of this benefit. For more information about the SNAP garden initiative visit: https://www.snapgardens.org/. We made basic growing information available for our community in an effort to increase our collective capacity to grow food. This workshop included a free, healthy cooking from the garden demonstration for lunch. Ma'ona Community Garden provides free garden space to SNAP recipients. A total of 16 people attended. Hoop house(June 8, 2019) with Greg Garris, owner of 'Aina Ku Hina farm. Hands-on workshop lead participants through the basics of building a versatile, low-cost hoop house. A hoop house is a series of large hoops or bows-made of metal, plastic pipe or wood. They can be used as green houses, sheds, nurseries, animal pens/shelters, and more. A total of 12 people attended. Grafting and plant propagation(Jun. 15, 2019) with Ken Love, Executive Director of the Hawai'i Tropical Fruit Growers Association. Co-sponsored by the Hawai'i Tropical Fruit Growers. Hands-on, fully interactive grafting and plant propagation learning session. Both grafting and air layering were covered. A total of 25 people attended. Soil health(July 13, 2019) with Dr. Melanie Willich, Director of Applied 'Aina-based Agriculture at TKC. Lecture about the traditional Kona field system, soil development, functions, and fertility management practices. A total of 14 people attended. Food safety and GAP(Aug. 3, 2019) with Dr. Luisa Castro, Hawai'i Department of Agriculture. A total of 11 people attended. Tatura trellis construction(Aug. 14, 2019) with Ken Love, Executive Director of the Hawai'i Tropical Fruit Growers Association. A total of 12 people attended. Little Fire Ant(Sep. 28, 2019) with Franny Brewer, Big Island Invasive Species Committee. A total of 17 people attended. Technical assistance was providedto 14 individuals/businesses. Of the 14 individuals/businesses, 10 were participants in the current farmer training program and 4 were graduates from previous cohorts: Alexandra Haban: on-farm visit and consulting Parrish Canon: multiple meetings on clarifying agricultural production questions and business planning Pickens Kehrer: TKC demonstration farm internship, business planning Patty Machado: TKC demonstration farm internship, seed exchange Rachelle House: on-farm visit and consulting Sarah Freeman: soil analysis interpretation and consulting Meg Roberts: soil analysis interpretation and consulting Leah Gibbs: meeting on soil management and plant nutrition information/resources, business planning David Gibbs: meeting on soil management and plant nutrition information/resources, business planning Jim Crum: meeting on website design Max Bowman ('Ano'ano Farms): recordkeeping support, continued administration and performance monitoring of award from private foundation to purchase equipment to support operational expansion Ho'ola Farms: Assistance with application for funding to USDA NIFA Agricultural Opportunities for Military Veterans to collaborate with GoFarm Hawai'i to engage veterans in agricultural education in Hawaii County Angela Fa'anunu (Kaivao Farms): provided Kaivao Farms with a dossier of agritourism operation referrals to support completion of a project funded in part by USDA Farmers Market Promotion Program Brandon Lee (Kaunamano Farm): technical assistance for animal welfare certification How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?We participated in several island- and statewide events to inform about our farmer training program, including 'Aina Fest in Hawi (https://www.westhawaiitoday.com/2019/08/30/entertainment/10th-annual-aina-fest-sept-7-pays-tribute-to-resilience-culture-and-community/), Hawai'i Island Community Food Summit in Hilo (https://hifoodalliance.org/2019foodsummit/), and Hawai'i Agriculture Conference in Honolulu (https://www.hiagconference.org/). All lecture and workshop presentations were shared with the farmer training participants after each session. In addition, beginning farmer resources are shared on our websites (https://kohalacenter.org/farmertrainingandhttps://kohalacenter.org/farmertraining/bfresources). What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
We continued the revised farmer training program structure from 2018 for our third cohort (November 2018 to August 2019) and provided again 18 bimonthly sessions (120 hr) including 45 hours of classroom instruction, 45 hours of on-farm workshops, and 30 hours of farm visits. For graduation, participants were required again to complete additional 68 hours with BFRDP-supported workshops at our partner site in Kona, Ma'ona Community Garden, other agriculture-related workshops island-wide, online education (including GoFarm Hawai'i video materials), and/or "student-select" assignments (e.g. farm internship, business planning, recording work performed at their own developing farms). None of the regular 18-session beginning farmer training program was open to the public in the final project year. Instead we hosted an additional public workshop at TKC's demonstration farm: Grow your own La'au Lapa'au with Sweetie Osorio, Hui Malama Ola Na 'Oiwi. A total of 8 people attended.A total of seven farms and ranches have been visited throughout the cohort, including Ulu Mau Puanui, Kamuela; Hawai'i Institute of Pacific Agriculture, Kapa'au; 'Ano'ano Farms, Kamuela; Hawai'i Island Goat Dairy, Ahualoa; Kaunamano Farm, Hakalau; Hamakua Chocolate Farm, Papaikou; Alexandra Haban's farm, Mountain View (Fern Acres). Across the three cohorts, a total of 61 individuals started the program and 49 of those participants completed it. A total of 23 public additional island wide public lectures and workshops attracted 447 community members. Technical assistance including business planning, agricultural production, and farm financing was provided by TKC's Rural Cooperative Business Development Services (RCBDS) team to 45 individuals and businesses.
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Progress 08/15/17 to 08/14/18
Outputs
Target Audience: Asian or Pacific Islander Limited resource producers Changes/Problems:Based on the positive feedback in personal communications as well as email and evaluation forms, we feel confident about our farmer training program. TKC's farmer training program was designed to facilitate the development of new farms and ranches across Hawaii by providing residents with access toknowledgeandcapital, two of the main obstaclesmentioned in surveys of Hawaii's agricultural sector. TKC's farmer training program provides new and beginning farmers and ranchers with agricultural knowledge, a professional agricultural network, and a network of other new farmers and ranchers. Moreover, as graduates of TKC's farmer training programs, students have access to TKC's Rural Cooperative Business Development Services staff, a team of individuals providing technical assistance and training in farm capitalization, microfinance, food safety, organic practices, and cooperative development. Our farmer training program helps participants who greatly lack any agricultural background or formal agricultural training to understand the basics of agricultural production and business development and therewith the complexity behind running a successful farming/ranching operation, particularly in a state where land is highly valuable, production inputs (electricity, gasoline, fertilizer, seeds, labor, etc.) are expensive, a year round growing season fails to break pest and disease pressure, markets are limited by geography, and cooperative extension service staff are limited.Given the challenges to farming in Hawaii and the need for more long-term support for producers, it would be valuable to develop a second phase of the farmer training program geared toward deepening the graduates' knowledge and assisting them more intensively with building their businesses. The program could be structured as a two-year program (vs. the current one-year model) whereof the first year is run in the current format and then selects graduates into the second year of the program. In conjunction with the second phase, developing The Kohala Center's demonstration farm into a profit-generating operation in which the project's participants can learn and work, would be highly beneficial. We imagine this model to be similar to a student-run farm. A two-year model may serve to attract a wider range of participants, including High School graduates, particularly from the North Kohala, South Kohala, and Hamakua area. This model could also provide more hands-on, on-farm support to participants wanting oversight in production, whether at TKC's farm or their own private farm business, and help them design their farm businesses and troubleshoot events in real timeto make less mistakes in the first year or two of their operation, when funds are tight and morale can easily be influenced. Potential for improvement will continue to be monitored throughout the term of the project. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Two BFRDP sessions were open to the public:Cover Crop Field Day with Dr.'s Ted Radovich, Koon Hui Wang, and Amjad Ahmad, UH CTAHR, and Amy Koch, USDA-NRCS. Following the morning classroom lectures held by Dr.'s Ted Radovich, Koon Hui Wang, and Amjad Ahmad on common cover crops in Hawai'i, beneficial insects associated with cover crops, and locally available organic fertilizers, the workshop continued with on-farm instruction at The Kohala Center's demonstration farm with Amy Koch's talk on basic soil health concepts and soil health benefits associated with cover crop use. Cover crop plantings at the farm were showcased and discussed, including sunn hemp, oats, sorghum, cowpea, buckwheat, and vetch. Together with the workshop's participants, a field was sown in with a cover crop mix. Introduction to Recordkeeping and Farm Service Agency Programs with Maile Woodhall, The Kohala Center, and Linda Kow and Lester Ueda, USDA-FSA. Three sessions were open to participants of the GoFarm Hawai'i program: Seed production and seed saving with Glenn Teves, UH CTAHR. Business planning with Janel Yamamoto, Pomai Weigert, and Erik Shimizu, UH CTAHR, and Megan Blazak, The Kohala Center. Food safety with Dr. Luisa Castro, Hawai'i Department of Agriculture (HDOA). Thirteen sessions (eleven 3 hour sessions, two 6 hour sessions) were held at The Kohala Center's Demonstration Farm to conduct on-farm instruction. Topics included seed germination, seed biology, seed saving, seed cleaning, vegetative plant propagation, soil sampling and pH testing, plant nutrition and fertilizer, composting, cover cropping, food safety, and agroforestry. Four CTAHR Researchers were flown from O'ahu (Dr.'s Jonathan Deenik, Ted Radovich, Koon Hui Wang, and Amjad Ahmad) to provide instruction in soil science, cover cropping, integrated pest management, and locally available organic fertilizers, respectively. One CTAHR Extension Agent was flown from Moloka'i (Glenn Teves) to provide instruction in vegetable seed production and saving.Three CTAHR GoFarm Hawai'i consultants were flown from O'ahu to teach the two-day business planning workshop, which was jointly held between BFRDP and GoFarm on Hawai'i Island. A total of seven farms and ranches have been visited throughout the cohort, including Ulu Mau Puanui, Kamuela; Mauna Kea Tea, Ahualoa; Chris Carter's Permaculture Farm, Kukuihaele; Kaunamano Farm, Hakalau; Puuwai Ranch, Paauilo; Adaptations Inc., Honaunau; and Goat With The Flow, Pahoa. In addition to the 18-session (120 hr) beginning farmer program, including 45 hours of classroom instruction, 45hours of on-farm instruction, and 30 hours of farm visits, the project has provided: 6 BFRDP-supported lectures/workshops at Ma'ona Community Garden in Kona: Hoop house and worm bin building (Jul. 7, 2018) with Chantal Chung, Extension Agent with the UH Sea Grant College (UH-SGC) Program and supervisor at Ma'ona Community Garden, UH CTAHR. A total of 16 people attended.Raised bed and container gardening (Jul. 21). This workshop will be rescheduled due to a shootout! Fore more information, please follow the news link: http://www.staradvertiser.com/2018/07/21/hawaii-news/suspect-in-fatal-shooting-of-hawaii-island-police-officer-dies-in-a-shootout/ Plant propagation I (Jul. 22, 2018) with Ken Love, Executive Director Hawai'i Fruit Growers Accosiation. A total of 16 people attended.Three more workshops are currently being planned: plant propagation II with Ken Love, food safety with Dr. Luisa Castro, and soil healthwith Dr. Melanie Willich. 2 BFRDP-supported scholarships for the Produce Saftey Alliance Grower Training workshop in Honoka'a: The training was provided on July 27, 2018, by Dr.s Luisa Castro (HDOA), Michael Shintaku (College of Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resource Management (CAFNRM), UH Hilo), and UH CTAHR Extension Agents Sharon Motomura and Kiersten Akahoshi. A total of three BFRDP participants of the 2018 cohort participated and received a PSA certificate. 3 BFRDP-supported scholarships for the Hawai'i Grazing and Livestock Management Academy in Kamuela: The training was provided from July 25 - 28, 2018, by Dr. Mark Thorne (UH CTAHR). A total of three BFRDP participants of the 2017 cohort participated. Technical assistance to 15 individuals/businesses: Of the 15 individuals/businesses, 8 were participants in the 2017/2018 BFRDP cohorts. Additional 7 individuals/businesses(all of whom are graduates of the previous five BFRDP cohorts received technical assistance. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The Kohala Center hired a videographer to film the Cover Crop Field Day. The videographer is in the process of finishing one-on-one interviews with cover crop experts, which she will weave into the final product. Two short online films will be completed about cover crops by November 1, 2018, and placed on The Kohala Center's website. A link to the videos will be sent out via TKC's ag-bulletin which reaches over 1,200 island residents, including current clients, BFRDP students, and past BFRDP graduates. The Kohala Center is producing an online webinar on farm and ranch capitalization strategies, which will cover USDA-RD, USDA-NRCS, USDA-FSA programs available for new farmers and ranchers. This online webinar will be placed on The Kohala Center's website by November 1, 2018.ts, and past BFRDP graduates.A link to the webinar will be sent out via TKC's ag-bulletin which reaches over 1,200 island residents, including current clients, BFRDP students, and past BFRDP graduates. The Kohala Center, GoFarm Hawai'i, and the at the University of Hawai'i at Manoaare analzyingresponses to a new farmer and rancher survey that was conducted online with farmers, ranchers, andgraduates of farmer training programs in late 2017. Results will be presented, in aggregate, to the directors and staff of farmer training programs operating statewide, farmer and rancher training program graduates, and all survey participants in 2019. This project experienced delays because the principal investigator (PI)from UH Manoa was called out of the country on leave during 2018; the PI returned to Hawai'i in August 2018 and work resumed on the analysis. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?During the 2018-2019 BFRDP session, The Kohala Center will advertise the program widely to island residents via our website, online agricultural bulletin, local events, Veteran service offices, media, and a press release. We anticipate enrolling 25 students into this session, which will be organized into 188 hours of curriculum including classroom sessions, on farm activities, field trips to local farms/ranches, and independent hours engaged in activities including business planning, market research, internships, etc. Current and past BFRDP students will be provided with opportunities to participate in additional non-BFRDP workshops organized by TKC's Rural Cooperative Business Development Services (RCBDS) staff, including trainings in accounting and financial literacy, QuickBooks, recordkeeping, organic agricultural methods, farm and ranch capitalization, soil fertility, agroforestry, land access, post-harvest and value-added processing, and more. The Kohala Center is working closely with the County of Hawai'i to improve access to affordable and cultivable land to new farmers and ranchers, and those displaced by volcanic activity on Hawai'i Island. RCBDS staff will work with TKC's Communications Director to improve the organization of TKC's online resource library, and update the various websites with new publications and links to organizations supporting new farmers and ranchers. RCBDS staff will work together and with partner organizations to build out a suite of online resources that facilitate farm/ranch start-up, businesscapitalization, and succession planning. TKC's online library will be built out with two cover cropping videos and a farm finance webinar, with the intention of improvingaccess to resources for those who are located in more remote geographies on Hawai'i Islandor who may be unable to participate in the full BFRD program. TKC's BFRDP staff will organize an end of the year event for all former BFRDP students. The purpose of the event will be to increase BFRDP student/graduate networking, and provide past cohorts with a training on a desired topic (anticipated topic: farm financial literacy). TKC's BFRDP and senior staff expect this event will help launch TKC's BFRDP into the next programmatic project, to provide more hands-on, on-farm technical assistance and training to the over 140 graduates of TKC's farmer training programs. Additional survey work with BFRDP and farmer training program graduates statewide conducted in 2017 and 2018 will also inform TKC's future work with farmer training program graduates.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
The Kohala Center adjusted our 20-session (105 hr) beginning farmer program from 2017 to an 18-session (120 hr) format in response to last year's cohort's feedback to include more on-farm sessions. Now, our 18-session (120 hr) beginning farmer program includes 45 hours of classroom instruction, 45 hours of on-farm instruction, and 30 hours of farm visits. The training period spanned nine months (January to September 2018). Sessions were held twice a month (every other Saturday) from 9 am to 3 pm. For graduation, participants were required to complete an additional 68 hours with BFRDP-supported workshops at our partner site in Kona, Ma'ona Community Garden, other agriculture-related workshops island-wide, online education (including GoFarm Hawai'i video materials), and/or a "student-select" assignments (e.g. farm internship, business planning). No workshops were offered at our other partner site, Earth Matters Farm, Ka'u, since the leaseholder, Greg Smith, lost access to the farm lot. The total program was comprised of 188 hours of training sessions.
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Progress 08/15/16 to 08/14/17
Outputs
Target Audience:The project has four overlapping target areas of service on Hawaii Island, including North Kohala, Hamakua, Ka'u, and Kona. Conducted outreach and program marketing via press release, newspaper, website, social media, community and The Kohala Center (TKC) events, and personal staff outreach to relevant organizations and agencies (including the University of Hawai'i at Hilo, the program's/project's partner sites in Kona and Ka'u, and local Veteran organizations including Ho'ola Farms. During this reporting period (2017 cohort), 24 participants for the Beginning Farmer-Rancher Development Program were recruited island-wide with the following distribution: 42% (10) live in the Hilo district, 21% (5) live in the Puna district, 13% (3) live in the Hamakua district, 8% (2) live in the Kohala district, 8% (2) in the Kona district, and 8% (2) in Honolulu County. Of the 24 students, a total of 16 (67%) fulfilled a minimum of 80% of the 188 hr program. An overview of the 16 graduates found that: 50% (8) of the participants were females and 69% (11) of the participants were socially disadvantaged (non-Caucasian). A total of 25% (4) of the participants were between 25 and 35 years old, another 25% (4) were between 36 and 45 years old, 31% (5) were between 46 and 55 years old, and 19% (3) were 56 years and older. A total of 75% (12) had intentions of market farming at some scale; 13% (2) had a business plan, 25% (4) were currently farming, and 88% (14) owned or leased agricultural land. Of these 88%, 38% (6) had 1-10 acres, 31% (5) had more than 10 acres, and 6% (1) had 0.5 acres. Of the 25% that were currently farming, one individual was a Kamehameha Schools-Mahi'ai Match-up winners (Kaivao Farm), one individual worked as agricultural manager/supervisor at Hawai'i Youth Correctional Facility in Kailua (O'ahu), and one individual worked at Ho'ola Farms in Papa'ikou. In addition to the program's participants, 15 public lectures/workshops (7 in Hamakua, 5 in Kona, 3 in Ka'u) attracted 435interested people including community members, (beginning) farmers, and agricultural professionals. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?In addition to the 20-session (105 h) beginning farmer program, including 39 hr of classroom instruction, 30 hr of on-farm instruction, and 36 hr of farm visits, the project has provided: 5 BFRDP-supported lectures/workshops at Ma'ona Community Garden in Kona: Ulu (breadfruit) talk (Apr. 22, 2017) with Dr. Noa Lincoln, UH CTAHR, Hawai'i 'Ulu Producers Cooperative, and Mala Kalu'ulu. A total of 19people attended. Papa Ku'i 'Ai and Pohaku Ku'i 'Ai (poi pounding) workshop (May 27 and 28, 2017) with Shane Keahi Tomas. A total of 36people attended. Fruit tree grafting workshop (Jun. 17, 2017) with Ken Love, Hawai'i Fruit Growers Association. A total of 50 people attended. Aquaponics talk (Jul. 8, 2017) with Liesel Santimer, Waiea Aquaponics. A total of 12people attended. Hoop house building (Aug. 19, 2017) with Chantal Chung, Extension Agent with the UH Sea Grant College (UH-SGC) Program and supervisor at Ma'ona Community Garden. A total of 41people attended. 3 BFRDP-supported lectures/workshops at Earth Matters Farm in Ka'u: Soil and composting methods (Feb. 26, 2017) talk with Dr. Melanie Willich, The Kohala Center. A total of 27 people attended. Starting a home production system (Jul. 30, 2017) workshop with Greg Smith, President of the Hawai'i Farmers Union United, Ka'u Chapter, and owner of Earth Matters Farm. A total of 33 people attended. Starting a small-scale composting system (Aug. 13, 2017) workshop with Kyle Studer, owner of Southside Farming Company in Ka'u. A total of 32 people attended. 1 BFRDP-supported lecture at Earth Matters Farm at North Hawai'i Education and Research Center (NHERC): Conservation tillage (Sep. 12, 2017) talk with Dr. Ted Kornecki, USDA-ARS National Soil Dynamics Lab Research Unit, Auburn, AL, Dave Elliott, O'ahu Resource Conservation and Development Council, and Jayme Barton, Hawai'i Agriculture Research Center (HARC). A total of 19 people attended. Note about this workshop: Made possible through collaborative efforts of Jayme Barton and Melanie Willich. HARC covered Dr. Kornecki's travel and lodging costs and The Kohala Center covered the cost of room rental at NHERC. This is a particularly successful example of relationship building, low cost program implementation, and high quality agricultural outreach provision. Dr. Kornecki expressed his joy and gratitude of having been able to present his work on roller-crimper technology applicable for small-scale operations on Hawai'i Island, which is highly relevant for Hawai'i's beginning farmers. The workshop also attracted agricultural professionals, including the Dean of UH Hilo's College of Agriculture, Forestry & Natural Resource Management, the NRCS Acting Assistant Director for Soil Science & Natural Resource Assessment/Pacific Island Area, the NRCS State Biologist/Environmental Compliance Liaison (BFRDP participant), 2 NRCS Soil Conservationists representing the Districts of Waiakea, Puna, Ka'u, Hamakua, and Mauna Kea, and the farm coaches of GoFarm Hawai'i Island and Kaua'i. Technical assistance to 16 individuals/businesses. Of the 16 people, 3 were participants in the farmer training program. An additional 13 producers received technical assistance. Farmer training program participants who received technical assistance: Alexandra Haban: on-farm apprenticeship with Max Bowman, 'Ano'ano Farms Angela Fa'anunu - Kaivao Farm: grant application and research design Anthony Makahanaloa: on-farm apprenticeship with Chantal Chung, Ma'ona Community Garden Producers who received technical assistance (as of Nov. 9, 2017): Akaka Acres: farm development planning, financial capitalization assistance 'Ano'ano Farms: loan application and financial capitalization, land acquisition Big Island Produce: farm labor housing professional networking Double Spirals on Tap: grant writing for value-added products Hawai'i Island Meat Cooperative: financial/accounting training, financial capitalization assistance Hawai'i Island 'Ulu Cooperative: grant writing and financial capitalization assistance for member farms Hawaii Seed Growers Network: grant writing and project design Kealakekua Bay Farm Management: grant writing and wholesale marketing Koru Organics: grant assistance for alternative energy, NRCS referral for high tunnel system Sage Farms: website development, financial/accounting training, farm succession assistance Spicy Ninja Hot Sauce: financial/accounting training, financial capitalization assistance The Vanillerie: grant writing for value-added products Whittle Farms: financial/accounting training Provided technical assistance to inmates at Kulani Correctional Facility attending the vocational training in Sustainable Food Production that is financed through the Hawai'iState Department of Public Safety and implemented through Hawai'i Community College: grant writing and financial capitalization strategies, including microloan programs. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Preliminary results from the 2017-18 BFRDP session have been shared with (1) the County of Hawai'i for use in understanding the landscape of beginning farmers and technical assistance programs available for island farmers; (2) GoFarm Hawai'i (GFH), for use in further developing their farmer training program on Hawai'i Island and across the state; and (3) the University of Hawai'i's Geography Department to support continued evaluation work for TKC and GFH's farmer training programs. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?TKC will continue to network with organizations engaged in technical assistance and training for farmers and food producers to identify best practices, recommend and share clients to better serve their needs, design more responsive farmer and rancher training programs and workshops, and build support statewide for the next generation of farmers and ranchers. TKC and GoFarm Hawai'i launched the Hawai'i Farmer Trainers Network in 2015 and has gathered in 2016 and 2017 to discuss best practices in farmer/rancher education and encourage networking among groups. The network consists of over 20 farmer training initiatives and is currently focused on sharing curriculum, evaluation plans, and instructors; providing follow-up assistance to farmer training program graduates, including increasing access to land and capital.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Developed a 20-session (105 hr) beginning farmer program, including 39 hr of classroom instruction, 30 hr of on-farm instruction, and 36 hr of farm visits. The training program period spanned seven months (February to September 2017). Sessions were held twice a month (every other Saturday) from 9 am to 4 pm. Classroom sessions were held at the North Hawai'i Education and Research Center. For graduation, participants were required to complete an additional 83 hr with BFRDP-supported workshops at the two partner sites (Earth Matters Farm, Ka'u, and Ma'ona Community Garden, Kona), other agriculture-related workshops island-wide, online education (including GoFarm Hawai'i video materials), and/or a "student-select" assignments (e.g. farm internship, business planning). The total program comprises of 188 hr. Program syllabus attached. Six sessions were open to the public. Cover cropping in Hawai'i talk (Mar. 18, 2017) with Dr.'s Ted Radovich and Koon Hui Wang, UH CTAHR, and Amy Koch and Jill Ficke-Beaton, USDA-NRCS. Following the morning classroom lectures by Dr. Radovich, Amy Koch, and Jill Ficke-Beaton, farm instruction was performed by Dr.'s Koon Hui Wang and Melanie Willich, TKC, and Amy Koch. A total of 40 people attended. Accessing local markets talk (Apr. 15, 2017) with Jim Cain, King Lau Lau Poi. A total of 33 people attended. Business planning and financing #1 talk (Apr. 29, 2017) with Diana Duff, FarmWorks. A total of 35 people attended. Business planning and financing #2 talk (Jul. 22, 2017) with Diana Duff, FarmWorks. A total of 16 people attended. Food safety, organic certification, and fair trade talk (Jun. 10, 2017) with Maile Woodhall, TKC. A total of 26 people attended. Cooperatives and farm capitalization talk (Jun. 24, 2017) with Teresa Young and Hanna Bree, TKC, and Linda Tow and Lester Ueda, USDA-FSA. A total of 16 people attended. Ten sessions were held at The Kohala Center's Demonstration Farm to conduct on-farm instruction. Topics included soil sampling, aquaponic production, cover cropping & mulching, composting, agroforestry system planting, beekeeping, seed production, and agricultural machinery. Two CTAHR researchers were flown from O'ahu (Dr.'s Ted Radovich and Koon Hui Wang) to provide instruction in cover cropping and crop rotation/integrated pest management, respectively. A total of twelve farms have been visited, including Kohala Institute Farms, Kapa'au; Mauna Kea Tea, Ahualoa; Ahualoa Hogs, Ahualoa; Hawai'i Island Goat Dairy, Ahualoa; Hamakua Mushroom Company, Laupahoehoe; Hawai'i Vanilla Company, Pa'auilo; Kaunamano Farm, Hakalau; Adaptations Inc., Honaunau; Kane Plantation, Honaunau; Southside Farming Company, Pahala; Kuahiwi Ranch, Na'ulehu; 'Ano'ano Farms, Kamuela.
Publications
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