The latest newsletter from the Center for Tropical and Subtropical Aquaculture is out! In his Letter from the Director, Cheng-Sheng Lee mentions that having just sent out requests for full proposals, CTSA is looking forward to reading the innovative ideas of the principle investigators in the coming weeks.

The Family Education Training Center of Hawai‘i (FETCH), headquartered at the iconic Energy House on the UHM campus, is hosting a Garden Showcase. FETCH teaches parents how to lead effectively and shows children how to take responsibility for their actions and effects on the group. In FETCH’s integrated programs, family members develop teamwork as they work together to complete hands-on projects in sustainable family gardening. Everyone can learn to grow, harvest, prepare, cook and eat their own food at home.

The 23rd Taste of the Hawaiian Range Agricultural Festival won’t hit town till September, but now’s the time to sign up to attend in a professional capacity. Local food producers are invited to sell their products at the Taste, and agricultural-themed organizations can present educational exhibits. Taste of the Hawaiian Range provides a venue for sustainable agricultural education, plus encouragement and support of locally produced ag products.

Although conventional farming practices call for clearing away all growth from fields whenever food crops aren’t in the ground, there’s a lot of evidence that growing cover crops can have many beneficial effects on soil health, plant nutrition, and pest control. Find out more about this sustainable practice at the Cover Crop Field Day.

Aurora Saulo (Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences) recently published a column entitled “Are More Regulations Needed for Cottage Foods as Farmers Markets Grow in Popularity?” in the Food Quality and Safety newsletter. She defines “cottage foods” as prepared foods made in home kitchens or places other than regulated commercial establishments.