News and Events


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Preserving Palapalai

Preserving Palapalai 20 June 2024

Preserving Palapalai

Extension and UGC host expert on native ferns

Palapalai is an indigenous Hawaiian fern – one of the most important plants in hula – and Oʻahu Extension was proud to host a recent talk with Hawaiian fern specialist Kay Lynch. The UH Horticulture graduate (ʻ98), Master Gardener, and founder of Lāʻau Hawaiʻi, a Hawaiian fern propagation research nursery, spoke at CTAHR’s Urban Garden Center

Seeds of Wellbeing

Seeds of Wellbeing 20 June 2024

Seeds of Wellbeing

FCS mental health for Hawaiʻi farmers project wins award

Nearly half of Hawaiʻi farmers under age 46 report depression – which reflects the high-stress environment they must contend with on a daily and seasonal basis, complete with risks and uncertainties, volatile markets, fluctuating weather, invasive species, and the list goes on.

Inaugural Address

Inaugural Address 29 April 2024

Inaugural Address

Dean Grewal charts a path forward for the college

CTAHR’s mission is to secure the future of Hawaiʻi by building local self-sufficiency in food and agricultural products, noted Dean Parwinder Grewal at the first CTAHR Conference April 11. “CTAHR’s inclusive vision is to secure the future of Hawaiʻi through collaborative innovation and merging the Western, Asian, Hispanic, and Native Hawaiian knowledge systems,” he said.

Excellence in Extension

Excellence in Extension 20 March 2024

Excellence in Extension

Nancy Ooki of FCS is CTAHR’s 2023 recipient

The 2023 Dean’s Award for Excellence in Extension goes to Nancy Ooki of the Dept. of Family and Consumer Sciences.

Since 2018, Nancy’s “My PI Hawai‘i” has trained Maui youths in fire safety and suppression, search-and-rescue, C.P.R., disaster psychology, and other topics in FEMA’s Teen Community Emergency Response Team. By the final disaster simulation, youths can demonstrate knowledge and skills in first aid, triage, communications, and damage assessment. 

The Manini Farm

The Manini Farm 28 February 2024

The Manini Farm

UGC workforce development project takes root

With one student holding a wireless microphone and another a portable amplifier, the tour of The Manini Farm Project on the grounds of the Urban Garden Center had begun. As students took turns at the mic, presenting their projects and roles and walking participants through the rows of plants, it was apparent that these young adults felt an awful lot of pride in their participation.

Member of the Board

Member of the Board 28 February 2024

Member of the Board

Extension is represented at Society for Range Management

Congrats to Mark Thorne who recently began a two-year term on the Board of Directors of the Society for Range Management. Mark, who has served the society in many capacities for almost 30 years and is currently Section Treasurer, will focus on three key issues throughout his term: recruitment and retention of SRM members, involvement in the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists in 2026, and strengthened national and international partnerships and collaborations.

Kicking Off 2024

Kicking Off 2024 31 January 2024

Kicking Off 2024

UGC starts new plumeria collection and partnership

Ninety percent of flowers used for lei-making are imported to Hawaiʻi, and the decreasing supply of local flowers is having a drastic impact on the lei industry statewide. To address the growing chorus of lament from lei-flower growers, lei makers, and lei vendors, Extension has kicked off 2024 with a new plumeria collection at the Urban Garden Center. 

Impact and Relevance

Impact and Relevance 31 January 2024

Impact and Relevance

UGC and partners deliver food and education to local communities

The good folks at Urban Garden Center, along with Oʻahu high school students, departed for their holiday breaks knowing that fresh produce would make it onto the plates of many Hawaiʻi families in need. 

Ag Day @ the Capitol

Ag Day @ the Capitol 31 January 2024

Ag Day @ the Capitol

Let lawmakers know your accomplishments and needs

It lasts just two hours and happens just once a year, but this is your chance to let members of the Hawaii State Senate and House of Representatives know what you’ve been up to, and how our legislators can help you help feed the state.

Ōhiʻa Love

Ōhiʻa Love 31 January 2024

Ōhiʻa Love

Statewide fests bring the community together around ROD

With partners from Maui, Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, Hilo and Kona, CTAHR’s Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death team hosted the statewide seventh annual ‘Ohia Love fests. This year’s theme was Ka ʻUpena O Ke Ola, a metaphor for how life is interconnected mauka to makai, like a fishing net, and ʻōhiʻa is a keystone species that holds it all together, explains Charlotte Godfrey-Romo.

Rebuilding Maui

Rebuilding Maui 31 January 2024

Rebuilding Maui

Extension workshops on disaster training may also facilitate healing

“The recent disasters of COVID-19 and wildfires have caused forced disruptions in activity, limited information about the future, and economic instability,” says Nancy Ooki of Maui Extension. “The combination has placed the Maui community in a position of feeling a sense of loss of control, decision-making ability, and uncertainty of the future. 

Ag and ʻAina

Ag and ʻAina 13 December 2023

Ag and ʻAina

UGC hosts Agriculture and Environmental Awareness Day

The school bus doors swung open and in the blink of an eye, pastoral serenity was replaced by organized chaos as the army of chatting, laughing, and sometimes screaming 5th graders marched toward the outdoor exhibit booths at the Oʻahu Urban Garden Center.

Temple the Trailblazer

Temple the Trailblazer 13 December 2023

Temple the Trailblazer

Renowned activist in 4H livestock and autism visits Waialeʻe

Back in the day, the Waialeʻe Livestock Research Station was a true community resource for Oahu’s North Shore. The sprawling facility, a stone’s throw from today’s surfing mecca, once provided invaluable services as the area’s primary abattoir and center for livestock feed and harvesting research. 

Glenn Teves, Tribal Advisor

Glenn Teves, Tribal Advisor 13 December 2023

Glenn Teves, Tribal Advisor

Sen. Schatz appoints Extension agent to new committee

There’s a new Tribal Advisory Committee within the USDA, and retired Extension agent Glenn Teves has been appointed to serve by U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz. Schatz, chair of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, announced his appointment of Glenn last week. The new committee, authorized in the 2018 Farm Bill, will provide advice and guidance to the Secretary of Agriculture on Native equities in USDA programs and policies, and develop an annual report to Congress.

With Much Gratitude

With Much Gratitude 13 December 2023

With Much Gratitude

Maui County presents 2023 Administrator Awards

The last year has been an especially challenging one for Maui County, and even more so for Molokaʻi, due to Ag Tech and Secretary shortages, fiscal purchasing barriers, theft of equipment, difficult neighbors, the search and addition of two new faculty, an unsigned lease with DHHL, transitional leadership within CTAHR, and last but not least, the sudden UHMC commitment changes related to the Molokaʻi Farm, which led CTAHR to vacate the farm and consolidate our efforts at our office location. 

Teens in Training

Teens in Training 8 November 2023

Teens in Training

Maui 4-H hosts statewide disaster preparedness

In response to the wildfire disasters in Lahaina and Kula, Maui 4-H quickly organized a statewide disaster response training – Hawai‘i’s first-ever event tailored specifically for teens. With 110 high school students from every Hawaiian island gathering at Baldwin H.S. in Wailuku, and a program based on the national Community Emergency Response Team administered by FEMA, it was a rare and valuable opportunity to both train for emergencies and discuss ways to contribute to the long-term disaster recovery process and future disaster planning.

Mālama the Farmer

Mālama the Farmer 8 November 2023

Mālama the Farmer

“Taking Care of Yourself and Each Other” conference strikes a chord

With so many Hawaiʻi farmers facing challenges that can seem insurmountable, the timing couldnʻt have been better for CTAHR’s Seeds of Wellbeing initiative to host “Mālama the Farmer, Taking Care of Yourself and Each Other” last month.

Kalo and ʻAwa

Kalo and ʻAwa 11 October 2023

Kalo and ʻAwa

Extension marks a decade+ of celebrating Waimea Valley festival

Since 2013, CTAHR has been honored to be invited to Waimea Valley Botanical Garden’s Kalo and ʻAwa Festival on the North Shore of Oʻahu. This year, the Dept. of Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences and Dept. of Family and Consumer Sciences participated once again byproudly hosting an educational booth that focused on educating participants about kalo plant parts, varieties, and groups. 

Open House!

Open House! 11 October 2023

Open House!

Stop by Urban Garden Center THIS Saturday, Oct. 14

CTAHR faculty and staff are excited to host their first Open House at the Oʻahu Urban Garden Center since the pandemic – and public interest is super high – so head over Pearl City this Saturday morning! UGC will combine the event with the popular “Second Saturday at the Garden” to provide a variety of educational exhibits and demonstrations for the general public. 

Invasive Pests

Invasive Pests 11 October 2023

Invasive Pests

CTAHR conference brings together like-minded collaborators

With our beloved island home beset by invasive pests of all shapes and sizes, what is the best way to pool our collective knowledge and resources so we can effectively combat these challenges? A two-day conference on invasive pests is a good start. 

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27 April 2020

Hydroponics vs. Aquaponics

These soil-less gardens just need a little fertilizer

Hydroponics vs. Aquaponics
Tilling the soil before you plant can be difficult, especially if the land is rocky or paved over. But don’t let that stop you from growing vegetables! Soil-less agriculture is an alternative that requires less physical effort and uses less space. Two good examples are hydroponics and aquaponics. But which one better suits you? That depends on your preference for dealing with soluble fertilizer or live fish.
 
Hydroponic systems may have been utilized thousands of years ago (think of the legendary Hanging Gardens of Babylon!). It may seem contradictory to grow plants without any soil, but actually it often works better than in-soil gardening. For plants to flourish, they need just two things: essential nutrients and water. Thus, if nutrients are present in the water and delivered to the roots, the plant has no need for soil.
 
Hydroponic systems don’t need arable land and consume fewer resources, yet crops can be higher quality than those grown by traditional methods. These benefits are increasing the popularity of hydroponics, which is spawning many inspiring, creative applications in urban gardening.
Aquaponic systems are another soil-less innovation, one that combines growing plants and raising fish. Fish excrete waste, beneficial microbes convert the waste into usable nutrients for plants, and the roots naturally filter the water to provide a clean living environment for fish and microbes. It’s a symbiotic relationship that results in an incredibly efficient system!
 
Design
Hydroponics typically utilizes 6”-deep grow beds, since the roots can easily spread out within the aquatic solution without risking root compaction. Aquaponic grow beds must be deeper, a minimum of 12”, so fish have enough room to swim around.
 
Another difference is the environment. Hydroponic systems are very sterile, since there’s no need for extraneous growing media to support the plants or root systems. Aquaponic environments, on the other hand, must harbor the beneficial microorganisms around the roots.
 
Nutrients
Hydroponics is best for plants with high nutrient needs; you simply adapt the solution to meet the plant’s needs. Aquaponics typically supports plants with lower needs, such as lettuce, leafy greens, and herbs. Or, if you need more nutrients and the tank is big enough, you just add more fish!
Speaking of nutrients, don’t forget to feed the fish in an aquaponic system! How much and what feed depends on the fish you’re raising.
 
Acidity and Salt
Correct water acidity is essential to any aquatic-based growing system. The optimum pH in hydroponics is 5.5–6.5. Be aware that salt-based fertilizers, recirculated over and over in the nutrient solution, will naturally build up salt content, raising the electrical conductivity (EC) of water. Unchecked, it could reach levels high enough to damage the plants.
 
Aquaponic water should be neutral or slightly acidic, with an optimal 6.5–7.0 pH to safely harbor your fish. Fish waste has very little salt, so high EC is rarely a concern for plants. However, fish waste does add acid to the water, so monitor the pH level.
 
Maintenance
With aquaponics, you must feed your fish daily. However, other than checking the pH and ammonia levels weekly, there’s usually no need to flush and replace the nutrient solution, thanks to the naturally occurring symbiosis that keeps the levels in check.
 
With hydroponics, it’s necessary to periodically drain the aquatic solution and replenish with a new batch before the salts become concentrated. This means monitoring the pH, EC, total dissolved solids, and nutrient concentration.
 
As you can see, the systems vary in upfront labor vs. upkeep needed. Which one is better for you? Both are popular, and both provide the grower with distinct advantages over traditional gardening. Have fun trying both of them!
 
Amjad Ahmad, Cooperative Extension Service, Sustainable & Organic Agriculture Program, UH College of Tropical Agriculture & Human Resources