The past few weeks have brought significant changes in the agriculture industry in Hawai‘i. With that in mind, CTAHR Extension agents have created a short COVID-19 Agriculture Needs Assessment of the agriculture industry in the state. This information will be used to inform Extension agents throughout the state about the current needs of local producers.

Join CTAHR for a virtual talk-story session with local producers, in collaboration with the Hawaii Farm Bureau, Hawai‘i Farmers Union, and Kohala Center. It will be held this Sunday, April 26, from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. Please contact Nicole Milne at nmilne@kohalacenter.org for a link to the online video conference.

Growing an herb and edible flower garden at home is rewarding in many ways. It requires little effort and inputs. The sense of accomplishment I get from picking my own fresh herbs from my 2-foot by 5-foot garden bed is well worth the hour per week of attention I put into maintaining the plants. So why not grow your own?

The O‘ahu 4-H Communication Fair is an annual tradition that dates back more than a decade. So when the coronavirus pandemic cancelled many 4-H events, club meetings, and activities, O‘ahu 4-H adapted to the times and brought it online.

Swine specialist Halina Zaleski of CTAHR’s Department of Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Sciences is spearheading the Hog Feed Relief Program to help hog farmers whose livelihoods are being disrupted by the COVID-19 crisis.

Want to learn how to keep your ginger free of bacterial wilt? A new CTAHR webinar will describe how to multiply bacterial wilt-free ginger in pots: selecting, testing, and preparing planting material; cultural practices to prevent bacterial wilt; and fertilizer considerations.

Vegetables grow year-round in Hawai‘i, but sunshine and good weather aren’t enough to guarantee success. What happens under the ground, where the roots are developing, is critical to the success of your garden. In this article, we’ll cover how to “feed your food” with the right growing mediums, nutrients, and hydration.

It’s not easy to find locally developed seeds that will grow into robust plants and perform well in Hawai‘i’s unique tropical conditions. Or vegetables that are resistant to local pests and plant diseases. Fortunately for professional growers and backyard enthusiasts, the UH Seed Laboratory has just the answer.

Maui County is working on a grant to support farms with farm (not domestic) animals, to make sure they have the feed they need in case there’s an interruption in the supply chain, loss of revenue, etc. The grant application needs data regarding farmers’ monthly needs. Please forward this information to stakeholders and partners who may be in need of assistance.

With more than half-a-million housing units packed into our tiny state, containerized vegetable gardening is ideal for small spaces: apartments, condominiums, patios, as well as areas with poor soil conditions. With sufficient growing space, soil drainage and aeration, sunlight, adequate nutrients, and irrigation, you can grow vegetables quickly—right at home.

Community support from volunteer club leaders and engaged parents is key to the survival of our Hawai‘i 4-H program. In return, during the COVID-19 pandemic, East Hawai‘i 4-H members from the Super Stars 4-H Club and Hawai‘i Island 4-H Shooting Sports Club are making the best of shelter-in-place orders by sewing face masks for community members who need them.

Cooperative Extension is pursuing a variety of ways to help communities and stakeholders hit hard by the pandemic. On Moloka‘i, food security is paramount. The largest grocery story on the island is under a 14-day quarantine, and students who depended on free or reduced-price school lunches are struggling. But Extension agent Glenn Teves is hard at work on short- and long-term solutions.

The pig farmers had no feed for their pigs. The papaya farmers had no market for their papayas. But CTAHR brought them together. Extension livestock agent Mike DuPonte, a member of the Hawaii Island Pork Association, is coordinating with Hawaii Papaya Industry Association president Eric Weinert to feed surplus papayas to the pigs.

UH Hilo professor Ryan Perroy attached a special pruning saw and gripper claw to a drone to collect samples of ROD-infected ‘ōhi‘a lehua. He won a $70,000 prize for the “Kūkūau,” as he has named the device, in the ‘Ōhi‘a Challenge to develop an innovation to help stop ROD.

Join the third installment in a series of nine webinars of the Renewable Resources Extension Act, “Engaging Local Communities to Restore Fire-Adapted Ecosystems,” on Thursday, April 23, 7:00 a.m. Hawai‘i time (1:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Savings Time). It will discuss how to help forest and rangeland managers maintain ecologically resilient landscapes and fire-safe communities.

Hawai‘i has an array of soils and climates, with no one-size-fits-all answer for selecting a garden site. The first consideration is access to water, especially in a fairly dry area. The site should also be free from large rocks and tree stumps, with good sun exposure, not be shaded by large trees or structures. Read on for some more tips for giving your garden a good home!

UH Mānoa Facilities is asking for donations of masks for its 300 employees, all of whom are still at work on campus keeping the buildings and grounds safe, sanitary, and operational. They include the janitors, the groundskeepers, the repair people, those who pick up the trash, all those who do the often-unnoticed but utterly crucial work that allows the rest of the University to do theirs.

Hawai‘i 4-H is challenging all 12- to 18-year-olds in Hawai‘i to participate in a county-to-statewide cooking competition! Contestants will prepare their favorite dish in a 5- to 7-minute video highlighting a local commodity. They should demonstrate how to create a healthful recipe and include some kitchen and food safety tips. County winners will be selected to compete in a state competition.

Did you ever want to grow your own food? Indoors and without soil? You can…with micro-hydroponics! Micro-hydroponics allows you to grow miniature vegetable plants hydroponically (without soil) in your house, apartment, garage, or lanai. Read on for more information in this guest post by Dr. Kent Kobayashi!

If you haven’t checked out the COVID-19 Resources for Hawai‘i page at the CTAHR website, now’s the time to do it! You’ll find lots there that you can use yourself and even more that you can share with your stakeholders, from Food Safety and Sourcing to Mental Health and what to do At Home for the duration. And please contribute anything you have to add as well!