The first study to implicate ambrosia beetles in Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death (ROD) has been published by the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR) at the University of Hawai‘i.

Feeling yellow? You may want to check out the Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl Virus Field Screening Pop-In Field Day. The college has been screening new varieties of tomatoes for possible resistance to the Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl Virus, and a field day of resistant varieties will be held on Saturday, November 24, at the Waimanalo Research Station to go over field screenings that have been conducted in 2018 in the certified organic and GoFarm field plots. 

The Cooperative Extension forestry team is teaming up with the island Invasive Species Committees, Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Forestry & Wildlife, Hawai‘i Tourism Authority, and Hawai‘i Ecotourism Association to offer a series of free workshops for eco-tour operators on how to avoid spreading the pathogen that causes Rapid ‘Ōhi‘a Death and other invasive species. 

All are invited to attend the interview presentations of the candidates for junior/assistant Extension agent for agricultural economics on Friday, November 30; Tuesday, December 4; and Wednesday, December 5. Each candidate will speak on the topic of “Developing an Extension Program in Agricultural Economics for Hawai‘i.” 

All are invited to attend the interview presentations of the candidates for junior/assistant Extension agent for livestock on Hawai‘i Island on Monday, December 10, and Wednesday, December 12. Each candidate will speak on the topic of “Developing a Livestock Extension Program in Hawai‘i County.” 

Troubled by wild beasts? Growers who are have requested assistance in managing the wild animals that enter farm areas and destroy edible crops. In response, Cooperative Extension will be holding a Wild Animal Deterrent: Electric Fence Field Day on December 8 at the Waimanalo Research Station to show how wild animals can be excluded from production areas using an electric fencing system. 

Want to be a Master Gardener volunteer or know someone who does? The East Hawai‘i Master Gardeners are now accepting applications for the 2019 Master Gardener Volunteer Training Program. The course begins January 23 and runs through April, from 9 a.m. to noon every Wednesday morning at the Komohana Research Center.

CTAHR celebrated 90 years of Cooperative Extension and 100 years of 4-H in Hawai'i on November 7. Attendees included current Extension faculty and staff, retirees, and stakeholders. US and local lawmakers, Dean Nicholas Comerford, interim associate dean for Extension Kelvin Sewake, and state 4-H  leader Jeff Goodwin spoke on the past, present, and future of Extension and 4-H in Hawai’i.

CTAHR was triumphantly represented at RCUH’s 2018 Awards Luncheon, with both first- and second-place awardees. COF’s Annalynn Macabantad and Dana Senaha took second place in the Team category, and GoFarm director Janel Yamamoto won first prize in the Researcher/Project Manager/Professional category!

Extension in Hawai‘i County was able to qualify for a grant to hire two agricultural technicians from among the many workers displaced by the recent eruptions. The new ag techs will work at Waiakea Station planting and cross-pollinating papaya plants to obtain seeds for commercial growers to start rebuilding the decimated papaya industry on that island.

The Hawaii Floriculture and Nursery Association (HFNA) presented CTAHR’s Waiakea Research Station with a $7,500 donation to support research benefiting the floriculture and nursery industries, such as development of new cultivars and control of pests and diseases. Mahalo to HFNA for their support of CTAHR research!

Although 4-H isn’t just about “cows and cooking,” as popular perception often has it, these are iconic activities for a reason! And while East Hawai‘i 4-H has cattle covered, there hasn’t been as much cooking going on in this chapter. So over the recent Fall break, organizers decided to hold a 4-H Cooking 101 Day Camp, and participants were glad they did!

In a column in the Hawaii Tribune-Herald, former Extension agent Norm Bezona highlights protea flowers: “Of all the many floral choices available in the marketplace, none can beat the bizarre yet entrancing beauty of the Protea.” He praises former CTAHR horticulturist Philip Parvin, director of the Maui Experiment Station, who was responsible for expanding protea culture in the Islands.

Dean Comerford was interviewed for an article in the Maui News about Rep. Lynn DeCoite’s call for more state support for farmers. Dean Comerford, who has spoken with Rep. DeCoite, praises her ideas and explains that with the ten new Extension agent positions that have been funded by the Legislature, the college will be able to provide more outreach, particularly in ag economics and financing.

Some local 5- and 6-year-olds on Fall break spent the week off school at the Komohana Research & Extension Center helping to pilot a new 4-H Junior Master Gardener Early Childhood Development curriculum offered through East Hawai‘i 4-H. The week-long day camp was centered around the theme of roots.

We are saddened to report the death of former Extension economist and professor John M. Halloran at age 65 in Maine. John spent the first half of his career at UH, advising farmers on marketing in areas from cut flowers to coffee, bananas and papayas to livestock, forests to fisheries. He was instrumental in Hawai‘i’s early farm-to-table movement.

If you haven’t yet registered for the celebration marking two important events in Cooperative Extension in Hawai‘i, now’s the time to do it—the deadline is October 26! There will be a celebration luncheon in honor of these historic milestones, and the CTAHR ‘ohana is invited to participate in commemorating Hawai’i’s past while looking toward the future!

Ag economist Matthew Loke (NREM) conducted a Survey on Farm Disasters caused by Kilauea’s recent eruptions. Results indicated a $27.9 million loss by 46 affected farmers and a displacement of 1,337 acres of arable land. The survey results will be used to seek federal, state, and county government assistance for  affected farmers.

In a column in the Star-Advertiser, junior Extension agent Emilie Kirk details how the “Farm-to-School Program Connects Kids to Food.” October is national Farm to School month, and it’s a great initiative. If you’re a parent, teacher, or school administrator, or know someone who is, you’ll find something of interest in this helpful article, so take a look!

The year 2018 marks a special time for Hawai‘i Cooperative Extension and the Hawai‘i 4-H Program! There will be a celebration luncheon on Wednesday, November 7, in honor of two important Extension milestones, and the CTAHR ‘ohana is invited to participate in commemorating Hawai’i’s past while looking toward the future!