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!

Registration is now open for the AgPro professional-development training on October 23 and 24 on Maui. The two-day event, with the theme of “Extending Our Reach: Technology Use in Cooperative Extension,” will offer Extension agents and specialists the latest updates relating to the use of technology in agriculture, livestock, and Extension education.

Through collaboration with community partners, CTAHR Cooperative Extension was able to reach 14 Thai farmers on Kaua‘i and 10 Thai farmers on O‘ahu last week by providing bilingual workshops. Farmers noted that both workshops were very informative and that they are interested in attending additional workshops in the future.

East Hawai‘i 4-H had a record year at their recent Hawai‘i County Giant Fruit & Vegetable Contest, adding six new contest records, including a 2.37-pound giant tomato, a 16.74-pound coconut, a 2.02-pound lemon, a giant 7.47-pound sweet potato, a 14.5-inch sunflower head, and, astonishingly, an 84.5-inch-long gourd!

In a recent Star-Advertiser column, HNFAS nutritionists Joannie Dobbs and Alan Titchenal discuss the role that social media can play in affecting and maintaining people’s health. They point out that a lot of what we read on social media about food and diet can be “biased and misleading,” especially if it’s disseminated by special interest groups with their own agendas.

Clay Trauernicht (NREM) recently published an article in Civil Beat’s “Community Voices” forum entitled “Fire Is the One Hawaii Disaster We Can Avoid.” As he explains, there’s nothing people can do to prevent many of the natural disasters that have hit our state in the past few months. But one natural crisis that we can prevent is wildfire.

Attend a Banana Macropropagation Workshop to learn how to propagate healthy, disease-free banana plants using macropropagation techniques! This field day will cover management of Banana Bunchy Top Virus (BBTV), a demonstration of rapid BBTV detection, and propagation of clean banana plants through macropropagation.

There’s an exciting new technique in town for catfish producers: the use of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG)! Find out more at the Chinese Catfish Hatchery and Spawning Workshop, which will be held at the Waimanalo Research Station’s Aquaponics Lab on Saturday, September 15, from 9:00 a.m. to 12 noon.

Come to the Hawai‘i Seed Fest, providing “Local Seeds for Local Needs,” on Saturday, September 22, from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Waimanalo Research Station. There you can join local community conversations on the hows and whys of growing seeds specifically adapted for Hawai’i. Attendance is free, but advance registration is required.

Need a little spice in your life? Come to the Jalapeño Pepper Field Day at the Poamoho Research Station on Tuesday, October 9, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon. This field day will provide field observations of 20 commercially available mild and regular-heat jalapeño pepper varieties, including gorgeous purple peppers!

Extension agents and specialists are invited to the AgPro professional-development training on October 23 and 24 on Maui. The two-day event, with the theme of “Extending Our Reach: Technology Use in Cooperative Extension,” will offer the latest updates relating to the use of technology in architecture, livestock, and Extension education.

Monica Esquivel (HNFAS) took a visit to the Kaleiopu‘u Elementary kindergarten classrooms to share information about nutrition, physical activity, and community resources for healthy eating and food. The presentation was a part of a project to help the 135 kindergarteners at Kaleiopu‘u learn about healthy food choices and exercise.

CTAHR’s Cooperative Extension will be celebrating its 90th year with UH, along with its 4-H program’s 100-year anniversary. A celebration luncheon will be held on November 7 at the Ala Moana Hotel’s Hibiscus Ballroom, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Don't miss it!