Responding to popular demand, the Kona Extension Office offered two hands-on coffee grafting workshops for coffee producers last week. Alyssa Cho, Stuart T. Nakamoto, and Andrea Kawabata provided participants with an overview on the coffee root-knot nematode project and the important points of how and why to graft coffee plants.

If you haven’t signed up as an exhibitor for the Hawaii State Farm Fair on July 14 and 15, there’s still time, and there’s still a need: the Saturday morning (9 a.m. to noon) and Sunday afternoon (1 to 5 p.m. shifts still need to be covered.

The 61st Annual Hawai‘i County 4-H Livestock Show and Sale was held at the Rocking Chair Ranch (aka Anderson Arena). It was the project conclusion for 40 youth who had been working for many weeks feeding, training, and grooming their steers, heifers, pigs, goats, lambs, rabbits, and poultry.

Associate Dean for Extension Kelvin Sewake was interviewed for an article in Supply Chain Dive about the effects of Kilauea's volcanic activity on the supply chain on the Big Island and throughout the state. The article reported that he and other members of the college are working to help find solutions so farmers won’t have to stop farming.

Show off your program or project at the Hawaii State Farm Fair on July 14 and 15! Exhibitors are encouraged to offer family-oriented games or activities or samples. Please RSVP to Cheryl at ernst@hawaii.edu by Thursday, June 14, with your preferred shift(s) and your topic.

More than 300 visitors learned about insects that pollinate home gardens and Hawai‘i ecosystems at the Urban Garden Center’s recent Second Saturday event.
 

Rajesh Jha and Halina Zaleski (both HNFAS) provide their expert opinions in a story in Civil Beat about what should be done with the island’s food waste to best increase food security.

Candidates for junior/assistant Extension agent for Floriculture and Nursery Industries on the Big Island will be giving their interview presentations starting next week: Robert Cating will present on Tuesday, June 12, Russell Galanti on Monday, June 18, and Emma Neigel on Monday, June 25.

The Taste of the Hawaiian Range is returning to its agricultural roots and taking on a more family-friendly focus this year. It will consist of a free day-long ag festival, including farm tours and fun and educational activities for keiki, followed by a cooking demo and the much-anticipated evening food-tasting gala.

Last week, CTAHR’s Kaua‘i team and the Kaua‘i County Farm Bureau jointly hosted the 23rd Annual Agriculture & Environmental Awareness Day at the Kaua‘i Agricultural Research Center, with multiple exhibits and lectures for the 5th-grade students from local schools who attended.

The cover story of last week’s Crave section of the Star-Advertiser is all about the ADSC Seed Lab. The seeds it sells come from varieties that have been shown to grow well in Hawai‘i’s unique conditions, and they’re fresh, local, and extremely affordable!

Kim (Kamalu) Joaquin has started as the new office assistant in the Kamuela Cooperative Extension Office as of Tuesday, May 29. She comes to the college by way of the North Hawaii Community Hospital in Kamuela, and we’re glad she made the switch. Welcome to the CTAHR ‘ohana, Kim!

Associate Dean Ania Wieczorek and the Saturday Gene-iuses program, and the “Wow Factor” that they promote in kids, are featured in the Good Neighbor column of Midweek Magazine. It’s good timing, because registration is now open for the program, which will start up again in the fall.

For those applying for the Maui County FY 2019 grant competition, proposals are due directly to Maui County administrator Cindy Reeves at reevesc@hawaii.edu before 4 p.m. on June 14. Projects are expected to be completed within the calendar year, no extensions, and the budget needs to be firm.

The ADSC) is offering assistance to producers affected by current volcanic eruptions in Puna, Volcano, Pahala, and Oceanview areas. The farmers are allowed to submit free samples of water and soil for testing of pH and heavy metals. O'ahu growers were also invited to send samples to ADSC after the flooding in April.

Monica Esquivel (HNFAS) recently spoke at the Hawaii Athletic Trainers’ Association High School student workshop on what Registered Dietitians (RD) do, the pathway to becoming an RD, opportunities at UH Manoa, and how diet and food interacts with the body.

Associate Dean Ania Wieczorek and her Gene-ius Day team recently completed their 6th year coordinating the Saturday Gene-iuses Program, an exciting science education series that offers classes once a month to engage a total of students in innovative hands-on science activities.

U.S. Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard’s senior legislative assistant, Dave Chun, visited the Poamoho Experiment Station to learn more about the research and Extension demonstration projects taking place there and was impressed by the work being conducted by CTAHR’s dedicated faculty and farm staff!

The O‘ahu Urban Garden Center will be promoting pollinator-protection awareness and strategies at its Second Saturday at the Garden event on June 9 from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. The program is coordinated by members of the Bee Hui at the UGC, who provide community education and outreach about bees’ and other pollinators’ essential services.

Scientist Melissa Price collaborated with artists and the Hawai‘i Symphony Orchestra to create six animated movements that educate youth about Hawai‘i’s endangered native bird species and the importance of conservation.