With hundreds of invasive pests in the Hawaiian Islands to keep track of, entomologists have their hands full sorting out which insects constitute the highest-impact threat to local Ag – not to mention, getting this information into the hands of growers. With a new grant from the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Mark Wright and Joanna Bloese will improve CTAHR Extension’s ability to disseminate the most current data to farmers and other stakeholders statewide. From the Dept. of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences, they will continue and expand upon Integrated Pest Management (IPM) implementation programs across the most highly valued crops in Hawaiʻi agriculture.

“The improvements include upgrading our online IPM portal (the old Crop Knowledge Master) to a modernized and more accessible format, with updated information and images for hundreds of pests of numerous crops in Hawaiʻi,” says Mark. “We’re developing an app with Mark Thorne (of the Dept. of Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Sciences) for the identification, monitoring, and management of the Two-Lined Spittle Bug, a devastating pest of Hawaiʻi pastures. We’re also collaborating with Angelita Acebes of USDA-ARS to make all our IPM information available through the MyIPM app.”

In addition to delivering IPM Extension materials via Best Management Practice factsheets, online access, and direct interactions with stakeholders, Mark and Joanna will develop predictive forecasts for new, potentially high-impact insect pests. Such preemptive forecasts should help improve surveillance and early detection of pests, and responses to new invasions.

“The grant also supports research on new invasive species,” Mark adds, “such as the Rami moth, a relatively recent arrival that threatens mamaki plants in Hawaiʻi. The grant also supports short-term Extension projects run by Extension agents.”

Read the full grant.

Becky Settlage is an Associate Extension Agent in the Dept. of Family and Consumer Sciences, currently working at the Komohana Research and Extension Center in Hilo. Drawing from her work in the 4-H Junior Master Gardener Program during Covid, Becky published an outstanding Impact Statement, “Growing Great Kids in Times of Adversity.” As Becky explains, this annual program has run since 2012, but Covid stay-at-home orders forced families and schools to come up with ways to engage their kids/students while at home. This project was meant to be educational, connected with school studies, and done from safety of the home.

In Becky’s words, “Because many youths were at home a greater portion of the day due to the pandemic, they were well-positioned to manage and take better care of their plants, which resulted in more contest entries at the conclusion of the program. In 2019, there were 22 entries for our contest. In 2020, we had 76 — an increase of 245%!”

Seven state records were broken by the outstanding plants. In addition, Becky found that 50% of participants were first-time gardeners, with “highly significant positive changes” in the participants’ knowledge and ability to grow “giant” vegetables and plants.

Moving forward, responses indicate that families and schools want to see the annual seminar, monthly ‘Talk Story’ sessions, and annual tour continue.

“100% of the 2020 participants stated they ALL had fun participating and would participate again in 2021,” she said.

Read Becky’s Impact Statement, “Growing Great Kids in Times of Adversity.”

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The 2021 CTAHR Dean’s Award for Excellence in Extension is based on an evaluation of Extension Impact Statements submitted by individuals or teams during 2020. Read more.

August was a busy month at the Urban Garden Center as faculty, staff, and volunteers prepared for two site visits, first from the House Finance Committee of the Hawaiʻi State Legislature, soon followed by the office of U.S. Representative Ed Case. State lawmakers, who are assessing Capital Improvement Projects statewide, were treated to a full tour of the iconic CTAHR facility in Pearl City, Oʻahu. This included a presentation by the Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle (CRB) team, a CRB detection demonstration by the CRB canine program, a presentation on EFNEP/ SNAP-ED programs, and engaging with the Master Gardener Program. Committee members and their staff also conducted a walk through of the raised-bed containerized fruit tree and hydroponic demonstration area, strolled through the 4-H Children’s Garden, and viewed the historic Quonset hut from WWII. The guests heard first-hand from 4-H youth and UGC volunteers about the importance of UGC for Cooperative Extension programming.

Mitch Heidenreich, Congressman Case’s legal assistant, was provided with an in-depth update on CTAHR’s numerous statewide research and Extension projects involving invasive species eradication, suppression, and management. We also discussed CTAHR’s academic programs, increasing SNAP access, and youth development opportunities.

Development of the areas surrounding UGC has been on the rise, due to their close proximity to a planned rail stop – the Transit Oriented Development (TOD) for the Pearl Highlands Station Area. UGC’s relevance to the local community and the state was most evident, and we took full advantage of these opportunities to update policymakers about all the outstanding work being conducted by CTAHR, across the state. CTAHR is everywhere.

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Did You Know?

On any given day, CTAHR faculty and staff at the 30-acre Urban Garden Center in, are researching a disease-resistant strain of crops, preparing college students for a career in tropical agriculture or environmental conservation, hosting busloads of elementary schoolkids, training local residents as Master Gardeners, donating more than 16,000 pounds of fresh fruit to the Hawai‘i Food Bank, and much more.

Prior to Covid, an estimated 6,134 people benefited from direct contact with UGC in 2019. In-person activities halted for the public in 2020, but UGC quickly pivoted to online educational programs, continuing to disseminate information and new advances to commercial and backyard growers across the Hawaiian islands.

Extension faculty, staff and volunteers also used the ‘down time’ during Covid to revitalize the UGC grounds with new gardens and enhanced exhibits. Today, as the state emerges from pandemic restrictions, this cherished neighborhood facility is ready to once again educate visitors and residents, children and adults, in agriculture, environmental sustainability and climate change mitigation strategies.

With a $23K grant from Hawaiʻi County, Extension agents Jensen Uyeda and Kylie Tavares are bringing their successful garlic trials to Kona and Hilo. And if all goes well, a locally grown variety of the aromatic Allium family could soon appear in restaurants and groceries across the Islands. For five years, Jensen has been running field trials in a variety of test plots on Oʻahu and Maui, exploring the possibility of commercial garlic production in the state – and so far, so good. The growers he’s working with are successfully producing salable cloves. In fact, one farmer harvested 900 pounds this year and is marketing the garlic at $6-7 per pound, which is higher than the price of California garlic.

“There is a demand for locally grown garlic and that demand is willing to pay the higher price required by local production to meet production cost,” Jensen says. “The quality and diverse flavors of the locally grown garlic set it apart from the mainstream garlic being imported from Mainland and China sources. The garlic varieties being grown are not like any found in local markets, so they can demand a higher price.” 

Jensen and Kylie were the guests last week on Hawaiʻi Public Radio’s The Conversation. “Developing products that have higher value — so like garlic chili oil doesn't require a lot of product, but you can market it as a Hawaiʻi-grown product and that value would be significantly increased,” he said.

Read and listen to the full interview, Hawaiʻi Could Soon Have Its Own Domestic Garlic Industry, with host Lillian Tsang.

Marshall Joy was only with the Molokaʻi Farm to School program for a short while, but he made the most of his time. His job as program coordinator was to connect Hawaiʻi keiki with school gardening experiences and connect young keiki to local food, in hopes to grow the next generation of local food consumers. The coordinator position also means working closely with Maunaloa Elementary to establish their own school garden, which in the future will contribute to food that can be utilized in school meals, and most immediately creates learning opportunities outside of the classroom for haumana. “Not only can school gardens teach our students science and math, gardens give them an opportunity to get outside, connect with nature and engage with one another,” says Monica Esquivel of the Dept. of Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Sciences. “Even further along, when they see something they have taken care of grow and provide nutrition for their community, they can gain a sense of pride in self and place.”

Watch the Molokaʻi Farm to School program in action.

A high demand for applied science was very apparent June 30, and again July 29, as Oʻahu farmers and Master Gardeners arrived at CTAHR’s Urban Garden Center for workshops on compost quality. Extension agent Josh Silva and I are excited to resume hosting outdoor events at UGC, which were very popular with stakeholders prior to Covid. Special talks and demonstrations were provided by Koon-Hui Wang of the Dept. of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences, Sustainable Pest-Management Specialist Kaili Kosaka, the Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle (CRB) Response Team, and Marvin Min of Hawaiian Earth Products.

This was a great opportunity to learn about compost, compost quality, compost processing, composting methods, vermicomposting with red worms, compost management for CRB prevention, carbon-to-nitrogen (C:N) ratios, and related topics. Our guests were able to walk through the UGC grounds – which staff and volunteers have done a spectacular job in renovating – including the new raised-bed systems planted with locally-produced compost from Hawaiian Earth Products. Mahalo HEP!

Participants were very impressed by the presentations and topics covered. In fact, their warm responses prompted us to hold a second workshop for our volunteers and Master Gardeners.

“This was a great and beneficial event. All speakers did a very good job. Mahalo for the free compost samples” and “Please keep providing us with this type of workshops” are just a few of the positive comments we received.

Our goal is to increase awareness of the quality and availability of locally produced compost. We want to improve understanding of composting as a great method of waste management, what can be expected from compost application, how to increase the benefits from compost application, how to improve compost quality, and which compost quality parameters to look for.

Mahalo to everyone who helped make these workshops successful, and we look forward to hosting another one soon.

Since 2016, Mark Thorne and Mark Wright have waged war on the invasive Twoline Spittlebug. The invasive pest is devasting rangelands on the Big Island, which is a concern for both the Dept. of Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Sciences and the Dept. of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences. Recently, Mark T. was interviewed for a Hawaiʻi News Now segment featuring CTAHR’s efforts to contain the pest. A separate KHON2 report also showed images of the CTAHR research team doing field work. “The best we can do to manage the spread, at this point, is to find ways to reduce the Twolined Spittlebug populations to levels below thresholds that inflict catastrophic damage on rangeland resources,” he says. “This should also help slow the spread of the pest into other areas that not yet affected by the pest.”

He adds, “Currently, our research has focused on understanding the biology and ecology of the pest on pastureland, carrying out host-plant resistance experiments on an array of forage grasses to determine which are susceptible or resistant to Twolined Spittlebug adult feeding. We’re also developing integrated Pest Management strategies, including intensive grazing management to reduce suitable feeding and egg laying habitat for adults and nymphs, coupled with strategic use of pesticides and revegetation with grasses resistant to Twolined Spittlebug feeding.”

Mark T. and Mark W. are also investigating an “entomopathogenic” fungus – indigenous to Hawaii – that may affect the spittlebugs. A few years back, they observed dead Twolined Spittlebug adults that had been infected by the fungus. They collected samples and sent them in for analysis.

“Since that time, we have observed an increased rate and a wider spatial occurrence of infection of Twolined Spittlebug adults from this fungus,” he says. “We are hopeful this naturally occurring biocontrol can help throttle down the population growth of the pest. Additionally, we are investigating ways that we may harvest and potentially domesticate the fungus for use as a commercial biocontrol.”

‘Ahaolelo’ means “to come together for a meeting” in Hawaiian, and the Hawaiʻi 4-H Ahaolelo Leadership Conference is rich in that tradition, playing an important role in the development of our 4-H members.

Held at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa campus, the Ahaolelo provides local youths who’ve completed 8th to 12th grade with an excellent opportunity to meet other 4-H members, make new friends, exchange ideas, develop communication and leadership skills – and learn more about UH and college life.

Last year, the Ahaolelo switched to a virtual Aliʻi Ceremony due to COVID-19, and merged with a 3-day online conference with Idaho and Washington 4-H’s STAC (State Teen Association Conference) to allow more teen participants.

This year, Hawaiʻi 4-H formed an Ahaolelo Planning Team, with the theme “Overcoming Challenges, Shaping the Future.” The events included a community service project with the ceremony in the evening. 

“Although this was a very difficult year, we used our 4-H skills to overcome challenges and shape the future,” said Kaitlin Kitagawa of Maui, who was an emcee at the Aliʻi Ceremony. In all, 40 teen delegates, adult volunteers, and 4-H Agents and Staff were able to attend. The delegates joined virtual workshops and were inspired by the special presenters:

• Dr. Lauren Tamamoto, 4-H alumni from the Teddy Bears 4-H Club and Kapiʻolani Community College Food Scientist and Research Chef who collaborates with CTAHR.
• Myself, presenting on “Head” life skills such as solving problems, making decisions, and practicing creativity.
• Rebecca Kanenaka, past 4-H Club Leader of the Golden Ripples 4-H Club, retired microbiologist, and currently a 4-H Volunteer Resource Leader.
• Hallie Cristobal, Kauaʻi 4-H and Intergenerational Junior Extension Agent, presenting on foods and nutrition.
• Carli Yamamoto, 4-H alumni from the Aloha Kids 4-H Club and athletic trainer at Konawaena High School, presenting on empathy, determination, and resiliency.

The speakers shared engaging and hands-on learning, referencing their 4-H experiences, the challenges they faced, and how they overcame and moved forward. They also shared about their careers and how they got to where they are today.

“It kept the attention of the audience well and the workshops were fun!” wrote one 4-H participant.

Aliʻi Ceremony

To gracefully end the 4-H Ahaolelo, we also held an Aliʻi Ceremony in the evening at the UHM campus, with virtual links for participants on the Neighbor Islands. The ceremony is another 4-H tradition, called “Gifts to the Aliʻi.” in which we recognize and honor guests who exemplify the 4-H values of leadership and community service. 

This year, Hawaiʻi 4-H was fortunate to have as our guest State Senator Lynn DeCoite, who we thanked and honored for her support and dedication to 4-H programs, not just in her Maui County district but throughout the whole state. 

“It’s a badge of honor from each and one of you,” shared Sen. DeCoite. “I love this conference, and I love the fact that you folks have 4-H Ahaolelo …(which) means ‘to come together’ … As I learned all my life in farming and ranching, we all need to come together to make a difference.”

Past Aliʻi date back to the&

The greenhouses at the Kauaʻi Agricultural Research and Extension Station (KARES) were in need of complete replacement, so in early 2021, thanks to the support of CTAHR leadership, we were able to have our two failing greenhouses removed, and approval to purchase two replacement greenhouse kits. Sandra Cabral (Kauaʻi County secretary) worked diligently to process this large purchase and get the new greenhouse kits on the boat and headed our way. Once the old greenhouses were demolished, and the pads were clear, the challenge of installing the new houses (each 35’ wide by 84’ long) began. The Kauaʻi team rose to the challenge! The talented farm team of Frank Matsuno (farm manager), Michael Carle (agricultural technician), Lou Nishida (mechanic), Michael Zins (seasonal volunteer), and myself worked through the many steps of putting the structure together.

We started with carefully setting the concrete footings, then installing the frame and hardware, fastening screening on the sides, rebuilding greenhouse benches, and, redoing the water lines.  The tricky last step was placing a single large sheet of plastic to cover the roof of the house.

Extension agents Emilie Kirk, Roshan Manandhar, James Keach, Amjad Ahmad, and others were on hand to make fine work of this. Please enjoy these photos, which show the demo and construction process over time. Now, it’s on to Greenhouse Number Two!

When a virus or virus-like agent infects a vegetatively propagated crop, the negative consequences can go far beyond a disappointing yield, appearance, taste, and plant longevity. If the difficult-to-find disease goes undetected inside the propagation material, the problem could be passed on to a new farm, establish itself, and spread even further. Since 2008, the National Clean Plant Network has brought together growers, scientists, and government agencies with the shared goal of safeguarding clean plants and ensuring a sustainable source of disease-free, vegetative propagation materials (such as cuttings, slips, scionwood, etc.). No less than the long-term viability of farmers and feeding a hungry planet are at stake. With a new grant from the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, a group of CTAHR Extension agents and researchers on Oʻahu, Kauaʻi, Maui, and the Big Island have joined the network’s sweet potato group. For their first project, Amjad Ahmad, Rosemary Gutierrez, Roshan Manandhar, Susan Miyasaka, Sharon Motomura-Wages, and Jensen Uyeda, along with Dr. Jon Suzuki from the USDA ARS, DKI US Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center (PBARC) in Hilo, will focus on ‘Okinawan,’ the purple-fleshed sweet potato variety that is a primary commercial cultivar in Hawaiʻi.

“During the first year, we hope to produce a total of 100 virus-tested ‘Okinawan’ plantlets in the tissue-culture laboratory of the Komohana Research and Extension Center, then distribute to Extension agents across the state,” Susan says.

The plan calls for these Extension agents to multiply the clean material to produce 500 cuttings, and distribute them to growers. The agents will use either pot or hydroponic cultures under conditions that will minimize any re-introduction of disease, while Dr. Suzuki will test for major sweet potato viruses in order to ensure that the propagating materials are clean. If all goes well, by the second year of funding, the agents will be able to ramp up production to distribute 2,500 clean cuttings to growers.

Read more about the National Clean Plant Network.

“My research has found that… higher rainfall events can contribute more to fire risk down the road than real-time drought conditions,” Clay Trauernicht told KHON2 newscasters on Monday. The Extension Specialist in Ecosystems and Fire in the Dept. of Natural Resources and Environmental Management was interviewed about recent brushfires occurring throughout the Islands. Another contributing factor, he says, is that former agricultural lands are abandoned and overrun with invasive species. Twenty-five percent of Hawaiʻi’s landmass, about 1,000,000 acres, is dominated by these grasses and shrubs.

On the other hand, fuel breaks would allow firefighters to come in and provide a safe environment for them to work.

“More importantly than fuel break stopping it is the fuel breaks that allow the firefighters to come in and provide a safe environment for the firefighters to work,” Clay said.

Read the full KHON2 story.

Wherever coffee is produced, the discovery of ‘coffee leaf rust’ can be devastating news for growers. With its detection in Hawaiʻi late last year, CLR quickly became a serious threat to the second highest-valued crop in our state. “In other coffee-growing areas worldwide, CLR is managed by maintaining plant health, planting resistant varieties, and applying systemic fungicides – but in Hawai‘i, resistant varieties and systemic fungicides are not yet available,” explains Zhiqiang Cheng of the Dept. of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences. “Local growers,” he continues, “currently have copper products and a few biological products available for use, but these products mainly work as preventative or contact protectants, and mainly when infection levels are low. Systemic fungicides typically provide longer-term control through penetration and  movement in the leaf tissue.” But since 2017, the Hawai‘i IR-4 Program has been preparing for the day when CLR might reach our Islands. Then-PI Michael Kawate (now emeritus), Zhiqiang (current PI), Julia Coughlin, and James Kam have been working to generate the data required to register Quadris^®Xtra, a systemic fungicide, to control CLR. “Although Hawai‘i didn’t have CLR at that time, this was a pre-emptive strategy – we wanted to have a systemic product available, if and when CLR arrived,” says Julia. “This hasnʻt been labeled yet, but we are continuing efforts on this project.”

When CLR was first detected in Hawai‘i, Julia immediately contacted the national headquarters of IR-4. Since 1963, this federally funded program has been a primary resource for helping specialty crop growers with their pest-control needs by developing data to support the registration of pest-management products.

IR-4’s plant pathologist quickly reached out to product registrants, hoping to identify an effective fungicide with data on international residue, efficacy, and crop safety – data needed to support an emergency registration.

A potential product was identified, and a multi-agency team (Hawaiʻi Coffee Growers, Hawaiʻi Dept. of Agriculture, BASF, and others) took it from there, successfully obtaining an emergency exemption for the use of BASF’s fungicide product Priaxor® Xemium®. IR-4 supported this effort by preparing the residue data summary needed for EPA’s dietary risk assessment. IR-4 will also prepare the Sec. 3 petition to EPA to add coffee to the Priaxor® label. This will count as progress toward registration, a requirement to renew the Sec. 18 emergency exemption for Priaxor® next year.

While the Sec. 18 submission was in preparation, BASF requested crop safety data. In response, the Hawaiʻi IR-4 Program conducted two field trials testing Priaxor with three different adjuvants to see whether sprays caused any burning or adverse effects on the plants.

“No adverse effects were observed,” says Zhiqiang, adding, “Our field program is currently conducting field efficacy and crop safety trials to screen other potential fungicides. We look forward to more fruitful collaboration as we generate additional field efficacy data and submit proposals to control CLR.”

Read the article, Coffee Rust Attacks Hawaii Coffee Trees; IR-4 Fights Back.

June is an important month for Maui 4-H. For decades, keiki and their families gather for the annual Maui 4-H Youth Livestock Show and Auction. Once part of the Upcountry Fair, the event merged with Maui County Farm Bureau’s ‘Maui AgFest’ but continues to take place in June so Maui winners can travel to O‘ahu to showcase their animals in the statewide show and competition. Although Covid shut down all other major events in the county, our 4-H livestock show had to go on. Managing and raising livestock is a must-have opportunity for our keiki. They gain life skills, learn to accept responsibility, value hard work, think critically, make decisions, and communicate well. We felt we had to support our future leaders by allowing them to complete their projects and validate their hard work and determination!

Maui 4-H Livestock offers two types of projects: Market and Breeding. Market projects in beef cattle, sheep, and swine entails the 4-H member raising, feeding and finishing an animal to proper market weight for harvest. Breeding projects allow the 4-H member to raise cattle and goats as breeding stock, which they can either market to local ranchers interested in genetic improvement or retain ownership of the animal to start their own herds.

At the final show, an expert judge evaluates the livestock for their potential as either breeding or market animals, provides a critique for each animal in the class, and compares the ‘form’ of the animal with the ‘purpose’ it is intended to serve. The judge for 2021 was Mitch Magenheimer from Canby, Oregon, who brings two decades of agribusiness and livestock judging expertise. He worked really well with our kids during the show, and afterward, gave them a talk relating their current 4-H experiences to life after high school, discussing opportunities in both college, industry, and life.

This year’s show was limited to 4-H members, their families, and livestock industry leaders. The event was a small gathering outdoors,. A big Mahalo to Ken Miranda and the Rice Family of Kaonoulu Ranch for allowing the Maui 4-H Livestock Program use of the Oskie Rice Arena. We also extend thanks to the Maui Cattlemen’s Association for their continued support of the 4-H program and help with sponsoring our official judge.

Maui 4-H looks forward to bringing back the auction portion when the event returns to the War Memorial Special Events Arena as part of Maui AgFest 2022.

Photo caption: I want to celebrate the high school graduation of two of our most dedicated 4-H youth leaders: Alexis Camara and Kaylee Silva. These ‘seasoned veterans’ of the Livestock Program have represented Maui County in state and national 4-H skill development contests and were always there to mentor the younger 4-H. These young women are exceptionally driven, hard-working individuals, and great role models for our youth. Alexis and Kaylee are strong academically and very organized, maintaining a healthy balance between work, extramural activities and community service. I wish you both congratulations as you pursue your college programs!

Last month, approximately 60 volunteers entered the gates of the Oʻahu Urban Garden Center, via staggered entry times. The occasion was UGC Volunteer Orientation Day! Given a stressful year of COVID-19 precautions, our CTAHR Extension agents, faculty, and staff had many activities ready and waiting to welcome back the returning – and new – UGC volunteers. Maps and instructions were provided to orient the volunteers to sign-in areas and new locations for first-aid kits, hand sanitizer, tool sheds, gardens, and more. We hope you enjoy this short VIDEO of the revitalized grounds, which is looking better and better each day, thanks to the many, many hands making light work. Our heartfelt gratitude goes out to everyone who contributed and participated in the revitalization of this important community resource and its alignment with CTAHR’s mission. A special aloha to:

• UGC faculty, staff, students and volunteers who have beautified UGC in support of CTAHR’s educational mission
• Oahu County ag technicians, Steve and Lianne Nagano, Shirley Garcia, Keiki Garden volunteers, Fruit hui members, Peace Garden volunteers, Rose Garden volunteers, Christine Hanakawa of 4-H,
• Waterwise Garden volunteers, AAS garden volunteers, and more for preparing the grounds for this event
• Bea Aragon-Balgas and Heidy Uno for UGC volunteer registration and confirmation
• Jensen Uyeda and Lauren Baligad for the cover crop display and Brussel sprouts donation
• Kalani Matsumura for pollinator seed and sprout giveaway
• Destin and Jill Shigano for providing the refreshing shave ice
• Laura Mizumoto and Susie Ota for the ono spumoni ice cream donation
• Dale Sato, Tod Hale, and Austen Kaneshiro for raking the facility before the event and sign placement
• Honolulu Rose Society members for hosting the Rose Garden Tour
• Sensei Les for leading Tai Chi in the Peace Garden
• Loke Kouhou and ‘ohana for helping with parking lot security
• Amjad Ahmad for the mamaki tea demonstration and Shaka Tea giveaways
• Audrey Hirayama of UH Foundation for the hand sanitizer donations
• Bea Sailer for sharing plants cultivated by the Sprouts in the Upper Nursery
• Susie Ota for the succulent donations
• Fruit Hui members for hedge clearing, harvesting, and sharing UGC grown fruit
• Josh Silva for the wonderful live music! and event set-up (tents, chairs, tables, sign mounting, etc.).
• Private donors who provided funds to beautify the facility
• UGC volunteers who continue to support UGC educational gardens with upkeep, beautification and so much more

In Hawaiʻi, when you check the weather forecast, you often get a prediction of partly sunny, partly cloudy, and partly rainy – talk about covering all possibilities!

But if you’d like to know exactly what the weather is at Mealani Research Station in Kamuela, Hawaiʻi Island, or Kona Research Station in Kealakekua, Hawaiʻi Island, you can simply click HERE, because on May 20, two new weather stations were installed. Now, when you visit the Mealani and Kona stations, you can find out the current weather conditions, which are updated every 15 minutes. You can learn about the temperatures during the past 24 hours (including daily maximum and daily minimum temps), daily accumulated rainfall, and total solar radiation. The Kona weather station also gives the relative humidity and dew point (the temperature at which dew can form).

The Mealani weather station will be useful in predicting the growth of pasture grasses for cattle grazing in the Kamuela area. The Kona weather station will help us predict coffee growth in the Kealakekua area, as well as monitor the development of pests and diseases, such as the coffee berry borer and coffee leaf rust.

The Kona weather station was funded by a USDA-ARS CBB AW project and the Mealani weather station was funded by CTAHR internal funds for improving research capacity.

The hardworking faculty, staff, and volunteers of Oʻahu Urban Garden Center know first-hand the continuous commitment it takes to keep the place clean. But lately, the weeds have been mounting a comeback. So the O’ahu 4-H, a CTAHR program, reached out to the Hawaiʻi Youth Challenge Academy. Commandant Saifoloi Filisi graciously agreed to partner on several service projects at UGC – and the manpower they provided has been priceless. During four Saturdays in April and May, about 60 cadets volunteered and completed some of their community service hours. These young men and women, 16-18 years old, weeded plots and around crops, picked up trash, and weed-whacked the overgrown slope along the border of Home Depot and its parking lot. They even cleared overgrown plants surrounding a monkey pod tree that covered the bus drop-off area. The tree had been compromised and arborists were not able to see the base and roots of the tree until the plants were pulled out.

With their own two hands, the work done by these youths compared to the capacity that UGC faculty, staff, and volunteers could do over weeks and months. In fact, the weeded plots gives UGC new opportunities to have field days and to start new projects.

Jari Sugano noted she was most impressed with the cadets’ positive attitude, dedication in doing a good job, and commitment to attending to their school work in their down time. 

Cadets’ Experience

While working, the cadets told us about an aquaponics system at their facility and how they’re looking to build a butterfly house. When Extension agents heard this, they educated the cadets about cover crops, pests, weed management, and pollinators. Josh Silva showed them how a static hydroponics system works. The agents gave the cadets mint, lettuce, and crown flower branch cuttings for their gardens.

The cadets were very respectful and enjoyed being outdoors. Some expressed interest in coming back to volunteer or whether they could work at UGC. What I saw at the end of the day as they left in their bus was a sense of accomplishment, pride, and priceless expressions on their faces – something I cannot put into words. I look forward to one day seeing them back at UGC.

The Hawaiʻi State 4-H, a program of CTAHR Extension, has brought back its popular cooking contest for keiki. Welcome to the Video Cooking Challenge! The goal is to create a 5-7 minute video that showcases a local commodity (plant or animal) and demonstrates the successful completion of a healthful recipe. You do not need to be a current 4-H member to enter the contest. Please register by May 12 or contact your county agent.

For questions, please contact Nancy Ooki.

CTAHR is in the business of benefiting Ag across the state, helping commercial and individual growers, improving collaboration among stakeholders, and advancing science-based discoveries for everyone. As the contribution of specialty crops – vegetables, fruits, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture, nursery crops, floriculture, seed crops, and certified organics – continues to increase in Hawaiʻi’s diversified agriculture economy, so has interest among local growers and Ag-related organizations.

To help guide CTAHR in allocating research and educational resources, a new survey is being conducted by Amjad Ahmad of Extension that will map the types and locations of all specialty crop work conducted by CTAHR.

Your contribution is highly appreciated. Please click the link and complete the survey today.

Photo by Kalani Matsumura, Oʻahu Extension

New funding that aims to coordinate the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) with other programs in combatting childhood hunger includes a grant for CTAHR’s Children’s Healthy Living Center of Excellence (CHL). Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign, with support from the American Public Human Services Association, will invest nearly $2 million with six SNAP agencies, including Hawaiʻi. The initial goal is to track trends in co-enrollment, identify the characteristics of vulnerable populations that don’t enroll in eligible programs, and guide future programs and policies. Ultimately, the initiative hopes to streamline policy, programs, and resources that impact children and families.

During the 18-month project, CHL will provide technical assistance in data integration and analytics. Following the grant period, CHL will continue to help link data systems and evaluate existing nutrition programs. The project is rooted in the ‘Ohana Nui framework, which seeks to end intergenerational poverty by addressing the needs of multigenerational households.

“This grant helps us form an important collaboration for coordinating data systems on food, nutrition and health-related programs,” says Rachel Novotny of CHL and the Dept. of Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Sciences. “This will enhance program efficiency and effectiveness for Hawaiʻi’s children and families.”

If you know a seasoned gardener with experience in growing edible crops in containers, please invite them to share their insights to help CTAHR develop gardening recommendations for Hawaiʻi. The Hawaiʻi Edible Crop Container Gardening Survey is open until April 15. Responses can help CTAHR to better support gardening in local communities by providing Hawaiʻi-specific guidance on growing food in containers.

“CTAHR offers a variety of programs for new gardeners using containers, allowing participants to try their hand at horticulture and enjoy home-grown food, even within small spaces,” says Marielle Hampton of the Dept. of Family and Consumer Sciences.

“Programs serve beginning gardeners from keiki to kupuna,” she adds, “with initiatives that distribute seedlings or potted plants, teach gardening skills, and deliver nutrition education to SNAP eligible recipients. With Hawaiʻi’s unique growing conditions, feedback from growers around the state can support the development of specialized recommendations to help others find success with container gardening.” 

For questions, please email Kristen Jamieson.