What’s one way to help ranchers stay in business during a pandemic? Kyle Caires might give you three answers. Last week, the Extension agent was a guest of Maui Mayor Michael Victorino, as the mayor announced Feed My Sheep, a new CARES Act-funded partnership with local ranchers to provide ground beef to people in need.

If commercial farming is a key to economic diversification in our island state, why not start with Hawaiʻi’s premier beginning farmer training? The free webinar is the first step for anyone interested in GoFarm’s highly successful program.

For eight years and running, Hawaiʻi County 4-H has found a special way to bring out big smiles from its smallest members: a contest of giant fruits and vegetables.

Golf courses, resorts, and homeowner lawns across the Islands rely on Hawai‘i sunshine, good irrigation, and the expert guidance of Zhiqiang Cheng of the Dept. of Plant & Environmental Protection Sciences.

The Kaua‘i community has a long history of helping one another, and CTAHR’s Kaua‘i Cooperative Extension is no exception—agents recently donated 556 pounds of vegetable greens to the Hawai‘i Foodbank there. The vegetables were grown at the Kaua‘i Agricultural Research & Extension Center by assistant Extension agents James Keach and Emilie Kirk, with the help of agricultural technicians Andrew Ehlert and Michael Carle.

The United Nations has declared 2020 the International Year of Plant Health, and healthy plants need healthy soil! Find out how to foster and maintain it at the Cooperative Extension Virtual Soil Health and Sustainable IPM mini-conference on Tuesday, August 4, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.

Livestock Extension agent for Kaua‘i County Savannah Katulski is offering a webinar, “Selecting Beef Replacement Heifers,” on Thursday, July 30, at 6:30 p.m. This webinar will focus on best management practices for choosing and managing replacement heifers for a cow/calf operation. 

Longtime CTAHR supporter Hawaiian Earth Products (HEP) recently donated eight truckloads of compost to the Poamoho Research Station! The compost will be used to support research into the yield and quality of Hawai‘i-grown organic turmeric. 

Mahalo to City Mill for their generous donation of gardening tools and supplies—totaling over $33,000!—to the Urban Garden Center and CTAHR programs. City Mill has been a longtime supporter of CTAHR’s educational programs, and with their generous support, Extension will be able to expand gardening and horticulture offerings to meet the ever-changing needs of backyard and urban gardeners, agricultural producers, small business owners, consumers, youth, and local communities.

Ever wonder where your meat comes from? What steps go into raising beef so you can enjoy a delicious hamburger or steak? CTAHR Extension agent Mike DuPonte and farm manager Marla Fergerstrom shared one step in this process with two CTAHR employees at Mealani Experimental Research Station and Farm.

Congratulations to Barry Taniguchi and Derek Kurisu of KTA Superstores, who were recognized by the Hawai‘i State 4-H program at its recent Ali‘i Ceremony.

Ali‘i Barry Taniguchi was the chairman and CEO of KTA Superstores on the Big Island. Ali‘i Derek Kurisu is the executive vice president of KTA Superstores and a CTAHR graduate.

The first Story Lead Contest for eXtension Farm Journal has a winner, and it’s CTAHR! Interim Associate Dean of Extension Jeff Goodwin submitted the winning story last month, about the outstanding success of a Cooperative Extension project on screenhouse technology that leads to much higher yields and reduced insecticide use.

“I fought the lawn, and the lawn won…” If that’s your theme song, it doesn’t have to be. By sticking to a few simple principles, you can create, maintain, and manage a beautiful green lawn on your property.

The stress from COVID-19’s impact on our health, finances, and way of life is affecting many Hawaiʻi individuals and families. So the question for Human Development and Family Sciences is, “How can we help?”

Since 1947, the 4-H Ahaolelo (“gathering for a meeting”) has brought together 4-H’ers from throughout Hawai‘i, as well as Canada, Guam, California, Micronesia, and Japan. As the Ahaolelo website explains, “The 4-H Ahaolelo is rich in tradition. The week of ‘coming together’ has played an important part in the development of 4-H in Hawaii. The 4-H Ahaolelo provides opportunities to make friends and exchange ideas.”

Extension agent in sustainable and organic agriculture Amjad Ahmad has been selected as the Hawai‘i representative for the National Plant Germplasm System (NPGS), as well as secretary for the national chapter.

Grandfamilies, or grandparents who are primary caregivers for their grandchildren, are especially vulnerable during COVID-19. They’re a high-risk group, often living on fixed incomes. At the same time, food truck owners, like all restaurateurs, have been hit hard by the shutdown. But on Maui, CTAHR’s Intergenerational Extension has found a way to bring the two groups together to help each other

The newly created Western Cover Crops Council aims to promote the successful use of cover crops in diverse agricultural systems. To help improve outreach and inform cover crop incentive programs to better serve stakeholders, it’s asking farmers and ranchers to share their perspectives. Whether they plant cover crops now, planted them in the past, or never planted them, every perspective is important!

Dry season is here, and the risk of wildfire is ramping up. How can producers protect their farms? Clay Trauernicht, Extension specialist in wildfire science and management in the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, is partnering with O‘ahu Cooperative Extension to offer a webinar on “Assessing and Reducing Wildfire Risk on Your Farm.”

Growers and agricultural producers have been hit hard by COVID-19. Fortunately, a number of resources out there can help. Check this out: USDA is providing critical support to farmers and ranchers through the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program, which offers vital financial assistance to producers of agricultural commodities that can give them the ability to absorb sales declines and increased marketing costs associated with the pandemic.