Welcome to the Local and Immigrant Farmer Education (LIFE) Website
The goal of the LIFE program is to: 1) increase the viability and sustainability of commercial farms in Hawaii, 2) integrate more farmers into mainstream agriculture, and 3) help drive Hawaii’s diversified industry forward.
LIFE expanded its reach in serving Hawaii’s local and socially disadvantaged producers, which now includes limited resource growers, women, native Hawaiians, and farm workers entering Hawaii for the first time. This program targets both past participants seeking to reinforce and advance their abilities, and new growers.
LIFE’s success is largely due to its team based and grass roots approach to providing extension education through collaborative partnerships with CTAHR programs (Sustainable and Organic Agriculture Program, Ag Incubator Program, Honeybee Program, Basil Swat Team, CRATE, Go Farms Hawaii, etc.), statewide Extension agents, agricultural agencies such as USDA (FSA, NRCS, etc.), HDOA, county agencies, Hawaii Farm Bureau, Pacific Gateway, Oahu RC&D, Ag Foundation and other public and private organizations.
Our long term goal is to assist growers in becoming self directed, active information seekers and adopters of new research based advances. LIFE has a reputation for useful, quality recommendations and a proven ability to work respectfully and successfully with local and immigrant farmers. Partnerships enable LIFE to educate growers about a wide spectrum of priority agricultural topics while providing opportunities for growers to meet and take advantage of available government programs in a safe and conducive learning environment.