Fall Honoka‘a Seed Exchange and Potluck
Saturday, October 17, 2015
12pm – 3pm
NHERC Conference Room
45-539 Plumeria St, Honoka‘a, HI 96727

Farmers, gardeners, and plant enthusiasts are invited to the Fall Honoka‘a Seed Exchange and Potluck on Saturday, October 17th at the NHERC Conference Room in Honoka‘a. The seed exchange will feature donations from seed companies including Baker Creek, Johnny’s Seeds, and Territorial Seed Company. Participants are asking to bring seeds and a potluck dish if possible, or just take home seeds and talk story.

The Honoka‘a Seed Exchange has adopted a NO SOIL policy to prevent the spread of disease and invasive pests like Little Fire Ant. All vegetative material (huli, cuttings, slips) will be subject to inspection before permitted entrance to the seed exchange.

This event is supported by Hawai‘i Public Seed Initiative, a program of The Kohala Center.

For more information, contact honokaaseedexchange@gmail.com

The lovely folks at HIP Ag (Hawai’i Institute of Pacific Agriculture) are hosting their 5th annual fundraiser, the Kohala ‘Aina Festival, November 8th at 1pm at the Kohala Fairgrounds in Kapa’au. This year’s event will feature workshops, fantastic live music including Ooklah the Moc and a buffet that’s 100% locally grown! For tickets visit http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/881683

Little Fire Ant Awareness Meeting for Honoka’a

Saturday, November 15

10am-11:30am

NHERC Conference Room

45-539 Plumeria St, Honoka’a, HI 96727

INVASIVE PEST ALERT: Little Fire Ants have been identified by Hawai’i Ant Lab in a sample from Honoka’a.

If you’ve been stung by a Little Fire Ants (LFA), you know why these little ants are such a major problem. Heather Forester, an invasive ant support technician from the Hawai‘i Ant Lab, will present an informational session including a question and answer session on LFA. She will cover their biology and methods for control. Understanding LFA biology will help you control the ant problem. Proper methods of LFA control can maximize pesticide effectiveness and manage potential resistance, ensuring that effective pesticides will remain effective in the future.

The Hawai‘i Ant Lab is based in Hilo, and they work with people in Hawai‘i to provide solutions for the many impacts caused by invasive ants. Their mission is to protect Hawai‘i from new introductions of invasive ants, prevent the inter- and intra-island spread of existing invasive ant species, provide sound, practical treatment methods for homeowners, natural resource managers and industry, and eradicate new incursions whenever possible.

The Hawai‘i Ant Lab on the web: www.littlefireants.com

photo credit: Eli Sarnat

Farmers and distributors, are you looking to introduce your produce to Hawai‘i Island schools? The Kohala Center is presenting a series of free workshops next week to acquaint farmers and food distributors with the USDA Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP). The FFVP provides funding for eligible schools to purchase local produce for snacks.

Glenna Owens, Director of the School Food Services Branch of the Hawai‘i Department of Education, will lead the free one-hour workshops to help local food producers introduce their fresh fruits and vegetables to public schools.

The workshops will be held in:
HILO – Tuesday, May 13 from 4–5 p.m.
WAIMEA – Wednesday, May 14 from 12:30–1:30 p.m.
KEALAKEKUA – Wednesday, May 14 from 4–5 p.m.

Workshops are free, but the Kohala Center asks that attendees pre-register by May 12. For more information and to register, please visit http://ffvp.eventbrite.com or call The Kohala Center at 808-887-6411.

Interested in learning more about natural farming? The following natural farming classes are being offered at Hawaii Community College: Introduction to Natural Farming, Materials Production and Application, Swine Production, and Chicken Production.

Instructor: James Rushing
To Register: Call 934-2700 or come into the HCC office at 1175 Manono St., Bldg. 379A-3, Hilo.

Introduction to Natural Farming
April 19, 10:00a-4:00p AGR1013 $65

Do you know what natural farming is? Have you heard about it, but not sure if its for you? This introductory natural farming course will teach you what natural farming is and why so many local farmers and gardeners are using this unique and sustainable system. We will teach you basic natural farming skills so you can better appreciate the techniques and the reasons why natural farmers use this unique system.

Materials Production and Application
April 26, 10:00a-4:00p AGR1014 $85

Enjoy hands-on learning as you make various natural farming amendments like IMO, Fermented Plant Juices, Lactic Acid Bacteria Solution, and many others. In addition to amendment production, we will teach you where and when to apply natural farming amendments. You will be able to touch and see real natural farming in application. Several amendment samples will be provided for you to take home and use on your own.

Chicken Production
May 3, 10:00a-2:00p AGR1015 $39

Have you heard about natural farming chicken coops? These amazing structures enable farmers and homeowners to produce chickens without any foul odors or flies. You will receive detailed plans and instruction on how to dress the coop with natural farming amendments. Join us in learning how to build a natural farming chicken coop from some of the University of Hawaii’s most inventive agriculturalists.

Swine Production
May 10, 10:00a-2:00p AGR1016 $39

Expose yourself to the ingenious natural farming swine production systems developed by the University of Hawaii, in this hands-on workshop. These sustainable systems have a reputation for providing swine with a more natural living environment completely insect and odor free. Also eliminating all of the troublesome waste management issues associated with current piggery systems. We will show you how to construct a natural farming piggery, provide detailed plans, and show you how the system works in application.