Category Archives: Agricultural

Wai Ke Kena

Posted on December 28, 2011 by Director

This Farm Project located past Haiku — located near the famous Jaws big wave surfing area — is a project in which youth plant taro as part of learning about native Hawaiian culture. It works with approximately 200 student volunteers. Approximately 12 adults volunteer over the course of the year in support of the program. Two at-risk recovering adults provide additional assistance on a year-round basis.

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Maui Agricultural Website

Posted on December 28, 2011 by Director

The NRCS Field Office approached Tri-Isle regarding a partnership on a web site to provide information on the Farm Bill and additional contact information. USFWS and DLNR/DOFAW also approached us to develop a similar web site for permitting and licensing information at the state level.

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Maui Agricultural Development Program

Posted on December 28, 2011 by Director

The Maui program is based on the Moloka`i model and has been in existence for 7 years with 6 rounds of grantees. More group projects were awarded than on Molokai, including cattle producers and a local vegetable producer cooperative. Diversified farming projects have included traditional taro production, persimmons, strawberries, coffee, Maui sweet onions, lavender and value added products. An advisory committee of agricultural leaders has helped guide the program and make grantee selections. Funding for the islands of Lanai and Maui for FY 2010 is $ 241,000. From this project’s inception, over $1 million dollars, matched locally by over $ 200, 000, has been invested in agricultural development on the islands of Maui and Lana’i.

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Moloka`i Agricultural Development Program

Posted on December 28, 2011 by Director

Initiated by Senator Inouye’s office to help transition plantation agriculture to diversified farming, this program has supported agricultural business opportunities on Molokai which emphasize appropriate models of sustainability and promote local community values and benefits. Steered by the local CIC (Community Impact Committee) the program provides cost-share grants to beginning and established farm businesses to grow, diversify, develop value added products, marketing strategies, and other methods of developing viable businesses. Currently in the 8th year, MADP has provided training workshops and individual coaching to applicants and grantees. The variety of applicant projects has included organic and conventional diversified ag, permaculture, consumer supported ag, floriculture, specialty crops, and group projects including cooperatives. Seventy four projects have been awarded grants totaling more than $1.6 million for developing local ag businesses. Local match exceeds $320,000.Training scholarships were provided to MADP participants for a number of workshops. Recently, funding has been received every year except FY-07. Funding approved for FY-10 amounts to $ 241,000. Projects will be reviewed and approved by the end of January 2010.

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Keanae Arboretum Taro Project

Posted on December 28, 2011 by Director

This project supports a local volunteer group, Wailuanui Hui to restore traditional taro fields and provide interpretive history of the local area to Arboretum visitors. A Cooperative Agreement between Hawaii Division of Forestry and Wildlife, Tri-Isle RC&D and Wailuanui Hui was signed by all partners. Predator fencing was completed to keep out wild pigs. Replanting taro has continued. Tri-Isle developed a project brochure for distribution.

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Natural Farming 2011

Posted on December 28, 2011 by Director

NRCS has provided grants to Hawaii’s RC&Ds in order to demonstrate and test Master Cho’s methodology of Natural Farming using indigenous micro-organisms(IMO’s). TIRCD is administering the project for the islands of Maui, Lana`i, Moloka`i, and O`ahu. It is expected that there will be a total of 8 test projects selected.

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Body and Soil 2011

Posted on December 28, 2011 by Director

Tri-isle provides fiscal oversight to Maui Aloha Aina Association in conducting their annual educational conferences. The purpose of Maui Aloha Aina Association is “To promote life giving practices for the body and the soil through educational outreach” to assist conducting the soil health conference held annually since October 2006. The conference promotes holistic food production and healthy lifestyle choices. The next conference is January 2011.

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