Mealani Event (Sept. 21, 2012)

 Food producers, ag educators invited to

Mealani event (Sept. 21)

(Photo courtesy of Mealani’s Taste of the Hawaiian Range and Agricultural Festival)

MEDIA RELEASE
Local food producers are invited to display and sample their product at the 17th annual Mealani’s Taste of the Hawaiian Range and Agricultural Festival on Friday, Sept. 21 at the Hilton Waikoloa Village.
The state’s premiere ag showcase again offers a free trade show for Hawaii farmers, ranchers and food producers to hookup with Taste attendees. Called the Agriculture Festival, the expo coincides with the 6-8 p.m. Taste of the Hawaiian Range.
The Agriculture Festival provides a venue for food producers to present their products to participating chefs and attendees.
The expo is also open for agricultural and sustainability-themed organizations to present informational displays.
Producers interested in participating may contact Amy Shimabukuro-Madden at 808-974-4107/410-933-0853 or amysanae@hawaii.edu. The signup deadline is July 30.
Those interested in having an educational display may reach Victoria Vrooman at 808-640-4492 or vvrooman@hawaii.edu.
Taste will headline more than 30 statewide chefs who will dazzle diners using various cuts of forage-fed meats and a cornucopia of island fruits, vegetables and other farm products.
Also on tap is a 3 p.m. culinary activity, “Grass Fed Beef Cooking 101,” presented by James Babian, executive chef at Four Seasons Resort Hualalai.
Mealani’s Taste of the Hawaiian Range and Agriculture Festival provides a venue for sustainable agricultural education, encouragement and support of locally produced ag products.
The premiere ag-tourism event is a partnership between CTAHR, Hawaii Cattlemen’s Association, Hawaii Cattlemen’s Council, Kulana Foods, UH-Hilo CAFNRM, County of Hawaii Dept. on Environmental Management and community volunteers.
Sponsorship also includes the Hawaii Tourism Authority, the Hawaii County Research and Development, Hawaii Community College Food Service & Culinary Program and KTA SuperStores.
The quality and growth of this event are rooted in small business participation, sponsorship and in-kind donations.
— Find out more:
www.TasteOfTheHawaiianRange.co…

Hawaii Pacific Basin USDA/FSA Newsletter - May 2012

May 2012 Newsletter articles include:
-Maui County Designated Drought Disaster Area
-Emergency Loan Application Process begins on Kauai
-2010 SURE sign up deadline
-Farm Loan Programs
-And many more articles, photos & information

http://www.fsa.usda.gov/Internet/FSA_File/15001201205_01.pdf

Farm Doctor Visits a Taro Farm

Farm Doctor was called out to revisit taro farm in Waipahu. Taro plants had necrotic edges. Suspect potassium, but this area has had high salt issues in the past. 

Necrotic and yellowing edges of lower leaves

 Samples were collected and submitted to CTAHR ADSC for disease and tissue analysis.

Mite samples were also collected to begin the IR4 process in seeking a miticide for Hawaii's taro industry.

Beautiful day in Waipahu, Oahu

Farm Incubators 101: A webinar from the New Entry Sustainable Farming Project National Technical Assistance Initiative

Join us for a CTAHR Agribusiness Incubator on May 22

This webinar will cover: (a) the basic framework of our new National Farm Incubator Technical Assistance Initiative and how it can help you achieve the programmatic goals of your farm incubator project; (b) the reasons for starting a farm incubator and common strategies for meeting diverse farmer training and support goals; (c) presentations on how veteran incubator projects (New Entry, as well as our project partners ALBA, the Intervale Center, the New Farmer Develop Project, and the Big River Farms Training Program) operate successful and diverse programs; and (d) ample time for Q&A at the end so you can get your individual questions about the National TA project and farm incubators in general answered. We hope you will join us!

Farm Incubators 101: A webinar from the New Entry Sustainable Farming Project National Technical Assistance Initiative

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

1:00 PM - 2:30 PM EDT

After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.

Space is limited.
Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www4.gotomeeting.com/register/826136479

Farm Doctor: The Iceplant Scale Is Discovered in Hawaii

The iceplant scale (Pulvinariella mesembryanthemi Vallot, Hemiptera Sternorrhyncha: Coccidae) is a soft scale insect that was detected for the first time in the state of Hawaii. It was found in the North Hawaii area of the Big Island on akulikuli, an ornamental groundcover plant. The sample which was first collected in November 2011 by a homeowner was submitted to the Cooperative Extension Service and routed through the UHM-ADSC, Hawaii Department of Agriculture and the USDA. The identification was determined by Gregory A. Evans, Entomologist, Systematic Entomology Laboratory, USDA-APHIS-PPQ, in Beltsville, MD.

The body is green in newly formed scales and later turns reddish brown in older females. Most noticeable are the white, waxy ovisacs that contain the eggs. Soft scales feed on plant sap and are often associated with honeydew and ants.

More photos can be seen here:
http://www.sel.barc.usda.gov/scalekeys/softscales/key/soft_scales/media/html/Species/36Pulv_mesembryanthemi/1Pulv_mesembryDesc.html

LIFE in Ag Hawaii

http://hidili.com/hawaiiFarmBureauFederation/agHawaii/

Thank you Jason Shitanishi of USDA FSA, and Hawaii Farm Bureau for the great articles.

LIFE’s success is largely due to its team based and grass roots approach to providing extension education through collaborative partnerships with CTAHR programs (Risk Management Hawaii, Aquaculture and Aquaponics Program, Sustainable and Organic Agriculture Program, Ag Incubator Program, Honeybee Program, Basil Swat Team, Hawaii Tea Program, CTAHR Ti Leaf Project, High Value Vaccinium Project, Spray Coverage Project, Insecticide Resistance Management Program, etc.), statewide Extension agents agricultural agencies such as USDA (FSA, NRCS, etc.), HDOA, county agencies, Hawaii Farm Bureau, Hawaii Papaya Industry Association, Kau and Palehua coffee cooperative, Oahu RC&D, Ag Foundation, other public and private organizations and Hawaii's diversified agricultural producers.

Webinars on Farm Tax Issues

Three webinars on farm tax issues provided by Rural Tax Education (RuralTax.org).

These webinars are for extension educators, farmers and ranchers, and accountants working with farmers and ranchers.  In making decisions it is important to understand what options are available and possible tax consequences.  Information about each webinar is below and on the flyer attached.

When:  April 23, 2012. 

Introduction to Income and Self Employment Tax Issues for Farmers and Ranchers

presented by Ruby Ward, Utah State University Extension

2 p.m. EDT (12 p.m. MDT)  To view this webinar click HERE or visit  https://connect.usu.edu/fiip1/

Tax Issues for Selling and Repurchasing Livestock due to Weather Conditions

Presented by JC Hobbs, Oklahoma State University Extension

3 p.m. EDT (1 p.m. MDT) To view this webinar click HERE or visit https://connect.usu.edu/fliip2/

Tax Treatment of Government Payments:  Federal and State

Presented by Guido van der Hoeven, North Carolina State University Extension

4 p.m. EDT (2 p.m. MDT) To view this webinar click HERE or visit https://connect.usu.edu/fliip3/

If you have never attended an Adobe Connect meeting before:

Test your connection: https://connect.usu.edu/common/help/en/support/meeting_test.htm

Visit RuralTax.org for more information.  All three webinars will be recorded and available for later viewing.

These webinars are made possible through a grant from USDA-Risk Management Agency and Utah State University Extension.

Utah State University is an affirmative action/equal opportunity institution.

CTAHR Agribusiness Incubator Manufacturing Grant

2012 Value Added Agriculture Product Manufacturing Grant April 4, 2012

Aloha! We are please to announce that the UH/CTAHR Agribusiness Incubator Program is giving away up to $25,000 to assist existing or potential food manufacturers using Hawaii agricultural products with their startup or growth. This is an exciting opportunity for anyone who is interested in being part of Hawaii's food manufacturing industry. Download the simple three-page grant application at http://aip.hawaii.edu/Public/VAAPMG%202012%20RFP.docx Deadline is May 14th so don't delay!

Should you have any questions, you can contact us at (808) 956-3530 or email us at agincubator@ctahr.hawaii.edu. We look forward to receiving your application!

Ag Professional Workshop

Ag Professional Workshop on RMH and LIFE with extension agents

State of Hawaii

Department of Human Reservices

Wahiawa Conference Room

February 9, 2012

Diamond Back Moth: Insecticide Resistance Bioassays

Agents Robin Shimabuku and Randu Hamasaki look for DBM 

Searching for young instars

Transfer from leaf to treatment dishes

Back to Waimea for daily mortality counts

Eggs planted on rapeseed to rear DBM larvae

Bioassays to test resistance

Placement of worms

10 worms / dish

10 reps / treatment

More Tomatoes to Food Bank

LIFE mentioned in Chancellor Hinshaw E-Newleter

http://manoa.hawaii.edu/media/discover/discover-2011-12.html

LIFE's Applied Field Work Benefits Others

Three applied field trials. Three field days for tomato producers. Over 3 dozen tomato varieties screened. One publication done, another in the works. Plenty of tomatoes...what do you do?

http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/oc/freepubs/pdf/PD-78.pdf

Field Day Demonstration

Shared some of the harvest with the Hawaii Food Bank

Partnered with the CTAHR 4H program and the S/H Department of Education to provide tomatoes to the Culinary program at Farrington High School. Student learned basic and essential culinary techniques using CTAHR's harvest of produce.