Agricultural leaders sought for awards

The Agricultural Leadership Foundation of Hawaii is seeking nominations for its Heroes of Agriculture, Food and Environment Awards. The awards will be presented at the 2010 Hawaii Agriculture Conference, Sept. 23-24 at the JW Marriott Ihilani Resort and Spa at Ko Olina.

Awards will be given in seven categories: Hawaii’s oldest commercial farm; young family member or members taking over a farm operation; an employee or team that supports the owner and helps keep the farm in “top shape”; a farm entrepreneur who does business with excellence; a food business or school that does business with excellence; an environmental supporter who does their work with excellence; and a government, nonprofit or individual supporter of agriculture, food or the environment.

Nomination applications are due by Aug. 31 and are available online at www.surveymonkey.com/s/XNMW8ZL.

Business Briefs – Hawaii Business – Staradvertiser.com


County of Hawaii Issues: Emergency Senate Hearing on Dept. of Agriculture layoffs.

From Jeffrey Parker and Masako Cordray Westcott of the Hawaii Agriculture & Conservation Coalition

Emergency Senate Hearing on the Dept of Agriculture layoffs – please testimony today!

Thursday, Sept 3rd, 5-9pm, Maui Waena School, 795 Onehee Ave, Kahului

governor.lingle@hawaii.gov

reps@capitol.hawaii.gov

sens@capitol.hawaii.gov

Sample Testimony

CALAVO fails marketing goals

Calavo Growers (CVGW) has been added to the Hawaii Agriculture Blog “Hawaii Agriculture and Related Stocks Annual Charts” page to show the contrast of their lack of success in marketing fresh pineapple in California with the success of their stock performance.

Calavo Chairman, President and CEO Lee E. Cole on the favorable implications of the sales marketing and distribution agreement of Maui Gold Pineapple for Calavo

First, we anticipate that sales of Maui Gold fresh pineapples will contribute $25-30 million in revenues to Calavo’s top line in fiscal 2008, as well as become immediately accretive to earnings.

calavao-vs-mlp
As opposed to Maui Land and Pineapple Company’s Inc (MLP) filed Quarterly Report (10-Q) for the period ended 2009-06-30.

Revenues for the Agriculture segment decreased by 14%, or $749,000, from $5.3 million for the second quarter of 2008 to $4.5 million for the second quarter of 2009, primarily due to a reduction in pineapple juice sales volume and lower average prices for fresh pineapple. Pineapple juice sales represented approximately 5% of the Agriculture segment revenues in the second quarter of 2009 compared to approximately 13% of Agriculture segment revenues in the second quarter of 2008. The Agriculture segment reported an operating loss of $5.0 million for the second quarter of 2009 compared to an operating loss of $4.6 million for the second quarter of 2008. The operating loss for the second quarter of 2009 includes a charge of $1.9 million representing an adjustment to the fair value less selling costs of our property in Kahului that includes our fresh fruit processing plant. The Kahului property is currently held for sale.

Hawaii agriculture gets boost from feds « Molokainews’s Blog

 

Hawaii agriculture gets boost from feds

August 6, 2009
Federal lawmakers have designated more than $16 million in federal funding to improve Hawaii’s agriculture. A large part, more than $11 million, will go to research — that includes addressing Hawaii’s farming struggles, our floriculture industry and tropical fish population.

$106,000 will fund the Hawaii Plant Materials Center located on Moloka’i. The center enables the Kaho’olawe Island Reserve Commission to reintroduce native plant species in their efforts to control invasive plants and erosion on the island of Kaho’olawe. They will also receive a portion of $376,000 to stimulate agricultural development and conservation at the local level.

Hawaii agriculture gets boost from feds « Molokainews’s Blog

Hawaii agriculture and farming grants : Hawaii Business Grants

Please Click Here to Purchase Maui Gold Pineapples Online.

This is the sweetest, best tasting, Pineapple in the world.

Grown on Maui by Hali'imaile Pineapple Co.

Please buy this product!!!
PRIDE IN ISLAND!!!

Small business grants in Hawaii are somewhat tough to come by just like everywhere else. However, there are eleven federal government agencies that do have grant funding for small businesses depending on what you are trying to accomplish with your business. These eleven federal government agencies reserve some grant money and they have research and development topics that will accept proposals. Small business owners or people looking to start a small business in Hawaii may want to look in these areas for grant funding. In this article I am going to list a couple of these agencies and give a brief overview of what they deal with so that you can see if it would apply to your small business in Hawaii.

The Department of Agriculture in Hawaii has current concerns that Hawaii is currently importing about eighty-five percent of the food that is consumed in Hawaii. They would like to increase the self sufficiency of Hawaii. If you were looking at starting a farm that would assist in this concern it may assist you in receiving a grant. Under the department of Agriculture you will also find information you can find grants for rural development. The Small Business Innovation Research Program grant is another possibility for one that wants a small business grant in Hawaii that will be dealing with various science based business.

Hawaii Agriculture News

Hawaii’s Back Yard
Honolulu Star-Bulletin – Honolulu,HI,USA
We were fortunate to be able to purchase 128 acres of beautiful forest preserve land and another 10 acres of agriculture land there. ?

Genetically modified crops need scrutiny
Honolulu Star-Bulletin Honolulu,HI,USA
JOBS and a boost in Hawaii agriculture from genetically modified crops aren’t good enough if the trade-off is the island’s food-growing industry and its

Biologically altered produce pits grower against grower
San Mateo County Times – San Mateo,CA,USA
Only the US Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service gathers such data, and it usually doesn’t share it with state officials

Hawaii Agriculture Employee Definitons

?387-1 Definitions. As used in this chapter:

?Agriculture? means agriculture as defined in section 3(f) of the Federal Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, or as the same may be amended from time to time.

?Department? means the department of labor and industrial relations.

?Director? means the director of labor and industrial relations.

?Employ? includes to permit or suffer to work.

?Employee? includes any individual employed by an employer, but shall not include any individual employed:

(1) At a guaranteed compensation totaling $2,000 or more a month, whether paid weekly, biweekly, or monthly;

(2) In agriculture for any workweek in which the employer of the individual employs less than twenty employees or in agriculture for any workweek in which the individual is engaged in coffee harvesting;

Electronic File Date: 11/14/2006

http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/hrscurrent/Vol07_Ch0346-0398/HRS0387/HRS_0387-0001.htm