Tag: upcountry

May 20, 2011 General Ag News and Notes Post a Comment

Submitting a Successful Farm Plan for County of Maui Ag Zoning Requirements

MALP Educational Meeting—Free to the public



Date: Tuesday May 24, 2011
Place: Maui Community Service Bldg
next to CTHAR Extension Services (Map) on the UH Maui campus.
Time: Pupus will be served at 6:30 pm and the talk will begin at 7:00.

Submitting a Successful Farm Plan for County of Maui Ag Zoning Requirements

by Tracy Stice, Broker in Charge, Hawaii Life Real Estate Services

Many have found the requirements by the County of Maui for a Farm Plan intimidating and confusing. Our speaker, Tracy Stice will introduce the Farm Plan and share his experience of successfully completing four plans himself.

Tracy has been actively involved in the real estate business as a Real Estate Broker on Maui for over 30 years. One of his specialties is in the buying and selling of agriculturally zoned properties in the Upcountry and Haiku area. He is passionate about farming and sustainability.

As part of his talk, he will use his Maliko Farm as an example of successfully implementing a farm plan.

December 1, 2010 General Ag News and Notes Post a Comment

Piiholo South well deal dead for now

WAILUKU – With mutual allegations of insincerity flying, the County Council Water Resources Committee on Tuesday decided to allow its resolution about exploring the possibility of acquiring the Piiholo South water well to expire.

However, committee Chairman Mike Victorino said he plans to revive the idea when the new council convenes in January.

Zachary Franks, co-managing director of Piiholo South, originally proposed selling his well to the Department of Water Supply, but he did not like the way the county responded. Tuesday, he asked the council to allow its resolution to expire.

“It was a complete failure,” he said.

He charged that Council Member Wayne Nishiki had introduced the resolution “with the primary, though unstated, purpose of derailing Kula Ridge. Prior to its introduction, Piiholo South, towards whom the resolution was putatively aimed, was not even notified by Mr. Nishiki of the resolution’s existence, let alone consulted with regard to its substance.”

When he did learn the framework of a proposal, he said it was “a disproportionate and unfair deal” that would have had Piiholo South “hand over” 95 percent of its well for free. That, he told, the committee “could never happen.”

Nishiki is not a member of the committee, but he usually attends its meetings. He was not present when Franks made his statement, but he came in later and accused Franks of not sincerely wanting to deal with the county. “As far as I am concerned, he can go back to the Mainland,” Nishiki said.

Continue reading
September 6, 2010 General Ag News and Notes Post a Comment

Well offers chance to clear most of meter waiting list

WAILUKU – Maui County will be offered a chance Tuesday to buy a water well in Makawao that could make deep inroads into the Upcountry meter waiting list.

The well, known as Piiholo South, already exists, and it has been tested to produce 1.7 million gallons per day of water pure enough to drink without further treatment, according to Zachary Franks and Cynthia Warner, the developers.

But to finance the proposed $8 million price (including infrastructure), the county would likely have to find funds outside the Department of Water Supply. In the past, water source development has been paid for with department funds, not county general funds, supplemented by grants and borrowing through bond sales.

Only recently has the county budget supplemented the finances of the water department, with $1 million for a study of storage in the current budget. But until now, the department has had to pay for its own wells and reservoirs, unless it could get the state to cover the bill, as it did with the Kahakapao reservoirs.

The County Council Water Resources Committee will take up the issue during a meeting beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday in the Council Chambers. Panel Chairman Mike Victorino said discussion of the matter would be preliminary.

“The focus of the committee meeting will be simply to gather information,” he said. “But there is possible public use of this privately owned well, and I’m eager to explore this potential.”

Continue reading
August 4, 2010 General Ag News and Notes Post a Comment

‘It’s dry, dry, dry’

maui-news-ad

The first six months of 2010 were the driest in the 90 years that Ulupalakua Ranch has been measuring rainfall.

Rancher Sumner Erdman, president of Ulupalakua Ranch, said Tuesday that the total rainfall for the year is 37 percent of normal. He’s been selling stock and moving cattle off the Upcountry Ranch to other ranches.

The ranch might be eligible for some drought disaster relief loans from the Department of Agriculture, but he’s been too busy to start to apply. “We’re in complete disaster-control mode,” he said.

Erdman said the dry weather has cost his business “pretty good into six digits” this year.

Continue reading
June 10, 2010 General Ag News and Notes Post a Comment

Fair celebrates Maui’s farming heritage – Lahaina News

MAKAWAO — The 30th annual Upcountry Ag & Farm Fair is slated for June 12-13 at the Oskie Rice Field & Arena on Olinda Road in Makawao.

From 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days, fairgoers will be treated to the annual Maui 4-H Livestock Association show and auction, Haleakala Ranch Paniolo exhibit with Paniolo Hall of Fame and vendors, Maui County Farm Bureau farmers’ market and Think Local Agricultural vendors, Made in Hawaii craft vendors, Truck-Trailer-Tractor Lane, Maui Cattle Company Cooking Contest, Paniolo Awards, Thompson Ranch horse rides, games for all ages, live entertainment with award-winning artists and lots of local-style food.

Admission to the fair is free; parking is available for $5 in the field on Oskie Rice Arena.

This year, the ‘Ohana Ranch Rodeo will take place each day along with a Bull Bash at noon. The rodeo features over 250 contestants from around Hawaii.

Continue reading
2024 © Hawaii Agriculture