Month: October 2010

October 11, 2010 General Ag News and Notes Post a Comment

Solar farm set to begin operating on Kauai by year’s end

A 1.21 megawatt solar power farm that will feed electricity into the Kauai electrical grid is on track to be completed by the end of this year, according the company developing the project.

The photovoltaic system being built in Kapaa for the Kauai Island Utility Cooperative would be about the same size as the La Ola Solar Farm on Lanai, which is currently the state’s largest.

The solar farm will help the KIUC as it does its part to meet the state’s objective to generate more of its electricity from renewable sources. KIUC announced last week that it plans to break ground next year on a 3-megawatt photovoltaic system in Koloa on the southern side of the island.

The Kapaa solar project is being developed by REC Solar, which has installed smaller systems across the state, including ones at three Costco stores, a Longs Drug Store, Kauai Community College and Tony Auto Group.

Solar farm set to begin operating on Kauai by year’s end – Hawaii News – Staradvertiser.com

October 10, 2010 General Ag News and Notes, Recipe Post a Comment

HAWAIIAN CHICKEN SANDWICH

Hawaiian Chicken Sandwich, this irresistible sandwich is quick and simple to prepare. The sandwich is made of boiled chicken pieces mixed with yummy mayonnaise sauce served on a bed of fresh salad greens with pineapple pieces placed between fresh bread rolls or croissants.

Before we know about the Sandwich, let’s know why this sandwich is so close to the Hawaiians. It’s because when you think of pineapples which is one of the main ingredients in this sandwich, you immediately remember of Hawaii. Pineapples and Hawaii has a close association that most people assume that the plant is native to the islands.  In fact, pineapples originated in South America and probably did not reach Hawaii until early in the 19th century; the first record of their existence there is dated January 21, 1813.  Don Francisco de Paula y Marin, a Spanish advisor to King Kamehameha of Hawaii, brought the famous fruits back with him to Hawaii, after Spanish and European voyagers had introduced the pineapple to much of the world.

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October 10, 2010 General Ag News and Notes Post a Comment

Kia‘i Moku: Used in reforestation, albizia now poses threat

By LISSA FOX

Near Kualapuu, Molokai, there are Makahiki and hula grounds. Last year, 850 fast-growing invasive trees covered the platforms, where ancient Hawaiians played games as part of the Makahiki festival, the annual celebration marked by several months of peace, thanksgiving and feasting.

These trees originated from the jungles of the Molucca Islands, 5,000 miles away in Indonesia. The islands are part of the Wallaceae “hot spot,” an area of Indonesia with some of the world’s highest levels of biodiversity, including more than 10,000 plant species and 650 different bird species.

Albizia, or Falcataria moluccana, has at least one trait that gives it an advantage over Hawaii’s native plants. Albizia is a nitrogen-fixing tree; bacteria in albizia roots convert nitrogen from the atmosphere into a form available for the tree. These fertilizer factories built into the roots give albizia an extra boost; albizia can reach 30 feet tall in just two years.

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October 10, 2010 Agriculture Grants, General Ag News and Notes Post a Comment

Grants available for Native Hawaiian cultural programs

The Hawaii Tourism Authority is accepting funding applications for 2011 Native Hawaiian cultural and natural resources programs.

The agency announced it is seeking applications for projects that honor and perpetuate the Hawaiian culture and community, and that strengthen the relationship between the visitor industry and the Hawaiian community.

It also is seeking projects that manage, improve and protect Hawaii’s natural environment and areas frequented by visitors.

Request for proposal packets are now available at HTA’s office at the Hawaii Convention Center in Honolulu, on the agency’s website or by contacting HTA by phone.

The deadline to apply for either program is Nov. 4.

Grants available for Native Hawaiian cultural programs – Hawaii News – Staradvertiser.com

October 9, 2010 General Ag News and Notes, Vegtables Post a Comment

The Garden provides plenty at Common Ground

It’s an uncommon dining experience: you turn mauka off the highway in Kilauea, there are no advertisements, no string of cars looking for parking, no delivery trucks dropping off packaged food. No, it feels more like you have stumbled upon a 60-acre farm that happens to have a tranquil, open-air restaurant, where bananas and coconuts hang from the doors. A few feet beyond the tables are herb gardens. Beyond that is a massive garden, with rows and rows of vegetables. “You can sit down and look at where your food is coming from,” said Jay Sklar, chef and food-services director.

The Garden restaurant at Common Ground — a resource center for the community with many projects focused on sustainability — is leading the way to show what is possible for restaurants who embrace the “farm-to-fork” concept. When Common Ground — formerly Guava Kai Plantation — began the farming process over two years ago, the old guava trees, which were no longer able to produce fruit, were cut and chipped into a nitrogen-rich compost to make the soil healthy. They now continue to make their own compost with various materials on site, and mix it with oxygenated water in order to make a “tea” they spray on the crops. Sklar said they use no petro chemicals, and the practice of permaculture is used, meaning the landscaping is edible and plants are strategically placed in order to naturally benefit each other.

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October 7, 2010 General Ag News and Notes Post a Comment

Wet winter in isles’ forecast

Unpredictable weather will be the norm in the islands over the next few months as the worst drought in the country gives way to an unusually wet winter beginning in January, weather officials predicted yesterday.

The sudden transition from drought to heavy rains could unleash flash flooding and even lightning strikes that might once again knock out island-wide power grids, said Kevin Kodama, a hydrologist with the National Weather Service.

Kodama and Jim Weyman, director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Central Pacific Hurricane Center, hesitated yesterday to commit to what might happen because of this year’s La Nina conditions, which drop ocean surface temperatures by 2 to 3 degrees along the equatorial Pacific and make forecasts difficult.

“Unlike an El Nino, with a La Nina you have a lot more uncertainty involved,” Kodama said.

He even hesitated to predict how long La Nina conditions might last.

La Nina, or “the little girl” in Spanish, is the opposite of El Nino, manifested by warmer-than-usual tropical ocean conditions that typically generate spectacular North Shore winter waves.

In May, Weyman forecast that the Central Pacific would see only four to five tropical cyclones, which is considered “below-normal activity” during the hurricane season, which runs through Nov. 30.

Instead, tropical cyclones have yet to appear.

“Yes, it’s been a quiet season,” Weyman said.

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October 6, 2010 General Ag News and Notes 1 Comment

Growing Dryland Taro Part I

By Glenn I. Teves, County Extension Agent,
UH CTAHR Cooperative Extension Service

Molokai is blessed with many Hawaiian taro varieties, in part due to the vision of the late Martha and Cowboy Otsuka in seeking out and preserving these legacies. Also, under the direction of Alton Arakaki and Faith Tuipulotu in making huli available each year at the annual Molokai Taro Field Day.

With the advent of drip irrigation and water distribution systems, taro can be grown in areas where it could never grow before. In the past, dryland taro was only grown in the uplands in mulch where seasonal rains were sufficient to bring the taro to harvest.
Most varieties will mature between eight and 12 months, and keeping plants actively growing is the key. Taro loves water, and along with fertilizer, will flourish before your eyes. Dryland taro is distinguished from wetland taro in that the latter grows in water ponds or lo`i. Different varieties were selected for these two conditions. Taking a soil sample of your planting area is the first step in growing upland taro. Call our office at 567-6932 for more information on taking a soil sample.

The biggest challenge in growing taro is weeds

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October 6, 2010 General Ag News and Notes Post a Comment

Come to the Nineteenth Annual Pumpkin Patch | Hawaii Preparatory Academy

Come to the Nineteenth Annual Pumpkin Patch | Hawaii Preparatory Academy

Hawai‘i Preparatory Academy’s ‘Ohana Association invites families, kids of all ages, and the entire Big Island community to its 19th Annual Pumpkin Patch Festival on Sunday, October 24 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

This fun-filled festival, located on HPA’s Upper Campus at the corner of Kohala Mountain Road and Kawaihae Road in Waimea, continues to be one of the favorite events of the year for Big Island families with thousands gathering to enjoy this community tradition. With free entry and parking, this year’s event features a huge pumpkin patch with more than 500 pumpkins, games and prizes, food booths, a silent auction, and great live entertainment.

Adults will be amazed at the silent auction, which will include special trips, gift items, fabulous collectibles, rounds of golf, fine dining, resort stays, island adventures, a variety of art, gift baskets, and much more.

Exciting live, free entertainment will be featured throughout the day. Spectators will enjoy performances by Hawaiians Unlimited, Honoka’a High School Jazz Band, Pacific Rhythm, and the Beamer Solomon Halau, just to name a few. Na Hoku Hanohano award winner Ryan Hiraoka (aka RSP) will be joining the fun this year and there will also be an extra special, surprise performance at noon—don’t miss it!

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