Ka`u News Briefs Friday, March 27, 2015

      Kozlovich introduced Koike as the farm project coordinator of Ono & Pono farms in Wai`anae, growing fish and kalo in an aquaponic system as well as canoe foods and various animals.
      She said Russell grows crops on Maui including bananas, papayas, vegetables and ducks. He wants to move Hawai`i’s agriculture “in the direction of regenerative farming practices for self-sufficiency and food sovereignty.”
      Kozlovich said Manfredi is “best known for kick-starting the Ka`u Coffee industry” and that he organizes the annual Ka`u Coffee Festival. She said HFBF “supports all forms of agriculture” and is the largest agriculture advocacy organization in the state.
      Educating the next generation of farmers was a priority for the panelists. Russell said HFUU supports mentoring programs to teach and train farmers to utilize a whole-system approach to agriculture.
      Mandfredi said education is “near and dear” to HFBF. “Farmers are constantly faced with challenges,” Manfredi told Kozlovich. “We have to deal with all these at the same time that we’re trying to grow the next generation of farmers and ranchers.” Manfredi said the most important bill being considered at the state Legislature is HB 853, which would establish a K-12 Agriculture Workforce Development Pipeline Initiative to conduct trainings for teachers and school administrators in agricultural self-sufficiency.

      Koike said the biggest problem for so many of those who want to farm is finding land. He said having a Department of Agriculture “that wants to help us farm” should be a priority. He also said that he is not permitted to live on his leased farm land, which increases vulnerability to theft.
      Regarding theft, Manfredi said HFBF supports HB 823, which would establish a two-year agricultural theft pilot project in the Department of Agriculture to focus on investigating and prosecuting agricultural theft or agricultural vandalism in Hawai`i County.
      Kozlovich asked, “Do you feel like you’re all speaking with a similar voice, or is there an issue between farmers that we don’t understand well enough?”  

      Manfredi said, “I think our time is best spent focusing on issues upon which we can all agree.”
      Russell said that the two organizations can collaborate on some issues. He said HFUU supports legislation on markets, lowering cost of labor, access to water and getting farmers onto land.

      Manfredi said biosecurity is a top issue for HFBF members and that HB850, which would provide two new extension agents in every county, is another bill HFBF supports that is making its way through the Legislature.

      Russell said, “To live off of the farm, you need to live on the farm.” He said farmers need affordable labor costs and inputs.
      When Kozlovich asked what could be done to help farmers, Manfredi brought up having a local feed industry so farmers would not have to pay for imported feed.
      Koike discussed the various types of ag in Hawai`i. He characterized one part of ag as an industry – coffee, macadamia nuts and other value-added products – and another as food for consumption locally. He said that using large equipment helps efficiency, “but we want 50 people to be on the field” to create jobs. He said he’s not interested in “massive amounts of profitability.”
      A caller asked what the differences are between HFBF and HFUU.
      Manfredi said the organizations have more that they agree upon than things that they don’t. “We support all of agriculture, he said. “Hawai`i has an important role in the global food system. … Issues that we are talking about here locally play themselves out on a global scale – reduction in farmer work force, finite amount of land, finite amount of water, reducing water, climate change, weeds, pests, disease.”
      Russell said, “We (HFUU) advocate for sovereign right of family farmers to create and sustain vibrant and prosperous ag communities for the benefit of all Hawai`i through cooperation, education and legislation. He said HFUU focuses on soil health initiatives and family farming and that they don’t generally speak for agribusiness corporations.
      Koike said his focus is nutrition. “The ultimate goal isn’t to make money; it is to produce the most healthy food.”
      The full program is available at hpr2.org.
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