The Politics of Agriculture

On Day 3, we heard more about the Farm Bill reauthorization and with each passing day, the story seemed to get even more interesting. With Congress' "Super Committee" in charge of making a new and vastly trimmed down budget, no one is quite sure what will come of various programs, including those related to agriculture. It's a nerve-wracking time, indeed. Speakers from the Senate Agriculture committee shared their insights with us as did those from the House Agriculture committee.

After our visits on Capitol Hill, we went to the National Farmers Union to hear from its President and Government Relations staff . . . about, again, the Farm Bill. It's the talk of the town!

And finally, a time to take off the formal wear, which we in Hawaii rarely get used to, and enjoy an evening relaxing over a festive seafood dinner. We bought the seafood from the fishermen's wharf. What a wonderful variety they offered!

USDA Headquarters

On Day 2 of our trip, we learned all about the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which supports a number of programs that help our work. We listened to a variety of speakers who specialized in areas from research to marketing.

In the evening, we were very fortunate to meet our sisters and brothers in agricultural leadership from Florida, the Wedgworth Leadership Institute. They happened to be in Washington, D.C. the same time we were. And luckily for us, we got to meet them at a mixer in a local restaurant. It was quite a networking experience!

Our National Trip: First Stop, Washington, D.C.!

Our long-awaited two-week trip to the continent began in our nation's capitol, Washington, D.C.  After getting over the long trip and getting used to the time difference, and receiving a lesson from Donna on riding the Metro, we made our first official visit to the D.C. Central Kitchen.

This fascinating non-profit organization began with a small and important vision of feeding homeless and hungry people with left over food from restaurants, and grew into a huge operation that is training clients to become chefs and helping farmers to provide locally grown food for their operations.

Though we missed President Obama and family's visit to D.C. Central Kitchen by a week, we're sure we got the same royal treatment.

After this stop, we headed over to the American Farm Bureau to hear a variety of speakers talk about the state of agriculture policy, particularly the Farm Bill. It was a sobering experience, given the fiscal and politically divided atmosphere on Capitol Hill.

Restoration

After a great overnight experience at the volunteer cabin in Hakalau, we headed for work. After all, it's not all play!  Baron Horiuchi, horticulturalist and volunteer coordinator of the Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge, gave us the rewarding job of planting healthy and gorgeous native Hawaiian trees, which will eventually grow into a forest.

Then we worked in the "Laulima" nursery, transplanting incredibly tiny seedlings of an endangered plant called Cyanea shipmanii.  Many of us were intimidated at first by the fragile state of the seedlings but with Baron's reassurance, we transplanted about 200 plants that were added to the nursery and hopefully to the forest someday.

Baron also treated us to a hike into an area called Pua 'akala ranch. There, the native forest is tall and majestic, and native birds abound.  Some of us saw the endangered 'akepa, a bright orange honeycreeper, whose image we will likely never forget.

Restoring a native forest takes vision and perseverance. In our lifetimes, we may never see the plants we touched grow to full maturity but knowing that we helped is a gift and honor.

Mahalo nui loa to all who made this trip amazing possible!

Plants, flowers, and more plants

The third day of our trip took us around the bend and up, way up, so to speak.  We drove to Pana'ewa to meet ALP alumnus Thong Teng Neo who works at Green Point Nursery (owned by Eric Tanouye, another ALP alumnus).  Green Point specializes in anthuriums and orchids and exports them all over the world. We learned about the continual research needed to maintain healthy crops as well as develop new varieties of plants to keep customers happy. The University of Hawai'i has contributed significantly toward research.

With the Class' national trip on the near horizon, we spent some time planning the logistics for the two week trip, which will take us to Washington, DC and New Mexico.  Needless to say, there was a lot to cover!

We spent the rest of the day in the center of the island, going up in elevation, via Saddle Road. Some of us took a quick hike on Pu'u Huluhulu, one of the many pu'u (hills) that dot the region.

Then we were headed to Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge, which we reached after about an hour of driving on a bumpy dirt road.  We saw pastureland covered with gorse, an invasive species that makes the land unusable for ranching.  Our eyes were relieved to see the wildlife refuge managed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, which is restoring areas once used for ranching back into native Hawaiian forests.

Enjoying the Fruits of Hard Labor

Day 2 of our trip covered a lot of ground. After a great night's rest at the Manago Hotel, we made a quick stop to the South Kona Fruit Stand for a delicious breakfast grown and made by Ken Verasko and his wife who own the business.  We learned how difficult it can be to operate a small business in Hawai'i and admired the Veraskos for their perseverance.

Our next stop was to Kuahiwi Ranch above Na'alehu. There we met class member Michelle Galimba and her 'ohana.  Al Galimba, Michelle's father, educated and entertained everyone with his witty perspectives on the ranching business. Kuahiwi Ranch specializes in grass-fed beef. We were all cowboys and cowgirls for the morning, and many of us learned how hard yet rewarding it can be to work on a ranch.

Our last stop of the day was to the coffee farms of Ka'u, where we met Lori Obra, owner of Rusty's Hawaiian 100% Ka'u Coffee. She inspired all of us with her dedication to making some of the best coffee beans in the world, continuing the business that she and her late husband started. Lori hand picks, dries, and roasts her coffee!  No wonder it wins competitions!

Finally, we enjoyed some of Michelle's grass-fed beef and more locally grown food prepared by John Replogle, a Ka'u local himself who also works in conservation. What a treat it was to dine and eat a home-grown and cooked meal at the beautiful and historic Pahala Plantation House!

Seminar 5 - Back to Hawai'i Island (South)

Our class had the pleasure of planning and experiencing 4 days of field trips studying the "biodiversity of agriculture and natural resources" on the island of Hawai'i.  After arriving at Kona airport, we went directly to the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawai'i Authority (NELHA).  There we met Jennica Lowell of Kona Blue, which operates an aquaculture facility, growing the now famous "Kona Kampachi."

Our next stop was to Kona Queen Bees to learn about the trials and tribulations of beekeeping in the face of obstacles such as the invasive varroa mite. Gus Rouse fascinated us as he described the queen bee business and how they export the bees all over the world.