Farming programs hitting public schools

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August 22, 2015 (KITV)—For some, big changes are coming to your child’s school lunch. Currently, educators are trying to figure out what lunchtime staples will stay and go.
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Garden education at Holualoa Elementary

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August 1, 2015 (Big Island Now)—Holualoa Elementary School will experience a first as it begins its new school year, a part-time school garden educator. With support from the County of Hawai‘i Research & Development Department and the Hickey Family Foundation, The Kohala Center was able to provide the new position at Holualoa Elementary School’s Native Hawaiian learning garden. Additional gardening programs in the West Hawai‘i complex will also be supported during the school year.
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KBEC seeks Kahalu‘u program volunteers

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July 21, 2015 (Big Island Now)—Volunteers are needed by the Kahalu‘u Bay Education Center for the ReefTeach and Citizen Science programs at Kahalu‘u Bay and Beach Park. The ideal volunteer loves the beach and has an interested in protecting the bay and its coral reefs, fish, and turtles.
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More people purchasing food at farmers markets with EBT

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July 20, 2015 (West Hawaii Today)—It’s no surprise that participation in the federal Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program increased after the recession began in 2008. But at the same time, more people have also chosen to use their food stamp benefits outside of the grocery store.
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The Kohala Center receives Walmart grant

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July 15, 2015 (Maui Now)—The Kohala Center FoodCorps Hawai‘i received a $25,000 Walmart grant to address childhood obesity and food insecurity. Walmart is offering additional grants to nonprofits; the application deadline is Friday, July 17.
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Saving seeds is a sustainable practice

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July 13, 2015 (West Hawaii Today)—Saving seeds from this season’s crops for future planting is an age-old practice that is having a revival. Farmers and gardeners once relied on the sustainable practice of saving seeds from their favorite plants, sharing or trading them with other growers and planting the saved seeds later. It meant that you could grow lots of food, flowers and trees from free seeds. No seed companies, nurseries or money were involved.
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Homegrown and healthy: Farm to school bill passes

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July 13, 2015 (Hawaii Tribune Herald)—Big Island schools are one step closer to getting homegrown meals in their cafeterias. SB 376, a bill creating a statewide farm to school program, was signed into law this week by Gov. David Ige after unanimously passing both legislative chambers in May. The bill also funds a one-year program coordinator position in the Department of Agriculture.
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Ige signs law creating farm to school program in Hawai‘i

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July 7, 2015 (Honolulu Civil Beat)—Gov. David Ige signed a bill Tuesday that is intended to increase the amount of local food students eat in Hawai‘i’s public school system and boost their understanding of its importance.
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KBEC purchases new ‘home-on-wheels’

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June 24, 2015 (Big Island Now)—The Kohala Center’s Kahalu‘u Bay Education Center has a new “home-on-wheels” at Kahalu‘u Beach Park, replacing the previous van that was in service since 2011. More than 12,000 patrons each year used the original vehicle as an education center and snorkel rental concession.
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Website matches right seeds to right regions

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June 19, 2015 (Hawaii Tribune Herald)—There’s a new online tool to help Hawai‘i gardeners and small-scale farmers pinpoint the crop varieties most likely to succeed in their geographic areas. The Kohala Center’s Hawai‘i Public Seed Initiative has launched the Seed Variety Selection Tool for the Hawaiian Islands at HawaiiSeedInitiative.org/svst.
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