Program
All presentations and workshop sessions are being held at the Outrigger Keauhou Beach Resort, Kahalu‘u Conference Room.
Friday, April 16 - Free Public Talk
| 5:30–7:00 p.m. | “The Story of Seed: Wild, Domesticated, Bred, and Engineered–Where Did We Begin and Where Might We Go?” |
| Public Presentation by Matthew Dillon, Founder and Director of Advocacy Organic Seed Alliance (OSA), and Frank Morton, Wild Garden Seeds in Philomath, Oregon (www.wildgardenseed.com) | |
| There is no charge for this lecture. |
Saturday, April 17 – Seed Symposium, Day One
| Master of Ceremonies: Guy Kaulukukui, Hawai‘i Island Food Self-Reliance Program Director, The Kohala Center | |
| 7:30 a.m. | Registration |
| 8:30 a.m. | Opening Ceremony: Mahealani Pai, Keauhou-Kahalu‘u Education Group and Ka Pa Hula Na Wai Iwi Ola |
| 9:00 a.m. | Welcome |
| Dr. Matthews Hamabata, Executive Director, The Kohala Center (TKC) Dr. Darlene Martin, Education Strategy Project Manager, Keauhou-Kahalu‘u Education Group, Kamehameha Schools |
|
| 9:10 a.m. | Overview of Symposium Goals and Vision, Nancy Redfeather, TKC |
| Summary of Statewide Seed Assessment, Dr. Hector Valenzuela, UH CTAHR and Matthew Dillon, OSA | |
| 9:45 a.m. | “History of Seed Industry Development,” Matthew Dillon, OSA |
| Modern agriculture is modeled on the principals and virtues of industrialization, namely: uniformity, large-scale production and finance, technological solutions, and marginalization of humans and their cultures. In the seed industry this approach has resulted in biopiracy of indigenous knowledge and resources, loss of genetic diversity, concentration in ownership of genetics, and technologies that threaten the integrity of the natural resource of seed. This session will explore how we got here and envision the restoration of our community seed systems. | |
| 10:45 a.m. | Break |
| 11:00 a.m. | “State of Seed in Hawai‘i – A Historical Perspective on Seed Work at UH Mānoa,” Dr. Ted Radovich, UH CTAHR and Dr. Hector Valenzuela, UH CTAHR |
| Over the past 100 years, UH Mānoa researchers developed new types of vegetables and other horticultural crops for Hawai‘i's farmers. Many farmer-selected "heirloom" varieties served as the starting point for the college's vegetable crop improvement program. Dr. Valenzuela and Dr. Radovich take you on a journey of discovery of the rich heritage of plant breeding and seed work at UH Mānoa. | |
| Noon | Lunch Buffet in the Dining Room |
| 1:00 p.m. | “Seed Saving Basics,” Dr. John Navazio, OSA and Micaela Colley, OSA |
| Whether you've saved seed before or are a complete beginner, this workshop will cover the basics you need for success. We will cover reproductive biology, timing of planting, ideal population sizes, preventing cross-pollination, and seed maturation and harvest. | |
| 3:00 p.m. | Break |
| 3:15 p.m. | “Separating the Seed from the Chaff: Seed Cleaning Basics,” Frank Morton, Wild Garden Seed and Micaela Colley, OSA |
| Clean seed is not only easier to plant, it also improves longevity and prevents deterioration during storage. This seed cleaning tutorial will pick up where “Seed Saving Basics” left off. We’ll cover both practical hands-on and mechanical seed cleaning techniques adaptable to any scale of seed growing. | |
| 4:00 p.m. | “Seed Storage,” Alvin Yoshinaga, UH-CCRT |
| Practical seed storage methods for small seed savers. Learn to identify which seeds can be stored and effective ways of storing seeds using equipment and supplies readily available to the general public, including a list of Internet resources. | |
| 4:30-6:30 p.m. | Seed Exchange Hosted by Regenerations Botanical Garden |
| Seed exchanges are definitive grassroots events that bring all seed enthusiasts—amateurs and professionals alike—to the table. Regenerations Botanical Garden from Kaua‘i is proud to host this first statewide seed exchange! Please bring your finest GMO-free, pest-free, and non-invasive seed to freely share with others. You are also encouraged to table information about your garden or farm with your seed. Sorry, no cuttings or potted plants. Please bring envelopes for gathering seed. | |
| 4:30-7:30 p.m. | Rest/Swim/Dinner The Veranda Lounge is open for dinner and there are numerous restaurants close by (see dinner options in registration packet). |
| 7:30-9:00 p.m. | “Seed: A Farmer’s Perspective,” Talk by Frank Morton, Wild Garden Seed |
| Where do seed people come from? Hear one farmer’s story of how he went from growing salad greens to saving seed, breeding new organic varieties, producing commercial organic seed that is shipped worldwide, and fighting to prevent contamination of his work from genetic engineering. Frank will share the values, vision, and motivations behind his three decades of work as a seed head. | |
Sunday, April 18 – Seed Symposium, Day Two
| Master of Ceremonies: Guy Kaulukukui, Hawai‘i Island Food Self-Reliance Program Director, The Kohala Center | ||
| 8:30 a.m. | Opening Remarks: Dr. William Mokahi Steiner, Dean, College of Agriculture, Forestry, and Natural Resource Management University of Hawai‘i at Hilo |
|
| 8:35 a.m. | Historical Perspective and Reproduction of Hawaiian Crops, Jerry Konanui | |
| 9:30 a.m. | “Conducting On-farm Variety Trials,” Micaela Colley, OSA | |
| Variety trials are an essential tool for farmers and gardeners to select crops and varieties best suited to local climate, field conditions, and markets. Trials are also critical to assess the seed production potential of crops in Hawai‘i. Learn the skills to conduct scientific trials, to evaluate performance under local organic conditions, and to increase success in seed growing. We will also discuss the potential of developing coordinated trial networks in Hawai‘i to share information on trial results. | ||
| 10:30 a.m. | Break | |
| 10:45 a.m. | “Fundamentals of Plant Variety Improvement and Breeding for Organics,” Dr. John Navazio, OSA; Frank Morton, Wild Garden Seed; and Micaela Colley, OSA | |
| Learn the basic skills to develop and adapt seed varieties for your organic farm or garden conditions. Organic Plant Breeding Specialist Dr. John Navazio and seed farmer-breeder Frank Morton will teach you how to select for reproductive fitness and yield, horizontal resistance to disease, and improved performance under heat, drought, or other environmental stresses. | ||
| Noon | Lunch Buffet in the Dining Room | |
| 1:00 p.m. | University/Farmer/Extension/Community Panel and Discussion "Past and Future Seed Sustainability for Hawai‘i" Panel Members include: |
|
| Moderator: Dr. Hector Valenzuela, Vegetable Specialist, UH CTAHR Dr. Russell Nagata, Hawai‘i Island County Administrator, UH CTAHR Glenn Teves, UH CTAHR County Extension Agent, Moloka‘i Ellen Sugawara, Ginger Farmer/Seed Collector, Moloka‘i Paul Massey, Regenerations Botanical Garden, Kaua‘i Seed Exchange Jill Wagner, Hawai‘i Island Native Seed Bank Ray Uchida, O'ahu County Administrator CTAHR and Manager ADSC UHM Greg Smith, Market Farmer/Former Seed Grower, Ka‘u Alton Arakaki, UH-CTAHR County Extension, Moloka‘i | ||
| 3:00 p.m. | Break | |
| 3:15 p.m. | Island Group Discussion | |
| Island groups will meet, share ideas about next steps, and then prioritize them. | ||
| 4:00 p.m. | Sharing Next Steps | |
| 4:30 p.m. | Closing prayer: Jill Teiho Wagner, Assistant Priest, Daifukuji Soto Mission, Honalo. Jill will close the Symposium with a prayer that offers "the merits of the gathering to all beings, and our intentions and support for a safe and harmonious world." | |