HILO, Hawai‘i—October 25, 2013—Chris J. Kanazawa, State Director for USDA Rural Development, announced the selection of the Kohala Center, Inc., to receive a $200,000 grant. The funding is being provided through USDA Rural Development’s Rural Cooperative Development Grant (RCDG) program. » Read more
October 23, 2013 (Hawaii 24/7)—The 10th Annual West Hawaii Seed Exchange is Nov. 1-3 at Amy B.H. Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden in Captain Cook. This year the garden’s traditional event also includes an Arbor Day celebration, tree giveaway, expert advice, and a program for students. » Read more
KAMUELA, Hawai‘i—October 1, 2013—Children ages seven to fifteen are invited to register for a Keiki Fishing Derby to be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, October 26, at Kahalu‘u Beach Park. This fun community event is being organized by the Kahalu‘u Bay Education Center. Registration and information are available online at KeikiFishingDerby.org or at the […]
KAMUELA, Hawai‘i—September 23, 2013—FoodCorps, a national non-profit program in partnership with the AmeriCorps service network, addresses childhood obesity and food insecurity in underserved communities. This year, FoodCorps has selected The Kohala Center as the host site for the state of Hawai‘i’s FoodCorps Program. Operating in fifteen states, FoodCorps has added Hawai‘i, California, and New Jersey […]
Kaiser Permanente Hawaii announced it will donate $27,000 in grant funding in support of The Kohala Center. The grant from Kaiser Permanente to The Kohala Center will provide food safety certification and offer the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Program in Oahu, Maui, and Hawaii Island elementary schools.
There are roughly 100,000 global plant varieties endangered in the world. Extreme weather events, over-exploitation of ecosystems, habitat loss, and a lack of public awareness threaten future plant biodiversity.
A new website, Waipuni Kahalu‘u, brings together indigenous Hawaiian knowledge and Western research science to share information about an ahupua‘a from the coral reef to the high mountain forests. It teaches users about the natural process contributing to the fresh water supply in the Kahalu‘u region, as well as explores the impacts of climate change and development on the ecosystem.
There’s been lots of discussion throughout the state about the need to have more farmers and to have more of our food grown right here at home. On Hawaii Island, there’s a program to develop new farmers—and they’re looking for candidates. HPR’s Sherry Bracken has the story.
According to Jim Cain, program director for The Kohala Center’s beginning farmer training program, growing food requires just three basic things: land, water, and people. “Our island has plenty of land and water, but we are in need of more people who want to make a living as farmers,” he said.
A local not-for-profit center is connecting West Hawaii communities interested in conservation and management of their fishery with easy-to-use tools that allow greater stewardship of fish populations.