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October 2014
KWP Volunteer Day: Let’s Plant a Forest!
October 11, 2014–KWP has been growing Kohala’s native trees and shrubs from seeds collected during workdays across the mountain since 2009. We just did the math and an amazing 600 people have planted trees on Kohala Mountain; the total number of trees from volunteers alone is 27,000 trees! That added to the more than 50,000 trees planted by the KWP partners and crew comes to a whopping total of 77,000 trees. WOWEE!
Find out more »Food Industry Fundamentals Workshops (Waimea)
October 16, 2014–Get the edge on the local food marketplace! Join us for two in-depth workshops in Waimea:
Workshop #1: Food Product Development and Technology Essentials
This course will move from “farm to fork” to explore the many product development technologies that can be utilized for optimal quality and enhanced food safety. These include good agricultural practices (GAPs), cold chain management, product formulation options, thermal and non-thermal processing technologies, extended shelf-life packaging considerations, and best practices in distribution. Innovative technologies such as modified atmosphere packaging (MAP), sous vide, cook chill, and high pressure processing will be discussed as well. You’ll learn current best practices in product development, and how to optimize product quality.
Workshop #2: Quality Assurance and Food Safety Principles
Farmers, processors, retailers and food service operators must have an understanding of the principles of food safety in order to minimize risk to the public. In this course, you’ll learn how to create a holistic food safety and quality system—including management commitment, facility infrastructure requirements, sanitation, pest control, personnel practices, training, microbiological testing, traceability and crisis management, food security, and HACCP. An overview of the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) and third-party food safety and quality certification programs will be provided."
Register online at http://www.hawaii.hawaii.edu/ocet or click here to view the event flyer for more detail.
Find out more »Food Industry Fundamentals Workshops (Kailua-Kona)
October 17, 2014–Get the edge on the local food marketplace! Join us for two in-depth workshops in Kona:
Workshop #1: Food Product Development and Technology Essentials
This course will move from “farm to fork” to explore the many product development technologies that can be utilized for optimal quality and enhanced food safety. These include good agricultural practices (GAPs), cold chain management, product formulation options, thermal and non-thermal processing technologies, extended shelf-life packaging considerations, and best practices in distribution. Innovative technologies such as modified atmosphere packaging (MAP), sous vide, cook chill, and high pressure processing will be discussed as well. You’ll learn current best practices in product development, and how to optimize product quality.
Workshop #2: Quality Assurance and Food Safety Principles
Farmers, processors, retailers and food service operators must have an understanding of the principles of food safety in order to minimize risk to the public. In this course, you’ll learn how to create a holistic food safety and quality system—including management commitment, facility infrastructure requirements, sanitation, pest control, personnel practices, training, microbiological testing, traceability and crisis management, food security, and HACCP. An overview of the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) and third-party food safety and quality certification programs will be provided."
Register online at http://www.hawaii.hawaii.edu/ocet or click here to view the event flyer for more detail.
Find out more »
Squash-Growing Class:
Using heirloom squash to outsmart melon fly and pickle worm (Nā‘ālehu)
October 21, 2014—Waimea farmer Anna Peach of Squash and Awe farm will be presenting a talk about her sustainable farming methods. A seventh-generation farmer, Anna decided to look to history for a solution to Hawai‘i’s commercial crop failure. She will be sharing information about no-till farming, interplanting with native plants, seed saving, and making natural fertilizers from restaurant scrap. This event is free and open to the public. See her farm at http://www.squashandawe.com.
Find out more »
Squash-Growing Class:
Using heirloom squash to outsmart melon fly and pickle worm (Pāhala)
October 22, 2014—Kamuela Farmer Anna Peach of Squash and Awe farm will be presenting a talk about her sustainable farming methods. A seventh generation farmer, Anna decided to look to history for a solution to Hawai‘i’s commercial crop failure. She will be sharing information about no-till farming, inter planting with native plants, seed saving, and making natural fertilizers from restaurant scrap. This event is free and open to the public. See her farm at http://www.squashandawe.com.
Find out more »November 2014
Circle of Friends Book Talk: Kamanamaikalani Beamer, Ph.D.
November 1, 2014—NOTE: This event is open to members of The Kohala Center’s Circle of Friends only. To become a member or to renew your membership, click here or contact Cortney Okumura at The Kohala Center at cokumura@kohalacenter.org or 808-887-6411.
Find out more »Wet Forest Work Day: Controlling invasive ginger on Kohala
November 8, 2014—There is nothing like the sound of the sickle slicing through a ginger stem, and that funny squeak of the sprayer as you squirt the blue stuff, stem by stem, knowing that you are liberating native plants to live free of a noxious forest invader. Some of you ginger ninjas out there are nodding your head, smiling, knowing just what I mean! For those of you who are ginger control neophytes, this coming Saturday may be your day to join the ranks of the forest protection posse, and find out why we love to spend time in this gorgeous forest controlling an invasive plant!
Find out more »‘Ai Pono Workshop #2: “Hawaiian Cordage and Fiber”
November 8, 2014—Facilitated by Gary Eoff. Open to all K-12 teachers. Gary Eoff will share his knowledge of local plants and traditional methods of preparation and weaving. We will also be harvesting and prepping cordage material. Student and teacher cordage will be included in the makana (offerings) that the Hōkūle‘a gives at her ports of call. Eoff is an artist and craftsman with a strong passion for communicating cultural knowledge with teachers and students.
Find out more »First Annual SUPER Seedy Saturday
November 8, 2014—Join us for an informative afternoon of “seedy” activities! Bring seeds to share for a local seed exchange and enjoy a special “early release” viewing of the feature film Open Sesame — The Story Of Seeds by Sean Kaminsky. We will also have a panel discussion offering growing tips, updates on the status of seed work by the Hawai‘i Public Seed Initiative, and a question and answer session.
Schedule:
1:00 p.m.—Check-in for Seed Exchange
PLEASE DO NOT BRING ANY plants, keiki, or materials with soil! Please bring SEED ONLY so we do not spread Little Fire Ant. Please do not bring/share papaya seeds (unless tested and verified as GMO-free) and brassica seeds (to reduce spread of blackrot).
2:00 - 3:00 p.m.—Opening Pule and Seed Exchange
3:30 - 5:30 p.m.—Screening of Open Sesame — The Story Of Seeds followed by Panel Discussion
For more information please contact seedproject@kohalacenter.org or call 808-887-6411.
Find out more »Pilina II: Hawai‘i Island Conservation Forum
November 13, 2014—Last year, 200 community members gathered in Waimea at the first Hawai‘i Island Conservation Forum to learn about the good things happening here to connect people to the land, the water, and to mālama our island home.
We want to continue the conversations we started last year, and bring the discussion into the realm of politics and government to answer some questions that we’ve heard so many times: What are the roles of county, state, and federal governments in protecting and regulating our natural resources? Who writes the bills that become laws? How can unfavorable laws and policies be changed? What are the issues we care about most? And how can we involve government in these issues effectively?
We are bringing together environmental and community leaders to inspire us with their stories of political successes in protecting our coastline from development and enacting fishing laws that work for local communities. We’ll also hear from people representing different levels of government who will help us understand how we can get involved in the policymaking process.
Much of the day, however, will be spent on discussions focused on topics of concern, identifying key laws and policies that need work, and forging alliances to advance the changes we seek. We will be sending out a survey to gather pre-Pilina ideas to help us organize discussion groups.
What do you need to do now?
1. Save Thursday, November 13th on your calendar, and spread the word to your colleagues and ʻohana. If you want to stay connected to this island-wide movement, you will need to add your name via this link for new subscribers to sign up for the Pilina email list: http://eepurl.com/Fe8zT
2. Think deeply about the environmental issues in our community that you care most about, and if you choose to add your name to the Pilina email list, then answer the survey when you get the link in the next couple weeks.
3. Look for the registration email coming to those on the Pilina list soon, and reserve your spot!
Ideas? Questions? Concerns? Want to get involved?
Email Melora at coordinator@kohalawatershed.org