Project: Maui Seed Savers
Location: Maui
Grantee: Evan Ryan & Elan Goldbart
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Abstract: Maui Seed Savers is a project of The Kohala Center on Hawai‘i Island. We host annual seed and plant exchanges and hands-on seed-saving workshops to build momentum towards inspiring our community of farmers and gardeners to grow and save seed on Maui. Our vision is to establish a culture of seed saving in Hawai‘i that perpetuates locally saved seed adapted to our unique ecosystems. In 2015 we will be hosting a fall seed and plant exchange and two hands-on seed-saving workshops. These events support the continued education of our community and bring together our community of growers in a continued celebration of seed and the claiming of our right to save seed from our farms and gardens.
The funds from the grant will support the purchase of a small-scale Clipper Office Tester Seed Cleaner. This time-tested technology is a standardly used machine for seed companies across the world to process dried seed efficiently. This small-scale machine allows us to transport to other farms and agricultural events to demonstrate its capabilities and build momentum around the seed-saving movement in a way that presents seed saving as a low-labor, economically viable process. The clipper will be set up at Pono Grown Farm Center in Makawao at a very central location for upcountry Maui farmers to use by appointment and for the community to discover in our quarterly seed-saving days.
mauiseedsavers.com
Project: Maui Seed Savers Education
Location: Makawao, Maui
Grantee: Evan Ryan & Elan Goldbart
Abstract: Maui Seed Savers is a project of The Kohala Center on Hawai‘i Island. We host annual seed and plant exchanges and hands-on seed-saving workshops to build momentum towards inspiring our community of farmers and gardeners to grow and save seed on Maui. Our vision is to establish a culture of seed-saving in Hawai‘i that perpetuates locally saved seed adapted to our unique ecosystems. In 2015 we will be hosting a fall seed and plant exchange and two hands-on seed-saving workshops. These events support the continued education of our community and bring together our community of growers in a continued celebration of seed and the claiming of our right to save seed from our farms and gardens.
Project: Popcorn for Hawai‘i
Location: Niuli‘i, North Kohala, Hawai‘i Island
Grantee: Gabriel Satcher Smith
Abstract: Dr. James Brewbaker at CTAHR has been breeding corn for over 50 years on O‘ahu. He is best known for his sweet corn cultivars, but years ago he developed a three-way hybrid popcorn for Hawai‘i. It was never released publicly, and was subsequently abandoned without being totally perfected. I tried growing popcorn before, but the commonly available varieties failed as they were not suitable for tropical conditions. A few years ago, I asked Dr. Brewbaker for some popcorn that might do well in Hawai‘i, and he presented me with a small seed sample of his “Hawaiian Popcorn.” It grew well and multiple generations were grown from it, yet were surprisingly variable. A few years later, he gave a large portion of the remaining seed stock, including parent lines, to Jay Bost and me as we expressed interest to him in continuing its development. The intention has been to shift the variety to an open-pollinated (OP) population, the first round of selections from the bulked planting have already been made on O‘ahu. Continued selections will be performed by repeatedly planting and selecting for the following traits: ear-size, kernel yield per ear, vigor, disease resistance, popping volume, and smoothness of kernel tips (for ease of hand-shelling by home gardeners). It is hoped that an OP, high-quality popcorn can be made available which is suitable for growers in Hawai‘i. The latest generation of seed will be planted in North Kohala, and selections will continue to be made on a scale large enough to significantly select and shift the population. Seed produced from this project will be made available to other HPSI network members for further grow out and selection.
Project: Development of New Heat-tolerant Leaf Lettuce and Kale for Tropical Conditions
Location: Ho‘olehua, Moloka‘i
Grantee: Glenn Teves
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Abstract: Lettuce is a major import crop, and is adversely impacted by high day and night temperatures found in the tropics. Hawai‘i’s broad tropical and subtropical climatic conditions present unique production challenges for lettuce, especially heading-types. Hot days with warm nights encourage early bolting and also tip burn, a complicated physiological condition related to water, nutritional imbalances, and high temperatures, and can lead to crop losses of up to 90% especially during the late summer-early autumn months of August and September. (UH CTAHR research in Kula, Maui, 1990.) Overcoming these challenges by screening for heat tolerance and bolt tolerance in lettuce can substantially increase local production, thereby improving food security of this crop in Hawai‘i. Most lettuce varieties are adapted to Mediterranean-type climates with hot days and cool nights. Field trials on Moloka‘i and O‘ahu in 2014 and 2015 show potential for improvement of several lettuce cultivars over present UH Manoa lettuce cultivars. Two new cultivars undergoing field testing include Hilo Green [(Mānoa X Little Gem) X Rex] and Mānoa Leopard (Mānoa X Leopard). Seven heat-tolerant Mānoa Leopard lines have been identified in summer 2014 trials on Molokaʻi and will be compared to F2 and F3 parent lines from Oregon, with two UH Mānoa lines used as check varieties. Individual plant selections will be made to identify heat tolerance and plant characteristics similar to Mānoa or Green Mignonette, an heirloom from the mid-1800s and the preferred local market cultivar. New, improved lettuce lines will create new production opportunities for Hawaiʻi farmers with the possibility of increasing production and enhancing food security in Hawai‘i.
Kale is becoming one of the most popular new vegetables consumed in Hawaiʻi, and a fairly new addition to Hawaiʻi’s vegetable inventory. Most cultivars have been developed and selected for cold- and frost tolerance in the U.S. and Europe. It usually takes two years to produce kale seed since it’s a biennial. Through field trials on Molokaʻi, selections have been identified that will produce two generations of seed within a year from the variety—Lacinato Rainbow (Lacinato X Redbor), developed by Frank Morton of Wild Garden Seed in Oregon. This innovation will accelerate development of new kale varieties in Hawaiʻi eight-fold compared to kale seed produced in temperate areas of the U.S. such as Oregon. The availability of locally produced kale seed could increase production and create a new crop for the infant Hawaiʻi seed industry. The increased availability of Hawaiʻi-stressed seed has the potential to increase consumption of this highly nutritious vegetable, leading to increased health and nutrition benefit to residents.
Project: Basil Downy Mildew Trial
Location: GoFarm Waimānalo Research Station, Oʻahu
Grantee: Jay Bost
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Abstract: Basil downy mildew is a major disease of increasing importance in Hawaiʻi. For many growers it makes growing Italian basils impossible or very difficult in the absence of heavy use of fungicides. In 2014, GoFarm Hawaii and Dr. Daniella Dutra-Elliot trialed a number of released varieties and breeding lines from Vitalis Organic Seed. A number of lines were found to have superior tolerance to downy mildew. This project will continue the trials with the addition of new breeding lines from Vitalis. As in the past, this project will include collaboration with Vitalis Seed, Dr. Miaoying Tian of the Plant and Environmental Protection Science department at UH, and UH extension agents Jari Sugano and Jensen Uyeda.
Project: Seed Sovereignty Workshop and Seed Dryer Prototype
Location: Kalihi Valley, Oʻahu
Grantee: Kasha Ho, Jessica Higgins, Reggae McGowen
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Abstract: Continuing our work to heal the land and our communities, Kōkua Kalihi Valley’s Mahini ʻĀina program is expanding our work for seed sovereignty by hosting a one-day seed saving basics workshop and creating an effective and energy-efficient, low-cost seed dryer with free design plans available to share with the seed-saving community. Building on our work in Kalihi Valley to restore the land and reconnect people to each other and the ‘āina, we hope to engage and activate a local network of seed savers able to cultivate and perpetuate plants acclimated to our unique micro-climate, and share seeds with each other and the broader growing community in order to become self-sufficient and retain our food and seed sovereignty. We hope to provide a useful service to the seed-saving community by testing and developing an effective, energy-efficient, low-cost seed dryer that reduces fungal and bacterial growth and thereby reduces risk of soil contamination when seed sharing. The plans for this handmade seed dryer will be available fore free for anyone who is interested.
Project: Multiple Species Seed Production On Kaua‘i
Location: Regenration Gardens, Kaua‘i
Grantee: Kenneth Lindsey
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Abstract: The primary goal of this project is to facilitate the production of high-quality, open-pollinated seed crops on Kauaʻi and throughout the Hawaiian Islands. This will be achieved by demonstrating and documenting the application of established Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for producing organic seed of multiple crops in a single cropping cycle. Crops selected for this project will represent what most gardener/farmers grow on Kauaʻi. Currently there is a lack of seed for these crops being produced locally, and seed that is being produced may not be of acceptable quality due to lack of sufficient populatoin size and/or isolation practices necessary to prevent undesirable crosses. Most seed currently used on Kauaʻi is produced in temperate areas, and the traits represented are usually not optimized for our climate and soils. Seed grown on Kauaʻi, by contrast, will reflect the qualities and traits best suited to our circumstances, resulting in fewer pest and disease problems, and more dependable quality and quantity of yield. Identifying, demonstrating, and documenting Hawai‘i-specific SOPs for producing seed of multiple crops that can be grown concurrently in the same field or greenhouse environment will empower island farmers to produce seed in a more cost-effective and successful manner. An ongoing objective of this project is to continuously trial and collect seed for as many possible varieties of these crops throughout the year. This project will be implemented on 1/8th of an acre.
Project: Kabocha Squash Variety Trial
Location: Paʻauilo, Hawaiʻi Island
Grantee: Marielle Hampton
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Abstract: The classic Kabocha pumpkin is high in demand in Hawai‘i, however traditional Kabocha pumpkins belong to the species Cucurbita maxima, which struggles in the tropics. The species Cucurbita moschata is best-suited to tropical climates, yet many commercial varieties of green-skinned C. moschata pumpkins are effectively unavailable and underutilized on Hawai‘i farms. This trial will source seeds and evaluate the performance of commercially available, green-skinned C. moschata varieties from around the world as a potential first step toward breeding a tropical Kabocha-type pumpkin.
Project: Cover Crop Seed Production Trial
Location: Hāwī, Hawaiʻi
Grantee: Payton Carling
Abstract: The local agricultural community has few sources for locally grown cover crop seed and seed-cleaning equipment. The project consists of planting two different cover crops for seed production and weed suppression: sesame and sun hemp. Seed-cleaning equipment will be fabricated for the project and community use. The goal of the project is to produce a quantity of cover-crop seed for community distribution, test cover crop effectiveness for weed suppression, and provide an educational opportunity for local farmers. An onsite workshop on seed collecting and cleaning will take place when the seed crops are ready for harvest. A report will be written on the project covering literature review, project design, materials and methods, results, and discussion. A presentation will be given on the project through the HPSI.
Project Title: Honakaʻa Seed Exchange
Location: Honakaʻa, Hawaiʻi Island
Grantee: Zoe Kosmos and Marielle Hampton
Abstract: The Honokaʻa Seed Exchange (HSE) is a community-driven effort to preserve seeds, stories, and food security through potluck events and educational gatherings. In the past, informal seed exchanges were organized by community volunteers and happened occasionally throughout the year. Elizabeth Mallion, manager of the organic farm Mother Nature’s Miracles, was most recently organizing these gatherings and starting pulling in friends to help. In 2014, HSE grew to include Marielle Hampton (Manager, Paʻauilo Forest Farm) and Zoe Kosmas (Production Assistant, The Kohala Center) who were inspired by community sharing of knowledge, plants, seeds, and stories over homegrown dishes. With support and momentum from the Hawai‘i Public Seed Initiative, the three farmers have held two exchanges with educational presentations and fantastic participation. In 2015 HSE also hosted a community awareness meeting regarding Little Fire Ant after the pest was discovered on several potted plants and cuttings at the fall 2014 exchange.
Through community feedback and event success, it is clear that these gatherings are desired and helpful for a thriving rural community like Honokaʻa and others on the island. In 2015-2016 HSE would like to offer two more exchanges and permanent community seed storage facilities and seed-cleaning resources.