Fires Consume More Hawaiʻi Forest in Recent Years
Fires burned more than 30,000 acres of forest and brushland in both 2018 and 2019 – far more than any other year in more than a decade.
Agriculture
My Job: Outdoor Jack-of-All-Trades
Gerry Kaho‘okano used to Tahitian dance with John (Leong, CEO of Pono Pacific Land Management) and he needed help. So he went to work for him as a field laborer.
People and Places that Grow Hawai‘i’s Food
It seems everyone wants more locally grown food. Here are those making it happen: their successes, challenges and ideas about how to make Hawai‘i more self-sufficient in food. Alternately fought over and forgotten, land in Lualualei Valley has long served…
Kona Coffee Farmers Favor 100% Labeling Rule
These farmers want the Kona name to be reserved only for 100% Kona coffee. The coffee aisle at the KTA Super Store in Kailua-Kona looks a lot like the one in your supermarket. Your aisle contains many brands that bank…
Making Koa Sustainable
The native tree is a vital part of Hawaiʻi's forests and watersheds, and prized by woodworkers and by Hawaiian cultural practitioners. The challenge is making koa sustainable for all of its valuable roles. https://vimeo.com/366353476 Video by Jeff Hawe Koa has…
What Hawaiʻi Thinks About Marijuana Laws
We included this topic in two statewide surveys: The BOSS Survey of 405 local business leaders and the 808 Poll of 547 members of the general public. In both surveys, we led the discussion on marijuana with this question: "Would…
Loans Support Food Sustainability
When Zac Hosler needed funding in 2014 to build out his aquaponics business in South Kona, he believed he would be rejected by a bank. “Financing for farmers is hard to come by,” says the majority owner of Ha Farms…
Kona Coffee Fights Back
New equipment helps farmers battle the dreaded coffee beetle borer, but despite a labor shortage, farmers still rely on hand-picking rather than mechanical pickers. That may change for some growers as technology improves. Kealakekua, Hawaii Island – Coffee beans come…
Savoring Every Drop of Success
KRISTAL MUHICH IS A SURVIVOR. “I was adopted by my uncle when I was 4,” recalls the owner of Kauai Juice Co. “I really didn’t like school. I couldn’t wait to leave – I graduated from high school early when…
