A fruitful collaboration between the University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz� (CTAHR) and the County of Maui is empowering people on Molokaʻi to grow their own food, lower grocery bills and build community resilience.

The Seed to Harvest program, led by CTAHR’s team of extension agents on Molokaʻi, finished its third cohort in December, with each group growing between 300 and 400 pounds of fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs. Funded by a grant from the County of Maui’s Department of Agriculture, the program addresses food inequity and the high cost of imported goods by teaching residents how to cultivate sustainable home gardens.

Extension agents Kyle Franks and Jennifer Hawkins designed Seed to Harvest with an emphasis on using on-island resources to reduce reliance on expensive imports. The program creates a complete cycle of education, teaching people the skills to propagate seeds, manage pests and harvest their crops.

“There’s been several generations not farming, not gardening, and so we wanted to help bring that back into the community,” said Franks. “The pandemic highlighted the level of food inequity across the island.”

For Kanoelani Dudoit, a lifelong Molokaʻi resident, the experience has been transformative. “It opened more avenues for each person to apply what they learned from the workshop right at home,” said Dudoit. She noted that the program helped her identify local stores, local prices, local items, allowing her family to “cut costs or reuse what we have here. That’s a major benefit for our community.”

Harvest to market

In early 2026, the team will launch Harvest to Market, a new program designed to teach home gardeners the business side of agriculture. The upcoming curriculum will cover marketing and branding, turning raw produce into jams, jellies, or freeze-dried goods that can be sold at farmer’s markets, and following state rules for selling produce and processed foods.

“Our growers are doing a great job, but now they have excess,” said Hawkins. “So the next step is helping them get their produce to market.”

A “pot of gold” awaited participants in this year’s “” Video Cooking Contest, organized by the University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa’s . Young cooks showcased their kitchen skills, creative use of local ingredients, and ability to explain recipes through fun, easy-to-follow videos.

The contest is part of 4-H’s mission to empower young people to reach their full potential through opportunities to explore topics within a welcoming and engaging learning environment, under the GET Local initiative.

2025 winners

The Grand Champion Award went to Tina from the 4-H Pineapples Club on �鶹��ý Island for her “Pot of Gold” chocolate mango mini cakes. The dessert included mango, dates, walnuts, cocoa powder, avocado and agave syrup.

Honorable mentions:

• Pineapple fried rice by Alexandra (4-H Pineapples Club) with pineapple, chicken, shrimp, cashews, peas and spices.
• Okinawan sweet potato manapua by Shikinah and Genevieve (Schofield Barracks Bennett Youth Center) included Okinawan sweet potato and coconut milk.
• Mango thumbprint cookies by Maʻina with her own homemade mango jam, using sweet Ataulfo and Champagne mangos.

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Winners’ day celebration

The winners enjoyed an educational experience at the UH Urban Garden Center in Pearl City, full of hands-on agricultural and learning opportunities in composting, gardening techniques, harvesting plants for recipes, and garden safety. They also picked fresh herbs to pair with local noodles from Adela’s Country Eatery, which the youth prepared along with a tossed salad. The end of the program had the winners showcase their recipes and explain why they chose their local commodity and what they learned from the process.

4-H and GET Local are part of the at UH Mānoa. The contest will run again in spring 2026, .

A hands-on learning initiative designed to introduce �鶹��ý preschool keiki and their ʻohana (families) to STEAM (science, technology, engineering, agriculture and mathematics) concepts is expanding, thanks to funding from the University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz�’s (UROP).

The S.T.E.A.M. on the Bookshelf program, developed in collaboration with UH ����ԴDz�’s (CTAHR) Cooperative Extension faculty with initial funding from the Maui County Department of Agriculture, has already engaged over 200 ʻohana on Maui. Designed to support parent-child learning, the program provides preschoolers with themed books, interactive activities and family workbooks aimed at making STEAM curriculum accessible in a home-based setting.

“Parents state that their children love completing the learning activities and often request the books as bedtime stories,” UH ����ԴDz� Instructor Chad Junkermeier said. “We’ve heard from parents that were in the program that their children are now reading the books to younger siblings.”

Bringing learning home

The initiative builds on an idea first proposed nearly 15 years ago by Heather Greenwood, a UH CTAHR associate extension agent based on Maui. Recognizing that many Head Start ʻohana struggled to attend evening financial and nutrition training sessions, she helped develop a model where young children brought home books and activities covering these topics, effectively engaging parents through their children’s learning experiences. This project built on the initial model, enhancing it to incorporate more parent-child interaction and hands-on learning.

The initial age-appropriate physics and engineering curriculum was piloted with families and UH Maui College faculty and staff in 2021. With additional funding from the Maui County Department of Agriculture in 2023–24, the project expanded to include an agriculture and gardening curriculum, reaching 213 ʻohana across 15 preschool classrooms that school year.

Of the physics and engineering curriculum, one of the preschool parents stated, “They are learning advanced concepts in an easy to [understand] format.”

With support from UH ����ԴDz�’s Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program’s , two undergraduate students will work with the team to refine and expand the physics and engineering curriculum into three tracks: physics, astronomy and engineering. The funding, totaling $10,000, will allow the team to develop engaging learning activities tailored for young children.

As the program grows, efforts are also underway to incorporate new subject areas. UH ����ԴDz� Associate Professor Sladjana Prišić has joined the project to develop a microbiology curriculum, further broadening the educational scope of S.T.E.A.M. on the Bookshelf.

The program’s success is gaining academic recognition, with its first peer-reviewed manuscript recently accepted for publication in the Journal of Extension. The study highlights the effectiveness of the home-based model in fostering early STEAM learning and strengthening family engagement.

The Department of Physics and Astronomy and the School of Life Sciences are housed in UH ����ԴDz�’s .

To alleviate issues within the �鶹��ý livestock industry, members from the University of �鶹��ý are aiming to restore the Waialeʻe Livestock Research Station on the North Shore of Oʻahu, which was once a heavily relied upon community resource for livestock feed, harvesting, research and more.

As the state faces limited livestock slaughter capacity, UH Mānoa (CTAHR) faculty, students, and Oʻahu North Shore stakeholders look to the front runners of the livestock industry as inspiration to revamp the research station.

Temple Grandin—a renowned livestock industry leader—expressed her support for the restoration of the station, and consulted with lifelong North Shore resident Paul Eguires to share her knowledge on new concepts of efficient and humane livestock-handling facilities. Eguires plans to return the site’s slaughter capability to a functioning state.

“Temple has had significant influence in the design and construction of efficient and humane livestock-handling systems across the U.S. and across the globe,” said Jeff Goodwin, leader.

"Grandin, also a widely respected and international spokesperson on autism, visited the Urban Garden Center to speak to members of the autism community. As an alumna of 4-H—;a national program with its �鶹��ý branch sponsored by CTAHR's Cooperative Extension—she said that 4-H helped her get out of her autistic shell."

“It became obvious to the crowd that the way autistic kids experience the world relates directly to how Temple Grandin looks at the livestock facilities she plans and constructs,” said Goodwin. “These two fields of expertise, animal behavior and world-perception of an autistic youth, have many common elements to them. Temple uses her world-perception as an autistic person to design the most humane animal-handling facilities in the world.”

The mission of Grandin’s work in agriculture and her work in helping families touched by autism have a common goal.

“Making the lives of others better (human and animal), doing something of lasting value with your life, that’s the meaning of life,” said Grandin. “It’s that simple.” 

After nearly four decades of service at the University of �鶹��ý, Glenn Teves will take his years of experience to the national stage, playing an influential role on the Tribal Advisory Committee within the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Teves, a former UH Mānoa (CTAHR) agent on Molokaʻi, was recently appointed to be a part of the Tribal Advisory Committee by U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz, chair of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs.

The Tribal Advisory Committee is tasked with offering expert counsel to the Secretary of Agriculture, contributing insights into Native equities within the USDA's framework. Additionally, the committee is required to develop an annual report to Congress, displaying the progress and challenges faced in Native-led agriculture.

Schatz emphasized that Teves' insights would play a pivotal role in steering the USDA's initiatives to support Native-led agriculture on a national scale.

“Mr. Teves has decades of experience practicing and promoting Native Hawaiian agriculture as a farmer, county extension agent and community advocate,” said Schatz. “The expertise he brings to the Tribal Advisory Committee will help guide USDA’s work to support Native-led agriculture across the country, including subsistence farming and related cultural practices.”

The University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz� (CTAHR) has received from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to provide language-appropriate outreach to Thai, Lao, Ilocano, Chinese and other immigrant farmers. Funding is made through the USDA Office of Partnership and Public Engagement’s Outreach and Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers program, also known as the 2501 program.

“This grant gives us the ability to expand some of the long-term, ongoing work of CTAHR extension agents who have been striving to better serve the diverse populations we have in the state,” said Emilie Kirk, an assistant extension agent located on Kauaʻi and the (LIFE) program lead. “The funds will also help us revitalize the LIFE program as a statewide umbrella for these efforts that have been going on.”

The meaning of ‘LIFE’

The LIFE program first started as the Socially Disadvantaged Farmer Program by former Extension Associate Specialist Sabina Swift in 2002, stemming from the need to provide accessible pesticide safety education in multiple languages for �鶹��ý’s diverse population.

Under the management of Extension Agent Jari Sugano from 2008, the LIFE program has provided training in addition to outreach, technical assistance and language accessibility to immigrant farmers with limited English proficiency, ultimately giving underserved producers more meaningful access to agricultural services.

With the current three-year grant, the LIFE program is collaborating with , the , and other partners, tailoring workshops and more to fit each community they work with specifically at the time. Structured to focus on two islands per year, the LIFE program is currently spotlighting the Thai and Lao languages on the islands of Kauaʻi and Oʻahu.

In the first half of 2023, the LIFE program has been able to support Thai farmers through an irrigation water management workshop on Kauaʻi; an agriculture land financing workshop given in both English and Thai on Kauaʻi; farmer resource fairs featuring more than 20 service providers and multiple language interpreters on Kauaʻi and Oʻahu; and Farm Doctor (a subprogram of the LIFE program) visits with CTAHR extension faculty on Kauaʻi to address farmer needs on an individual basis.

“We recognize the diverse needs and dynamic demographics of �鶹��ý’s agricultural community,” said Kirk. “We want to remain adaptive and responsive to keep up and to the best of our abilities provide services to the full spectrum of our farmers across the islands.”

Upcoming events include an Oʻahu irrigation workshop, training video production and farm record keeping workshops on both islands.

The University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz� (CTAHR) helped a midwest university club grow in horticulture knowledge during their five-day spring break trip.

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Horticulture Club journeyed to �鶹��ý and explored research and horticultural opportunities and insight through CTAHR’s Cooperative Extension. The students toured the Waimānalo Research Station and Urban Garden Center and viewed the aquaponics and aquaculture field trial areas with the Sustainable and Organic Agriculture program. They also learned about minor crop registration issues on coffee with the Cooperative Extension’s IR-4 Minor Crop Registration Program and set up a static hydroponic system developed using CTAHR-generated science.

For a cultural learning experience, the Nebraskan club had the opportunity to visit the beginner farmer program to learn about food sustainability; they saw native Hawaiian plants and explored cultural preservation with the Master Garden Program, and learned about culturally important crops such as māmaki (typically brewed for tea) and other local flowers and resources that could be used to make plant-based dyes and more with Oʻahu 4-H.

“As a faculty member with an extension appointment, I knew we would be able to see many horticultural opportunities by reaching out to CTAHR Extension,” said Terri James, associate extension educator at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

CTAHR’s team made up of Christine Hanakawa, Alberto Ricordi, Jensen Uyeda, Ted Radovich, Tina Lau, Eric Collier, Ken Leonhardt, James Kam, Richard Fisher and Pono Chung lined up horticultural examples in both the urban and research settings.

The students came away with a better understanding of the much different microclimate zones than their own zones, yet sharing similar issues such as a lack of rain on the leeward side of Oʻahu’s mountain range having a rain shadow effect. Nebraskans also have that effect on the western side of their state due to the Rocky Mountain range.

“My main goal with these trips is to have students see that, although they learn horticulture in one location, by understanding the basics, they can apply their knowledge to any geographical location,” James said. “Thank you CTAHR for hosting us. We had a fantastic time. I look forward to our next visit. And, if you are in Nebraska, please let us return the favor.”

Home gardeners learned about irrigation systems and how to build their own systems by using easily obtained products at a free workshop offered by the University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz� (CTAHR). The educational event, held at the in Pearl City in February, was part of the CTAHR (CE) Garden series.

Led by Extension agents, participants got their hands wet by working together to organize common irrigation supplies found in local garden shops. After selecting materials, the group designed their own irrigation systems by connecting tubing to a garden hose attachment, punching a hole in the main line using a hole punch, and fastening a sprinkler emitter to the main irrigation line.

“The presenters spoke at a pace at which beginning gardeners could understand,” said one participant. “We learned the names of the parts, how to put the system together, and had a hands-on experience to help us feel more confident.”

“We take great pride in using the hands-on teaching demonstration method to engage with the public so they can play an active role in their learning. It’s what [Cooperative] Extension does best,” added Jari Sugano, Oʻahu County Administrator and organizer of the Extension series. “I love seeing participants light up with enthusiasm and help one another in understanding science-based concepts.”

Extension agents Joshua Silva, Tina Lau, Amjad Ahmad and Alberto Ricordi from CTAHR’s coordinated with Oʻahu County Extension staff members to host the workshop. With steady interest and positive feedback from the public, an advanced irrigation workshop is being planned for spring 2023.

Join future CE workshops in the garden by or call the main office at (808) 453-6050.

The bigger picture

Although this event allowed guests to take part in a fun DIY activity, it ultimately reinforced the importance of water conservation and showed guests the proper use of water, a precious resource in our islands.

During the workshop, CE shared the measures they have taken over the past three years to reduce potable water use at the garden, keeping in mind their neighbors in Red Hill and that community’s need for quality water for drinking, bathing, cooking and basic activities.

One of the first initiatives taken was selecting more sustainable plants for the typically dry and hot Pearl City environment. The Urban Garden Center also stopped watering their lawns and cut back on irrigating plants that could be rainfall fed. Additionally, they capped unnecessary sprinkler heads and moved to drip irrigation instead of manually watering plants.

“This week we started installing valves on each sprinkler in our greenhouses so we can turn off sprinklers when not in use,” said Sugano. “We removed plants which were highly dependent on daily watering. Slowly we are making strides in reducing potable water use so there will be more groundwater in our aquifers for those who need it.”

Sugano added, “Everyone from large farms to small backyard gardeners play an important role in ensuring our water systems are safe and available for generations to come. Water is the essence to survival in our island state.”

�Ჹ�ɲ���ʻ��’s general public may not know the twolined spittlebug (TLSB), but scientists at the University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa have been intensely fighting the invasive insect since its discovery in �鶹��ý in 2016. Within a scant eight generations, TLSB has spread to infest more than 176,000 acres of rangeland on the Big Island. In highly infested areas, the result was nearly 100% die back of key range forages, including kikuyu and pangola grasses. Their loss exposed the land to invasive plants such as pāmakani, wild blackberry and fireweed. Livestock producers faced devastating economic losses.

Within a scant eight generations, TLSB has spread to infest more than 176,000 acres of rangeland on the Big Island.

To combat the problem, the (CTAHR) Extension’s twolined spittlebug team has released a new reporting and decision-support smartphone app for the management of TLSB in �鶹��ý. The tool allows users to learn about and correctly identify TLSB, giving landowners the ability to locate, map and manage outbreaks on their properties. Users can also assist experts as citizen-scientists by using the app’s reporting tool to geolocate sightings of the pest.

Tracking and documenting the spread of TLSB

“The app has four main features,” explains Mark Thorne, a CTAHR specialist. “First, an information guide that provides an overview of TLSB biology and ecology. Next, it helps users identify TLSB in the field and distinguish it from other, non-pest species. Third, users can report sightings of TLSB. Fourth, it allows users to determine the size of the TLSB population, and then, based on the potential damage threshold calculated, select from a series of integrated pest management decisions.”

The CTAHR team, which includes Specialist Mark Wright, Graduate Assistant Shannon Wilson and Assistant Extension Agent Melelani Oshiro, and Daniel Peck from Vestaron Corporation noted the reports include a geo-referenced picture and basic details about the habitat and geographical location of the pest. The reported data is then captured in a database and displayed on a web-based mapping tool.

Users have the option to enter data on TLSB population density and provide estimates on spatial extent and observed damage in their report. Data on TLSB populations is determined by following sampling protocols provided in the fourth tool.

“We spent two years drafting content and working with developers to get the app released, and we’re confident it will facilitate tracking and documenting the spread of this pest and lead to better pest management decisions for rangeland managers,” said Thorne.

To keep track of TLSB sightings, the team has created an administrative that displays a map of TLSB sighting reports by app users.

Go to the or to download the app.

What hasn’t changed during the COVID-19 pandemic is the need for research trials, such as the statewide variety trials of conventionally bred taro on �鶹��ý Island and Oʻahu by University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz� (CTAHR) Extension agents and the .

What has changed is the community’s greater need for food donations. Because of this need, researchers donated the surplus of taro corms to non-profit organizations to help feed communities after they collected data on fresh weights of underground makua corms, percent dry matter, and percent rot; compared how well the varieties grow under different environmental conditions; grew plants outside the measured rows to ensure uniform growth of varieties; and harvested taro corms in border areas.

On �鶹��ý Island, about 175 pounds of taro corms were donated to the culinary arts program at ; some were used in their cafeteria and the remainder went to feed those in the Puna district through collaboration with Vibrant Hawaii and Chef Hui programs. In addition, Nicholle Konanui (former CTAHR plant research technician) organized a team of gleaners and harvested about 800 pounds for #FeedThePeopleHI-Puna project. Taro variety trials in Pepeʻekeo were conducted with the assistance of Waiākea Research Station Farm Manager Angel Magno and his crew of agricultural technicians.

On Oʻahu, more than 1,500 pounds of surplus taro corms were donated to a community food drive. The amazing yield and vigorous growth of taro hybrid #1005-84 at Waimānalo Research Station is attributed to their care by Farm Manager Roger Corrales and his crew of agricultural technicians.

“Research is often thought to have benefits over the long-term. In these cases, research resulted in immediate benefits to communities,” said Susan Miyasaka, �鶹��ý County administrator. “Our faculty and staff are proud to help feed the community during these tough, pandemic times. Mahalo to Jari Sugano and Amjad Ahmad.”