Ka`u News Briefs Monday, Aug. 25, 2014

Cowboys and Trojans hand in hand to support Ka`u High football last Saturday at the rodeo. The team plays its
first game of the season at home this Saturday. Photo by Kupono Palakiko Leffew.

KA`U COFFEE FARMERS who were hurt by the Aug. 8 Tropical Storm Iselle are considering whether to apply for low-interest loans to help them recover. Sept. 1 is one of the upcoming deadlines to ask for federal assistance, said Ka`u Coffee Growers Cooperative President Gloria Camba. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is offering loans. Most of the damage was to coffee trees heavy with the next harvest. The cherries would have been ready to pick within about a month, but many of them fell on the ground when the branches broke and are unusable. Others on branches that were broken and hanging on the trees had to be cut for the health of the tree.

A torrent of water ran through Wood Valley fields during Iselle.
Photo by Anne Celeste

      Several farmers experienced trees uprooted by flooding, she said. Most of the damage on the oldest Ka`u Coffee farms was in Pear Tree, she said.
      New coffee farm damage was off Wood Valley Road, where Iselle whipped down the slopes mauka to makai. Many farmers found coffee trees lying down after the storm and rushed the next day to stand them up, hoping they will survive.
     farmer Trini Marques said the Calumpit family’s farm suffered with more than 1,000 young coffee-bearing trees  tipped over. She said the Calumpit family is methodically righting the trees on Olson Trust land across from Wood Valley Buddhist cemetery.
     Marques said that on Olson property about 800 of her family’s coffee trees were knocked over and that her family has been standing them back up. Some of them were ready for harvest and had to be stood up right away to allow the cherries to finish ripening, she said. She said her family is still working on standing up all the trees.

      For more information for assistance, contact county Farm Service Agency Executive Director Lester Ueda at 933-8341 or lester.ueda@hi.usda.gov.

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As part of its promotion of macadamia nuts as a healthy snack,
Royal Hawaiian Orchards says its nuts are non-GMO-verified.
Image from royalhawaiianorchards.com

ROYAL HAWAIIAN ORCHARDS suffered little loss during Iselle. President and CEO of the company Scott Wallace said that Royal Hawaiian inspected all of it trees in Ka`u. However, the company declined to issue a statement regarding any damages as they would not significantly impact annual projections. Much of its orchard land is outside of hard-hit Wood Valley.
       Royal Hawaian is featured in the August edition of Hawai`i Business Magazine as potentially one of the top 250 profitable companies in the state for 2014. The story by Gina Gelber says:
      “Royal Hawaiian Orchards, one of the world’s largest growers and processors of macadamia nuts, is positioning itself for a reversal of fortune, despite losses of $2.91 million in 2013. Overall, the company had income of $13.8 million last year, slipping into the Top 250 at 235, 16 slots down from last year. Diverse factors contributed to this rough patch, including inadequate rain, which hurt its annual harvest. RHO hopes to make a big comeback in 2014, with a branding strategy that positions macadamias as a health food. The company has enlisted athletes for its branding efforts and plans to triple its distribution network to 10,000 retailers.”
      In an Aug. 15 press release, Royal Hawaiian reported that during the first six months of this year, “the Partnership retained a significantly larger portion of its macadamia nuts for manufacture into its branded products or for sale in bulk kernel form following the expiration of certain macadamia nut purchase contracts with Mauna Loa.
     “Additionally, on June 30, 2014, the Partnership terminated its lease on its Mauna Kea orchard and sold its trees to the landlord (Olson Trust) for consideration of $1.5 million, triggering a non-cash loss of $1.8 million on the transaction. The increase in net revenues for the period was attributable primarily to an increase in branded product sales over the same period in 2013.”

      See royalhawaiianorchards.com.

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LEHUA COURT PROFESSIONAL AND RETAIL PLAZA in Ocean View received approval from Hawai`i County Council last week. The project got favorable recommendations from the Windward Planning Commission and the county Planning Committee before being sent to the full council.

      The property is on the mauka side of Hwy 11 and connects with Lehua Lane and Keaka Parkway.

      The applicant, William C. Foulk, sought to change the site’s zoning from Agricultural to Village Commercial. The 4.143-acre site would be developed with 54,000 square feet of commercial space and another 12,500 square feet of open, landscaped area for periodic craft fairs, thespian events and public gatherings.
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KA`U TROJANS EIGHT-MAN FOOTBALL TEAM plays its first game of the season this Saturday at 6:30 p.m. at home. Opponents are the Kohala Cowboys. The first game will be followed by a trip to Maui for a Friday night game at Seabury Hall on Sept. 5. The Trojans will host Pahoa Daggars on Friday, Sept. 12. Trojans host Kamehameha Warriors on Friday, Sept. 26 followed by a trip to Pahoa on Saturday Oct. 4, for a game against the Daggers at 2 p.m. On Saturday, Oct. 11, the Trojans travel to Kohala to play the Cowboys at 2 p.m. The team is raising money to help pay for its travels.

      Ka`u will not travel to play Moloka`i this year since Kohala, Kamehameha and Pahoa have all fielded eight-man football teams on this island. The Seaberry Hall game on Maui will take place as it was already scheduled.

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Before: Raking cover-crop seed into soil between rows
of coffee trees. Photos from USDA/NRCS

MANAGING FOR SOIL HEALTH IS ONE of the easiest and most effective ways for farmers to increase crop productivity and profitability while improving the environment, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service. That was one of the messages of the Healthy Soils workshop presented last Friday in Pahala.
      Results of soil management are often realized immediately and last well into the future.
      Four basic principles are key to improving soil health:

• Keep soil covered as much as possible; 
• Keep plants growing throughout the year to feed the soil; 
• Disturb soil as little as possible; and 
• Diversify as much as possible using crop rotation and cover crops. 

      These core practices form the basis of a Soil Health Management System that can help reduce input costs, protect against drought and increase production.

      Using unharvested crops to keep the soil covered throughout the year provides conservation benefits to the soil. Cover crops increase organic matter, prevent erosion, conserve moisture, increase nutrient cycling, provide nitrogen for plant use, suppress weeds, reduce soil compaction and decrease use of pesticides.

      Reduced-till and no-till methods of planting disturb the soil as little as possible. These methods improve water efficiency, increase organic matter, reduce erosion, reduce energy use, decrease soil compaction and improve crop production.

After: Buckwheat blooming as a cover crop
between rows of coffee trees.

      Crop rotation involves growing diverse crops in a planned sequence in order to increase organic matter and biodiversity in the soil. It increases nutrients, helps manage pests, reduces erosion, increases soil moisture, increases microbial health and improves plant production.

      For more information, see nrcs.usda.gov.

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HAWAI`I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK WAIVES ENTRY FEES today to celebrate National Park Service’s 98th birthday.

TEANA KAHOOHANOHANO DEMONSTRATES HOW `OHE (bamboo) are carved into designs and how they are used Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center lanai in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park.
      Free; park entrance fees apply.

LABOR DAY IS A WEEK FROM TODAY. Ka`u residents can celebrate by participating in Kahuku: Born from a Hotspot, a new program at the Kahuku Unit of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Participants learn about the birth of the islands from the Hawaiian hotspot and about past eruptions that impacted Kahuku. Visitors will be able to identify various pu`u (hills) and other volcanic features and learn about their formation.
      Call 985-6011 or see nps.gov/havo for more information.

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS AT PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM. KA`U COFFEE MILL IS OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.

See kaucalendar.com/Directory2014.swf.

Ka`u News Briefs Sunday, Aug. 24,2014

Paniolo action at Na`alehu Rodeo Grounds yesterday raised funds for Ka`u High's eight-man football team.
Photo by Kupono Palakiko Leffew

KA`U SOIL & WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT presented a soil health workshop Friday to a diverse group of Ka`u farmers, urging them to adopt soil health management systems that protect natural resources, protect against drought and increase production. Called Unlock the Secrets of the Soil, the session included presentations on keeping soils alive, showing films of earthworms dragging leaves underground to produce organic matter, images of farming under the canopy of a forest and clearing albizia trees for pasture, with planning that protects natural waterways and prevents soil erosion. One of the slogans presented was “Keep it Happy, Keep it Covered. Soil should be covered all the time, preferably with living plants.”

Ka`u residents learned about healthy soils at a workshop Friday.

      One of the overarching messages was that each area to be farmed can benefit from careful planning and that Soil & Water Conservation District can help. Presenters talked about programs that can reimburse farmers for much of the cost of cover crops. A program to “renew the best, motivate the rest,” helps to reimburse those who succeed with good farm practices.
      Programs that provide funding require farmers to either own or have long enough leases on land to guarantee time to produce their farm products, and landowners have to sign off on such funding.
      Many services provided by numerous state and federal agencies were described. These include grading and irrigation planning, soil analysis and financial advice.
      Brenda Iokepa-Moses, chair of Ka`u Soil & Water Conservation District, presented speakers: USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service soil scientist Amy Koch, NCRS Hilo Field Office conservationist Kori Hisashima, NCRS county resource conservationist Carolyn Wong, Ka`u Ocean Vista Coffee Estate farmer John Ah San, Universy of Hawai`i assistant extension agent Andrea Kawabata; Kuahiwi rancher Michelle Galimba and soil conservationist and engineer for SWCD Amelia Drury.
      For more information, see nrcs.usda.gov.

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Richard Ha

“THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS WE CAN LEARN from the hurricane we just went through,” said state Board of Agriculture member Richard Ha on his blog at hahaha.hamakuasprings.com.
      “People saw what needed to be done on the ground, and they just did it. Trees needed to be cut, so they cut them. Neighbors needed food and ice, so people got them food and ice. People saw the situations that were problems, and they took care of them.
      Ha said the Center for Food Safety and EarthJustice, the legal arm of the Sierra Club, are “fighting against farmers” by helping defendants in the lawsuit that plaintiffs brought against the county regarding its ban of genetically modified crops.
      “We have been dragged into a battle, and all we want to do is get back to providing food for people. We’re farmers. We want to grow things and feed people. We don’t want to be involved in lawsuits and philosophical battles. …
      ‘We farmers are asking for clarity on this anti-GMO bill. We’re saying tell us what the rules are so we can go back to farming. But those two are fighting against us, so we can’t do that.
      Ha compares people’s actions after the storm to what farmers want to do now. “It’s as if after the hurricane they said, ‘Yeah, we see all the albizia trees are down, but we want you to focus on something that’s happening in the Midwest, or in India. ...’ 

      “Or it’s like they were saying, ‘Yeah, we see all the trees down, but you can’t use chainsaws because they’re dangerous. You’ve got to use axes because they’re natural.’
      “We’re saying, ‘Look, we’ve got to use chainsaws. We’ve got to help people.’ 

      “It’s really that simple. We farmers are spending too much time on all that other stuff, and we really just want to get back to farming.
      “When the Association of Counties asked me to talk about climate change and how the farmer looks at it, I quoted Neil DeGrasse Tyson. He talks about climate change being the guy and his dog walking down the beach. The man walking straight down the beach is the climate, and the dog running back and forth is the weather.
      “The climate is the policy kind of stuff, and hopefully the climate people make the right decisions.
      “We farmers deal with the weather. If there’s a storm, or an insect, we deal with it. We’ve got to concentrate on growing food. Otherwise, we end up trying to make policy, and we’re not scientists. We’re farmers.
      “We just want to get back to farming.”

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Ka`u High Trojans sold pink T-shirts at the rodeo to raise funds.  Photo by Kupono Palakiko Leffew

KA`U TROJAN AND RODEO FANS filled Na`alehu Rodeo Grounds yesterday to raise money for eight-man high school football. Pink T-shirts promoted Ka`u High School football, which will take the team off-island this season, flying to Maui and Moloka`i. The team and its coach, Kainoa Ke, ran a food booth, and the team sold shirts.

      Here are the winners in the rodeo competition:

• Dummy Roping, four years old and under - Blayne DeMattos; five to eight years of age - Austin Costa Lorenzo; 
• Goat Undecorating, four and under - Blayne DeMattos; five to eight - Clancy Aku; 
• Po`o Wai U - Bronson Branco; 
• Double Mugging - Bronson Branco and Kalai Nobriga; 
• Team 90’s - Danny Joseph and Mike Smith; 
• Calf Roping - Kalai Nobriga; 
• Youth Barrels - Kale Onaka; 
• Wahine Breakaway - Nahe Nobriga; 
• Kane Wahine Dally - Danny and Daphne Joseph; 
• Open Dally - Brian DeMattos and Mike Smith; 
• Kane Wahine Ribbon - Nahe and Kalai Nobriga; and
• Wahine Mugging - Nahe Nobriga and Macey Loando.

Pink Trojan Rodeo shirts raise money for football.
Photo by Julia Neal

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KA`U FOOD PANTRY, INC. distributes food to the needy of Ka`u this coming Tuesday and the last Tuesday of each month at Ocean View Community Center from 12 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Its mission is to provide each family with three days of food. Most of the food comes from Food Basket of Hawai`i, Inc. in Kona. Ka`u Food Basket pays them a small handling fee for the food they provide. 

      “We have had as much as 4,000 pounds of food to distribute, and even then we sometimes run out before everyone can be helped,” said board member Dallas Decker. “We operate with a small corp of volunteers – nobody is paid to serve.
      “But we do need to pay for food. We need about $600 per month to cover the cost of acquiring and transporting food, paying rent, buying bags and boxes and other supplies.” That’s not very much considering that the Food Basket gives three or four days of food to as many as 350 people.
      President Judy Samuel oversees the operation of shopping, transporting, organizing and distributing food each month with her group of very dedicated volunteers. Other board members are Karen Pucci, Ric Stark, Allison Gusman, Allan Humble, Lynne Kreinberg and the Rev. Dallas Decker. Samuel may be reached at 808-979-6502.

Ka`u Food Pantry distributes food on the last Tuesday of each month
at Ocean View Community Center.

      Contributions to the nonprofit are tax deductible and may be sent to PO Box 7105, Ocean View, HI 96737. All contributions are greatly appreciated and promptly acknowledged.

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HAWAI`I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK WAIVES ENTRY FEES tomorrow to celebrate National Park Service’s 98th birthday.

      A schedule of free ranger-led programs and guided hikes will be posted outside Kilauea Visitor Center and the Jaggar Museum by 9:30 a.m. Visitors can enjoy programs including Explore the Summit – a one-hour walk from the Kilauea Visitor Center to the edge of Kilauea caldera, and Life on the Edge, a 20-minute talk about the current eruption from Halema`uma`u Crater given daily at Jaggar Museum overlook.

      See nps.gov/havo for more information.

TEANA KAHOOHANOHANO DEMONSTRATES HOW `OHE (bamboo) are carved into designs and how they are used during an `ohe kapala demonstration on Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center lanai in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park.
      ‘Ohe kapala, or bamboo stamps, were used to present many unique designs for traditional Hawaiian kapa. Today, these designs are being used as patterns on all types of fabric.

Teana Kahoohanohano demonstrates `ohe kapala Wednesday.
Photo from NPS

      There will be samples and a hands-on opportunity to learn about this distinctive art form. The program is part of the park’s ongoing `Ike Hana No`eau: Experience the Skillful Work workshops. Free; park entrance fees apply.



SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS AT PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM. KA`U COFFEE MILL IS OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.

See kaucalendar.com/Directory2014.swf.

Ka`u News Briefs Saturday, Aug. 23, 2014

The late Bob Herkes, wearing maile lei, was a champion of the Ocean View well and spigot site and attended the July 2012 blessing along with other elected officials and Ocean View residents. Photo by Charles Tobias

PUBLIC OFFICIALS AND OTHERS ARE ACKNOWLEDGING ACCOMPLISHMENTS of the late Bob Herkes during his years of service to his constituents on Hawai`i Island and sending condolences to his family. A Volcano resident, Herkes died Thursday after a brief illness.

Bob Herkes also spoke at the blessing of Ka`u Coffee
Mill. Photo by Geneveve Fyvie

      “A former state representative, state senator, Hawai`i County Council member and local businessman, Bob had a solid record of getting things done for the people of Hawai`i,” said Gov. Neil Abercrombie. “His long career in public service brought about countless benefits for Hawai`i Island, including his integral role in incorporating the appropriation for the first FEMA-certified shelter in Ka`u, providing a drinking water system for Ocean View and establishing a mobile medical van to bring basic medical services to rural areas.
      “His fierce dedication to the people of the Big Island and our entire state will be remembered. Our thoughts and aloha are with his wife, Jo-Anna; sons, Bob, Ken and Doug; and the rest of the Herkes `ohana.”
      State House speaker Joseph Souki said, “Hawai`i has lost a dedicated and passionate public servant who championed protecting consumer rights during his 18 years in the state House of Representatives. Bob worked tirelessly to pass legislation that strengthened the rights of residents in mortgage foreclosures. He was an early and strong advocate of natural disaster preparedness and was one of the first to call attention to the health effects of vog. He was a good legislator, highly respected by his colleagues, and a great friend. I will miss him.”
      U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard was a colleague of Herkes in the state House of Representatives. “My thoughts and prayers are with Bob’s wife Jo-Anna and their `ohana as they mourn his passing and celebrate his life and accomplishments,” Gabbard said. “I had the great privilege of serving alongside Bob in the Hawai`i State House from 2002 to 2004 and witnessed how he took great pride in being a public servant. Bob Herkes will be missed, but we will never forget his service and dedication to our community.”

      Volcano Art Center released a statement saying Herkes “was a great supporter of VAC and (wearing his legislator hat) worked hard for us in securing the legislative appropriation for $586,000 that helped us build the Administration Building at Niaulani.”

      Herkes was born in Iloilo City, Philippines and raised in Hilo.
      The governor intends to order flags to half-staff on the day of services yet to be announced by the family.

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Map of state open data scores from Center for Data Innovation.

HAWAI`I IS RANKED AMONG THE TOP STATES for progress in open data in a new report published this week by the Center for Data Innovation, the leading think tank studying the intersection of data, technology and public policy. 

      “This national recognition shows that collaborative and determined efforts on the part of this administration and the Legislature, together with our private sector partners and the public, have made great strides since launching our state’s business and information transformation in 2011,” Gov. Neil Abercrombie said. “We have developed a strong open government program that is rapidly improving transparency and accountability of state government.”
      Hawai`i was one of six states to receive a perfect score in the Center for Data Innovation’s report, which evaluated states based on the contents of their open data policies and open data portals. Points are awarded for the presence of an open data policy, quality of open data policy, presence of an open data portal and quality of an open data portal.
      “Open data that does not compromise security or privacy is becoming more readily available to the public through data.hawaii.gov, recognizing that it belongs to the people of Hawai`i,” said the governor’s Chief Advisor on Technology and Cybersecurity, Sanjeev “Sonny” Bhagowalia, who launched Hawai`i’s Open Data Portal as Hawai`i’s first chief information officer. “This award demonstrates that Hawai`i can set a new national standard of excellence for open government.
      The report is available at datainnovation.org/2014/08/state-open-data-policies-and-portals.

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U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard is calling for demilitarization of U.S. police forces.
Photo from Office of Rep. Gabbard

KA`U’S U.S. REP. TULSI GABBARD IS CALLING for demilitarizing of police across the nation. 

“The increasing use of military equipment, weapons and tactics against our own citizens is unacceptable and must stop,” said Gabbard, a veteran of two tours of duty in the Middle East and a captain in Hawai`i Army National Guard. “The military-style response of the Ferguson, Missouri police is but the latest of numerous such incidents across America. 

      “
This militarization of local police includes heavy equipment like armored personnel carriers and automatic weapons, as well as the now common practice of using heavily armed SWAT teams for even the most common law enforcement purposes. In 2005, the most recent year for which data has been collected, there were around 50,000 SWAT raids. The number has certainly increased since then.


      “It is alarming to see small towns of America encroached upon with assault weapons, militarized vehicles, tear gas and other military gear intended for use against enemy combatants, not against our own citizens,” Gabbard said. “Our local police forces are meant to be serving and protecting the people in our local communities – not treating them as the enemy. Historically, Americans have joined law enforcement because of their desire to serve and protect their communities – not play soldiers. However, this could change with the increased militarization of our police.



      “The increased militarization of police action around the country is all the more troublesome when coupled with recent revelations exposing the National Security Agency’s use of massive, invasive surveillance programs on innocent Americans. I will work to pass legislation to stop the use of military force against our citizens.”

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Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park waives entry fees Monday to celebrate
National Park Service's 98th birthday. Exploring the Summit is one of
several programs visitors can enjoy. NPS Photo by Jessica Ferracane

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE’S 98TH BIRTHDAY is Monday. To celebrate, Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park waives entry fees.
      Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park was also established 98 years ago, on Aug. 1, 1916. Called Hawai`i National Park then, the park also comprised Haleakala National Park on Maui. In 1961, Haleakala became its own national park – and Hawai`i Volcanoes has since grown to more than 333,000 acres, roughly the size of O‘ahu.
      Today, with more than 150 miles of hiking trails and 520 square miles that stretch from sea level to the 13,677-foot summit of Mauna Loa, there are endless opportunities to enjoy Hawai`i’s natural and native splendor in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park.
      “We invite everyone to come and help us celebrate another milestone as we approach our 100th anniversary in 2016,” said Park Superintendent Cindy Orlando. “We can all be proud of our legacy in being the first country in the world to protect and set aside so many special places so that they can be enjoyed by all.”
      A schedule of free ranger-led programs and guided hikes is posted daily outside Kilauea Visitor Center and the Jaggar Museum by 9:30 a.m. Visitors can enjoy programs including Explore the Summit – a one-hour walk from the Kilauea Visitor Center to the edge of Kilauea caldera, and Life on the Edge, a 20-minute talk about the current eruption from Halema`uma`u Crater given daily at Jaggar Museum overlook.
      Visitors can enjoy more free-entry days in 2014: Saturday, Sept. 27 is National Public Lands Day, the largest single-day volunteer effort for public lands in the United States; and Tuesday, Nov. 11 honors Veterans Day.

FRIENDS OF HAWAI`I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK invite members to the annual meeting to be held two weeks from today on Saturday, Sept. 6 at Pahala Plantation House. This event is the annual celebration of the organization as members come together in fellowship and reaffirm their partnership with the National Park Service at Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. The membership will vote on a new slate of board directors, including those seeking re-election and present board members. They will also say a fond aloha to outgoing board president Patrick W. Naughton. 

      Check-in begins at 10:45 a.m. The meeting begins at 11 a.m., followed by lunch at noon. The menu will feature fresh foods from Ka`u.
      The program will feature speakers from the Youth Ranger Internship Program, who were part of the summer’s successful youth-work program in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park.
      After lunch, members can enjoy historical stories of Pahala and its past as a sugar plantation town.
      RSVP by Wednesday, Sept. 3 by phone at 985-7373 or email at admin@fhvnp.org or fhvnp@icloud.com.

HAWAI`I ISLAND MOBILE SLAUGHTER UNIT Task Group holds a meeting for local meat producers to learn more about the proposed mobile slaughter unit, how it’s part of an integrated meat-packing solution for Hawai`i island’s small producers and how it can benefit ranchers. 

      The meeting is scheduled for Monday, Sept. 8 at Aupuni Conference Room, 101 Pauahi Street, Hilo from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
      For more information, contact Jackie at 327-3680 or jacqueline.muller@hisbdc.org.

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS AT PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM. KA`U COFFEE MILL IS OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.

See kaucalendar.com/Directory2014.swf.