Workshops: "Creative Agroforestry for food-producing home, farm, and community landscapes"

Kahului, Maui, June 12–13, 2015
Captain Cook, Kona, June 20–21, 2015
Waipahu, O'ahu, June 27–28, 2015

More information, agendas, and registration www.agroforest.info

Creative agroforestry for food production in home, farm, and community landscapes

Agroforestry landscapes are models of productive, low input systems that have sustained people for centuries in Hawai'i. Farmers, homeowners, and communities are rediscovering the many benefits of agroforestry. This workshop offers participants an introduction to best practices in establishing and maintaining a working agroforestry landscape tailored to their needs. Presentations combine traditional, modern, and local knowledge to enable participants to get started on their own systems, avoiding pitfalls. With a little knowledge and experience, the end result can be a landscape that provides high productivity, social & cultural values, and beauty, now and for generations to come. Join us for an interactive and lively learning experience!  

Aloha!

Farmers markets are a main driver of our local food economy. For many small producers, farmers markets are the perfect entry place for selling their extra produce and developing a product line for other retail or wholesale venues. Farmers markets are where consumers can connect face-to-face with producers, a connection we all know is integral to the nourishment of local food. Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) joins consumers directly with growers on a subscription or membership basis, another strong driver in our local food system.  

The 24th Annual Hawaii International Tropical Fruit Conference is September 12-14 at the Kahili Golf Course. All attendees registering before August 1 enjoy a discounted fee of up to $75; visit www.hawaiitropicalfruitgrowers.org for details. The conference is open to the public.

Geared to farmers, educators, orchard managers and proponents of sustainable agriculture, the weeklong event is presented by the statewide Hawaii Tropical Fruit Growers (HTFG).

The conference is titled “It’s All About Production” and offers a variety of breakout sessions, plus visiting researchers and agro experts. Professor Roger Leakey, crop physiologist, will give the keynote address, “The Domestication of Tropical Trees as New Fruit and Nut Crops.” Dr. Leakey is the former director of research at the International Center for Research in Agroforestry and professor of agroecology and sustainable development of James Cook University in Australia. 

Dr. Roger Leakey, renowned crop physiologist and agroforester

In a new educational video about cooking with breadfruit, celebrity Chef Sam Choy, cultural practitioner Shirley Kauhaihao of Honaunau and Chef De Cuisine Scott Hiraishi of Sam Choy’s Kai Lanai explain how to prepare breadfruit from start to finish.The Ho‘oulu ka ‘Ulu project to revitalize breadfruit has just released a series of videos and publications to assist Hawai‘i’s breadfruit growers in supplying grocery stores, restaurants and farmers markets with high quality fruit, and to help chefs become more familiar with breadfruit handling and preparation in the kitchen. Backyard growers, consumers and educators will also find the information pertinent to home and community use of breadfruit.

The color, 24-page Breadfruit Production Guide: Recommended Practices for Growing, Harvesting and Handling is aimed at breadfruit growers. The guide details best practices for harvest and postharvest handling to optimize value in the marketplace. Breadfruit is often mistakenly picked at the green or immature stage. The guide explains how to identify and pick breadfruit when it is mature, at its optimal flavor and marketability.

A corresponding video Harvest and Postharvest Best Practices provides a visual demonstration of the key practices outlined in the Breadfruit Production Guide.