On November 19th the Hawai'i County Council voted 6-3 in favor of Bill 113 (Council members Onishi, Yoshimoto and Ilagan voted Against), which restricts future cultivation of GMO crops on Hawai'i Island.  Mayor Kenoi, who faced substantial political pressure to veto the bill, instead signed Bill 113 into law on December 5th with a strong statement advocating local control of agriculture in Hawai'i County: "With this new ordinance we are conveying that instead of global agribusiness corporations, we want to encourage and support community-based farming and ranching."

For the complete text of Mayor Kenoi's powerful position supporting Bill 113 and sustainable agriculture, CLICK HERE.

KAMUELA, Hawai'i—December 12, 2013—Ku I Ka Mana, a beginning farmer-rancher training is accepting applications from prospective students for its third cohort. The 18-week course is conducted in Honokaa and begins on Friday, January 31. Application materials may be downloaded at http://www.kohalacenter.org/farmertraining/application.html. The application deadline is Friday, January 10. Although no previous farming experience is required, preference is given to veterans and to applicants who have taken steps to become agricultural producers but would benefit from a comprehensive, hands-on curriculum. Persons interested in learning more or applying to Ku I Ka Mana are encouraged to visit http://www.kohalacenter.org/farmertraining/home.html or contact Derrick Kiyabu at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 808-220-2312.

Aloha

This newsletter's purpose is to keep local and sustainable food events, activities, and information in the spotlight. This is the time of year when the number of local events swells to a surprising number involving all segments of the agricultural community: individuals, educational organizations, crop interest groups, etc. And as you will see from the four new articles below, this is a good time to be immersed in the world of local food in Hawai'i.

John Mood has lots of PP seedlings available. $1.50/seedling unspotted, or $4.00 potted in 3 in. pot. Also they are going into the fruiting season, so seed will be available in large quantities. 

Contact John at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.