University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Extension agent Ty McDonald has achieved a milestone with his educational video series on avocado grafting reaching elite educational content status on YouTube.

The two-part series on grafting avocado trees— and —has earned more than 251,000 and 221,000 views, respectively. Fewer than 0.5% of educational videos on YouTube reach more than 250,000 views.

McDonald, an associate extension agent at the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience (CTAHR), produced the series in 2012 in collaboration with the Hawaiʻi Tropical Fruit Growers.

‘What, why, when, and how’ of grafting

McDonald manages the West Hawaiʻi Master Gardener Program in Kona. He brings decades of experience to the series, having first learned grafting techniques at a major Kona avocado nursery in 1985.

In the videos, McDonald addresses the “what, why, when, and how” of grafting while sharing nuanced tips on knife skills and scion cuts that are often missing from other tutorials.

“Grafting is often described as a combination of art and science,” he said. “I explained all the scientific principles behind it, and then I鈥檝e got a certain amount of skill now from having done it a long time to actually make the cuts, and that鈥檚 where the art comes in.”

The series steadily attracts more viewers every year. For McDonald, who has served as a 糖心视频 extension agent for over two decades, helping others is the true reward.

“It鈥檚 the combination of numerous positive comments regarding the quality and helpfulness of the information delivered that is most validating,” McDonald said. “It is also very gratifying when folks tell me they learned how to graft by watching these videos.”

Capitol Hill came to the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa to learn how research at the (CTAHR) is delivering high-impact solutions for Hawaiʻi and the nation.

Leaders from the United States (U.S.) House Committee on Agriculture鈥檚 Subcommittee on Conservation, Research, and Biotechnology toured CTAHR labs and its Magoon Research and Education Facility in Mānoa in August. The visiting delegation was led by Agriculture Committee Chair Glenn “G.T.” Thompson (Pennsylvania), accompanied by Hawaiʻi Rep. Jill Tokuda, Reps. Frank Lucas (Oklahoma), Shontel Brown (Ohio) and Jahana Hayes (Connecticut); joining them was Hawaiʻi Congressman Ed Case.

CTAHR Dean Parwinder Grewal welcomed the lawmakers and outlined college initiatives to build resilience in agriculture and biosecurity, food and nutritional security, community resilience and well-being, and natural resource management. The group visited several research projects addressing urgent agricultural challenges in the islands and across the country.

Biosecurity, invasive species control

Professor Mike Melzer presented ongoing research on a virus that suppresses coconut rhinoceros beetle (CRB) populations that are devastating Hawaiʻi palm trees and coconut production. This work will protect Hawaiʻi agricultural ecosystems and safeguard the U.S. continent, particularly in states along the southwest border where CRB has been confirmed in Mexico.

Professor Daniel Jenkins demonstrated the use of drone technology in precision aerial pesticide applications; drones can deliver treatments to tree crowns infested with CRB while sparing surrounding palm trees. Professor Koon Hui Wang shared her research on biofumigants to control nematodes and parasites in the floriculture industry.

Global competitiveness

The visit highlighted aquaculture and new plant variety development that boosts 贬补飞补颈ʻ颈鈥檚 aquaculture industries. Professor Andre Seale shared research on tilapia, native Hawaiian sea cucumbers and striped mullet, emphasizing how these studies will advance sustainable aquaculture practices across the nation.

Researcher Tessie Amore presented decades of ornamental flower breeding, showcasing CTAHR-developed anthurium varieties such as “Lahaina,” named by Tokuda to honor the late U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka and his wife Millie. Created in partnership with local growers and floral designers, these varieties help keep U.S. floriculture competitive in global markets.

National clean plant collaboration and crop innovation

Extension agent Sharon Wages related how CTAHR鈥檚 clean seed lab collaborates with the National Clean Plant Network to provide virus-free sweetpotato vines locally and nationally. Extension agent Amjad Ahmad presented his work on the production of virus-free apple bananas and tissue culture and seedling distribution to growers, while Assistant Professor Marian Luis detailed clean seed cultivation strategies for export turmeric, an in-demand crop.

Following the success of the “Seed to Harvest” farming initiative, the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (CTAHR) is expanding its work to boost food security and entrepreneurship on Molokaʻi with “Harvest to Market.” It鈥檚 the next step for Friendly Isle home gardeners transitioning from backyard gardening to being part of the local agricultural economy.

Seed to Harvest was created last year by Molokaʻi-based CTAHR Extension agents Kyle Franks and Jennifer Hawkins and funded by a 2025 County of Maui grant. The program recently graduated its third group of backyard farmers who have grown hundreds of pounds of fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs using on-island resources.

Business of backyard farming

Harvest to Market shifts focus toward the business and entrepreneurial side of agriculture; it’s designed for home gardeners with extra produce, immersing them in marketing, pricing, budgeting and production schedules. A new opportunity emerged as the group gained confidence and grew more than one hundred pounds of cabbage.

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

People are learning how to transform backyard fruits and vegetables into value-added goods—such as artisanal jams, jellies or freeze-dried items—that can be sold at local farmers’ markets. Franks and Hawkins guide growers through state regulatory frameworks to ensure all fresh and processed food sales comply with state health and food safety laws.

Overcoming barriers, building resilience

“Finances and food safety can be intimidating, and is where people usually just say, okay, I’m just going to do this subsistence, or I’m going to barter,” Hawkins said. “Having the resources and knowing the right people to come in makes a huge difference in the outcome of individuals and their comfort level.”

By giving residents the skills to cultivate food and the business acumen to sell it, CTAHR continues to tackle food inequity, reduce reliance on expensive imports, and foster a highly resilient community on Molokaʻi.

When Kona Low storms flooded Konawaena High School on Hawaiʻi Island in March 2026, campus repairs forced every student and teacher into distance learning less than 12 weeks before graduation. For Konawaena alumna Sophia Burgess, watching her school navigate this major disruption became the force behind her research journey.

She enrolled in the immersive eight-week Summer Research Institute (SRI), offered by the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (CTAHR) to take a deep dive into the resilience of the high school鈥檚 seniors, their parents and their teachers. Burgess earned her first place overall for her poster and research presentation at the SRI competition.

Learning to conduct research

Introducing students to research is the mission of the CTAHR鈥檚 summer institute. The program challenged 53 high school students and college undergraduates to use the scientific method to investigate the barriers their communities face in food systems, environmental sustainability and resilience.

Each student was assigned a faculty mentor and spent at least 25 hours a week in research and study. Weekly lunch-and-learn sessions taught students how to define a research question, gather and analyze data, evaluate the ethics of research and the scientific method, and communicate complex ideas to diverse audiences.

Participating students also took field visits to several of CTAHR鈥檚 Centers for Applied Research and Extension Services (CARES), including stations in Pearl City and in Windward Oʻahu for activities such as tending native plant gardens, agroforestry and community gardening. Working alongside 糖心视频 researchers, students could earn valuable college credits.

The eight-week investment culminated in a poster symposium on July 24, where more than 200 family members and friends showed up to celebrate the young leaders.

“Being able to go through the research process and having those challenges and those highs made it feel a little bit more real and made me feel more prepared for the symposium, rather than just studying or reading about research,” Burgess said.

Symposium winners

• Best Overall
  • 1st place: Sophia Burgess (mentor: Marielle Hampton, assistant extension agent, Department of Family and Consumer Sciences)
  • 2nd place: Sophia Elise Morales (mentor: Zhiqiang Cheng, specialist, Department of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences)
  • 3rd place: Danica Ibanez (mentors: Assistant Specialist Jean Butel and Assistant Professor Lara Hackney, Department of Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Sciences)
• Honorable Mention
  • 1st place: Minhee Kim (mentor: Zhi Yang, assistant professor, Department of Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Sciences)
  • 2nd place: Noah Birn (mentor: Jane Marian Luis, assistant specialist, Department of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences)
  • 3rd place: Kaipo Akioka, Nainoa Johnson, and Arthur Ortiz (mentors: Assistant Specialist 鈥業lima Ho-Lastimosa and Professor Theodore Radovich, Department of Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences)
• Director’s Award
  • Recipient: Amy Li (mentor: Jane Marian Luis, assistant specialist, Department of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences)

In Hawaiʻi County, a new Extension Master Food Volunteers program is filling a void in community food education by training volunteers to deliver practical, research-based food education to keiki, adults, families and kūpuna. A team of Extension agents at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa finished training 15 community members in May.

“The reason we did it was that we could not meet the demand for cooking and nutrition education in the community, especially after federal funding for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed) ended,” said Marielle Hampton, a 糖心视频 Extension agent who leads the initiative along with Extension Agents Heather Greenwood and Hallie Cristobal. “There was so much interest in it and so much need for it, both for adults and for kids as a life skill.”

The program uses curriculum adapted from North Carolina State University and connects Hawaiʻi with a growing national network of Master Food Volunteer programs. This pilot project was supported by an impact grant from the County of Hawaiʻi Department of Research and Development.

Meeting communities where they are

The program provides culturally relevant, realistic guidance rather than rigid diets. Instead of asking families to eliminate traditional foods or adopt unfamiliar diets, volunteers teach manageable, nutritious changes.

“White rice is a great example,” she said. “We鈥檙e not going to come in and tell people they need to stop eating white rice. What we might suggest instead is, ‘Oh, could you add edamame to your white rice to add a little bit more fiber and protein?’”

Hampton added that in an era dominated by internet nutrition trends and misinformation, providing science- and evidence-based education helps community members wisely evaluate their food choices.

Reaching keiki, families, kūpuna

Greenwood brings expertise in working with kūpuna while Hampton and Cristobal focus on families and youth, with an emphasis on teens who can build lifelong cooking skills. Building on the early success of the Hawaiʻi Island pilot, the team has submitted a federal grant application to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture with plans to expand the program to Maui and Kauaʻi.

The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (CTAHR) signed a memorandum of understanding with Nani Mau Gardens to expand agricultural education, research and community outreach on Hawaiʻi Island. The 22-acre botanical site in Hilo will serve as an outdoor classroom and research facility for CTAHR students, faculty and the Hawaiʻi Island community.

“This agreement connects our academic, research, and extension programs with a magnificent botanical resource on Hawaiʻi Island,” said CTAHR Dean Parwinder Grewal. “Our students will be trained in real-world settings, while our faculty work alongside community partners to address urgent agricultural challenges facing tropical island ecosystems.”

“Nani Mau has been part of Hilo鈥檚 story for more than 50 years,” said Cindy Cui, CEO of Nani Mau Gardens. “Working with CTAHR lets us preserve this landmark while giving it a new purpose: teaching the next generation how to care for our water, our plants and our island.”

More than 2,000 species of tropical plants

Founded in 1970, Nani Mau Gardens houses more than 2,000 species of tropical plants, including flowering trees, palms, fruit crops and native Hawaiian flora. Under the agreement, CTAHR faculty and Cooperative Extension agents will use the botanical grounds for workshops and field research on pest management, soil health, biosecurity and plant propagation techniques suited to island microclimates.

In addition to student learning, the collaboration will support workforce development across the local agricultural sector. CTAHR and Nani Mau Gardens plan to host joint public events, workshops for local farmers and educational tours for school groups throughout the year.

What began 15 years ago as a federally funded research, training and outreach program has grown into an uplifting public health movement across the Pacific. The (CHL), based at the University of Hawaiʻi at 惭ā苍辞补鈥檚 , is celebrating a decade and a half of pioneering work in childhood nutrition, health, and community empowerment.

The center launched in 2011 with a $25 million USDA grant to create partnerships and build capacity across the region. Since then, it has worked with communities to improve the health and nutrition of thousands of children in Hawaiʻi, Alaska, American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Freely Associated States in Micronesia.

Putting communities first

“Our whole philosophy is really around promoting health and finding things that work, to always focus on the positive,” said Rachel Novotny, director of CHL. “The real work is with people: collaborating with communities on new playgrounds, adopting new policies about what kinds of foods are in schools, and working with kids on how to garden and grow their own fruits and vegetables, for example.”

A signature of CHL‘s impact is its . National health surveys often overlook Hawaiʻi and the remote Pacific jurisdictions; the center stepped in to track data on children鈥檚 diets, physical activity and early physical signs of conditions like prediabetes.

A global success story

CHL has accomplished something rare: proven success in lowering childhood obesity. Participating communities saw a 4% drop in child overweight and obesity rates during the two-year program compared to non-participating areas. Six years later, that difference widened to 12%, showing the program’s long-term power.

The program has also become a centerpiece for mentoring and professional development for community health. Former CHL staffers and students now serve as deans, directors and lead researchers throughout the Pacific and the world, multiplying the positive impact on global food security.

CTAHR Dean Parwinder Grewal noted, “This is a remarkable example of a collaborative innovation success story, where CTAHR faculty have taken an impactful, community-based and data-driven approach to address nutritional security challenges in Hawaiʻi and the Pacific. I commend Rachel for her leadership in building such a broad coalition to conduct place-based research while also training the future workforce.”

“One of our advisors said to me, ‘You know, Rachel, this isn’t so much a research trial anymore, it’s a movement,’” Novotny said. “I considered that a positive thing. It’s true that we’re after real societal change, and I think we have been able to accomplish that because of the people and the communities.”

Hawaiʻi 4-H youth showcased their hard work and growing self-confidence at the 2026 Hawaiʻi State 4-H Livestock Show on July 11. Held during the Hawaiʻi State Farm Fair, the event put a spotlight on the program’s role in training the next generation of agricultural leaders.

Hawaiʻi 4-H is offered through the University of Hawaiʻi at 惭ā苍辞补鈥檚 鈥檚 (CTAHR) Cooperative Extension team, helping young people build life skills to meet modern challenges. During the show, youth competitors evaluated and presented market hogs, goats, cows and steers that they raised throughout the season.

One of this year鈥檚 standout competitors was Nydia Robleto, a senior at James Campbell High School in ʻEwa Beach. After losing her first goat to the severe Kona Low storms earlier this year, Robleto persevered with support from the 4-H community and raised a new goat that went on to win first place in the goat show.

Robleto鈥檚 commitment to agriculture also extends into the classroom as part of CTAHR鈥檚 Summer Research Institute, which prepares young leaders to address critical challenges in food systems and environmental sustainability. She credits Hawaiʻi 4-H and CTAHR for fostering her personal growth and confidence.

“Honestly, it’s been amazing,” Robleto said. “There are many people who will always support your decisions, and if you feel like you could do it, then they will help you out.”

National judge caps 50-state quest

Adding to the excitement of the event, national livestock judge Ryan Rash served as the official judge for the show, capping off a historic personal milestone. Rash completed his lifelong dream of judging livestock in all 50 states during his appearance at the Hawaiʻi State Farm Fair.

He took great care to offer the young 4-H competitors candid and supportive evaluations of their animals鈥� appearance and performance.

“It has been quite the event to get here, and a very monumental achievement for me,” Rash said. “And so, very, very blessed to be able to get to do what I love and what I’m passionate about.”

The Hawaiʻi 4-H summer livestock season comes to a close on August 22 with the 4-H Horse State Show at Kualoa Ranch on 翱ʻ补丑耻鈥檚 North Shore. To learn more about Hawaiʻi 4-H, contact Asia Broussard at asiab9@hawaii.edu or (808) 956-2255.

Nine forest landowners from Hawaiʻi Island and Oʻahu officially graduated from the 10th annual Forest Stewards program on June 28, following an immersive three-day workshop in Pāhoa on Hawaiʻi Island.

Housed in the University of Hawaiʻi at 惭ā苍辞补鈥檚 (CTAHR), the initiative helps people master the fundamentals of sustainable forest management, then design and implement community projects that bring this knowledge to their local neighborhoods.

Blending science, business and worldviews

Led by CTAHR Extension Forester J. B. Friday, the program covers practical, ecological and cultural dimensions of land stewardship. This year鈥檚 curriculum delved into the forest history of Hawaiʻi, strategic tree selection, aggressive weed control and agroforestry practices — the practice of combining trees and shrubs with crops or livestock to create more productive, sustainable and diverse land-use systems.

Participants also learned how to navigate the layers of local government to maximize property tax incentives for designated forest lands. They learned Hawaiian words for the land and explored how modern land management in Hawaiʻi is shaped by both Western and traditional Hawaiian worldviews.

While the newest cohort of graduates is currently designing their projects, they follow a legacy of alumni who have transformed conservation in their communities. Past Forest Stewards program achievements include:

• Hosting public educational field days in their personal forests for friends and neighbors.
• Outplanting native species in highly visible community spaces.
• News articles highlighting the critical role of regional forests.
• Working with county officials to expand property tax incentives for active reforestation projects.

“It has been really gratifying to see all the contributions the graduates of our program have made in educating their communities on how to care for our forests,” said Friday.

Get involved

The program is expanding its network of dedicated land managers who protect 贬补飞补颈ʻ颈鈥檚 fragile ecosystems. Forest landowners, managers or conservation enthusiasts interested in joining the 2027 cohort are encouraged to contact Friday directly at .

Tucked away at the University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa鈥檚 Komohana facility in Hilo, a small team of researchers from the (CTAHR) is building the clean seed pipeline that could help secure the future of the state鈥檚 sweetpotato industry. Clean seeds are vine cuttings that are free from harmful viruses.

The National Clean Plant Network (NCPN) Sweetpotato-Hawaiʻi Center is part of the USDA-supported , a national network of clean plant centers, scientists, regulators, and growers. It is the only center in the network dedicated to Okinawan and Hawaiian heritage ʻuala (sweetpotatoes).

The center combines advanced tissue culture and diagnostics with strong partnerships among farmers, researchers, and cultural practitioners. Together, they are laying the groundwork for a reliable, local system for ʻuala and Okinawan sweetpotato health.

贬补飞补颈ʻ颈鈥檚 sweetpotatoes

While programs on the U.S. continent work with orange-fleshed varieties, the Hawaiʻi center, led by CTAHR Extension Agent Sharon Wages, prioritizes purple-fleshed Okinawan types and traditional ʻuala that are central to local diets and markets.

“Hawaiʻi has the corner on Okinawan sweetpotato in the U.S.,” she said, noting that continental U.S. climates often cannot match the crop鈥檚 performance in 贬补飞补颈ʻ颈鈥檚 tropical weather.

Sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas) is a major crop in Hawaiʻi, with 6.2 million pounds grown here in 2025, according to the USDA. Nine out of 10 ʻuala are produced on Hawaiʻi Island, particularly along the Hāmākua Coast.

Establishing a virus-free foundation

Supported by researchers Achyut Adhikari and Elisa Urano Mow, a tissue culture specialist, the sweetpotato center uses meristem-tip tissue culture to clean infected plant lines for each kind of ʻulua and establish virus-free foundation material for growers. This clean stock can then be multiplied and distributed, giving farmers a healthier starting point for new plantings.

While all NCPN centers follow a standard virus testing protocol, CTAHR researcher Anna Halpin-McCormick has documented additional viruses in the state. The Hawaiʻi center is now incorporating two of these locally significant viruses into its regular diagnostics, strengthening protection against region-specific threats.

The center has 11 unique sweetpotato varieties. The staff works closely with local growers to advance lines that are both nutritious and marketable, including several Okinawan-type selections and important heritage ʻuala.

A fruitful collaboration between the University of Hawaiʻi at 惭腻苍辞补 (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鈥檚 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鈥檚 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鈥檚 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鈥檚 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鈥檚 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 Hawaiʻi at 惭ā苍辞补鈥檚 . 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 Hawaiʻi 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.

.

Winners鈥� day celebration

The winners enjoyed an educational experience at the 糖心视频 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 糖心视频 Mānoa. The contest will run again in spring 2026, .

A hands-on learning initiative designed to introduce Hawaiʻi preschool keiki and their ʻohana (families) to STEAM (science, technology, engineering, agriculture and mathematics) concepts is expanding, thanks to funding from the University of Hawaiʻi at 惭腻苍辞补鈥檚 (UROP).

The S.T.E.A.M. on the Bookshelf program, developed in collaboration with 糖心视频 惭腻苍辞补鈥檚 (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,” 糖心视频 惭腻苍辞补 Instructor Chad Junkermeier said. “We鈥檝e 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 糖心视频 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鈥檚 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 糖心视频 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 糖心视频 惭腻苍辞补鈥檚 Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program鈥檚 , 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. 糖心视频 惭腻苍辞补 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鈥檚 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 糖心视频 惭腻苍辞补鈥檚 .

To alleviate issues within the Hawaiʻi livestock industry, members from the University of Hawaiʻi 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, 糖心视频 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 Hawaiʻi 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 Hawaiʻi, 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 糖心视频 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 Hawaiʻi at 惭腻苍辞补 (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鈥檚 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 Hawaiʻi鈥檚 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 Hawaiʻi鈥檚 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 Hawaiʻi at 惭腻苍辞补 (CTAHR) helped a midwest university club grow in horticulture knowledge during their five-day spring break trip.

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln鈥檚 Horticulture Club journeyed to Hawaiʻi and explored research and horticultural opportunities and insight through CTAHR鈥檚 Cooperative Extension. The students toured the Waim膩nalo 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鈥檚 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 m膩maki (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鈥檚 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鈥檚 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 Hawaiʻi at 惭腻苍辞补 (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鈥檚 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鈥檚 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.”

贬补飞补颈ʻ颈鈥檚 general public may not know the twolined spittlebug (TLSB), but scientists at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa have been intensely fighting the invasive insect since its discovery in Hawaiʻi 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鈥檚 twolined spittlebug team has released a new reporting and decision-support smartphone app for the management of TLSB in Hawaiʻi. 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鈥檚 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鈥檙e 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鈥檛 changed during the COVID-19 pandemic is the need for research trials, such as the statewide variety trials of conventionally bred taro on Hawaiʻi Island and Oʻahu by University of Hawaiʻi at 惭腻苍辞补 (CTAHR) Extension agents and the .

What has changed is the community鈥檚 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 Hawaiʻi 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 Pepe驶ekeo were conducted with the assistance of Wai膩kea 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 Waim膩nalo 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, Hawaiʻi 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.”