MCFB E-Newsletter ~ July 2020

MCFB Receives Continued Funding for Farm Product Purchases

Maui County Farm Bureau is pleased to announce that the County of Maui has extended COVID-19 pandemic relief funding to keep MCFB’s Farm Product Purchase Program (FPPP) going for another 10 weeks. In total, the program now exceeds $530,000. The additional funds include an agreement to purchase $75,000 of beef.

The funding comes from CARES ACT money that the county received. This is great news for our production farmers and ranchers who have been able to keep their farms going due to these purchases.

Commercial farmers and ranchers who have produce and beef available are welcome to join this program. Membership in MCFB is not a requirement. To participate, call Heidi Watanabe, FPPP produce coordinator, (808) 357-8593.

The County is considering a program to help hog farmers. We will keep you posted on that as details emerge. Let’s be sure to thank the Mayor for our additional funding of $250,000.

Livestock Produce Assistance Program

“There are more than 60 small ranches on Maui,” said Brendan Balthazar of Diamond B Ranch. “The relief fund grants designated for small ranchers demonstrates MCFB’s support of small ranch owners and Maui’s livestock industry. The smaller ranchers have been hit the hardest. We are not concerned if they use it (the funds) for feed, fuel, or even food for their families,” said Balthazar. “The money is meant to help.”

Join MCFB in its Membership Drive

While MCFB already has a solid base of members, the membership committee along with MCFB’s board of directors believes in “strength in numbers”—which means more farmers and ranchers should join our organization. For the past few months, Lynne Woods, MCFB’s Membership Committee Chair, has been working hard with that goal in mind (see Meet Lynne Woods).  

“I have had the privilege of speaking with many members while gathering information on their crops and planting schedules to prepare them for MCFB’s Farm Produce Purchasing Program (FPPP),” Lynne says. “I am so impressed with the hard work and dedication of all of our members.”

Lynne is aiming to build MCFB’s membership to be the largest in the state, a task the board of directors feel is achievable given MCFB’s track record and benefits and Lynne’s proven ability to bring people together.  

With this newsletter, MCFB is proud to launch our official Membership Drive. MCFB will promote the membership drive via our website, social media and press releases, but we need your help.

Refer a Friend, Win a Gift Card

We ask all active members to reach out to your fellow farmers, ranchers and friends of agriculture and ask them to join MCFB. Those who bring in the most new members will receive cash gift cards with values of $250, $150 and $100. The membership drive ends October 1st. That gives us just August and September to reach our goal of 20 new members.

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Meet Lynne Woods, Membership Chair

It was during a luncheon early in 2020 with Teena Rasmussen that Lynne was gently persuaded to volunteer as Membership Committee Chair of the Maui County Farm Bureau. And the rest is our good fortune.

MCFB Opposes a Charter Amendment Proposal for new Dept. of Agriculture

MCFB was opposed to establishing this new department, expressing concern of adding more regulations for our farmers and ranchers, questioning the cost of adding another department in these financial uncertainties and conveying the message, “Now is not the time to expand government.” There are other ways to immediately assist our industry by adding resources to existing County partners and agencies. We need advocacy, not more regulation. We want to thank Council members Hokama, Sugimura and Kama for voting against the Dept of Agriculture on both 1st and 2nd readings. Be sure to thank them for taking this stand.

In addition, we want to thank all those members who sent in written or oral testimony: Maui Gold Pineapple, Maui Wine, Howard’s Nursery, Maui Grown Coffee, Ulupalakua Ranch, Jamie Shishido, James Tavares, Pacific Produce Inc (Geoff Haines), Kula Country Farms, Clark Hashimoto, Janet Ashman, and Wes Nohara.

Mahalo for all you do for our agricultural community.

Warren K. Watanabe
Executive Director

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MCFB Serving on Mayor’s Economic Recovery Task Force – Food & Farm Sector

The Mayor and his administration will analyze all the results from each sector and make decisions on what should be funded. CARES ACT funding has some very restrictive guidelines on how it can be used, and it must be spent by the end of December 2020.

MCFB is doing its utmost to make sure the funding benefits farms and ranches who have been so impacted by this pandemic.

Each year, HFB and MCFB monitor and participate in the legislative process to ensure that farmer’s needs are considered as new laws are created and State funds are allocated.  This year, our initiatives to transfer leasable State ag land to the Department of Agriculture, to make it easier for farmers to qualify for State ag leases, to fund new UH CTAHR ag research and extension agent positions, to authorize an Agriculture Enterprise Program to support ag, to fund feral pig control, and others, were each getting good support, until the chaos caused by the pandemic struck.  Disappointingly, these bills in particular were not agreed to by the deadline:

• HB2035 HD1 SD2   *would have clarified that pasture use is an agricultural activity, and would have required DLNR to transfer to DOA certain leased State agricultural lands by a specified date, 17 years after the legislature originally mandated this.
• SB1427 SD1 Proposed HD1 would have authorized the PUC to exempt a water carrier from the provisions of the Hawaii Water Carrier Act if the exemption is in the public interest. It would have authorized the use of Harbor Special Funds for loans to Young Brothers to address the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.  It also would have temporarily transferred to DOT the PUC’s ratemaking authority for YB.
• HB2475 HD 1 Proposed SD1 authorizes PUC to address condition of a regulated water carrier of cargo that may result in disruption, reduction, or cessation of essential services. Amends basis upon which PUC may issue certificate of public convenience and necessity to an applicant seeking authority to serve as a regulated water carrier. PUC may appoint a receiver.

After halting and then reconvening the session multiple times, funding was allocated to several of the State’s irrigation systems, ag parks, and for harbor improvements.  Very few bills were passed this session.  The bills relating to ag, below, will be enacted if not vetoed by the Governor by September 15, 2020:

• HB1819 HD2 SD3 will legalize the growth of hemp in Hawai‘i through the USDA hemp production program and will allow licensing of the processing and sale of hemp products. 
• HB1854 HD1 SD1 authorizes DOA to identify and post on its website, best practices for the treatment of little fire ants. 
• SB2701 HD2 grants county agencies the right to enter property to investigate whether the permit and code-exempted agricultural buildings are actually being used in connection with farming and ranching, and not for residential purposes.
• SR125 SD1  requests that DOT provide funding to water carriers (Young Brothers) to maintain routes and lines of services within Hawai‘i, and to convene a working group to recommend solutions to ensure continuous service throughout the State.

We will continue to pursue State legislation and funding to support farmers and ranchers once legislators are able to re-focus, post-pandemic. Thank you for your participation and support. Your response to our “Call to Action” campaigns help keep support for ag strong at the Capitol. 

After graduation, Kyle moved to Georgia, where he was an Associate Professor in the Department of Animal Sciences at Berry College, where he taught classes and conducted research in the areas of genetics, reproductive physiology and veterinary microbiology before ultimately deciding to take a job with the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa as an Extension agent serving Maui county starting in September of 2016.

Kyle hit the ground running with programs to benefit livestock producers and 4-H youth on Maui, Moloka‘i and Lāna‘i, helping ranchers improve profitability, while at the same time conducting high impact research that has garnered awards at national and international meetings. Kyle was recently recognized with an Achievement of Service Award from the National Association of Extension 4-H Youth Development Professionals.

He has served on the board of the American Society of Animal Science as Chair of the Endocrinology and Physiology Section, and served as a national committee board member, chair or delegate of the American Angus Association, Red Angus Association of America and South East Red Angus Association. He is also a member of Maui Cattlemen’s Association.

Kyle knows a thing or two about livestock outside of academia. In 2003, while still in college, he founded Future Beef, a livestock genetics and consulting company, and over the next decade, developed that business serving the various needs of clientele in over 40 states and 18 countries around the globe. In fact, Kyle is the only Hawai‘i native ever selected to judge cattle at the National Western Stock Show, the “Super Bowl of livestock shows”.

His passion for the livestock industry is evidenced by working with 4H/FFA youth, judging livestock expositions both in the United States and abroad, and maintaining active research collaborations with researchers and livestock producers in several countries like Brazil and Japan; often leveraging those relationships to help the livestock industry in Hawai‘i.

Last summer, Kyle traveled to Japan and met with livestock producers, processors and officials at the U.S. Meat Export Federation to expand export opportunities for US beef products. Fortunately, these efforts decreased tariffs and increased beef export volume and value to Japan by the end of 2019.

When Kyle isn’t at work, he spends time with his family and small herd of beef cows at Caires Farms.

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Member Spotlight:

Meet MCFB Member – Yee’s Orchard, family member Patricia Iwamoto

Dr. Yee was a Maui optometrist who may have been best known for his Goldenglow sweet mangoes. Born in Honolulu on July 25, 1918, Yee served as Captain in the United States Army Air Corps. He was a farmer, travel agent and president of the Kaupo Wildlife Club. Soon after World War II, Yee’s Orchard began raising cultivars that would help elevate mango as a viable crop. Yee’s love of farming was evident, as he still worked at the farm well into his 90s. Today, Yee’s Goldenglow sweet mangoes are found at the farm stand, Down to Earth, Whole Foods Market, Foodland, Pukalani Superette, and more. In sunny Kihei, Yee’s simple mango stand continues to receive rave reviews for its delicious fruit.

MCFB Continues to Work on Core Programs

Ag in the Classroom
Although schools may look different this year, one thing that doesn’t change is MCFB’s commitment to ag education. For the past 15 years, we’ve been engaged in outreach that shares the vital role that agriculture plays in our community.

The Department of Education recently announced August 17 as the new start date for the 2020-2021 school year. As you may know, new rules prohibit guest speakers and field trips. In order to continue our annual Ag in the Classroom program, MCFB will produce a video and provide handouts and other tools for teachers. We know that both teachers and students appreciate our program, and we feel it’s more important than ever to get young people engaged with agriculture.

Maui AgFest & 4-H Livestock Fair
MCFB recently met with Council Member Hokama and committee to discuss the five-year agreement at War Memorial Complex and Special Events Field. Our request to utilize the facilities on the first Saturday following Memorial Day was unanimously approved by the committee but deferred so Member Hokama and his committee could make language changes in the official request before it is presented to the full council. At this time, Maui AgFest & 4-H Livestock Fair will be held on Saturday, June 5, 2021, from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Maui Legacy Farmers Pancake Breakfast During AgFest, MCFB’s will bring back its annual Maui Legacy Farmers Pancake Breakfast. We had hoped to honor the 2020 recipients before the end of the year, but with constant changes and the rise of COVID-19 cases, it makes sense for all involved to keep the breakfast in AgFest 2021.

Since 2007 MCFB’s recognized Maui-based chefs and restaurants for exceeding expectations in support of local agriculture with our “Friend of Agriculture” Award. In 2017, Cody, Jaron and Travis joined Peter Merriman, Tylun Pang, Perry Batemen, and 10 other “Friend of Agriculture” recipients. Fork & Salad chef-owners are consistent participants in Grand Taste at MCFB’s Maui AgFest & 4-H Livestock Fair and they are staunch supporters of other non-profit organizations support including the Nabavi Legacy and Grow Some Good.

Fork & Salad opened on Maui in 2016 with a mission to help consumers eat local and healthy. Ultimately, the team focuses on making farm-to-table cuisine more convenient, affordable and available.  This is why the Maui County Farm Bureau awarded the three owner-chefs our annual “Friend of Agriculture” Award in 2017. While the three opened Three’s Bar & Grill with a plan to buy locally grown produce and proteins, it was Fork & Salad that demonstrated their commitment to local agriculture.

Fork & Salad offers consumers a choice of 50+ fresh ingredients every day, and the chef-owners are able to support local farmers and suppliers on a consistent basis. Jaron, Cody and Travis plan to grow Fork & Salad’s farm-to-table movement to all parts of Hawai’i and beyond.  The award-winning, health-forward concept opened its Kīhei eatery in July 2016, then expanded to Kahului in June 2018 and Orange, California in 2019. Visit www.forkandsaladmaui.com and stay updated via social media @forkandsaladmaui

This month’s recipe honors a beloved tropical fruit, the papaya. Similar to a banana, mango or orange grown in Hawaiian soil, a locally grown papaya has a distinctively sweet taste and depth in flavor. 

One serving of this recipe totals 367 calories.  The health grain mix utilizes wheat berries, which are whole grain kernels (minus the inedible husk), the original source of all wheat products prior to any refinement.  This preserves nearly all the nutrients, so wheat berries are high in fiber, iron and protein, while remaining low in calories and fat.  They can be found at most natural food grocery stores. 

You can use a rice pot to cook the wheat berries together with the wild rice, as long as both call for the same ratio, which is typically 2:1, or two cups of water for every 1 cup of grains.  Otherwise, cook your grains per instructions on the package.  Alternatively, you can use a different grain of your choosing, or go gluten-free with quinoa or brown rice, to add to the rest of the fresh ingredients.Ingredients (1 serving): ½ Sunrise Papaya (seeds removed)
1 cup Health Grain Mix (50% cooked wheat berries, 50% cooked organic wild rice)       
1 tbsp Feta Cheese  
2 tbsp Kula or Organic Strawberries (sliced)
1 tbsp Dried Cranberries   
1 tbsp Almonds (sliced)
2 tbsp Raw Corn   
2 tsp Mint + Cilantro (chopped)    
2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil    
1 tbsp Lemon Juice (fresh) 
Pinch Salt & Pepper
1 slice Organic Sourdough Focaccia 

Salad Procedure

1. Cut papaya in half lengthwise and scrape out seeds with a spoon.
2. In a mixing bowl, add health grain mix, dried cranberries, almonds, raw corn, strawberries, mint + cilantro, olive oil, lemon juice, salt & pepper.  Mix well.
3. Place your papaya in a bowl and scoop grain salad mixture into the papaya’s cavity, allowing mix to spill over. Top with feta cheese.
4. Add slice of focaccia alongside papaya, and enjoy.