top of page
SOAP-logo.jpg
Sustainable and Organic Agriculture Program

Volume 60 October | November | December 2025

Updated: 3 days ago

Aloha Kākou,



Welcome to the final issue of Hānai ʻAi for 2025! As the third quarter comes to a close, producers and gardeners across Hawaiʻi are preparing for the winter season.


In this issue, we feature Bok Choy production and self-sufficiency, highlighting a recent workshop where Master Gardeners provided hands-on lessons in Bok Choy cultivation. In addition, we explore entomophagy—an emerging source of protein for the Hawaiian Islands. While widespread adoption may still be in the future, other countries have long since adopted entomophagy for human food, animal feed, and as specialty products. You can also read about how homesteaders on Molokaʻi have expanded their home gardens into small-scale farms through the Seed to Harvest program.


Be sure to check out the latest CTAHR publications and resources in the Organic Corner, and don’t miss the back pages for upcoming workshops, meetings, and community events.


As always, the mission of Hānai ʻAi is to provide a venue for sharing science-based information to serve Hawaiʻi’s farming community in our shared quest for agricultural sustainability.


You can view the online version of this newsletter, as well as archived issues, at: Hānai ʻAi Archives


Sustainable & Organic Research &

Outreach News

News from Hawaiʻi's Researchers and Extension Professionals

bok choy variety

Bok Choy Open House Cultivates Community Learning and Local Food Self-Sufficiency


Daryl Bolosan, Jensen Uyeda, Richard Fisher, Audrey Wood, Thomas Kim, Julia
Avila, Jean Butel, Deanna Wong, Tina Lau, Kawika Koahou-Otto, and Jari Sugano
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience

On October 22, 2025, more than 50 community members gathered at the Urban Garden Center for a Bok Choy Open House focused on hands-on learning and local food self-sufficiency. This article highlights how the event helped participants strengthen their skills in hydroponics, pest management, fertilizer use, and selecting high-yield bok choy varieties suited to Hawaiʻi’s growing conditions.



Farmers and home gardeners observed practical demonstrations of raised beds and small-scale hydroponic systems, along with variety trials that can be replicated at home. Together, these lessons support stronger home food production and healthier eating across our islands.




Should we eat insects in Hawai’i?


Pascal Aigbedion-Atalor
Department of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human
Resilience, University of Hawai’i at Manoa,

Could insects be the key to Hawaiʻi's food security future? As the islands continue to grapple with a heavy reliance on imported food and pursue greater self-sufficiency, an unconventional solution is gaining serious attention. While eating insects may seem novel to many Americans, more than two billion people worldwide already rely on them as a nutritious protein source.

For Hawaiʻi—with its unique blend of environmental consciousness, cultural diversity, and urgent need for sustainable food systems—entomophagy presents both compelling opportunities and complex challenges worth exploring.


Read “Should We Eat Insects in Hawaiʻi?” for the full article.



Molokaʻi food security growing with “Seed to Harvest”

Jennifer Hawkins, Patrick Williams, and Kyle E. Franks
Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Hawai’i at Mānoa

Imagine harvesting 400 pounds of fresh vegetables from your own backyard—enough to feed your family and share with neighbors. For Molokaʻi residents, this isn’t just a dream; it’s the result of the “Seed to Harvest” program that’s transforming how island communities approach food security.


Now, as the program enters its next phase, participants are learning not just how to grow food, but how to turn their gardens into viable businesses.



Other CTAHR Publications & Programs

for sustainable and organic production systems 

CTAHR Publications

Organic Corner + University of Hawai'i Organic Transition (UHOT)

The University of Hawai’i Helps Interested Farmers Transition to Organic

 

U.H.O.T. (University of Hawai’i at Mānoa Organic Transition Program) is a TOPP partner program dedicated to fostering organic workforce development, providing organic transfer and certification guidance, mentoring services, technical assistance, and community building in Hawaii. Learn more at UHOT.org 

 

The TOPP (Transition to Organic Partnership Program) is a 5-year collaborative partnership network covering six regions. The University of Hawai’i at Mānoa Sustainable and Organic Agriculture Program, in partnership with CCOF as the Western Region lead, Hawai’i Farmers Union United and Ma’o Farms to provide mentoring services, technical assistance, community building, and organic workforce development for transitioning and exciting organic farmers. 

Organic Corner

Organic Certification: The Basics

 

Organic certification provides assurance to consumers, retailers, and buyers that products marketed as certified organic meet the standards of the USDA National Organic Program (NOP). Certification is conducted by USDA-accredited third-party agencies and is often essential for growers seeking access to organic markets, institutional buyers, and price premiums.

 

Producers with less than $5,000 in annual organic sales are exempt from certification requirements; however, they are encouraged to document compliance with NOP standards by filing an affidavit with a third-party certifier.

 

Certification Costs and Reimbursement

Certification costs vary by operation and certifier, but the Organic Certification Cost Share Program has been reinstated, allowing eligible producers to receive partial reimbursement of certification expenses. In Hawaiʻi, this program is managed through the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) and can significantly reduce the financial barrier to becoming certified organic.

Growers are encouraged to work directly with their local FSA office to confirm eligibility, application timelines, and allowable expenses, and to apply early as funding is limited and reimbursement is not guaranteed.

 

Getting Started with Certification

To begin the certification process, growers should contact a USDA-accredited certification agency operating in Hawaiʻi and request an application. The organic certification landscape continues to evolve, and industry consolidation has reduced the number of certifiers operating in the state.

 

Organic System Plan (OSP) Support

A central component of certification is the Organic System Plan (OSP), which documents how a farm meets NOP standards. Technical assistance with OSP development is available through University of Hawaiʻi Cooperative Extension.

 

University of Hawaiʻi Organic Transitions (UHOT) Resources

Growers transitioning to or maintaining organic certification are encouraged to utilize resources available through University of Hawaiʻi Organic Transitions (UHOT). UHOT provides education, technical assistance, tools, and training to support producers at all stages of organic transition and certification.

 

More information is available at www.UHOT.org.

 

Table 1. List of USDA accredited third party certifiers operating in Hawaii. Compiled from: USDA National Organic Program List of certified USDA organic operations (https://organic.ams.usda.gov/Integrity/). Accessed 12/1/2025.

U.H.O.T. Podcast: Why Organic in Hawai'i?

 

U.H.O.T. Podcast explores why local producers choose certified organic production. Local producers hearing from local producers.

 


HFUU is looking for both interested farmer participants and for experienced mentors. It has been decided to roll out the program statewide and HFUU is seeking applicants from all islands! There has been a lot of interest in the program and we thought it would be best to roll things out as quickly as possible.

 

Please reach out to organictransitions@hfuu.org and we will get you an application! Once you are signed up as an interested farmer, the Project Coordinator will get you the application form. Once it has been returned, there will be an initial interview to learn more about your farming operation before being paired with a mentor to begin your journey to becoming an organic farming operation!

For New Farmers

Are You a Beginner Farmer?

 

According to article "Ask the Expert: A Q&A on USDA Beginning Farmers with Sarah Campbell", there is no age limit or age requirement to be considered a beginning farmer or rancher.

 

USDA defines a Beginner Farmer and Rancher as

  • Anyone who has not operated a farm or ranch for more that 10 years, focusing experience rather than age.

  • No operation size requirement, even if you are taking over a large operation

  • You do not have to own land

  • There are no restricted products

Read article for full details and learn how Hawai'i farms can take advantage of BFR resources.

 

Hawai'iʻs Beginning Farmer and Rancher Coordinator

808-979-4585

 


Western Cover Crop Council

 

For the first time, farmers across the Western United States have access to a free, expert-validated decision-support tool that helps identify the best cover crop species for their unique conditions and goals. Developed by Sarah Light of the University of California Cooperative Extension and the Western Cover Crops Council, in partnership with the USDA and Precision Sustainable Agriculture, the tool guides growers from Alaska to Hawaii in selecting crops that build soil health, suppress weeds, reduce erosion, and support pollinators. Explore the interactive resource at westerncovercrops.org/decision-tools

 

As of December 2025, Dr. Ahmad Amjad and Joshua Silva of UH College of Tropical Agriculture and Human resilience became our state representatives for the Western Cover Crop Council (WCCC). What is WCCC? WCCC is composed of members representing the Western SARE region and strives to facilitate communication and collaboration that promote the successful adoption and integration of cover cropping into agricultural systems across the Western United States.


Fund-a-Farmer Welfare Improvement Grants

 

Fact will fund 60 $3,500 Fund-a-Farmer grants for one of the following projects:

 

  1. Improve the lives of their farm animals

  2. Farmers pursuing animal welfare certification to one of their certifying agencies

  3. Animal welfare certified farmers.



Livestock Wala'au: Livestock Podcast



Livestock Wala'au podcast presented by the University of Hawaiʻi College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources. This podcast serves as a way for the livestock community to connect, talk story, and learn.

 


Western Region Sustainable Agriculture and Education Program (WSARE)

SARE is a program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute for Food and Agriculture that provides competitive grants and educational materials. Our grants programs are conducted cooperatively by farmers, ranchers, researchers, and ag professionals to advance farm and ranch systems that are profitable, environmentally sound, and good for communities.

The SARE grant program mission is to advance innovations that improve profitability, stewardship, and quality of life in American agriculture by investing in groundbreaking research and education. To achieve that, Western SARE believes that our programs must include the involvement of agricultural producers from inception to finish, and therefore we require producer involvement in the planning, design, implementation, and educational outreach of any funded project.

 

Western SARE Goals

• Promote good stewardship of the nation’s natural resources by providing site-specific, regional, and profitable sustainable farming and ranching methods that strengthen agricultural competitiveness; satisfy human food and fiber needs; maintain and enhance the quality and productivity of soil; conserve soil,

water, energy, natural resources, and fish and wildlife habitat; and maintain and improve the quality of surface and ground water.

 

• Enhance the quality of life of farmers and ranchers and ensure the viability of rural communities, for example, by increasing income and employment, especially profitable self-employment and innovative marketing opportunities in agricultural and rural communities.

 

• Protect the health and safety of those involved in food and farm systems by reducing, where feasible and practical, the use of toxic materials in agricultural production, and by optimizing on-farm resources and integrating, where appropriate, biological cycles 

and controls.

 

• Promote crop, livestock, and enterprise diversification.

 

• Examine the regional, economic, social, and environmental implications of adopting sustainable agriculture practices and systems.

This e-publication is supported through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP). TOPP is a program of the USDA Organic Transition Initiative and is administered by the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) National Organic Program (NOP).



 

This e-publication has been prepared by CTAHR research scientists and extension staff to deliver science-based information about sustainable and organic production systems to serve Hawaiʻi's farming community.

 

  • To continue receiving this newsletter, please confirm your interest by subscribing or updating your profile/email address.

  • If this publication has been valuable, please forward it to others

  • Send in your suggestions for what you want to read about in our articles

  • Tell us about your research needs.

 

Mahalo nui loa,

 

Eric Collier Education Specialist and Managing Editor

Sharon Wages & Jensen Uyeda WSARE Content Reviewers

Theodor Radovich Editor-in-Chief

 

Sustainable and Organic Agriculture Program

Cooperative Extension Service

College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources

 

On-line version of newsletter as well as archived issues available at:  

 

Hawai‘i Cooperative Extension is an equal opportunity/affirmative action institution providing programs and services to the people of Hawai‘i without regard to race, sex, gender identity and expression, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, disability, marital status, arrest and court record, sexual orientation, or status as a covered veteran.

 

Eric Collier | Education Specialist, Social Media & Web Manager | colliere@hawaii.edu

Copyright ©2013 University of Hawai‘i - College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources. Updated 4 Nov, 2021



Get In Touch

CTAHR Sustainable and Organic Program

at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa

 

 


 
 
 

Comments

bottom of page