Seeds Of Wellbeing - SOW

If you are an agriculture producer in Hawaii, you have heard about feral ungulates. Those are the pigs, goats, and deer that run wild on the islands and can do such extensive damage to crops and the land. Many are frustrated by their impact and spend thousands of dollars to keep them out or even more to recover from the damage they do. When on Oahu, we discovered Iggy from Makana Provisions, who i...

At times when it can feel like people are at opposite extremes and cannot or will not agree, and anger and frustrations become barriers to moving things forward, Dr. Donna Ching from the Pacific Center for Collaboration can step in to find ways to reach consensus. Normally on Oahu, she had a work trip to the Big Island of Hawaii, so when she had some time between her facilitation workshops, we met...

We have spoken with a number of Hawaii agriculture producers that say they are interested in making and selling value-added products, but are unable to find a certified kitchen to use or rent near them, or feel a little overwhelmed by what the Department of Health requires. In this episode, we speak with Anthony Florig, Program Manager of Hawaii Commercial Kitchens about a program he runs to help...

Many Hawaii agriculture producers we speak with feel stressed and a bit confused by the workings of politics and the bills in the legislature. They want to see important changes happen, but are unclear what agriculture-related bills may be in session, or how individuals can be more involved to help things change. In this episode we speak with Hunter Heaivilin, Hawaii Farmers Union’s Advocacy Direc...

Spend enough time around Hawaii farmers and ranchers and you’ll soon hear the name of the Federal agency Natural Resources Conservation Service (or NRCS). You may hear the word "conservation' and not necessarily think that they help agriculture producers, but if you have spoken with NRCS, or to folks that have worked with them, you will wonder why you haven’t reached out to them sooner!...

Who knew that the Hawaii Department of Health had a veterinarian on staff?! We didn’t until we met Hawaii DOH’s one and only Public Health Veterinarian at a Hawaii Island conference in Kona. From speaking with her, it seems that’s true for a lot of folks in Hawaii, so in this episode we share our talk with recent Hawaii transplant, Ariella Barry, who was hired by the state DOH to fill a 20 year va...

Every day, hundreds of people drive to the very end of the road out of Honokaʻa on the northeast corner of Hawaii island to peer into Waipio valley from the lookout. They see that many signs warn to do the right thing, or “be pono,” and show respect by heeding the “Road Closed, Local Traffic Only” signs and keeping their vehicles out of the valley. So most wonder what happens in Waipio valley. One...

We listen to and discuss dairy farmer Jeff Corle’s song “Empty Barn” and speak with him about this song he wrote when he was "at the bottom." We find out how it helped his mental health, and what happened when it went somewhat viral and the reactions from others started to pour in. We also speak with some agriculture producers that heard Jeff’s song and they share what this song has mean...

In this episode, we explore topics like natural lifemanship, heart math and coherence with Paige Deponte, Founder and Executive Director of The Spirit Horse Ranch on Maui. Paige discovered and learned these techniques to help manage her own trauma, and so now trained on them and teaches others how they can see their benefits, and uses her horses as part of the process. We discuss these techniques...

In this episode we speak with folks from the Hawaii County Department of Finance, Property Tax Administration office, about recent changes to Hawaii County’s property tax regulations and filing requirements that can allow agriculture producers to receive, or continue to receive, preferential property tax rates for their property on the Big Island of Hawaii. These changes have created quite a stir...

By all accounts, Green Point Nurseries on the Big Island of Hawaii is a success story, so we decided to pay them a visit. In this episode, we talk about how this family, now in its third generation of cut flower production, has gotten through the hurdles of family succession, shifting markets, and growing pains that any agriculture producer will experience over many decades of growing and selling...

In this episode we speak with Susan Collins, owner of Bird and Bee Hawai‘i on the Big Island of Hawai‘i. As you will hear, Susan has gone to great lengths to educate folks about bees, bee keeping, and legislation related to bees in Hawaii. We talked about how she got here, where things are going, and then heard a very recent update related to colony collapse on the mainland, and the impact of gove...

When we attended the 2024 Hawaii Agriculture Conference on Oahu, we noticed that the name Agricultural Leadership Foundation of Hawai‘i figured prominently, so we decided to find out more about it. In this episode we speak with Board President Diane Ley about the history and vision of ALFHawaiʻi, how and why ALFH started and continues the Hawaiʻi Ag Conference, and details about their 14 month Agr...

We hope you enjoy this rebroadcast of an earlier, "Voices from the Field" podcast. In this episode, we speak with the Reppun brothers on Oahu about some of the struggles they have faced, and solutions they have either found or invented, over the 50 years they have been farming.   Want to learn more about them? Watch a "Mālama the Farmer" video here: https://youtu.be/z7vTrNfJcvM...

In this episode we speak with Dean Parwinder Grewal, nine months after his appointment as Dean of the University of Hawaii’s College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience, where he is already starting to make his mark - like changing what CTAHR stands for! We find out about his agriculture and education backgrounds, and how he found out about and why he accepted the position in Hawaii. We h...

In this episode we speak with Dana Shapiro from Hawaiʻi Ulu Coop who shares her journey from working with local chef Peter Merrimen to facilitate an AgVentures program, to helping found and now manage The Co-op as itʻs Chief Executive Officer on Hawaii island where it all started, We discuss expansion of The Co-op to now include the islands of Oahu, Maui, and Kauai and crops that now include taro,...

If you have lived on Oahu during the COVID pandemic or more recently, then you probably already know about FarmLink. In this episode we speak with its Founder, Rob Barreca about the pre-covid days of this online, local-only food marketplace and how it has grown by leaps and bounds since. We find out how he went from "geek for good" to CEO of an innovative new Hawaii-based company and is...

In this episode of Voices From the Field, O'ahu farmer Joe McGinn discusses the challenges faced by Hawaii ag producers, including thin margins, increasing costs, government regulations, and natural disasters. He emphasizes the importance of having a support system, including cultural and seasonal support, courage, and connection to overcome these challenges. Joe highlights the importance of...

In this episode we aim to address some of the common legal questions raised by the Hawaii agriculture producers we have met. We are grateful to Cat Taschner, co-founder of the nonprofit Business Law Corps in Hawaii. At a recent meeting with the University of Hawaii’s “AgConnect” course, she addressed questions she often hears and agreed to share an edited version here. She discusses topics like le...

It has been said that the nine most terrifying words in the English language are “I’m from the government and I’m here to help.” but in our episode with Buddy Nichols from the US Department of Ag’s Farm Service Agency, there is nothing to fear! Listen as we talk about their loan program that may be the first place you want to look for loans as an ag producer, and we also speak about FSA’s role rel...

On this episode of Voices from the Field, Andrea and Matt Drayer join us to share their journey into farming, and the deep meaning and value it brings to them. Listen in to learn how they navigate challenges in both farming and their personal lives.  Find out more about us: Seeds Of Wellbeing website Seeds of Wellbeing Resource Hub All the SOW links

Vincent Kimura joins us on this episode of our Voices From the Field podcast series to share the value of story telling and sharing information across generations. His wealth of knowledge and experience helps paint a well-round image of how farmers can overcome some of the challenges they face through connection, community building, and knowledge sharing. Find out more about us: Seeds Of Wellbeing...

Joining us on this inspiring episode of Voices From the Field is Tony Vera. Tony is the founder of Mayan World Farms and shares with us how farming has helped him on his personal journey of recovery, and the deep meaning and value it provides him and his family.  To connect with Tony and learn more about Mayan World Farms, including information about up-coming events and where to purchase their pr...

Daniel Dunnom, a bee keeper, tropical fruit farmer,  and UH Hilo alumni, shares the inside scoop of what life is like as a bee keeper and how he copes with the challenges of day to day farm operations, including a meditation he uses called "Bee Breath". Brought to you by University of Hawaii College of Tropical Ag. and Human Resources (CTAHR), and the Seeds of Well-being (SOW) Project. T...

Founder and CEO of Kauai Farm Planning, Alex Wong shares from his expertise and experience rich perspectives on the challenges and solutions of attaining a 100% local agriculture economy. Brought to you by University of Hawaii College of Tropical Ag. and Human Resources (CTAHR), and the Seeds of Well-being (SOW) Project. This podcast is supported by the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network (FR...