Family and Friends of Agriculture

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Family and Friends of Agriculture A community gathering place for everyone who loves the land. We explore the science of growing food, the value of education, and the people feeding Hawaii.

From the classroom to the field to the dinner table—we are Family and Friends of Agriculture.

08/18/2026

The Hawaiʻi Farmers Union (HFU) is accepting applications for its Farm Apprentice Mentorship (FAM) Program. The free, community-rooted training initiative equips aspiring and early-stage agricultural producers across Maui, Molokaʻi, and Lānaʻi with the practical skills, mentorship, and business foundations needed to establish viable farm operations.
https://mauinow.com/2026/08/16/mentorship-program-opens-applications-for-new-farmers/
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The Hawaiʻi Farmers Union is accepting applications through Oct. 15 for a free mentorship program that teaches aspiring farmers on Maui, Molokaʻi, and Lānaʻi how to build agricultural businesses.

08/17/2026

The Maui Huliau Foundation will host its annual Huliau Food & Film Festival on Saturday, August 29, 2026. Moving to a new outdoor setting at Kapuakukui Farm in Kula, the farm-to-table fundraising event celebrates local agriculture, culinary arts, and student filmmaking, with all proceeds directly supporting youth environmental education across Maui.
https://mauinow.com/2026/08/16/huliau-food-film-festival-set-for-aug-29/
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The Maui Huliau Foundation will host its annual Huliau Food & Film Festival on Aug. 29, bringing the event to Kapuakukui Farm in Kula for an evening of farm-to-table food, hula, live music and student-produced films.

08/13/2026

To address the growing demand for practical nutrition and cooking education following the end of federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed) funding, University of Hawaiʻi Extension agents launched the Extension Master Food Volunteers pilot program on Hawaiʻi Island.
https://www.hawaii.edu/news/2026/08/10/cooking-healthy-eating-program/
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The Extension Master Food Volunteers program is filling a void in community food education by training volunteers to deliver practical, research-based food education.

08/10/2026

State officials have approved dedicated funding to expand management efforts targeting invasive rose-ringed parakeets (Psittacula krameri) on Oʻahu. While resource managers acknowledge they have a significant uphill battle ahead, the new financial backing will allow teams to step up population control measures before the agricultural and ecological damage mirrors the crisis on Kauaʻi.
https://www.khon2.com/local-news/hawaii-funds-invasive-bird-control/
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“They’re a huge nuisance. The roosts have grown exponentially within, like, the last ten years.”

08/08/2026

As farmers start to pull out and say, ‘I’m done, I can no longer farm,’ is AI warranted for that?” said state Sen. Lynn DeCoite

With less money coming from Washington, leaders from across the country compared playbooks at the National Conference of State Legislatures on how to make smart budget decisions.

08/07/2026

Applications are officially open for two of Kupu’s flagship paid workforce development programs: the Conservation Leadership Development Program (CLDP) and the Kupu ʻĀina Corps (KAC). As Hawaiʻi's leading conservation and environmental education non-profit, Kupu designed these initiatives to prepare emerging leaders for careers in natural resource management, sustainable agriculture, and climate resilience.
https://themolokaidispatch.com/kupu-conservation-programs-accepting-applicants/
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Kupu News Release Kupu, Hawaii’s leading conservation and youth education organization, announced that applications are now open for the Conservation Leadership Development Program (CLDP) and Kupu ʻĀina Corps (KAC). Recent high school graduates, college graduates and young professionals looking ...

Following recent detections of dead adult Coconut Rhinoceros Beetles (CRB) in Central Maui, the Maui Invasive Species Co...
08/06/2026

Following recent detections of dead adult Coconut Rhinoceros Beetles (CRB) in Central Maui, the Maui Invasive Species Committee (MISC), in partnership with the Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity (DAB) and Maui County, has issued a community-wide alert urging heightened vigilance to prevent the pest from establishing a permanent breeding population on the island.
https://mauinow.com/2026/08/05/additional-coconut-rhinoceros-beetle-crb-detections-on-maui-prompt-community-action-alert/
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Following two recent detections in Central Maui, the Maui Invasive Species Committee (MISC) is urging the community to remain alert for invasive coconut rhinoceros beetles (CRB).Following two recent detections in Central Maui, the Maui Invasive Species Committee (MISC) is urging the community to rem...

A breakthrough study led by researchers at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History and the National Zoologi...
08/04/2026

A breakthrough study led by researchers at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History and the National Zoological Park has decoded the complex evolutionary lineage of Hawaiʻi’s endemic honeycreepers (Fringillidae: Drepanidinae).
https://bioengineer.org/smithsonian-scientists-untangle-hawaiian-honeycreeper-evolutionary-family-tree/

Smithsonian researchers have reconstructed the most comprehensive evolutionary map yet of Hawaii’s honeycreepers, a spectacular group of birds whose rapid diversification produced more than 60 s

08/02/2026

A report from KHON2 highlights new long-term employment projections from the Hawaiʻi Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, warning that traditional agriculture and retail are expected to face some of the sharpest job contractions in the state over the next decade.
​Driven by automation, rising input costs, corporate restructurings, and shifting consumer habits, the agricultural sector is projected to lose hundreds of positions by 2034.
https://youtu.be/ugRXufQg5Zo?is=Nzy8BhLIlEQYYXRA

Projections from the State show some of Hawaii’s industries are exp...

An economic report from the Pacific Business News highlights recent shifts within West Oʻahu’s agricultural landscape, f...
08/02/2026

An economic report from the Pacific Business News highlights recent shifts within West Oʻahu’s agricultural landscape, focusing on new state-backed processing infrastructure designed to build local food security while addressing broader labor headwinds across the region.
https://www.bizjournals.com/pacific/news/2026/07/30/west-oahu-food-economy.html

Industry experts say capital investment, supporting local producers and education are needed to build West Oahu's food economy.

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