To maintain small farming communities, like those we have in Hawaii, support of all kinds is important. Despite rumors of rich farmers, the best way to actually make a small fortune in farming is to start with a large fortune. Some do.
Many farmers find they can make a moderate living through hard work producing crops and products they can sell. Legislative action as well as agricultural and community agencies can help them succeed.
We need to support farmers in any way we can. By shopping at farmers markets, buying local produce in the stores and supporting local and national legislative action you are helping farmers deal with some of the costly pests, diseases and problems they encounter in their profession.
Sometimes citizens can make a big difference in getting legislators to fund bills to support farmers. The Hawaii Macadamia Nut Association is currently seeking such help. A bill to fund research on controlling the macadamia felted coccid is in process and people urging legislators to support this bill have helped with its passage.
These scale insects are very small and hard to see without magnification but they are moving around the island and are having devastating effects on macadamia trees. A USDA publication on the pest is available at hdoa.hawaii.gov/pi/files/2013/01/npa05-01-MFC.pdf.
House Bill 1931 recently passed in both the House and Senate and is currently awaiting the governor’s signature. The bill includes provisions for funding research by the Department of Agriculture and the University of Hawaii on dealing with the pest.
National support for farmers is also a result of legislation. About every five years, our representatives in Washington vote on a revision to the Farm Bill. The bill has a huge impact on farmers and farming in this country. The latest national farm bill was passed in January 2014 and contains funding for several programs that offer research assistance, professional advice as well as direct financial aid to local farmers.
Conservation Innovation Grants fund research on the application of conservation systems and practices that can benefit local farmers and ranchers. CIG applicants must meet the eligibility requirements for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program though they do not need to be part of the program. Agricultural producers who live on cropland, rangeland, pastureland or nonindustrial private forestland are among those who qualify. More on the EQIP program can be found at nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/programs/financial/eqip. Pre-proposals for CIG grants are due by April 30. More information on them is available at nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/pia/programs/financial/cig.
Farm plans and other beneficial programs for farmers are available through our local Natural Resources Conservation Service. Information on programs available to farmers in the Pacific Islands Area can be found at nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/pia/programs. Though the programs listed were part of the 2008 Farm Bill, many remain in the new bill and some have been added. Contact the Kealakekua office at 322-2484 to see what they have to offer.
Grants to fund research in agriculture are also available through the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, also funded through the Farm Bill. One offers research funding in organic agriculture. Many institutions, businesses and nonprofits are eligible to apply. Check it out at csrees.usda.gov/fo/organicagricultureresearchandextensioninitiative.cfm.
The Hawaii County Research and Development Department offers funding through grants. The program supports sustainable economic development in agriculture as well as business development, community building, energy, film and tourism. These grants are available to educational institutions, nonprofits and state agencies. Grants have funded supplies for landscape training programs and special agricultural events as well as many other events and programs that support local agriculture. The deadline for this year’s grant proposals is April 25. Go to hawaiicounty.gov/research-and-development to access the application online or call the office in Hilo at 961-8366 for more information.
Though none of these funding opportunities for farmers will necessarily help them make a large fortune in farming, most offer the chance for tax funded aid to be spent on members of our local agricultural community.
Tropical gardening helpline
Carolyn asks: I have a tree on my farm that I cannot identify. It has green leaves with brown undersides and a round green fruit growing on it that is bigger than a golf ball and smaller than a baseball at this point. It also has an insect infestation on the leaves. Can you identify the tree and the problem?
Answer: From your description of the tree and its fruit, you probably have a star apple, Chrysophyllum cainito. It appears that the tree’s leaves are heavily infested with scale.
Several trees have green leaves with brown undersides but their fruit is different from star apple. Ripe star apple fruit is usually a deep purple but a green star apple also exists. Both will likely get larger and softer as they approach ripeness. Once fully ripe you can eat the entire fruit inside the skin. When unripe, the fruit will be hard and contain a thick, sticky, milky sap.
It looks like your tree has a heavy infestation of scale and some black sooty mold. This kind of infestation usually happens when a plant is stressed either from lack of water or a nutrient deficiency. To save the tree you might want to apply some mulch, be sure it gets adequate water and begin a treatment regimen to reduce the scale.
Controlling the scale may be difficult if the tree is large, but you can begin by pruning about one third of the tree back. Once you have a smaller tree, try spraying the entire leaf canopy with a strong blast of water to dislodge some scale. Follow this right away by spraying the tree with a mix of neem oil and insecticidal soap mixed in water. Mix according to the instructions, but only use the amount of water indicated for one of them. You’ll need to do this almost weekly for a few weeks until you see a reduction in the scale and dissipation of the black sooty mold that often comes with a scale infestation.
Do not apply fertilizer until the scale infestation is nearly gone. Maintain the health of your tree with adequate water and mulch and you should enjoy a nice crop of tasty star apples.
Email plant questions to konamg@ctahr.hawaii.edu for answers by Certified Master Gardeners. Some questions will be chosen for inclusion in this column.
Diana Duff is a plant adviser, educator and consultant with an organic farm in Captain Cook.