Big Island agriculture students are taking the opportunity to plant produce on three acres of land through a partnership with Honua Ola Bioenergy in Pepeekeo.
On Wednesday morning, 20 Hawaii Community College ag students began planting ulu, banana and papaya plants on part of Honua Ola’s property to gain more experience in the field during the college’s two-year program.
“We only have small acreage available for field work at HCC, so having this commercial space really gives students more opportunities,” said ag professor Lew Nakamura. “Students have had the chance to operate tractors, install fencing and get planting experience right off the bat.”
Five of the students will be graduating this spring, and 15 are in the first year of the program. Those graduating this year helped clear the land last summer.
“Planting is way easier than clearing the land, especially with more people to help out,” said student Tia Pohina. “This is what we wanted to see, and I’m so glad I got to plant before graduating.”
Pohina will be able to check on the crops’ progress and help with harvesting after graduation.
The plan for the land is to grow mostly edibles, as well as some native trees on the perimeter of the property. About 90% of food that’s harvested with be given to The Hawaii Food Basket, and the other 10% will go to the HCC culinary program.
“We are very excited about this new partnership, especially after serving 84,000 people at the height of the pandemic,” said Kristin Frost Albrecht, executive director of The Food Basket. “Local agriculture is what saved us when there were breaks in the supply chain and issues with shipping food.”
Ulu was the first edible to be planted on the property because one ulu plant can serve four to six people for 50 years.
“We’re very happy to see ulu — it’s like the anti-hunger mascot,” Frost Albrecht said.
Area high school students have been invited to learn about agriculture at the Honua Ola site, although they were not present on Wednesday.
“Through the years, high school and college students will be able to plant, harvest, process, cook and do all the things that contribute to agriculture on the island by utilizing this land, ” said Orlo Steele, assistant professor of forestry. “Part of our goal is teaching sustainability as well as skills that will help students stay on the Big Island.”
Warren Lee, president of Honua Ola, is part of Work Hamakua, an association meant to build and strengthen career on-ramps and opportunities for youth and displaced workers on the Hamakua Coast.
With a passion for job creation and building sustainability on the island, Lee was one of the main forces in bringing these partnerships together.
“With (Honua Ola) giving us the green light to work, it has allowed students to have free rein over the land without anything in their way,” Nakamura said. “Ten years from now, they’ll be able to pass by and say that they planted that in the beginning.”
As the partnership continues, Nakamura and Steele will work to encourage students to pursue careers in agriculture.
“We all want to see agriculture survive and thrive on the island, but its not always easy,” Steele said. “The goal is to continually show students a positive agricultural experience, and this partnership will help make that happen.”
Email Kelsey Walling at kwalling@hawaiitribune-herald.com
