3. Why Invest in local Agriculture ?
Because every dollar spent at a
locally owned business generates
two-to-four times the economic
development impacts of a dollar
spent on an equivalent non-local
business.
– Forbes.com
http://www.forbes.com/sites/ashoka/2013/04/03/investing-in-local-food-businesses-for-community-health-and-wealth/

4. Agroecology
(regenerative agriculture) presents
an opportunity
Because it:
•
Enhances agricultural systems by mimicking natural processes, thus
creating beneficial biological interactions and synergies among the
components of the agroecosystem.
•
Provides the most favorable soil conditions for plant growth,
particularly by managing organic matter and by raising soil biotic
activity.
•
Recycles nutrients and energy on the farm, rather than introducing
external inputs; integrating crops and livestock; diversifying species
and genetic resources in agroecosystems over time and space; and
focusing on interactions and productivity across the agricultural
system, rather than focusing on individual species.

5. HFUU Legislative Agenda for 2014
• Grow farmers with on-farm mentoring centers
• Lower cost of food production state-wide
• Maximize use of locally available resources with Nutrient
Recycling Centers strategically placed state-wide
• Lower the cost of agricultural land for farmers
• Increase diversity of food distribution networks through
“Food Hubs & Coops” & remove liability from farmers
• Relieve farmers from burdensome bureaucratic
paperwork (HB 1786) by subsidizing farm inspections
and on the job training
• Protect the integrity of our products from abusive
blending of origin products (ie. Kona coffee)

6. Whole systems legislation for an
Agroecological solution
On Farm Mentoring Centers :
A way to grow our farmer work force
because it:
1. Brings school to the farm to allow people in remote
areas a chance to learn new ways to increase
productivity and lower cost of production using locally
available inputs.
2. Allows those not academically inclined a familiar
atmosphere to learn in.

7. Lowering cost of production - What
about those locally produced, low cost
inputs ?
Strategically Placed Nutrients Recycling Centers will
1. Help farmers decrease their nitrogen needs by up to
75% / acre using cheap compost
2. Increase many yields to levels comparable and sometimes
above conventional levels
3. Centralize any health hazards regarding their production
4. Be an inexpensive way to enhance soil health on a large scale,
because it uses inputs generated locally ie. Green waste, manure,
food services waste, IMO’s and slaughter offal.

8. Getting farmers on the land
By lowering the cost of land !
Farmland cooperatives will :
1. Be regulated by a private non-profit corporation that enforces
thresholds of production (50% or more of annual income) &
enforcement of violations.
2. Enable farmers to build equity in their property towards their
retirement
3. Ban real estate speculation, ie. You can sell it for what you paid for
it.
4. Give farmers pride of ownership and financial security.

9. Farm & Food Hubs:
Lowering cost of distribution
• Food transportation cost will be minimized to
some extent
• Producer has a one-stop-drop
• The end-user has a one-stop-shop
• The Food Hub assumes liability for the food
distribution

10. Good Agricultural Practices
(HB 1786) 2012
amendments kindly accepted
Establishing GAP guidelines statewide is good
because:
1. Famers will need to comply with FSMA
2. Farmers need help in compliance with
those new regulations
Therefore, in addition to
re-introducing HB 1786:
We also ask for financial assistance and other
types of assistance for small farmers
unaccustomed to dealing with bureaucracy

11. OriGIn Labeling is
important because:
1. Product blending leads to a disincentive to produce
local, because is more profitable mix 90% imports with
local product and sell it as “Hawaii grown”. Due to our
high fixed costs here
2. Consumers want something they buy here to be
grown here, and would like to know what to buy
Example: Hawaiian Sea Salt is a company name, and
most of the salt comes from the pacific region

12. The Future of Agriculture