EDUCATIONAL PERSPECllVES I 35

AGRICULTURE EDUCATION ON MOLOKA'I

Ernest H. Rezents

Moloka'i has the potential of becoming the ''bread basket" of Hawai'i

The island of Moloka'i is part of the tri -island County of Maui and has a land area of 261 square miles and a popu­lation of 6,444. The island has frequently been described as having the potential of becoming the "bread basket" of Hawai'i because of its large expanse of underutilized fertile land, inexpensive water, and proximity - 54 miles by air - to populous O'ahu.1

The State of Hawai'i Department of Hawaiian Home Lands has leased about 8,200 acres of land in the com­munity of Ho'olehua for crop and livestock farming. Of the acreage, about 650 acres are in crop production and 3,760 acres are in livestock grazing. Some land is in gul­ches while others are used for hay production. All leases are for 99 years to native Hawaiians at one dollar -$1.00 - a year per lease. Applicants for farm lots greater than five acres must submit a farm plan and demonstrate agriculture experience and/or education.2 Needless to say, the above reason provides a strong motivation for native Hawaiians applying for farm lots to become proficient in agriculture. In recent years there have been four educa­tional programs on Moloka'i to provide its residents with essential agricultural skills and training.

Moloka'i High School

Moloka'i High School had a very large and active agricul­ture program in the 1950s. Students were actively in­volved in the school's dairy, beef cattle, poultry, hog, and vegetable production. Both animals and vegetables were supplied for use by the school cafeteria and the surplus was sold to local stores. 3

Interest in high school vocational education declined in subsequent years while funding and program emphasis shifted to basic education in language arts and mathemat­ics. Students considered easier ways to earning a living and high school agriculture training declined even further. Today, Moloka'i High School is rebuilding its farm pro­gram but will probably never attain the scope and depth of the 1950s. However, the program is successful in in­troducing small animal, ornamental plant, and vegetable production to its students.

Hawaiian Academy of Knowledge

Not all high school students are interested in structured classes and as a result do not adjust to the requirement that they attend school until the age of eighteen. Voca­tional programs no longer offer the opportunity to stu­dents to expend surplus energy in rigorous "hands-on" laboratory periods or in after-school responsibilities tend­ing to animals and crops. Some students needed a school that would provide an alternative form of education be­cause of behavioral or social problems.

In 1978, a few private agencies came together and ob­tained funding and land - 100 acres at Keawanui, Molo­ka'i from the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Estate - to establish the Moloka'i Hawaiian Academy of Knowledge for stu­dents needing a learning environment outside of the regu­lar classroom. In 1984, The Kamehameha Schools Exten­sion Education, Alternative Division, assumed primary financial responsibility for the project. The school's name was changed to Ka Papa Honua o Keawanui - earth foundation - in March 1985. Today, The Kamehameha Schools, the Hawai'i State Department of Education, and a few other community agencies, provide funds for the program.

The curriculum, approved by the Hawai'i State Depart­ment of Education, consists of courses that lead to a high school diploma and provide hands-on training in agricul­ture and aquaculture. It is the expectation that the learned skills lead to improved subsistence or private en­trepreneurship in farming. Present funding constraints

36 /EDUCATIONAL PERSPECTIVES

limit enrollments to 16 months. At times, the number is less because participants return to their regular classes when they have reached a satisfactory level of adjustment. Students have expressed great appreciation for the oppor­tunity to learn about and work the land while resolving personal problems.4

Moloka'i Institute of Agriculture

A third program to provide agriculture education on Moloka'i in recent years is the Moloka'i Institute of Agri­culture (MIA). This agency grew out of a collective effort on the part of three federal agencies to promote rural community economic and employment development. The Youth Agricultural Entrepreneurship Demonstration Pro­gram (Y AEDP) was created in early 1979 by the Depart­ment of Labor, the Community Services Administration, and the Department of Agriculture. Each sponsor of the YAEDP signed an agreement to fund agencies directly in­volved with rural area economic and manpower develop­ment. As designed, the Y AEDP was concerned with two areas of economic development: job creation and em­ployability. The ultimate goal, however, was to demon­strate the feasibility of converting an idle resource - tilla­ble land currently under or unutilized - into a produc­tive resource, thereby creating an economic base for future employment, and to develop and direct an un­tapped resource - "high risk" agriculturally oriented youth - toward entrepreneurial opportunities in agricul­turally related fields. 5

Lokahi Pacific Inc., wrote a proposal and was funded $1.2 million to establish the Moloka'i Institute of Agricul­ture on January l, 1980. A board of directors was estab­lished, two agriculture farm lots in the Moloka'i Agricul­ture Park in Ho'olehua were obtained from the County of Maui, and a staff was hired.

In May 1980, 40 participants - 26 fulltime and 14 part­time - began their education and training adventure. Participants were selected on the basis of age (16-21); ap­plicability of economically disadvantaged criteria, interest in agriculture, and no sex discrimination. The program provided participants with basic academic instruction, ag­ricultural field experience, and supportive transitional ser­vices upon completion of the curriculum. Remedial in­structon in reading, arithmetic, and language skills were necessary due to the poor academic achievement of many of the participants. Opportunity to receive the GED high school diploma was made available to enrolled high school dropouts.

Maui Community College participated in the MIA proj­ect by flying in instructors from its Maui-island campus to teach "Vegetable Crop Production I and II" and to pro­vide on-the-job training through Cooperative Vocational

Education. General education classes were offered to MIA participants as well as the community-at-large.

MIA participants spent half of the day in the classroom and the other half working in the field. Of the two farm lots, the one with 28 acres had better fann land and was developed as the headquarters; the other lot, 32 acres in size, had large, rocky sections. The participants cleared brush and rocks from the 60 acres of land and installed an irrigation intake screen and sand filter that fed 6-inch water lines to both lots. An irrigation system was installed throughout the 28-acre lot. Both cane and ironwood windbreaks were planted and approximately half-acre farm plots were laid out for vegetable crop production.

Students constructed an office/classroom building, dis­assembled two old greenhouses located elsewhere, and reassembled them in the project area. One building re­mained in use as a greenhouse, and the other was con­verted into a storage/vegetable-grading building.

Monies from the federal grant were used to pay partici­pants an hourly wage for time spent at the project area and to purchase three new tractors, a used pickup truck, a used large flatbed truck, and two used vans for trans­porting students to and from home and work areas.

In August 1981, with help from MIA, 15 participants left Moloka'i for Maui to continue their agriculture studies at the Maui Community College. Nine participants earned the Associate in Science and four others earned the Certificate of Achievement in Agriculture. By October of that year, just two more months remained of the two­year grant period. With an enrollment of nine students -seven fulltime and two halftime - and no prospects of re­ceiving additional federal funds beyond December 31, 1981, the MIA board of directors and staff, as well as com­munity leaders, approached Maui Community College to expand its on-campus agriculture program to Moloka'i and assume responsibility for agriculture training at the institute's site.

On November 16 and 17, 1981, Maui Community Col­lege Provost Alma Henderson assembled the Maui Com­munity College Task Force on Agriculture for Moloka'i on that island. The task force was made up of representa­tives from the State and County governments, industry, community, and the University of Hawai'i and came from the islands of O'ahu, Maui, Hawai'i, and Moloka'i.

The Task Force members were divided into two com­mittees: Moloka'i Agriculture Education Needs Assess­ments Committee and Moloka'i Farm Operation Committee.

The former committee recommended: "(l)f the Island of Moloka'i were to become the 'Bread Basket of Hawai'i' as advanced by the State of Hawai'i Master Plan and the Maui County Master Plan, then a great need exists on

Moloka'i for people trained in agriculture and agricultural-related fields."6 The latter committee reviewed the MIA facility regarding its adequacy for train­ing and recommended that the farm emphasis continue to be placed on vegetable crop production and that some field and facility modifications be made. Nursery produc­tion of plants (included grafted citrus) and orchard crops of guava, avocado, and macadamia be offered as second and third alternatives.

Both committees recommended that Maui Community College write a letter of intent to assume the MIA facility to the federal grants officer in Washington, DC, and seek funding from the Hawai'i State Legislature for operation of the project area.

James Scanlon, the federal grants officer, visited the Moloka'i project area and then Maui Community College in December 1981 and said that his office would be will­ing to transfer all equipment, buildings, and supplies to Maui Community College for its use to continue a rural farm training program on Moloka'i.

Because the federal grant supporting MIA expired on December 31, 1981, the MIA board of directors used funds from previous crop sales, private agencies, and the County of Maui to retain its project director, continue with training and production of crops, and assume re­sponsibility for security of equipment and inventory until the College could obtain the necessary approvals and funding to take over on July 1, 1982. The University budget had already been developed for the 1982 legislative session so it was necessary that the College obtain a spe­cial appropriation. Maui County state legislators proposed legislation and $95,000 was given to the State Department of Agriculture to contract with Maui Community College to provide agriculture training at the MCC Moloka'i Farm for the fiscal year 1982-83.

Maul Community College Moloka'i Fann

Lokahi Pacific retained the 32-acre lot for its use and relinquished the 28-acre lot for the College's program. The County of Maui provided the property lease free to the College for the remaining 28 years of the original lease. The Federal government and Lokahi Pacific (green­house and storage building) transferred all buildings, equipment, and supplies to the College for its use.

The Legislature again made funds available ($78,150) for the operation of the Farm in 1983-84; this time, how­ever, through the Governor's Agriculture Coordinating Committee. In 1984-85, $76,084 was given to the Universi­ty of Hawai'i College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources to administer the Farm. Maui Community Col­lege, by special arrangement, continued to operate the Farm and provide training to students. In the 1985-87

EDUCATIONAL PERSPECTIVES I 37

biennial budget, funding and position counts were finally made part of the Maui Community College's general fund budget.

Staffing at the Maui Community College Moloka'i Farm includes a fulltime instructor/farm manager, two ag­riculture technicians and an account clerk. Vegetable pro­duction is the primary instruction taught, with classroom theory applied to hands-on field and greenhouse work. Some ornamental and orchard (macadamia, citrus, avo­cado, and papaya) training is provided. The curriculum consists of the following courses offered once each year:

Ag 122 Ag 141 Ag 151 Ag 200 Ag 230 Ag 232 Ag 235 Ag 251 Ag 269 Ag290

Soils Technology (3) Plant Disease and Pest Control (3) Vegetable Crop Production I (4) Principles of Horticulture (4) Farm Management (3) Farm Tractor and Equipment Operation (1) Irrigation Principles and Design (3) Vegetable Crop Production II (4) Ornamental Plant Materials (3) Agricultural Enterprise (1)

Agriculture 122, 141 and 200 are required courses for all majors. A Certificate of Completion in Vegetable Crop Production is granted students who complete 10 credits of study in Agriculture 151, 232, 251 and 290. Ag­riculture 290 affords students the unique opportunity to farm, as a business, vegetable or ornamental crops under the guidance of instructors. The Farm's University of Hawai'i Foundation account purchases needed supplies. The student plants, grows, and markets the crop. A computer program is utilized by the student for recording financial and crop informaton. The income pays for all ex­penses. The profit is divided, two-thirds for the student and one-third deposited into the Farm's UH Foundation account for other purchases and projects. This course is considered one of the best opportunities students have to apply their knowledge and skills in a business venture for profit.

A Certificate of Achievement in Vegetable Management is granted students who complete 33 credits of study. An Associate in Science degree is granted to students who complete 60 credits of study.7

The program trains students for work in agriculture, retains those desiring to change jobs, upgrades those al­ready in agriculture, and teaches individuals with avoca­tional interests. Annual unduplicated enrollments for the years 1982 through 1984 are: 1982-32; 1983-30, and 1984-39.8

Most of the students do not earn a Certificate or Associ­ate in Science degree within the usual timeframe because

38 /EDUCATIONAL PERSPECTIVES

many have family responsibilities and work full or part­time. Three students earned the A.S. degree in Vegetable Management in 1983 after two years of study because they applied credits earned previously to their agriculture requirements; one student has earned the Certificate of Completion. Many students attend classes for training and upgrading and are not interested in earning a degree because general education courses are required. This prac­tice is not encouraged because the degree affords better job opportunities and makes a person better qualified for a Hawaiian Home Lands farm lot or financial loan.

The 1985 State Legislature appropriated funds and two positions to the University of Hawai'i Extension Service to conduct crop variety trials and a demonstration farm for the benefit of farmers at the Maui Community College Moloka'i Farm facilities. The College has education as its mission and, together with the Extension Service's demon­stration farm, will provide much needed assistance to the Moloka'i agricultural community.

The need for persons trained in agriculture improves because of the recent farm lot awards by the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, the projected vegetable cooling plant, the planned additional major hotel, and the much talked-about farmer's cooperative for marketing of pro­ducts to wholesalers on O'ahu. Moloka'i is recognized as the State's largest producer of watermelons, green beans, sweet potatoes, and peppers. The College continues to re­cruit Moloka'i students and encourages all others interest­ed in teaming the practical, hands-on approach to farming to enroll. On Moloka'i, land is available, water is inexpen· sive, people need employment, and agriculture has tre­mendous potential. The future is bright!

Footnotes

1Hawai'i State Department of Planning and Economic Development and County of Maui Department of Economic Development, Facts and Figures - 1985, pg. 1.

2Teltphone intervitw with Stewart Matsunaga, State of Hawai'i Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, Agricultural Research Specialist, Honolulu, December 18, 1985.

3Personal inlervitw with Leonard Peters, Moloka'i farmer, Ho'olehua, December 2, 1985.

•Telephone interview with Colette Y. Machado, Site Coordinator, Ka Papa Honua o Keawanui, Kaunakakai, Moloka'i, November 26, 1985.

5Report of the Maui Community College Task Force on Agriculture for Moloka'i, Proceedings of a Conference on Moloka'i Agriculture Needs, November 16-17, 1981, Kahului : Milui Community College Media Center, 1981, pg. 8.

61bid., pg. 11. 7Maui Community College, Gtntral Cat11log 1985-1986, Kilhu­

lui : Dan's Printing, Inc., 1985, pg. 14. 8Maui Community College, Agriculture Program Rtview,

Kahului : Maui Community College Media Center, 1985, pg. lla.

Ernest H. Rezcnts is Senior Agriculture lt1struclor, Mathematics and Science Division. Uniwrsity of Hawai'i Maui Community College. Rezents received his Master of Science from the University of Oregon and has bten the Agricultural Carurs Program Coordinator since his return from a year of study at tht University of California, Davis, in 1976. He is responsible forthe Maui and Moloka'i agriculture programs and teaches on both islands every semester.