Workshops, Field Visits, and Other Events


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Workshops and other events

• Coming events
• Previous events
• Contact us for future workshops

Coming events

Biochar for Self-Reliant Garden and Farm Abundance (North Kona)

Sunday, July 25, 2010, 09:00am - 04:00pm

Biochar can help you reduce fertilizer inputs, increase yields, improve soil characteristics, and store carbon in your soil for centuries. This hands on workshop will demystify the process of making and using biochar, based on extensive Big Island experience. For more information and registration details, please visit this link:

Biochar for Self-Reliant Garden and Farm Abundance will take place on Sunday, July 25 at 9:00 am - 4:00 pm at the Imin Center (a county facility), Holualoa, North Kona

Organizers: Hawai'i Homegrown Food Network and Agroforestry Net. This workshop is a fund raiser for the Hawai'i Homegrown Food Network.
Cost: $40
Place: Imin Center (County facility), Holualoa, North Kona
Contact: Ngaire Gilmour, ngaire_at_agroforestry.net or 322-5647. More info

Previous events

Permaculture and Home Garden Evening
Sunday, February 28, 6 - 8 pm, Hawi, North Kohala

Tom Baldwin and Craig Elevitch will present permaculture examples from throughout Hawai‘i and discuss sustainability scenarios within the permaculture context.

Organizers: Uluwehi Farm and Permanent Agriculture Resources
Place: The Barn, Hawi
Cost: Free
Contact: Tom Baldwin, uluwehifarm@mac.com

Agroforestry's role in perennial food, fiber, and fodder systems
Thursday, February 4, 2010, 4 - 7 pm, Lihue, Kaua'i

Trees integrated with crops and animals have traditionally been a primary source of sustainable food, fiber, and fodder in home gardens and farms throughout the world, including in Hawai'i. This presentation by Craig Elevitch will cover traditional Pacific island and worldwide agroforestry examples, then offer methods for establishing diverse agroforests in a garden or farm. In addition to planting methods, a range of useful perennial trees and shrubs will be suggested.

Place: Kauai Community College, Lihue
Cost: Free
Contact: Glenn Hontz, 808 246-4859 or email hontz@hawaii.edu for more information.

"Getting started with a homegrown food oasis"
Wednesday, February 10, 2010 10 am - noon, Keauhou, North Kona

More and more people want to be growing some of their food at home, but they lack the time to take care of vegetable gardens. In this presentation, Craig Elevitch will cover methods of growing diverse crops in abundant perennial home gardens. Perennial vegetables and fruits have the advantage that they require little care after they have been established. Craig will also be selling and signing his books including Agroforestry Guides for Pacific Islands (2000), The Overstory Book: Cultivating Connections with Trees (2004), and Traditional Trees of Pacific Islands: Their Culture, Environment, and Use (2006), all of which promote diverse agricultural systems that produce abundant food. His most recent publication, Pathways to Abundant Gardens: A Pictorial Guide to Successful Organic Growing (2007), highlights Hawai'i gardeners and their vibrant, bountiful, and sustainable food gardens.

Place: At the new Keauhou Wednesday Farmer's Market on the Sheraton Hotel lawn at the intersection with the Keauhou Boat Harbor road.
Cost: Free
Contact: Nancy Pisicchio, Kona County Farm Bureau, 322-3118

Shade grown coffee for Hawai‘i
Tuesday, November 10, 2009, morning
UH Cooperative Extension Service, Kainaliu

This free talk explores the ecological and economic benefits and drawbacks of shade-grown coffee agroforestry systems in North and South Kona. Craig Elevitch will present results from a 12-month USDA-NRCS-sponsored study of twelve shade-grown coffee orchards. Shade- and open-grown coffee were compared based on environmental conditions (shade levels, tree density, plant species present, etc.), soil organic matter, yield and bean size, and pest and disease incidence.

Storing food in the landscape

Practical Agriculture for Hamakua, Tuesday, November 17, 2009, 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm

In this free 2 hour presentation, Craig Elevitch will cover ways of integrating plants into home- and large-scale landscapes with the goal of producing abundant, local, and sustainable sources of food, fiber, and medicine. This talk is for gardeners, farmers, homeowners, landscapers, teachers, extension professionals--anyone interested in expanding Hawai'i community food self-reliance.

"Food Security—Pacifika Style"

A free presentation at these venues:

Multipurpose Room, Pilina Bldg, Maui Community College (campus map), Kahului, Maui,
Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2008, 5–7 pm

Waiola Church, Lahaina, Maui,
Thursday, Nov. 13, 2008, 6–8 pm

Ala Kukui (Hana Retreat Center), Wakiu, Hana, Maui,
Saturday, Nov. 15, 2008, 6–8 pm

Practical Agriculture for Hamakua class,
NHERC, Honoka’a, Hawai'i, Thursday, November 20, 2008, 6-8 pm

Craig Elevitch will be presenting a photo-rich talk about Hawai'i food security. He will show images of traditional agricultural systems in Samoa, Tonga, Palau, and Yap and describe how these age-old systems can guide us in achieving food security in Hawai'i and elsewhere in the tropics. Steps we all can take to create personal, neighborhood, and community food security will be covered. Craig will also present plans for transforming a 1/4 acre lawn into an abundant perennial homegarden within a year.

A presentation of the Hawaii Homegrown Food Abundance Project, focusing on Hawai'i food security and how we can use traditional Pacific island agricultural systems as models for stable and sustainable systems for nutritious, safe, and culturally appropriate home food production and healthy lifestyles.

Past presentations of "Food Security--Pacifika Style"
UH Hilo, Campus Center 301, Saturday, October 4, 2008
Maui Island Sustainable Living Expo, MCC, Sunday, August 17, 2008
Kona Outdoor Circle Summer Tropical Gardening Series, Kailua-Kona, Monday, August 11, 2008
The Barn at Kohala Village Inn, Hawi, Sunday, July 20, 2008
6th Annual Hawaii Island Seed Exchange, Kealakekua, Saturday, June 21, 2008
Kona Outdoor Circle, Kailua-Kona, Saturday, June 7, 2008
Kaua'i Community Seed and Plant Exchange, KCC, Lihue, Saturday, March 1, 2008

Above photo: Margaret Krimm's abundant garden of annuals and perennials in Napo'opo'o.

Above photo: A productive, sustainable, traditional Polynesian homegarden.

Homegrown Food Skills Workshop
(Postponed), Hawi, North Kohala

This hands-on workshop covers quick food production, self-reliant soil fertility systems, animal forage systems, food preparation, wild foods, propagation and planting methods, emergency preparedness and more. Craig Elevitch, Tom Baldwin, and others will facilitate this intensive and exciting workshop for anyone who wants to grow more food at home sustainably.

Organizers: Uluwehi Farm and Permanent Agriculture Resources
Place: The workshop takes place on the active permaculture project at Uluwehi Farm in Hawi.
Contact: Postponed, please contact Tom Baldwin to be notified of a future date for this workshop, talkstory@uluwehifarm.com; http://uluwehifarm.com

Above photo: Permaculture Convergence at Uluwehi Farm in January 2009. Over 70 people came from around Hawai‘i and the U.S. to learn from each other and to experience a well-developed permaculture site.

Hawai'i Island Homegrown Food Self-Reliance Workshops

Hawai'i County Imin Center, Holualoa, North Kona, Saturday, October 18, 2008, 8 am - 6 pm Download the Kona workshop brochure (PDF file)

Kohala Intergenerational Center, Kapa'au, Sunday, March 8, 2009, 8 am – 6 pm
Download the Hawi/Kapa'au workshop brochure (PDF file)
View photos from this workshop

Pahoa Community Center, Pahoa, Sunday, March 22, 2009, 8:30 am – 6 pm
Download the Pahoa workshop brochure (PDF file)
View photos from this workshop

Ocean View Community Center, Ocean View, Ka'u, June, 6, 2009, 8:30 am - 5:00 pm
Download the Ocean View workshop brochure (PDF file)
View photos from this workshop

Download the project publication
Hawai‘i Island Homegrown: Start-up guide for an organic self-reliance garden

The workshops were co-sponsored by the Hawai'i County Resource Center, the Hawai'i County Department of Research and Development, and Permanent Agriculture Resources.

Above photo: Andrea Dean facilitates Kohala workshop participants in planning the next concrete steps in community food self-reliance. This workshop took place in Hawi and Kapa'au on Sunday, March 8, 2009.

Above photo: Nancy Redfeather shares decades of gardening experience with workshop participants at the Hawai'i Island Homegrown Food Self-Reliance Workshop at the Imin Center in Holualoa on October 18, 2008. The workshop covered a wide range of topics, including soil fertility, chickens, growing the menu, productive garden plants, fruits, edible landscaping, survival foods, perennial veggies, and traditional Pacific island agriculture.

Shade-grown coffee workshop
Saturday, April 25, 2009, 1 – 5 pm
UH Cooperative Extension Service, Kainaliu

This workshop explores the ecological and economic benefits and drawbacks of shade-grown coffee agroforestry systems in Kona. Results from a 12-month USDA-NRCS-sponsored study of twelve shade-grown coffee orchards will be presented. Shade- and open-grown coffee will be compared based on environmental conditions (shade levels, tree density, plant species present, etc.), soil organic matter, yield and bean size, and twig borer populations. The workshop includes field tours of two shade-grown coffee farms. This workshop is free, however, due to space limitations, pre-registration is required. Send an email to shashimo@hawaii.edu or call Sarah at 322-4892 to register.

This project is sponsored by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Conservation Innovation Grant program and the County of Hawai‘i Department of Research and Development in partnership with the Big Island Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) Council, with matching contributions from the project collaborators’ organizations.

Book signing at Hawaiian Homestead Farmers Market
Kuhio Hale, 64-759 Kahilu Road, Waimea
Saturday, February 2, 2008, 7:30 a.m.-11:00 a.m.

Craig Elevitch will be signing his new book, Pathways to Abundant Gardens, in a canopy shared with Mala 'Ai, The Culinary Gardens at Waimea Middle School and Slow Food Hawai'i. Pathways to Abundant Gardens is for those who are looking for inspiration and guidance in growing their own food using natural methods. It highlights the voices of over twenty outstanding gardeners and farmers, people who have lived and breathed organic gardening. Craig will also be signing his other books, including Agroforestry Guides for Pacific Islands (2000), Growing Koa: A Hawaiian Legacy Tree (2003), The Overstory Book: Cultivating Connections with Trees (2004), Traditional Trees of Pacific Islands: Their Culture, Environment, and Use (2006), Noni: The Complete Guide for Consumers and Growers (2006)

Above photo: Mayumi Oda enjoys her abundant garden, Kealakekua, Hawai'i.

Abundant Gardens of Hawai'i
Hawai'i Island Food Summit, Keauhou, Hawai'i, October 6, 2007

A slideshow celebrating organic gardeners
and their contributions to physical, spiritual, and community wealth

Craig Elevitch will be presenting a specially commissioned slideshow to conclude the Hawai'i Island Food Summit, an important event that brings people together to foster food security and healthy lifestyles. The 4-minute slideshow will highlight some of Hawai'i's great organic gardeners, their crops, and their inspired land and cultural stewardship. See Craig's photos of this event and the slideshow.

Above photo: Craig Elevitch presents at the 2008 Hawai'i Island Seed Exchange about homegrown food self-reliance.

Successfully Photographing Plants
Monday, August 21, 2006, 6:30–9:00 pm
Kona Outdoor Circle, Kailua-Kona, Hawai‘i

Craig Elevitch lead this workshop in documentation of plants for recordkeeping, teaching, and artistic purposes. The workshop covered principles of lighting, composition, and perspective. The concepts covered in this workshop are widely applicable to all photography. Craig Elevitch is editor and coauthor of the new books Traditional Trees of Pacific Islands: Their Culture, Environment, and Use and Noni: The Complete Guide for Consumers and Growers. For more images by Craig, visit his photo web site.

Above photo: Miniature water lily flower.

Trees for improving profitability, sustainability,
and resource conservation on farms and ranches

During May and June 2006, Permanent Agriculture Resources held agroforestry workshops in Kona, Hawai‘i, Hagåtña, Guam, and Koror, Palau. There were a total of over 160 participants, speakers, and field tour presenters involved in the workshops.

Tuesday, May 16–Friday, May 19, 2006
Keauhou (Kahalu‘u), Kona, Hawai‘i

Monday, June 26–Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Koror, Palau

Thursday, June 28–Friday, June 29, 2006
Hagåtña, Guam

Download lecture presentations and view virtual field tours

Above photo: Jack Masters stands in front of agroforestry landscape, Babeldaob, Palau.

Contact information for future workshops:

Craig Elevitch
Workshop Coordinator
Permanent Agriculture Resources
PO Box 428
Holualoa, Hawaii 96725 USA
Tel: 808-324-4427; Fax: 808-324-4129
E-mail: craig@agroforestry.net

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