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The state legislature is moving House Bill 2083 forward, which would give the DOE the ability to incentivize Hawaiʻi public schools to locally source their meals. HPR's Mark Ladao has the story.
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The state Legislature is considering bills to improve Hawaiʻi’s irrigation systems to support local agriculture. Several measures this year want to fund projects to maintain or repair those irrigation systems.
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Over half a million dollars in federal funding is coming to Hawaiʻi to promote clean energy in the agricultural sector. Four Hawaiʻi businesses and farms will receive money from the USDA through the Rural Energy For American Program.
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The state Department of Agriculture is considering a change to its internal rules to stop the movement of plant material infested with pest species. Under the proposed changes, the State Plant Regulatory Official would be able to order a company to keep plant materials if it contains pests. The SPRO is in charge of the state’s pest detection and regulation.
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A family-owned farm in Wahiawa is winding down business operations after 114 years. Petersons’ Upland Farm will be winding down egg sales in the coming months as the owners transition to retirement.
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State plant inspectors went through more than 19 million parcels that came into Hawaiʻi last year. However, there were only about 90 inspectors who did that work. HPR's Mark Ladao has more.
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service collected data from more than 700 local producers to estimate the damages and economic losses caused by the fires and high winds.
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There is some cautious optimism for the future of the state’s Farm to School program. The goal of the state Department of Education program is to use local agriculture to feed students.
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Local agriculture is facing a series of challenges, from invasive species to irrigation, and key state lawmakers have put together their legislative priorities this year to help farming and food production. Agriculture and food security have been a priority since the start of the legislative session last week.
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About 43,000 acres of pasture land are set to move to the state Department of Agriculture. The state Department of Land and Natural Resources currently manages that land, but this week it agreed to move it to the agricultural department sometime this year.