Representatives from the Hawaiian Commercial and Sugar Company recently visited farmer Dave Dixon near Greenleaf to learn about drip irrigation.
Hawaiian Farm Group Seeks Alternative Crops Article and photo by Steve Ritter Sometimes in farming who you know is as important as what you know. Case in point, the loss of the sugar cane industry in Hawaii. After a 180-year history, the last of the cane growers, the Hawaiian Commercial and Sugar Company will end its sugar production operations by the end of 2016 and transition to a diversified agricultural model. “With the end of sugar cane we are trying to find the next crop for HC&S and a lot of it is crops you already grow on the mainland,” said Mae Nakahata, Director of Agricultural Research and Crop Control for HC&S. Nakahata lead a delegation of Hawaiian farmers on a recent tour of Western states seeking crop and farming advice in Texas, Utah, Oregon, California and Idaho. 6
In Idaho, Greenleaf farmer Dave Dixon hosted the group to discuss underground tape irrigation systems – drip irrigation. The meeting was arranged through state Farm Bureau staff members. Nakahata is also the vice president of the Hawaii Farm Bureau and has contacts in several states. “We knew there were some operations here so I had asked Russ (Hendricks) from Idaho Farm Bureau to help me out and he’s been great with the contacts,” she said. “He got us in touch with farmers and actually took us around and we appreciate it.” Corn, sorghum, safflower, and sunflower are some of the new crops HC&S is exploring. Nakahata told farmers, “We have never seen safflower in Hawaii we only saw it in books and so forth so I thought the best way to learn was to come and visit some safflower farmers. Same thing with corn and sorghum.”
Idaho Farm Bureau producer / September 2016
Nakahata says it’s all about farmers helping farmers. “That’s right and that’s what’s great about Farm Bureau because it’s like you have a family right across the whole country. You know you call and ask somebody and they always lift a helping hand.” Russ Hendricks, Director of Governmental Affairs for Idaho Farm Bureau enjoyed the visit. “We were delighted to assist Mae and the other folks from Hawaii to learn whether safflower may be a viable alternative crop for them. We were also happy to show them some of the innovative ways Idaho farmers are conserving water through several different types of advanced irrigation techniques.” With thirty-six thousand acres of farmland available for new crops Nakahata says the conversion will take time and money. A challenge farmers across America seem to face often.