Seeds Of Wellbeing - SOW

Every day, hundreds of people drive to the very end of the road out of Honokaʻa on the northeast corner of Hawaii island to peer into Waipio valley from the lookout. They see that many signs warn to do the right thing, or “be pono,” and show respect by heeding the “Road Closed, Local Traffic Only” signs and keeping their vehicles out of the valley. So most wonder what happens in Waipio valley. One sign shares that Waipio valley has...

We listen to and discuss dairy farmer Jeff Corle’s song “Empty Barn” and speak with him about this song he wrote when he was "at the bottom." We find out how it helped his mental health, and what happened when it went somewhat viral and the reactions from others started to pour in. We also speak with some agriculture producers that heard Jeff’s song and they share what this song has meant to them. 

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In this episode, we explore topics like natural lifemanship, heart math and coherence with Paige Deponte, Founder and Executive Director of The Spirit Horse Ranch on Maui. Paige discovered and learned these techniques to help manage her own trauma, and so now trained on them and teaches others how they can see their benefits, and uses her horses as part of the process. We discuss these techniques in detail and how they may be of he...

In this episode we speak with folks from the Hawaii County Department of Finance, Property Tax Administration office, about recent changes to Hawaii County’s property tax regulations and filing requirements that can allow agriculture producers to receive, or continue to receive, preferential property tax rates for their property on the Big Island of Hawaii. These changes have created quite a stir among agriculture producers so we w...

By all accounts, Green Point Nurseries on the Big Island of Hawaii is a success story, so we decided to pay them a visit. In this episode, we talk about how this family, now in its third generation of cut flower production, has gotten through the hurdles of family succession, shifting markets, and growing pains that any agriculture producer will experience over many decades of growing and selling in, and from Hawaii.

Broug...

In this episode we speak with Susan Collins, owner of Bird and Bee Hawai‘i on the Big Island of Hawai‘i. As you will hear, Susan has gone to great lengths to educate folks about bees, bee keeping, and legislation related to bees in Hawaii. We talked about how she got here, where things are going, and then heard a very recent update related to colony collapse on the mainland, and the impact of government cutbacks, DOGE (the US Depar...

When we attended the 2024 Hawaii Agriculture Conference on Oahu, we noticed that the name Agricultural Leadership Foundation of Hawai‘i figured prominently, so we decided to find out more about it. In this episode we speak with Board President Diane Ley about the history and vision of ALFHawaiʻi, how and why ALFH started and continues the Hawaiʻi Ag Conference, and details about their 14 month Agriculture Leadership Program from Di...

We hope you enjoy this rebroadcast of an earlier, "Voices from the Field" podcast. In this episode, we speak with the Reppun brothers on Oahu about some of the struggles they have faced, and solutions they have either found or invented, over the 50 years they have been farming.  

Want to learn more about them? Watch a "Mālama the Farmer" video here: https://youtu.be/z7vTrNfJcvM
 
This podcast is brought t...

In this episode we speak with Dean Parwinder Grewal, nine months after his appointment as Dean of the University of Hawaii’s College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience, where he is already starting to make his mark - like changing what CTAHR stands for! We find out about his agriculture and education backgrounds, and how he found out about and why he accepted the position in Hawaii. We hear his vision for Hawaii’s resilie...

In this episode we speak with Dana Shapiro from Hawaiʻi Ulu Coop who shares her journey from working with local chef Peter Merrimen to facilitate an AgVentures program, to helping found and now manage The Co-op as itʻs Chief Executive Officer on Hawaii island where it all started, We discuss expansion of The Co-op to now include the islands of Oahu, Maui, and Kauai and crops that now include taro, sweet potato and squash crops too.

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If you have lived on Oahu during the COVID pandemic or more recently, then you probably already know about FarmLink. In this episode we speak with its Founder, Rob Barreca about the pre-covid days of this online, local-only food marketplace and how it has grown by leaps and bounds since. We find out how he went from "geek for good" to CEO of an innovative new Hawaii-based company and is now firmly in the role of Chief Tec...

In this episode of Voices From the Field, O'ahu farmer Joe McGinn discusses the challenges faced by Hawaii ag producers, including thin margins, increasing costs, government regulations, and natural disasters. He emphasizes the importance of having a support system, including cultural and seasonal support, courage, and connection to overcome these challenges. Joe highlights the importance of addressing the physical, mental, em...

In this episode we aim to address some of the common legal questions raised by the Hawaii agriculture producers we have met. We are grateful to Cat Taschner, co-founder of the nonprofit Business Law Corps in Hawaii. At a recent meeting with the University of Hawaii’s “AgConnect” course, she addressed questions she often hears and agreed to share an edited version here. She discusses topics like legal structure, liability waivers, c...

It has been said that the nine most terrifying words in the English language are “I’m from the government and I’m here to help.” but in our episode with Buddy Nichols from the US Department of Ag’s Farm Service Agency, there is nothing to fear! Listen as we talk about their loan program that may be the first place you want to look for loans as an ag producer, and we also speak about FSA’s role related to the Maui wildfires.

Vincent Kimura joins us on this episode of our Voices From the Field podcast series to share the value of story telling and sharing information across generations. His wealth of knowledge and experience helps paint a well-round image of how farmers can overcome some of the challenges they face through connection, community building, and knowledge sharing.

Find out more about us:

• Seeds Of Wellbeing website
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Joining us on this inspiring episode of Voices From the Field is Tony Vera. Tony is the founder of Mayan World Farms and shares with us how farming has helped him on his personal journey of recovery, and the deep meaning and value it provides him and his family. 

To connect with Tony and learn more about Mayan World Farms, including information about up-coming events and where to purchase their produce, visit their Faceboo...

Daniel Dunnom, a bee keeper, tropical fruit farmer,  and UH Hilo alumni, shares the inside scoop of what life is like as a bee keeper and how he copes with the challenges of day to day farm operations, including a meditation he uses called "Bee Breath".

Brought to you by University of Hawaii College of Tropical Ag. and Human Resources (CTAHR), and the Seeds of Well-being (SOW) Project. This podcast is supported ...

Founder and CEO of Kauai Farm Planning, Alex Wong shares from his expertise and experience rich perspectives on the challenges and solutions of attaining a 100% local agriculture economy.

Brought to you by University of Hawaii College of Tropical Ag. and Human Resources (CTAHR), and the Seeds of Well-being (SOW) Project. This podcast is supported by the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network (FRSAN) grant from the U.S. ...