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Agriculture Working Group
Preliminary Themes, Goals, and Objectives from
the Small Group Meetings
These themes (recurring ideas) were derived from 130 small group meetings conducted across the Puna district.
Preliminary Themes (ECON – AG; PLAN – CC)
- Support local farmers
- Increase local food supply
- Diversify agriculture
- Increase Sustainable Farming
- Increase Organic Farming
- Encourage Community Gardens
- Preserve good agricultural lands
Preliminary Goal – Local agricultural producers are supported and thriving.
Preliminary Objectives
These
objectives have been derived from themes generated from 3,394 ideas
provided through broad citizen input. The numbers in parentheses
indicate which theme or themes were used to develop the objectives.
A. Support existing agricultural industries. (1)
B. Promote local produce by expanding Farmers Markets in Puna (Maku’u, Pahoa, Keaau, Volcano). (2)
C. Market the benefit of purchasing locally grown produce. (1,2)
D. Create incentives for organic, diversified & sustainable farming. (1, 2, 4, 5, 6)
E. Minimize agricultural dependence on toxic (synthetic) chemicals. (4, 5)
F. Encourage creation of community gardens. (6)
G. Ensure that good agricultural land is preserved. (7)
Excerpts from Previous Plans
Considerable
time, thought, and community-wide effort has been applied to the issue
of agriculture in Puna over the past decade or more, resulting in a
number of plans that have made specific recommendations. Pertinent
excerpts of those plans are below.
"Puna is primarily an
agriculture district with high diversification of production. There are
approximately 198,747 acres zoned for agricultural use. The major
agricultural commodities in Puna include macadamia nuts, cut flowers,
foliage, papaya, bananas, tropical fruits, and vegetable production.
Puna produces over 90% of the State’s papaya crop and is currently
thriving. The industry as has been faced with challenges ranging from
fruit flies to the Papaya Ringspot Virus."
"Other small-scale
production by independent growers occurs in the form of various exotic
fruits, coffee, cocao, avocado, honey, awa, lychee, rambutan,
cherimoya, star-fruit, sapodilla, mangosteen, jackfruit, guava,
breadfruit, atemoya, and some livestock. Many are not dependent upon
subsidies for financial protection; a long-term strength of Puna
agriculture. Flower production occurs throughout the district, but is
concentrated in Mountain View, Pahoa, Kapoho, and Volcano. Several
truck farms are located in Volcano and mainly produce lettuce,
temperate range flowers, and cabbage. An independent goat farm exists
in Hawaiian Acres, which is one of the most successful in the pacific.
Ku’a oko’a farm supplies restaurants throughout the state with some
mainland distribution."
"Current trends, both in Hawaii and
globally, suggests higher cost and competition for agricultural water
in the future. Water presents itself as a major factor of agricultural
production. Puna’s high rainfall generally supplies agricultural needs
through economical catchment. However, during dry times, growers begin
to rely on County water service. Existing water infrastructure is
composed of County lines designed for domestic use, and does not have
the capacity to provide for agricultural uses during dry periods."
The County of Hawai'i General Plan,
adopted by ordinance in 2005, sets the land use and community
development policy for the County of Hawai'i, and is intended to serve
as a guide for state and federal government and private sector, as
well.
"Course of Action:
Assist in the further development
of the agricultural industry by providing support services to commodity
groups and other organizations such as farmer's cooperatives,
protecting important agricultural lands, and requesting and providing
necessary capital improvements."
"The General Plan Land Use
Planning and Guidance (LUPAG) map identifies the location of “Important
Agricultural Lands” in Puna. This map can be accessed at the following
website: http://www.hawaii-county.com/la/gp/2005/MapsLUPAG.pdf."
In 1995,
the County of Hawai'i secured the services of a consultant to complete
the Puna Community Development Plan. While it was not adopted, this
document sets forth some specific recommendations for agricultural
lands and activity:
"Collaborate with community groups to
develop ways to separate and buffer agricultural and residential uses
within existing subdivisions. For example, transfer of development
right to increase residential density and decrease agricultural
density; encourage organic farming to buffer residential and general
agriculture, light industry or mixed uses.
Consider amendment to the
County Zoning code to establish a minimum three-acre lot size for
agricultural subdivisions, where a change of zone is required, with the
exception of subdivisions to five lots or less.
Encourage
collaboration between agricultural and other economic interests to
master-plan interrelated land uses, such as the integration of trail
corridors, bed and breakfasts, small restaurants, and farmers’ markets
into agricultural communities, but so that these small-scale,
village-type uses are clustered in planned areas rather than allowed as
“spot” uses in agriculturally zoned areas.
Support local food production and competitive marketing for local consumption.
The
County Department of Research and Development should encourage
collaborative efforts by commodity and other agricultural groups, and
state and federal agricultural agencies, to form a regional
agricultural task force to coordinate agricultural resource management,
infrastructure, research, and other institutional support in a manner
that maintains confidentiality for farmers and commodity groups.
Encourage
the designation of agricultural buffers, based on Agricultural Lands of
Importance to the State of Hawaii (ALISH) designations, to serve as
green belt areas, within which subdivisions of agricultural lands for
residential purposes is prohibited.
Support the expansion of the freight facility/marshalling yard/storage facility in Hilo to serve expanding industry.
Support state funding for development of agricultural water systems designed to meet the needs of Puna farmers.
Encourage
the amendment of the County tax code relating to forestry, pasture, and
agro-forestry, to provide greater incentives for sustainability, flood
control, protection of native species in keeping with the goals of the
General Plan.
Support efforts to legislate regulations for the certification and labeling of organic produce in Hawaii."
In addition
to these County-sponsored plans, a 1999 community-initiated plan for
Hawaiian Acres makes the following recommendations for agriculture:
"Support and encourage diversified agriculture. Diversity promotes sustainability.
Support
restrictions on excessive herbicide and pesticide use, due to its
wind-borne intrusion of water catchment, organic and subsistence
gardens, neighboring homes, ect., possibly by means of restrictive
covenants.
Support and encourage environmentally friendly, sustainable agricultural practices, possibly by covenant."
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