This petition is securing signatures toward the hiring of an Extension Agent working with commercial edible crops producers in West and South Hawaii on the Big Island.

For Hawaii to improve its position with food security and resilience, we must increase local food production and exports. However, to do this, our farmers need more support. Cooperative extension agents play an extremely critical role in conducting and extending research-based information and technologies to our farming communities and promoting good agricultural practices that directly impact and benefit producers.

The County of Hawaii (COH) and University of Hawaii's College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (UH-CTAHR) is creating two extension agent positions within Hawaii County for livestock and indigenous crops. While support for native Hawaii crops is important, we feel this position should also encompass and support other producers in need of extension assistance. The Big Island boasts the greatest number of farms and largest land mass in the state. As such, current extension agents are stretched thin and cannot provide the much needed support that commercial farms require for success and sustainability. As such, our recommendation for the COH and UH-CTAHR is to broaden the position to include non-formal outreach (workshops, webinars, field days, presentations, farm visits, etc.) and education to tropical fruit, nut, vegetables, and herb producers in addition to indigenous crops in West and South Hawaii, where there is a major gap in services. This commercial edible crops extension agent position would then support a greater diversity of farmers and be more efficient and effective use of county, university, federal and state monies.

Please help us to strongly advocate for this position by signing this petition and urging the COH and UH-CTAHR to highly consider this commercial edible crops position that is of critical need.

You can sign our petition and also directly contact the director of COH's Research and Development, Mr. Douglass Shipman Adams, and UH-CTAHR's Assoc. Dean and Director of Extension, Dr. Jeffrey Goodwin, to further explain why this position is of great importance to you, other farmers, and our community. Their contact information is below. Mahalo!

Mr. Douglass Shipman Adams
County of Hawaii's Director of Research and Development
25 Aupuni Street
Suite 1301
Hilo, HI 96720
(808) 961-8366
chresdev@hawaiicounty.gov

Dr. Jeffrey Goodwin
Interim Associate Dean and Director for Cooperative Extension
3050 Maile Way
Honolulu, HI 96822
(808) 956-8397
extad@hawaii.edu