Mike and Trisha Hodson deserve our community's praise and support.  Mike and Trisha and family own and run WOW tomato farm - located in the Waimea Hawaiian Homeland Community. They are now in the process of helping other homesteaders become part of this movement towards economic ag self-sustainability. As Mike explained "It is time for us to do for ourselves and not waited for something to happen or for something to be given...We must be resourceful and make our future happen" (I am paraphrasing his words as best I recall).
 
The Hodsons are now completing  greenhouse buildings for the first 14 homestead families.... and will help them to become working farms -- (for tomatoes or other produce). All very exciting projects...

Mike and Trisha are also masterminding the design and implementation of a 161 acre ag: Waimea Nui Community Development Plan.  To learn more about the Waimea Nui Development Plan read the Strategic Plan - IT is attached at bottom of this blog. 

To support and honor these efforts Governor Abercrombie toured WOW farm and visited the homestead 161 parcel. The Governor emotionally extolled the Hodson's and homesteaders efforts as the model for the island for all communities,  He explained how he will make these agricultural self-reliance efforts a keystone of his state of the state address.  A portion of his speech is included below (Youtube video). 



After visiting the 161 community development park land, the Governor went to Kanu o Ka Aina New Century Public Charter School and toured the school and visited with the students and then heard a presentation ..... [BUT I WILL ABOUT THIS PART OF THE GOVERNOR'S VISIT IN A SEPARATE POST]

After viewing the photos,
read the West Hawaii Today's report of the Governor's visit: WEST HAWAII TODAY Saturday, November 3, 2012

And refer to my related blog posting - DISCUSSING BOTH THE WAIMEA HUI PROJECT AND THE KAWAIHAE KAILAPA WELLNESS PARK PROJECT  HERE

MIKE HODSON explaining his vision and action plan, in company of some of the homesteaders he is helping to construct greenhouses for their land:

1. First: to Give
The Pantry (Mama's House) in collaboration with many other community groups is hosting a community wide thankgiving celebration for all of our Waimea community: everyone can donate their time, food, talent, $, rides for seniors: Please fill out the attached form and deliver to Beth Mehau/Mama's House/the PAntry or mail or fax as shown below.... do now before you forget... be part of our community effort.

2. Second: to Receive
Join one of the Na Waihi Pana 'O Waimea events and appreciate - malama - the heritage of your home community[see flyer below] For more information call Micah Hodson at 960-1900 or email him at waimeahomestead@gmail.com

Read Big Island Chronicle's  "Politics - Why Council candidates think they'll be more effective than their opponents."  HERE

The interviews include myself, Margaret Wille, and my opponent Sonny Shimaoka.

Read:  West HAWAII TODAY (11-1-12)
article: " Fire ants: Little pest, big problem invading isle" HERE



In 2008 I attended meetings in Waimea, North Kohala, and Hamakua,  held by the Kohala Center and consultants who were planning the drafting of the County Ag Plan.  At one of the initial Waimea meetings those in attendance each presented their viewpoint of the future of agriculture in the Hawaii County. Some of the farmers repeatedly warned however -- that if the little red fire ant is allowed to take hold on our island the results will be catastrophic.   When I spoke I suggested that if this little red fire ant threat is so great, there is no time to wait for some provision to be put in the Hawaii County Ag plan and hope for the best that the County and the State will take heed and take appropriate action. So we as a group put together a petition to the County Council to initiate a pro-active plan. We all signed a big poster page asking for ACTION now on this LRFA threat.  I helped draft the Resolution and sought support from around the Island. Here is the 2008 Resolution sponsored by Councilman Pete Hoffmann: Resolution #816-08   "Resolution Requesting the County of Hawai'i to Immediately Initiate A Campaign to Protect Hawai'i Island from the Invasive Little Red Fire Ant"  Dated December 17, 2008.

Here is some of what was requested of the Administration in that Resolution:

1. establishing a county LRFA task force (hasn't happened);

2. mapping of the infestation (still needed an organized effort to map current infestations);

3.
advocate at state level (still needed)

4. start a public education
campaign -- e.g. how to identify these ants, how to prevent their
spread; what to do if you find a colony on your property ( NEED MUCH MORE OF THIS ASAP.

Councilwoman Brenda Ford has helped with some educating and
sponsored a presentation by Cas Vanderwoude on February 19, 2010.   [HERE  is Councilwoman Ford's letter explaining the need for this presentation on the LRFA]

CURRENT STATUS: To my knowledge our County administration however has taken no substantial precautionary actions during the past several years.

BUT HERE IS SOME GOOD NEWS from UH: The University of Hawaii has a Hawaii Ant Lab project and is recommending a new LRFA GEL BAIT.  The recipe and more information about this crisis is available at UH website HERE

FOR MORE IMFORMATION: read my previous blogs on this topic read
--Hawaii County Can't Take Too Few Precautions to Fight the Advancing Invasion of Little Red Fire Ants  HERE
--The Little Red Fire Ant Invasion is Upon Us. We (the state, the county, and us residents) Must Face this Problem as a Crisis HERE
-- And read the 2/2/10 West Hawaii Today commentary by Nancy Redfeather "Invasive
species must be controlled" : HERE

To understand the significance of this problem keep in mind that farmland areas infested by this noxious  invasive species, are
now deserted - totally abandoned - because the farmers were unable to eradicate this pest. So sad that the harm is also great to animals and birds which are blinded from this pest.  And look out for painful bits to us humans... these arts can spread over a child in a wink of time and end up in the hospital -- with pain lasting for days.

Interviews with County Council District 9 Candidates Margaret Wille and Sonny Shimaoka HERE
Read responses side by side: (Sonny Shimaoka however did not answer many of the questions)

And read the interviews with other state and local candidates.

These written interviews carried out by Kanu Hawaii -October 2012

READ THE  BIG ISLAND WEEKLY'S MAYORAL AND CONTESTED CASE COUNTY COUNCIL CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIRE INTERVIEWS  (10/31/12 by Roger Harris) :   HERE

Both Mayoral candidates Billy Kenoi and Harry Kim received the questionnaire.
Harry Kim responded. Billy Kenoi did not respond.

The candidates in District 6 and 9 received the interview questionnaires.

In District 9, I , Margaret Wille, responded. My opposition, Sonny Shimaoka, did not respond.

In District 6, candidate Brenda Ford responded. Her opposition, Maile David, did not respond.

The questions asked included the following topics: Your legacy, Helco/electric rates, farms/farming, Roadways and Paths.

Vivian Green and the other Waikoloa folks who published "This We Believe", were kind to include an article I had drafted about my adventure creating the County Council Redistricting Plan alternative that became the final base map for our current County Council  Redistricting Plan.

 This recently published  book includes outstanding articles and art work by many writers and artists around the Waikoloa Region.

You can purchase a copy of "This We Believe"  at Ackerman Gallery in Kapa’au, The Gallery at Bamboo in Hawi, Gallery of Great Things in Waimea, Harbor Gallery in Kawaihae, Kona Bay Books in the Old Industrial Area, Kona Stories in Keauhou, Waikoloa Golf Pro Shop, Waikoloa Mailbox, and Waikoloa Village Association.

Shown below are the Cover Page, my publication "Making Pono Happen", and the complete Table of Contents.