Links and Resources

Soil Health and Fertility
Soils of Hawai'i
Biological nitrogen fixation: nature’s partnership for sustainable agricultural production
Mycorrhizal fungi and plant nutrition
Organic soil amendments for sustainable agriculture: organic sources of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium
Cover Crop and Green Manure Database
Advice on obtaining seeds for green manure and cover crops in Hawaii
Impact of organic inputs on taro production and returns
Manual on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus production and inoculation techniques
Nitrogen mineralization potential in important agricultural soils of Hawaii
Organic farming in Hawaii (special issue of Vegetable Crops Update newsletter)
Testing for soil nitrogen and phosphorus for environmental pollution monitoring
Testing your soil--why and how to take a soil-test sample

Composting
Composted animal manures: precautions and processing
Composted swine manure for vegetable crop application
Backyard composting, recycling a natural product
Composting worms for Hawaii
Small-scale vermicomposting

Pest control
Using clovers as living mulches to boost yields, suppress pests, and augment spiders in a broccoli agroecosystem
An ally in the war against nematode pests: Using sunn hemp as a cover crop to suppress root-knot nematodes
Collecting plant disease and insect pest samples for problem diagnosis
Protecting crops from nematode pests: Using marigold as an alternative to chemical nematicides
Calibrating your sprayer
Green Manure Crops that can help to control Nematodes in Dryland Taro (video)

Food safety
E. coli O157:H7 and the spinach scare

Biotechnology
Attitudes of Hawaii consumers toward genetically modified fruit
Is organic papaya production in Hawaii threatened by cross-pollination with genetically engineered varieties?
Agricultural biotechnology in Hawaii
Crop improvement by conventional breeding or genetic engineering: How different are they?
Results from a Hawaii opinion survey on genetically modified organisms
Use of biotechnology in agriculture--benefits and risks

Virtual Field Day (video)

GENERAL INFORMATION ON ORGANIC FARMING

View downloadable presentations from CTAHR's Organic Workshops (fall 2006).

Visit ATTRA Organic Farming, for introductory information on all aspects of
organic production. This website has downloadable publications for organic
fruits, vegetables, flowers, herbs, field crops, livestock, pest control,
fertilizers, marketing, regulation and certification. For a list of their
organic publications, view Guide to ATTRA's Organic Publications (downloadable
Adobe Acrobat file).

International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements is an international
organization for organic agriculture. The website offers the IFOAM Training
Manual for Organic Agriculture in the Tropics. Although designed for
agricultural educators, the content gives an excellent introduction to organic
production in tropical regions.

Organic Fruits and Vegetables from the Tropics (large pdf file) This UNCTAD
(United Nations Conference on Trade and Development) publication is an
excellent reference for tropical organic fruit and vegetable production.

Transitioning to Organic Production: USDA's Sustainable Agriculture Network
(SAN) 32 page publication (downloadable Adobe Acrobat PDF) features farmer
profiles to explain how conventional farmers can move into organic production
methods.

Insect Pest Management for Organic Crops, UC Davis
Plant Disease Management for Organic Crops, UC Davis
Postharvest Handling for Organic Crops, UC Davis
Soil Fertility Management for Organic Crops, UC Davis
Soil Management and Soil Quality for Organic Crops, UC Davis
Weed Management for Organic Crops, UC Davis

Organic Agriculture at FAO

Organic Coffee Production (CTAHR video)

Organic Farming in Hawaii (downloadable Adobe Acrobat PDF file) is an issue of
CTAHR Vegetable Crops Update (April 1999) authored by Ted Radovich and
Hector Valenzuela (hector@hawaii.edu) which overviews organic farming in our
state.

Sustainable Agriculture in Hawai'i: CTAHR's website for sustainable agriculture, with links on topics such as: agricultural entrepreneurship, sustainable and organic production, environmental topics, sustainable animal production, sustainable agriculture programs and international organizations.

The Cover Crop and Green Manure database, hosted by the CTAHR Sustainable
Agriculture website, provides information on various species used as cover
crops and green manure in the state.

MARKETING ORGANIC PRODUCTS

The USDA Economic Research Service has a briefing website on organic farming and marketing with an overview of organic production in the US, updated statistics on the growth of this sector of agriculture and valuable links.

Buy Fresh, Buy Local! CTAHR is partnering with the Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation (HFBF) and the Hawaii Department of Agriculture (HDOA) in a statewide effort to help increase demand for, consumption of, and familiarity with locally grown commodities. For information about the campaign, connect to the "Buy Fresh, Buy Local - Island Fresh" support website.

ORGANIZATIONS

Hawaii Organic Farmers Association has a newsletter, hosts workshops and field
days, and provides certification services under the USDA's National Organic
Program.

Hawaii Cooperative of Organic Farmers (HICOF): PO Box 728, Waialua, HI 96791. Telephone: (808) 637-4555, email: info@hicof.org

The Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) specializes in the review of
substances for use in organic production, processing, and handling.

The Organic Farming Research Foundation is a non-profit whose mission is to
sponsor research related to organic farming practices, to disseminate research
results to organic farmers and to growers interested in adopting organic
production systems, and to educate the public and decision-makers about organic
farming issues.

The USDA National Organic Program website contains extensive information about
organic production for both producers and consumers, including regulation and
certification updates, Q&A and press releases.

FUNDING

Cost Sharing for Organic Certification: Hawaii DOA grant program. Contact HDOA's Market Development Branch at (808) 973-9595.