Soil Health Farmer Training Program
About the Farmer Soil Health Program
The Hawaiʻi Soil Health Network (HSHN) was formed to continue the project entitled: Accelerating the Adoption of Soil Health Practices by Farms in Hawai’i through Cohort-based Training which was funded through a cooperative agreement between the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service Pacific Islands Area (NRCS PIA) and Oʻahu RC&D. The curriculum and resources developed through this program are now available to the general public and include videos and materials recorded during in-person and online workshops held from 2022-2024 with producers on Oʻahu, Kauaʻi, Maui and Hawaiʻi Island, along with both local and national researchers, technical advisors, extension agents and the University of Hawaiʻi S(HEE)R – Soil Health Environment and Ecosystem Resilience Lab.
The HSHN extends to growers on all islands and is intended to share resources, skills, and inspiration to help make soil health monitoring and management more accessible, easy and affordable. The courses are organized by the steps of the soil health planning process, starting with foundational courses, followed by courses on how to routinely test and assess indicators for soil health, develop on-farm trials of various soil health practices, and a strategy for integrating selected practices into a comprehensive management system. Features on local Soil Health Innovators are intended to provide a source of inspiration while sharing technical information on some of the soil health practices and systems that are being used successfully by local farmers across the islands.
Soil Health Course Sessions
Session 1: Soil Health Foundations
Introduction to the foundations of soil health, focusing on how improved soil health can contribute to healthier and more productive crops. The overlap between soil health and soil fertility will be explained with a focus of how a farmer applies this knowledge in their operation.
Session 2: Resources for Observing, Monitoring & Increasing Understanding of On-Farm Soil Health
The purpose of this session is to work with farmers to share some of the ‘best available information’, tools, Native Hawaiian ‘ike, farm mentors, local service providers and researchers to support the observation and monitoring of on-farm soil health.
Session 3: Practices to Improve Soil Health & Soil Fertility
This session focuses on resources and practices local farmers and researchers are curently using to improve soil health and soil fertiilty.
Session 4: Soil Health Plans & Costing
This session demonstrates the process for developing a farm-level soil health plan.
Soil Health Training for Technical Service Providers
Qualified producers and agriculture professionals in Hawai’i can now become certified Technical Service Providers (TSPs) with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).
Features on Farmer Soil Health Practices
We’re excited to share technical features highlighting the innovative practices farmers are using across the island to restore on-farm ecological services through improved soil health and function. These features are intended to be shared as part of a Hawai’i Farmers Soil Health Network. The network was developed through a three year project organized and administered by Oahu RC&D through a cooperative agreement with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Pacific Islands Area State Office. The effort included cohorts of farmers held on Oahu, Maui, Kauai, and Hawai’i Island with each tailored to the predominant soil types and based on the main management challenges associated with these soil types. Each cohort will include workshop sessions delivered over several months. The workshop series is designed to walk participants through the process of testing and identifying in-field indicators of soil health, setting soil health goals, identifying management practices that can help reach these goals, and integrating these practices into their farm design and operations. The training sessions include a viability model and system for routinely measuring improvements over time. Farmers participating in the cohorts worked closely with the UH Soil Health Environment and Ecosystem Resilience Lab, S(HEE)R Lab to assess indicators of soil health on their farm and develop systems for measuring improvements over time. Working with local experts and each other, farmers in the network explored ways to hone existing practices and develop cost-effective alternatives for managing organic matter levels, soil aggregate structure, compaction and soil organism habitat. These practices are contributing to a growing body of knowledge about practices relevant to Hawaii.
This month, we’re featuring Hewitt Farms. Hewitt Farm was historically farmed intensively in sweet potato and sugar cane, but has been under new management for the past three years. The producer’s main objective is establishing and maintaining a perennial ground cover with an appropriate nitrogen-fixing plant to rapidly improve soil organic matter (SOM) levels, nutrient cycling and soil aggregate structure. Prior to adopting this practice, the producer reviewed local research, including Benefits and Costs of Using Perennial Peanut as Living Mulch for Fruit Trees in Hawai‘i . Local trials with perennial peanut varieties 3, such as those conducted with Rusty’s Coffee Farm were encouraging, showing rapid increases in SOM and Total Organic Carbon (TOC).
To read the full profile on Hewitt Farms, please click here. Stay tuned to view upcoming videos and features of the practices being used across the islands in a range of operations, from diversified market gardens to orchard and agroforestry systems.
