MEDIA RELEASE

New extension publications advise farmers in developing value-added products from sustainably grown high-value crops

Holualoa, North Kona, Hawai‘i—A series of new extension publications about high value crops including chocolate, coffee, tea, and vanilla has just been published. The photo-rich booklets focus on management, production, marketing and value-added processing in Hawai’i and the Pacific region. Specialty crops such as these provide a rapidly growing economic opportunity for farmers and gardeners who are interested in diversifying their crops and who are willing to innovate their production methods, post-harvest processing, and marketing. This project promotes high quality food, fiber, and healthcare crops grown in diverse agroforestry systems to provide family farms both food self-reliance and commercial opportunities. Project outcomes include increased adoption of culturally and environmentally appropriate specialty crops, micro-enterprise development, community food self-reliance, and sustainable multi-crop agroforestry systems, thereby supporting economic and ecological viability of our island communities.

These publications are part of a series of specialty crop booklets designed to promote agroforestry and value-added product development in the Pacific. Experts from throughout Hawai’i and the Pacific region authored the materials. The specialty crop series is being coordinated by Craig Elevitch of Permanent Agriculture Resources in Holualoa, Hawai’i with funding from the USDA Western Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program and the County of Hawai’i Department of Research and Development in partnership with the Big Island Resource Conservation and Development Council.

The publications can be downloaded for free at http://agroforestry.net/scps