Pacific Quest Foundation helps to steward a healthy island community by contributing to existing 501(c)(3) organizations on Hawai’i. Over the years since our founding, Pacific Quest has developed relationships with over 60 local non-profit organizations through donations from our company, employees and clients. The PQ Foundation was created to continue this tradition of stewardship.
The Pacific Quest Foundation has recently awarded a grant to the HIP Agriculture High School Mentorship and Apprenticeship Program. We had the opportunity to interview Dash Kuhr, the Executive Director and Lead Educator at HIP Agriculture to learn more about this incredible program and how they are influencing the Big Island community.
Can you tell me a little about HIP’s background info and how it got started?
We have two locations in Kapaau (northern part of the Big Island) the Halawa Campus which serves as the headquarters of HIP Agriculture and includes staff housing, classroom, office, design studio, and library as well as student kitchen, outdoor showers, community stage and outdoor classroom. We also have the ʻIole Garden, which is the main pacific-style agroforestry garden, where students have the opportunity to study a more traditional indigenous system of agriculture.
HIP was founded in Spring 2011 and has been growing since! We now have a team of eight adults we can financially support and a seasonal 6 week internship program. The foundation of our program is based on the 3 pillars:
- Youth education
- Farmer training
- Community outreach
HIP Agriculture is “Committed to educating and empowering the next generation of young farmers, The Hawai’i Institute of Pacific Agriculture offers a variety of programs designed to engage Hawai’i’s youth in sustainable agriculture, land stewardship, and healthy lifestyles.”
What are some of the projects and programs HIP is currently working on? How many students do you all work with?
We serve about 1,000 students, offering field trips, after school programs and in-class presentations. We work with Kohala elementary school, as well as middle school and high school students from Honokaa, Waimea, and Waikoloa. For the elementary and middle school students, we bring workshops and activities to supplement their science curriculum – compost and micro-organisms, pollinators and beekeeping, nutrition and cooking from the garden, and native Hawaiian plants – identification and their uses.
Middle school students have classes on plant propagation, traditional lashing, seed saving and mycology. High school students have classes in advanced plant propagation, ecosystem dynamics, advanced beekeeping and advanced mycology.
Our high school mentorship and apprenticeship program has 23 students. The students assist in preparing and planting the fields, laying out irrigation, fertilizing and maintenance. They learn a variety of hands on skills – including compost, harvesting protocol, fertilizer management, soil testing, ph testing, soil work, observation, and recording notes and data. We have an apprenticeship program over the summer which provides a paid educational stipend.
Future goals of HIP and how can people help?
Our goal is to create a hui network of farmers to supply food to the local cafeterias. We are also honing our curriculum so this program can be utilized in other locations. In addition, we host volunteer days and always need help! We will have the Kohala Aina Festival in October and special events including Farm to Table and Full Moon gatherings.
Written by: Yvette Slagle
