The Ho family farm is a model operation in Hawaii. From l to r: Le Xieng, Shin, Wei Chong and Neil.
Portions of this article were written by Michael Tsai and reprinted with permission of the Honolulu Star-Advertiser
Twenty-nine year old Shin Ho, a second-generation farmer and operations manager of Ho Farms in Kahuku, Hawaii, was one of over 70 agricultural producers who attended the four-hour Immigrant Farmer Workshop recently held at the Hawaii Agricultural Research Center in Kunia.
Ho’s parents, who immigrated from Laos, started farming in Hawaii 19 years ago. Today, with Shin and her brother Neil at the helm, the farm is considered a model operation turning steady profit with its crops of tomatoes, cucumbers, beans and other vegetables.
“Farmers really have to understand the science of how to grow their crops, know how to get the most value for produce that is perishable and how to fully utilize state and federal resources,” Ho said. “We’ve used crop insurance, USDA farm loans, resource conservation and development grants and other programs to help our farm grow.”
Jason Shitanishi, FSA county executive director for Honolulu County, encouraged the producers, many of whom are embarking on their first farming venture, to think of their operations the same as they would any other formal business enterprise. “Farming is a business, not just a way of life,” Shitanishi said. “A lot comes down to being a good business person.”
Accurate business records need to be kept as these records are necessary when applying for loans, insurance, grants and other programs. Producers need to be able to show their business plan, their production, and other records. Accurate records will aid the farmer in applying for programs and obtaining the help needed to take their farming operation to the next step.
The workshop was a joint outreach project between the University of Hawaii at Manoa, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, the Cooperative Extension Service through its Local Immigrant Farmer Education Program, the Lao Farmers Association of Hawaii, and the USDA Farm Service Agency.
Jason Shitanishi spoke to the audience members and gave them information on the Reimbursement Transportation Cost Payment Program for Geographically Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers and other farm programs. T.J. Nii, Loan Officer for FSA provided information on FSA’s loan prgrams.
Other presenters included the Natural Resources Conservation Service, National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), University of Hawaii, College of Tropical Agriculture, Trust for Public Land, Hawaii Agricultural Foundation (Kunia Ag Park), Oahu Resource conservation and Development and the Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation provided information on a wide variety of programs and services.
