Kapulena Agricultural Park

Former Hamakua Sugar Harvesting Supervisor Chip Luscomb provides a briefing on the "lay of the land" on a tour of the County's Kapulena lands which are being considered for a county agricultural park.
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Honoka'a, Hawaii -- An agricultural park in Kapulena is a major initiative being proposed by Big Island Mayor Billy Kenoi as a way of putting idle county land back into productive agricultural use. The former sugar lands, which were turned over to county following the close of Hamakua Sugar Company was to settle real property taxes which were owed to the county. The approximately 1,700 acres of land have sat idle for the past 15 years.
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A site visit to the property was recently held for community leaders, agricultural stakeholders, and various federal, state and county agencies who will be called upon to insure the success of this program. Participants were given a briefing at the Jack Wayne ILWU Hall in town and then boarded vans for the two hour tour of the parcel which included a stop at Mike Olival's property adjacent to the County property and at the lower Hamakua Ditch which boarders the makai edge of the parcel.
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Following the tour, participants were encouraged to volunteer for working groups on water, land use, education, and finance. An over-all steering committee will help to over see coordination of the working groups and to keep the process moving foward. A follow-up meeting is planned for early January, 2010 to continue the process.
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While planned use for the parcel is very tentative, field crops, orchards, and pasture land are among the proposals. A center piece for the ag park is a community garden and educational component which will allow for access by residents of the area and will help to grow the net generation of future farmers.
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Tour participants view the lowever Hamakua Ditch which is seen as a primary water source for agricultral ventures in the ag park.