Poinsettias grow in the greenhouse at the University of Hawaii Maui College Molokai Farm. Photo courtesy University of Hawaii Maui College

When folks think of UH Maui College, they picture our Kahului campus. Many may not know that education centers on Molokai and Lāna’i are also part of our UHMC ‘ohana. As this year comes to a close, we take you to Molokai for a story filled with hope for the future of that island.

We acquired the 28-acre Molokai Farm property in 1982. It has been used for training and education, for community workshops and, for almost four decades, it hosted a kalo festival. Because agriculture has changed so significantly over the years, we launched The Molokai Farm Visioning Project in 2024 to get community input on how best to utilize this valuable resource. Eighty-four community members and 14 students answered the call. There was widespread agreement that the farm should be revitalized because, in the words of our Molokai Site Coordinator Kelley Dudoit, “it represents more than an academic program or a physical space — for us it’s a way of life.” An ambitious five-year plan emerged that aims to ensure the future of the farm as a hub for hands-on agriculture learning, workforce development, ‘āina-based practices that support Molokai food sovereignty and local economy, the perpetuation of Native Hawaiian culture, and the fostering of collaboration and interdisciplinary learning.

The new Farm Manager is ‘Ōlelo Schonely Spencer, who is also our Workforce Development Coordinator. “We began with the infrastructure — we completely rebuilt the interior of the 5,000 square-foot greenhouse/nursery including the irrigation system,” she explains. “The space is now 100% operational. And that made it possible for our Fall 2025 Greenhouse and Nursery Management students to grow poinsettias for holiday sales.”

One of the community participants in the program was Kyle Franks, the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) Extension Agent for the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience (CTAHR) on Molokai. In addition to supporting homestead lessees, education is at the core of his work. “A wide range of thoughtful ideas emerged, with education consistently identified as a major priority,” says Franks. “I believe this feedback directly influenced the decision to focus initial efforts on the ‘compound’ area — particularly the greenhouse and its management — during the first phase of development, as well as bringing in educators to begin teaching both credit and non-credit courses.” That’s exactly what happened over the course of the Fall 2025 semester. Franks taught a non-credit course focused on plant propagation and a short course focused on tree grafting.

Internships are also integral to the five-year plan. Kaloku Ritte and Lexi Bishaw-Juario were the Fall 2025 interns. They did a presentation about their experiences at last month’s Fall 2025 StemWorks Ag Business & Technology Internship Showcase. They were very busy, indeed!

They cultivated garden starts by prepping soil, transplanting seedlings, and taking care of their plants all the way until they were ready for sale. And then they did sell them so that the community could have access to healthy plants they could continue to cultivate at home.

They did field planting — tilling the soil, starting soy bean crops, laying irrigation lines, and putting down ground cover. “Working in the field taught us how much planning goes into farming,” says Kaloku. Farm maintenance was a big part of their internship, as well – pruning trees, harvesting crops, pulling weeds, managing pests.

They built mini-greenhouses. “We cut fiberglass roofing, added mesh, sealed the bases, and painted them,” says Lexi. “It felt good building something that future students will get to use.”

The kalo project was one of their favorites and the most meaningful because of the cultural connection. “We helped build raised beds, mixed soil and mulch, and set up irrigation,” says Kaloku. They learned how to handle and space the huli so the kalo has the best chance of growing strong.

“My hope for the future is to see the farm develop into a stable, well-managed nursery that consistently produces a wide range of high-quality plant material,” says Kyle Franks. “I believe it is off to a strong start, and UHMC has capable leadership in place to continue moving things in a positive direction. I appreciate that UHMC has already been creating opportunities for youth engagement, and I hope to see those efforts continue and expand over time.” We plan to do our very best.

To learn more about the Molokai Education Center, please visit https://maui.hawaii.edu/molokai For complete information about UH Maui College, please visit http://maui.hawaii.edu/.

Dr. Lui K. Hokoana is Chancellor of the University of Hawaiʻi Maui College. Ka’ana Mana’o, which means “sharing thoughts,” is scheduled to appear on the fourth Thursday of each month. It is prepared with assistance from UH-Maui College staff and is intended to provide the community of Maui County with information about opportunities available through the college at its Kahului campus and its education centers.