Support Beginning Farmers and Healthy Soils
Join us in supporting SB3197 SD2 HD1 (Farmer Apprentice Mentoring Program) and SB2989 SD1 (Healthy Soils Program).
These bills both have a hearing before the House Committee of Finance on Monday, April 4th, 2022 at 1:30 PM. This will be the last committee hearing.
Testimonies for these bills are due Sunday, April 3rd, 2022 at 1:30 PM.
About the Bills
SB3197 SD2 HD1 - Farmer Apprentice Mentorship Program (Support)
WHAT DOES THIS BILL DO?
Establishes a farmer apprentice mentoring program to train new and beginning farmers.
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?
Please feel free to use the following as talking points for your testimony. You can also write something powerful from your experience on why this issue matters to you.
New and aspiring farmers face a myriad of challenges. This includes acquiring the knowledge and skills for an adequate production and business, accessing the tools necessary to evaluate their resources, and developing feasible farming and business plans.
The future of Hawaiʻi’s farming industry, food supply, and agriculture is reliant upon increasing and diversifying the number of new, local farmers. We must introduce regenerative farming methods, enhance the long-term viability of farm businesses, utilize and build upon existing beginning farmer training methods, provide opportunities for potential farmers who are socially or financially disadvantaged, and increase support for beginning farmers who already own or manage a farm.
The more we develop a framework to support local food sourcing, the more we support our local farmers and economy.
SB2989 SD1 - Healthy Soils (Support)
WHAT DOES THIS BILL DO?
Requires the Department of Agriculture to establish a Healthy Soils Program.
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?
Please feel free to use the following as talking points for your testimony. You can also write something powerful from your experience on why this issue matters to you.
Healthy soil is the basis for establishing lasting soil that sustains communities, environmental services, farms, and farmers for generations. A Healthy Soils Program can prevent soil erosion by wind and water, which can further enhance air and water quality. It can also help address a range of important issues we face related to degraded and damaged soils by restoring and improving their biodiversity. Overall, this would positively impact the quality of our environment.
ADDITIONAL TALKING POINTS
Soil biodiversity provides fertile ground for advancing global sustainability because it integrates so many challenges including climate regulation, water quality, pollution remediation, food and fiber production, and habitat for organisms aboveground and underwater.
Healthy soil is by far the most biologically diverse part of Earth. The soil food web includes beetles, springtails, mites, worms, spiders, nematodes, fungi, bacteria, and other organisms. These organisms improve the entry and storage of water, resistance to erosion, plant nutrition, and breakdown of organic matter. These vital ecosystem services are often forgotten and even destroyed through intensive industrialized agriculture. We must move away from these practices and support biodiversity beneficial to soil health.
What You Can Do
Please submit testimony for each of these bills via the Hawaiʻi State Capitol Portal.
Share this call to action on your social media channels and spread the word! There is more power in numbers.
Stay involved and continue to testify this legislative session!
(Click here for full legislative website guide)
Thank you for standing alongside us to fight for a more just Hawaiʻi.
Together, we can heal Hawaiʻi’s broken food system.
