Corteva Agriscience December 2021 Newsletter

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Aloha from Corteva Agriscience!

NEWS FROM OUR FARMS

Mele Kalikimaka me ka Hau‘oli Makahiki Hou from our Corteva Hawai‘i ‘ohana to yours! Wishing you a wonderful Christmas filled with joy and love. 🎄

Thousands of pumpkins grown at Corteva distributed throughout Kaua‘i

This fall, Corteva Hawai‘i grew thousands of pumpkins in Kekaha and came together with the Kekaha Agriculture Association on Oct. 17 to distribute more than 4,000 pumpkins to the Kaua‘i community. Corteva Hawai‘i and Hartung Brothers produced all of the pumpkins that were distributed at various places including a Kamehameha Schools vaccine clinic in Anahola, high school football in Hanapepe, the Pau Hana Market at Kukui Grove, The Shops at Kukui‘ula, The Grove Farm Market and ‘Aina Ho‘okupu o Kilauea.

Normally the pumpkins are given away at the Harvest Festival with all-day activity including inflatables, food, music and, of course, the pumpkins. But with the COVID-19 restrictions, organizers had to limit the number of people at the Kekaha Neighborhood Center, so they decided to do this as a drive-thru event.

In addition to the pumpkins, the Kekaha Agriculture Association bought 1,000 pounds of tomatoes from Pablo and Sally Valdez and 600 pounds of dragonfruit to be distributed with the pumpkins.

The islandwide effort was the result of a lot of hands, including Corteva Agriscience, Hartung Brothers, Alexander & Baldwin, Kaliance o Koloa, the Kekaha Agriculture Association, Kaua‘i County Farm Bureau, County of Kaua‘i, Kaua‘i Shrimp, Grove Farm, Bayer, Kamehameha Schools, Garden Isle Disposal, the U.S. Navy Pacific Missile Range Facility, Hawai‘i Foodbank Kaua‘i Branch, Pepsi, Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative, AES and the Hawai‘i Health Systems Corporation Kaua‘i Region.

KHON2 & Hawaii News Now feature Corteva Hawai‘i’s first-ever virtual sunflower tours

In September, Corteva Hawai‘i launched an all-immersive, 360-degree virtual reality tour of our 2021 sunflower grow out to educate local students and residents on the agricultural industry in Hawai‘i. Viewers could take an educational and breathtaking tour through the sunflower fields and the Waialua Parent Seed location.

This free, virtual tour was posted on Corteva’s U.S. YouTube channel and used to educate and bring awareness to Corteva Hawai‘i. Since Sept. 30, the YouTube video has gained more than 30,000 views. The story earned top media hits on Hawaii News Now and KHON2.

Corteva Agriscience Hawai‘i 360-degree Virtual Reality Sunflower Tour

Corteva makes it on Hawai‘i Business’ Most Charitable Companies List 2021

This year we’re proud to announce that Corteva Hawai‘i is one of 51 companies on Hawai‘i Business’ Most Charitable Companies list, which recognizes the people and initiatives that make Hawai‘i a better place.

We're grateful that we can support the communities we live and work in! In 2020, our amazing employees have volunteered about 270 hours and given more than $43,000 in cash and in-kind donations to nonprofits including Kaua‘i United Way, American Cancer Society, Kaua‘i Independent Foodbank, Hawai‘i Foodbank, Rotary Club of Kaua‘i Foundation.

AG IN ACTION

Corteva partners with community to give away trees on Arbor Day

On Nov. 7, Corteva Hawai‘i partnered with the Kaua‘i Industry Council, the Kukui Grove Center, the Kaulunani Urban &Community Forestry Program, Alexander & Baldwin, and numerous plant growers and volunteers to put on the 17th Annual Arbor Day Tree & Plant Giveaway. Approximately 1,000 trees were distributed for free in a drive-thru format at the Kalepa Road parking lot at Kukui Grove.

Many of the trees were native plants such as alahe‘e, ko‘oko‘olau, koai‘a, kou, munroidendron, ‘ohi‘a, ‘uki‘uki, and native hibiscus species. Other non-invasive plants included the silverbush, described by a spokesperson with Kaua‘i Seascape Nursery as a rare plant, but easy to grow. Others included the mamo ‘ohai ali‘i, or a yellow poinciana variety.

Arbor Day, one of the oldest celebrations in Hawai‘i, started more than 110 years ago and is a worldwide observance dedicated to honoring, planting, and enjoying the benefits of trees.

As part of the Islands since 1968, Corteva is committed to being a good neighbor and contributing to the community.

Carrots are harvested on Kauai for Farm-to-State Program as part of Corteva’s Farmer Incubator Program

On Dec. 3, Corteva Hawai‘i’s Hawaii Research Center recently welcomed a group of legislators to tour the farm and showcase the first harvest of carrots from its farmer incubator program. The farmer is working with the DOE to get the carrots into schools so that keiki can be served fresh produce from local farms.

The goal of our incubator program is to supply farm-to-school and farm-to-state initiatives while also helping local farmers gain skills and achieve the requirements to access state land leases. Corteva Hawai‘i is committed to sustainability and consent to operate initiatives to strengthen our community here on Kauai.

Corteva Hawai‘i participates in Adopt-A-Park to beautify Waimea Canyon Park

A team of 10 Corteva Hawai‘i employees went to Waimea Canyon Park to clean and paint on Nov. 30. The outreach was part of the Adopt-A-Park program. Employees power washed the restrooms and the playground equipment and repainted the tables & benches. Special thanks to Wilfredo Adella, Rugene Arista, Danny Valdez, Roger Caoagdan, Wilfredo Prado, Joao Kopytowski, Joe Bonaccorsi, Pamela Gettler, Jian Cai, Leo Ramos, Isaac Miller, and Edgar Alvarez.

EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT

Meet Pamela Gettler, research associate at
Corteva’s Hawai‘i Research Center!

For almost two and half years, Pamela Gettler has worked

as a research associate who is responsible for implementing Corteva’s Integrated Pest Management program in the shade houses of the Hawai‘i Research Center. She performs the plant scouting and coordinates all the activities related to pest, plant diseases and spray applications.

Pamela’s father, who is a cowboy, introduced her to horses and livestock at a very early age and she became very involved in the agricultural industry. In 2014, Pamela graduated with a degree in Zootecnia (Animal Science) from the State University of Maringa. After college, she worked with dairy cows for five and a half years before moving to the U.S. in 2019.

Her favorite project at Corteva is growing pumpkins. Pamela started to coordinate the pumpkin growout in 2019 where she purchased the seeds and planted them in the shade house. After two weeks, transplant the little plants to the field where they take care of it with frequent scouting until the big harvest day arrives.

“It’s been a pleasure being part of this grandiose project that brings so much joy and happiness to so many families,” Pamela says. “What I like most about my job is the possibility to learn new things all the time. When working in the field, no day is the same. Every day there is a different challenge and that is what motivates me to improve myself. I also really love the diversity that exists in the company. We can practically travel the world just by going to work.”

During her free time, she enjoys spending quality time with her husband and little dog at home or on the beach. Pamela also loves to host parties with friends and travel when possible, especially with her family back home in Brazil.

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