Corteva Agriscience June 2022 Newsletter

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Aloha from Corteva Agriscience!

NEWS FROM OUR FARMS

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Discover four easy-to-grow vegetables to add to your
home garden from GoFarm Hawai‘i at Corteva in Waialua!

Corteva Hawai‘i has partnered with local farmers to help move the state closer to its goal of doubling local food production by 2030. We’ve developed a successful partnership with the University of Hawai‘i’s GoFarm program, one of the largest beginning farmer development programs in the nation, to provide training to a new generation of farmers. Some graduates of this program are now leasing land from Corteva and launching successful agricultural businesses

supporting local initiatives.

At Corteva, sustainability matters – for farmers, for the land, in the community and in our operations. Home gardening is a big part of living sustainably. Here are some veggies that you can grow in your own home garden and some helpful tips for growing each:

• Lettuce: prefers cool weather and loves water.

• Kale: prefers cool weather and loves water. Harvest older leaves closer to bottom of plant weekly.

• Edamame: Prefers full sun, likes hot weather, and not too much water. Cut the whole plant at base when beans have filled seed pods and are still green.

• Swiss chard: prefers cool weather and loves water. Harvest the same as kale; this is a great substitute for spinach that can be grown all year in Hawai‘i.

Watch the segment below for all the latest tips to grow your own home garden!

Watch more at: https://www.hinowdaily.com/2022/05/05/corteva-agriscience-educates-next-generation-agriculture-sustainability/

Use locally grown produce to create lettuce wraps with Moanalua High School’s culinary program!

Investing in the next generation through educational initiatives is one of the things Corteva Hawai‘i is doing to help make the Islands a better place! One of the educational initiatives Corteva is committed to is with Moanalua High School’s culinary program.

Corteva has been giving the program grant money to update and renovate its kitchen. With the renovations, students have the chance to work in an authentic work environment that would not be possible otherwise!

On this HI Now segment, Corteva brings lettuce, kale, edamame and swiss chard from the farm to Moanalua High School for its culinary students to create pork lettuce wraps! Watch as the students and Mr. Mitsuda cook up some ‘ono lettuce wraps in the kitchen!

Watch more at: https://www.hinowdaily.com/2022/05/21/corteva-agriscience-gives-back-community-through-partnership-with-moanalua-high-school/

AG IN ACTION

Corteva Hawai‘i grows red and yellow onion starters to support the Kaua‘i Veterans Memorial Hospital

In early May, our Corteva Hawai‘i team grew red and yellow onion starters and donated it to the Kaua‘i Veterans Memorial Hospital’s (KVMH) Auxillary Mother's Day plant sale. Students from Waimea High School separated and bagged the starter bulbs and members of the West Kaua‘i Lions Club sold the bags to the community. All proceeds benefit KVMH. We're grateful for opportunities to give back to the communities we live, work and play in!

Congressman Kahele and Rep. Luke tour Corteva Hawai‘i’s Kaua‘i facilities

The Hawai‘i Research Center is open to tours for school students, community leaders and elected officials. In April and May, Corteva Hawai‘i hosted two high-profile individuals for their first tour of a seed company in Hawai‘i.

On April 14, Congressman Kaiali‘i Kahele toured both Waimea and Kekaha locations. The entire seed industry in the Islands is in Congressman Kahele’s district. While on site, Congressman Kahele was able to see the GG Lab and witness the high-tech, scientific way Corteva Hawai‘i conducts plant breeding. He also visited the Kekaha shade houses and the tissue culture lab to better understand Corteva’s unique double haploid program.

On May 6, State House Finance Chair Sylvia Luke visited the Hawai‘i Research Center. Most of the bills that regulate the seed industry require funding or charge a fee, so they pass through the Rep. Luke’s committee. While in Kekaha, Rep. Luke toured the shade houses with an explanation on the process prior to walking through the facility.

These tours help members of Hawai‘i’s legislative branch at all levels better understand the work of Corteva Hawai‘i and how Hawai‘i plays an integral part in the food system around the world. These tours also help to debunk any myths or misconceptions, which then enables our government officials to approach legislation with factual information and first-hand knowledge of Corteva’s operations. We also become a resource should they have questions in the future. These are some of the ways we maintain our consent to operate in Hawai‘i.

Corteva Hawai‘i propogates hundreds of new plum cuttings to plant in Koke‘e

Since Nov. 2019, Corteva Hawai‘i’s Research Center has been propagating Koke‘e plum trees with Hui o Laka to restore the valuable community resource. After two and a half years, the Corteva Hawai‘i team on Kaua‘i planted more than 100 of these saplings into the ground at Koke‘e State Park on May 19 and 26. Earlier this year, the team also propagated 320 new plum cuttings! Next year, the team hopes to plant about 150 of these cuttings at Koke‘e State Park. Corteva Hawai‘i hopes to make this an annual project as these plums are not only nutritious, they are not invasive and have been part of Kokeeʻs rich history and culture for a century.

The unique plum variety called “Menthley” comes from South Africa and requires very little cool seasonal weather to flower and self-pollinate, which works well for the unique growing area in Hawai‘i. The trees represent a valued community resource for local families who gather plums in the fall for both eating out of hand and making a pickled delicacy called umeboshi. The trees had been declining for years, so the propagation of more plants is critical to maintain this resource.

Meet Ramon, Stephen and Loreto at Corteva’s Waialua Parent Seed!

We’re excited to introduce you to three of the newest Corteva Hawai‘i employees at Waialua – meet production technicians Loreto, Stephen and Ramon!

Most recently, Loreto (also known as Jun) started at the farm on May 16 and focuses on land prep and fallow field activities. He got his start in the agricultural industry 21 years ago working summers in the field at Dole Plantation. He looks forward to helping his team continuously improve the site, processes and increase yields. Outside of work, he enjoys taking his family to the beach, fishing, and camping.

On April 5, Stephen joined the Corteva Hawai‘i team, where he focuses on equipment operation, scouting, land prep, and more. He grew up on his family’s small goat farm, and prior to joining Corteva, he was a lifeguard and student at LCC. Stephen’s favorite part about Corteva is how friendly everyone is and how much he’s learned since starting. In his spare time, he enjoys having barbecues with friends and helping at his family’s goat farm.

Ramon started at Waialua on January 4, where his responsibilities include husking corn, ordering and picking up supplies, maintaining equipment and more. Before joining the team, Ramon was a warehouse driver for a welding company. He enjoys seeing the process from planting to shipping, and looks forward to learning more about the agriculture industry specifically in machine maintenance to help everyday operations run smoothly. Welcome Loreto, Stephen and Ramon!

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