At the University of Hawaiʻi Maui College or university, educators have launched the Adapting Precision Farming Technologies for Sustainable Aquaponics Methods in Hawaiʻi project at the campus’ WaiPono Farm aquaponics and hydroponics greenhouse with funding from USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). The task focuses on expanding workforce education employing precision agriculture systems in aquaponics programs.
“This task will handle important neighborhood training desires applicable for local agriculture,” explained Chancellor Lui Hokoana. “The possible impacts of the job involve advancing awareness in the application of precision agriculture technologies in aquaponics output techniques and creating sustainable food items techniques in Hawaiʻi for food stuff security and neighborhood resiliency.”
The challenge will produce a new system to improve the college’s agricultural workforce coaching with a intention of teaching contributors aged 16+ in Hawaiʻi. It contains a 16-week apprenticeship-based mostly workforce training plan involving 80 several hours of compensated operate-based learning at the WaiPono Farm web site, culminating in the award of the Sustainable Aquaponics Method Certificate of Experienced Advancement and Aquaponics Apprenticeship Certificate of Qualified Development.
The task also aims to evaluate the success of integrating domestically sourced fish feed and nutritious native crops by way of student-led initiatives that combine distant monitoring equipment and details assessment and increase the variety of students pursuing higher education and job pathways in agriculture, with a least of 70% continuing schooling and/or employment in agriculture-linked fields.
The Sustainable Living Institute of Maui released the WaiPono Farm in 2016 to create, model and market impressive, sustainable foodstuff programs approaches and methods in managed setting greenhouses in urban and rural settings working with aquaponics and hydroponics rising technologies, ability-building frameworks and training applications to assist food stability, financial growth by way of food innovation and regenerative agriculture.
“In the wake of the global pandemic and its adverse impact on the workforce in Hawaiʻi, finding out precision farming skills and technology in the utilized environment of aquaponics methods retains the possible to assistance efficient, efficient and productive agricultural methods for new and founded farmers,” Hokoana explained.
Photo: Pupils in the apprenticeship method showcase the new deliver elevated in hydroponic techniques. Courtesy of the University of Hawaiʻi Maui Higher education.
