Posted on: Friday, October 8, 2004

Grants

Advertiser Staff

Grants promote sustainable ag

Hawai'i agricultural producers and researchers have been awarded four grants totaling $102,551 to sustain agriculture and the environment.

The grants are from the Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program administered through Utah State University.

The program helps farmers and ranchers maintain profits and quality of life while being environmentally responsible:

Recipients were:

• Takumi Shirakawa of Shirakawa Farm in Na'alehu on the Big Island — a grant to convert waste from a fish-processing operation into marketable products such as fertilizer.

• Rich von Wellsheim of Ola Honua, Kipahulu Valley, Maui — a grant to coordinate a farmer/rancher marketing program to educate the public on the versatility of bamboo; a second grant to educate the public on the values of reintroducing forests onto unproductive pasture lands no longer useful for grazing.

• Rodrigo Almeida, University of Hawai'i assistant professor in the department of plant and environmental protection sciences — a grant to study banana bunchy disease, which has hampered banana production in the state.

Arthritis group gets $10,000

The Harry & Jeanette Weinberg Foundation presented a $10,000 check to the Arthritis Foundation at the annual "Christmas in July" luncheon.

Eunice Tubera, Arthritis Foundation volunteer, spoke about her personal experience growing up with juvenile arthritis and thanked the Weinberg Foundation for its support of local programs and services for those who suffer from this crippling disease.

Lion Coffee adopts zoo lion

Lion Coffee has adopted the Honolulu Zoo's lion, Apollo.

Apollo, whose Swahili name is Simba, is almost 19 years old. He came to the zoo when he was 6 months old.

The adoption required a $1,000 donation. Carol Arnott, coordinator of adoptions for the zoo, says that the Lion Coffee adoption is the first corporate sponsorship of the year.