Student Organic Farm Training Program
SOFT (Student Organic Farm Training) is a student run program through CTAHR (College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources) which seeks to provide a mechanism for students interested in agriculture to gain hands on experience in crop production systems. This organization has taken on various forms that directly reflect the interests and actions of the active group of students over the years since its formation in 2007.
SOFT was established under the auspices of CTAHR, with the general intent of providing active learning opportunities for agriculture students. SOFT has the potential to provide the basis of an incredible platform to supplement the curriculum of various CTAHR departments and programs, while simultaneously serving the university community and contributing to local food production. Although most of the active students are CTAHR majors and most of the collaborators CTAHR based, the program is, and strives to remain open to any university students, staff or faculty who wish to be involved or can aid in the growth of the program.
Our vision is to be a campus-integrated, sustainable, farm-to-table, food systems training and production program where its operation is the mechanism of education
Our mission is to create an interactive and integrated learning environment for University of Hawai'i at Manoa students that highlights the role of ecological processes in sustainable food production. In addition, this program aims to provide opportunities for students interested in sustainable agriculture to develop skills in production, business management, marketing, organization, writing, and leadership.
Activities:
⚫ A two-hour market is held on campus, where crops are sold to fund the program and students have direct interaction with customers, once a week.
⚫ A 9AM-5PM Saturday workday is held at the Magoon facility where crops are maintained
⚫ A 8AM-9AM general meeting is held on Tuesday mornings on campus.
⚫ A 4PM-6PM Thursday workday is held on campus every other week.
⚫ The Noelani Elementary School first grade class comes over to Magoon for an interactive gardening lesson once a month.
Check out our website at:
http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/sustainag/soft/
"Like" us on Facebook! <--Click
SOFT was established under the auspices of CTAHR, with the general intent of providing active learning opportunities for agriculture students. SOFT has the potential to provide the basis of an incredible platform to supplement the curriculum of various CTAHR departments and programs, while simultaneously serving the university community and contributing to local food production. Although most of the active students are CTAHR majors and most of the collaborators CTAHR based, the program is, and strives to remain open to any university students, staff or faculty who wish to be involved or can aid in the growth of the program.
Our vision is to be a campus-integrated, sustainable, farm-to-table, food systems training and production program where its operation is the mechanism of education
Our mission is to create an interactive and integrated learning environment for University of Hawai'i at Manoa students that highlights the role of ecological processes in sustainable food production. In addition, this program aims to provide opportunities for students interested in sustainable agriculture to develop skills in production, business management, marketing, organization, writing, and leadership.
Activities:
⚫ A two-hour market is held on campus, where crops are sold to fund the program and students have direct interaction with customers, once a week.
⚫ A 9AM-5PM Saturday workday is held at the Magoon facility where crops are maintained
⚫ A 8AM-9AM general meeting is held on Tuesday mornings on campus.
⚫ A 4PM-6PM Thursday workday is held on campus every other week.
⚫ The Noelani Elementary School first grade class comes over to Magoon for an interactive gardening lesson once a month.
Check out our website at:
http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/sustainag/soft/
"Like" us on Facebook! <--Click
Sustainable UH
In 2009, a dynamic student group called the HUB (Help Us Bridge) at the University of Hawaii made history by launching Sustainable UH with the mission of serving those establishing the system as a world leader in sustainable research, practices and education.
Faculty and student leaders on each campus rallied the resources of their communities to replicate the proven successes of the Sustainable Saunders initiative, which reduced one building'senergy use by $149,900 in one year -- without spending a cent -- simply by bringing the lighting and air conditioning into healthy levels. Each of the ten campuses implemented similar projects, saving Hawaii's taxpayers $1.5 million in the first year, creating enough energy savings to pay for the program and earn a significant return on investment.
UH also assigned an " S designation " for all sustainability-related courses and created undergraduate and graduate certificates, programs and degrees, leveraging the unique strength of each campus. A sustainability honors program was created with state-of-the-art eco-dorm, café, zero-energy gym, and student-life center. A system-wide internship program empowered students to perform energy, waste and water audits for organizations and businesses throughout Hawaii, propelling the state toward energy independence, while retaining our best and brightest for Hawaii's now prestigious green work force.
The engaging dynamic of the entire program that included Earth Day events, an online social networking, and extensive community outreach, created a ripple effect in the culture of the campuses and throughout Hawaii as the greater community experienced the ease and money-saving benefits of sustainable solutions.
Sustainable Saunders continued as the first of many living laboratories for pilot projects, beginning with a cutting-edge wind turbine and an energy competition experiment that were replicated throughout the system. Over the last decade, these and other efforts of Sustainable UH have created exponential growth in savings leading to the elimination of the system's electricity bill, with campuses now functioning as energy producers.
Thanks to a decade of money-saving and money-generating ventures, donations and sponsorships from the supportive friends of the University system, UH is known world-wide as the model for integrating sustainability into higher education, while evolving a campus into a net energy producer and sustainability showcase. Sustainable UH is an inspiring example of how a passionate and dedicated grassroots initiative can grow into local and global leadership by helping to bridge everyone in the community.
Check out our website at:http://sustainable.hawaii.edu/index.html
Faculty and student leaders on each campus rallied the resources of their communities to replicate the proven successes of the Sustainable Saunders initiative, which reduced one building'senergy use by $149,900 in one year -- without spending a cent -- simply by bringing the lighting and air conditioning into healthy levels. Each of the ten campuses implemented similar projects, saving Hawaii's taxpayers $1.5 million in the first year, creating enough energy savings to pay for the program and earn a significant return on investment.
UH also assigned an " S designation " for all sustainability-related courses and created undergraduate and graduate certificates, programs and degrees, leveraging the unique strength of each campus. A sustainability honors program was created with state-of-the-art eco-dorm, café, zero-energy gym, and student-life center. A system-wide internship program empowered students to perform energy, waste and water audits for organizations and businesses throughout Hawaii, propelling the state toward energy independence, while retaining our best and brightest for Hawaii's now prestigious green work force.
The engaging dynamic of the entire program that included Earth Day events, an online social networking, and extensive community outreach, created a ripple effect in the culture of the campuses and throughout Hawaii as the greater community experienced the ease and money-saving benefits of sustainable solutions.
Sustainable Saunders continued as the first of many living laboratories for pilot projects, beginning with a cutting-edge wind turbine and an energy competition experiment that were replicated throughout the system. Over the last decade, these and other efforts of Sustainable UH have created exponential growth in savings leading to the elimination of the system's electricity bill, with campuses now functioning as energy producers.
Thanks to a decade of money-saving and money-generating ventures, donations and sponsorships from the supportive friends of the University system, UH is known world-wide as the model for integrating sustainability into higher education, while evolving a campus into a net energy producer and sustainability showcase. Sustainable UH is an inspiring example of how a passionate and dedicated grassroots initiative can grow into local and global leadership by helping to bridge everyone in the community.
Check out our website at:http://sustainable.hawaii.edu/index.html