Reid Ginoza at 02:48, 5 June 2006

2006-06-05T02:48:03Z

Reid Ginoza at 02:58, 11 March 2006

2006-03-11T02:58:54Z

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area because it required less water
than other crops. Contracts with a
pineapple company were signed in 1926
whereby homesteaders were to supply
the company with fruit at a minimum
guaranteed price. The company was to
also provide financing and the
necessary technical assistance for
cultivating and harvesting the fruit.
The Kanahele report states that the
Commission and the homesteaders had,
by 1945, turned to pineapple as the
only viable hope for the homestead
economy. Many homesteaders were
employed by the pineapple companies.
Pineapple was growing on 4,000 acres
by 1943 and by 1951 on more than 5,800
acres, or almost all of the available
homestead agricultural lots in
Hoolehua. The companies which had the
marketing expertise provided an income
source that no other crop had
provided. Net income to homesteaders
in 1938 was $430,000, and some
homesteaders received as much as
$10,000 in a single season during the
depression. Pineapple did so well
that before long the homesteaders
were, in effect, leasing the land and
the pineapple companies were farming
the homestead acres.
On October 10, 1972, one of the
pineapple companies announced that
because of economic considerations it
was going to close its pineapple
operations on Molokai at the end of
1975, and several months later the
other company announced that it would
substantially reduce its pineapple
operations in 1977. Thus, as a result
of relying on a one-crop and twocompany
supported economy, 3,100 acres
went out of production in 1975 and
another 2,700 acres in 1978. Thus,
168 homesteaders no longer had income
from planters agreements, and 75
homesteaders, who also worked for the
pineapple companies, had' lost their
jobs. Currently, most of the 5,800
acres are unused. The "Molokai
miracle," which showed that the
agriculture program could be
successful and justified expansion of
the Home lands program, dissolved into
an economic disaster 50 years later.
According to representatives of the
Soil and Conservation Service, U.S.
Department of Agriculture, farming can
be a success on Molokai, but there are
many problems pertaining to homestead
lands that will have to be overcome
before homesteaders can achieve
success. Among these are: planting
of windbreaks to protect crops from
Hoolehua's high winds; breaking up of
the soil compacted by the roads
developed by the pineapple companies;
determining the effects of the
pesticides used by the pineapple
companies on the soil; upgrading the
soil quality; obtaining assurances
that there is a commitment on the part
of the homesteaders to develop farms;
and a redesigning of the 35-acre farm
lots which are not conducive to family
type farming because they are long and
narrow. Other problems identified
with farming on Molokai include the
lack of marketing facilities and
expertise and a dependable
transportation system to get the
products to market. DHHL hired an
agricultural expert in 1981 and is now
in the process of studying the
problems.
In addition, DHHL has been one of
the principal supporters of Maui
Community College's development of a
60-acre farm project started with $2.5
million in Federal funds. The project
was initially established to work with
teenagers, many of whom were from
homesteading families, in order to
introduce them to farming. DHHL
anticipates that the project will be
established as an institute to provide
"hands on" technical knowledge to the
native Hawaiians on the island of
Molokai.
DHHL is also working on a development
program for farms which are not
under cultivation located in the
391

@@ Line 8: / Line 8: @@
 necessary technical assistance for
 cultivating and harvesting the fruit.
 The Kanahele report states that the
 Commission and the homesteaders had,
@@ Line 30: / Line 31: @@
 the pineapple companies were farming
 the homestead acres.
 On October 10, 1972, one of the
 pineapple companies announced that
@@ Line 39: / Line 41: @@
 substantially reduce its pineapple
 operations in 1977. Thus, as a result
-of relying on a one-crop and twocompany
+of relying on a one-crop and two-company
 supported economy, 3,100 acres
 went out of production in 1975 and
@@ Line 46: / Line 48: @@
 from planters agreements, and 75
 homesteaders, who also worked for the
-pineapple companies, had' lost their
+pineapple companies, had lost their
 jobs. Currently, most of the 5,800
 acres are unused. The "Molokai
@@ Line 54: / Line 56: @@
 the Home lands program, dissolved into
 an economic disaster 50 years later.
 According to representatives of the
 Soil and Conservation Service, U.S.
@@ Line 84: / Line 87: @@
 in the process of studying the
 problems.
 In addition, DHHL has been one of
 the principal supporters of Maui
@@ Line 98: / Line 102: @@
 native Hawaiians on the island of
 Molokai.
 DHHL is also working on a development
 program for farms which are not
 under cultivation located in the
+{{p|391}}

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Reid Ginoza at 02:48, 5 June 2006

Reid Ginoza at 02:58, 11 March 2006