Member legislative concerns: Ron Weidenbach

Hawaii Fish Company, Inc. supports the entire list of 2013 HFBF Legislative Priorities, with
six of the eleven priorities directly benefiting our small family-owned North Shore fish farm. I
have re-ordered the list to reflect our farm’s priorities, as requested, and have also offered minor
wording amendments to the Justification statements of two priorities so as to be inclusive of
animal protein production and to recognize that much of Hawaii’s agricultural activities actually
occur within the conservation district, not just in the agricultural district, and that this reality
should be recognized and addressed in legislation supporting or benefitting Hawaii’s agriculture
industry. I will provide a brief summary below of how our top six legislative priorities would
benefit our fish farm as well as other agricultural producers across the State.

Our top legislative priority is to address DLNR’s lease rates for agriculture, and their appraisal
process and allocation of appraisal costs. Currently rents are based on a vague policy of “highest
and best use”, with staff interpretation typically being a rate that generates the most income for
DLNR and the State without factoring in other important considerations such as the societal
and economic values of local food production, care of our natural resources, preservation of
open space or green space, public health and safety, etc., and without considering historic and
projected market trends and the economics of local farm production and sales.

For our own farm, the current rent appraisal process recently resulted in an outside appraisal
charge equal to five years annual rent, based on the rental rate recommended by DLNR staff and
approved by the BLNR in 2010, and which in turn resulted in appraised rent and performance
bond increases of 1220 percent above the 2010-approved rates, and are in excess of our recent
annual IRS adjusted gross income and taxable income. However, the cost to appeal this outside
appraisal under current statute was estimated by another appraiser to be an amount equal to
or exceeding approximately twenty years annual rent at our 2010 BLNR-approved lease rate.
As it currently stands, these increases could force the closure of our farm, which has been in
operation at our current site since 1992, and, potentially, the loss of the oldest fish farm on the
island, established in 1978. Similar situations have been reported by farms in Waimanalo and by
ranches on the Big Island. The proposed legislation would put safeguards in statute that would
hopefully prevent such devastating occurrences in the future, thereby helping to support the long-
term viability of agricultural activities on DLNR lands.

Our next two legislative priorities would exempt certain low-risk, non-residential, agricultural
structures from county building codes, and provide a temporary livestock feed subsidy for the
duration of the current Midwest drought that has dramatically impacted the cost of imported
livestock feeds. The proposed building code exemptions would reduce the cost and speed the
construction process for many critical agricultural structures, and the temporary livestock feed
subsidy would help local cattle, poultry, swine, and aquaculture producers meet the high feed
costs resulting from the Midwest drought. Together these would help to preserve and enhance
the economic viability of local food production.

Our final three priorities address the State procurement code, public utility services to ratepayers
engaged in agricultural activities, and State agricultural policy. Each of these legislative
initiatives would support Hawaii’s farmers and ranchers by expanding potential markets, helping
to reduce utility costs, and developing policies to support and promote Hawaii’s agricultural
industry.

The remaining five legislative priorities would support important irrigation systems, fund
infrastructure improvements on the Galbraith Estate lands, address DOH policy regarding
direct marketing of produce at farmers markets, support 4H and FFA, and provide additional
tax incentives associated with Important Agricultural Lands. Each of these initiatives are also
worthy of our strong support.

Ron Weidenbach
Hawaii Fish Company, Inc.
Waialua, HI

Horse Owner News Flash

Attention Farmers & Ranchers on Oahu! Horse Alert!

The city & county of Honolulu is considering horses as pets rather than livestock! Agriculture land designation is at risk. The possibility exists for taxes to rise as high as 400%! A meeting was held tonight in Waimanalo with Ikaika Andersen, etc, so that horse owners could make their positions heard.

Please comment if you attended the meeting, or if you would like to weigh in on this issue. While the new designation is intended to prevent "gentleman farming", it also places a burden on small farmers who need and use the tax reduction.

This news flash was provided by our fellow member Natalie Cash.

Welcome to the West O'ahu County Farm Bureau Blog!

Aloha mai kakou,

The members of the West County Farm Bureau look forward to being able to better serve Hawaii Farm Bureau members who associate with the West County centers. We'd like to be able to use this blog as a place to communicate about farming on O'ahu, share best practices, follow legislation that is relevant to farmers and ranchers, and to maintain the transparency of West County.

Some announcements:

Next meeting: March 13th, 2012, 7pm at Ma'o Farms in Waianae.

------> We are looking for hosts for our meetings. Let us know if your farm, restaurant or family are interested in hosting.

Membership: Join us! Find an application here.

For this first entry, I'll quote the HFBF goals for legislation in Hawaii:

• Adoption of sensible land use policies which will preserve agricultural lands currently in use and suitable for use in the future.
• Adoption of State and County governmental policies that will give farmers manageable water rate price structures and assure them of reliable water sources and adequate supply for their farms.
• Adoption of continuing State and County support of farmers marketing programs to expand the export of local crops and promote greater local consumption of locally produced commodities.
• Increase awareness of the economics and social contributions that agriculture makes to the State.

Welcome!