Pilot Spring 2026

Hawai'i is fortunate to have a 12-month growing season, so we always have something growing for dinner. We teach students how to grow food- from seed to harvest- providing an overview on topics like in-ground gardens, raised garden beds, composting, managing manure, continuous harvesting, and storing seeds. Our students will be responsible for every aspect of food production on campus.  This is an introduction to natural farming techniques, permaculture, organic farming, soil cultivation, and many sustainable farming concepts that will support their abilities to establish and maintain food systems.

For centuries humans have been figuring out ways to prepare and preserve food that doesn’t rely on electricity.  Students will learn how to turn their harvests into a wide range of preserved goods using age old techniques like canning, pickling, and fermenting- from sour kraut to kombucha. We will also hone our bread baking skills, sour dough starter, make hand tossed pizza.  Students will have the opportunity to cook over an  fire, charcoal, and propane barbeques.  We also cover off-grid topics like making natural cleaning supplies and conserving water while cooking and doing laundry.

Everyone should know how to install a set of shelves, but where do you go to learn that?  Hawai'i! In this course, we learn about basic household construction tools, Each student receives their own tool kit, with power tools! In connection with our Small Kine Construction Course, students get hands-on experience using these tools.  Students will also learn how to safely operate saws and other construction tools. Tool kit includes:  safety glasses, gloves, drill, screw driver set, plyers, hammer, grinding disk, chisel, square, tape measure, level, pencil, flash light, zip ties, scissors, trowel, knife, apron. 

Small Kine is Hawaiian pidgin for “not very big”.  You will learn how to build a small structure/shed/tiny house- from foundation to roof.  This program can’t cover everything that goes in to building, but it will give students a rudimentary understanding of how to design and build a solid/safe structure.  There's lots of building time for constructing floor joists and raising walls; but for those who want more, there's extra opportunities to swing a hammer and practice those skills. 

**For the Pilot program we will be building an 8'x10' Utility shed with a door, window and metal corrugated roof with gutters for rain harvesting. **

It's the perfect time of year for animal babies, our students will be raising several breeds of fowl from eggs. We will cover responsible flock management, incubation, animal health and safety, and biosecurity measures to mitigate animal agriculture related risks. Students will learn about rabbit care, responsible breeding programs and raising baby bunnies. 

NOTE: Students will have the opportunity to learn the humane process we employ to dispatch our meat animals, process the meat and cook it. Students who do not wish to participate in this portion of the program can opt out at anytime. On the day of processing, students who do not with to participate will have an off-campus activity scheduled. 

Students will have an opportunity to participate in elective classes that are offered on Fridays.  Each week there will be a different program available.  Programs include:  Basic Automotive Maintenance, Advanced Vehicle Operation, Farmer's Market Vending, Rainwater harvesting systems, Intro to Hydroponic Vertical Gardens, Beekeeping (off-campus), and Solar System troubleshooting.