Friday, November 13 - Cattlemen's College
Cowboy Poetry
Darrell Holden - Poet and 1st Vice President of the Utah Cattlemen's Association
Ranchbot and the Rancher Experience
Andrew Coppin - Co-Founder and CEO, Ranchbot Monitoring Solutions
Improved Climate Services for Ranchers in Hawai'i
Dr. Ryan Longman - Director of the Hawai'i Climate Data Portal (HCDP), University of Hawai'i Sea Grant College Program
Extreme weather events, such as heavy rainfall, high winds, and prolongs droughts, can severely impact ranch operations. When used effectively, climate data serves as a vital tool for guiding management decision-support tools developed by researchers at the University of Hawai'i to make critical data more accessible to local communities. Additionally, our team invites attendees to visit our exhibitor table to test these tools firsthand.
Form Follows Function
Cheramie Viator - Director of Commercial & Feedstock Marketing at the Beefmaster Breeders United
All too often in today's cattle we see incorrect hoof shape. Additionally, many producers are unfamiliar with how an animal's skeletal design and hoof shape can contribute to their performance in the pasture and feedlots. Discomfort and poor skeletal design can directly contribute to a producer's bottom dollar when cattle longevity is reduced due to discomfort or even pain. In this presentation, Cheramie will walk through how hoof shape can directly contribute to factors that affect joints and longevity. Then, she will go a bit deeper and discuss skeletal design and how it contributes to cattle comfort and their ability to thrive in pasture and feedlot conditions. In this insightful presentation, Cheramie brings real world application into play and engages the audience in a creative manner. She challenges the audience to make selection decisions that lend to cattle that will last longer and add to their operation's profitability.
Addressing Agricultural Crimes: County and State Efforts
Mike Lambert - Chief Special Investigator, Department of Law Enforcement, Hawaii County Police
Reed Mahuna - Chief of Police, Hawaii Police Department
Using Precision Mating and Genomics to Build a More Profitable Cow Herd
The value isn't in the DNA test itself - it's in what you then do with the information
Leoma Donsbach - Founder, Data Genie LLC
Genomics has transformed the way we evaluate cattle, but the greatest opportunity isn't simply identifying the "best" animals it's understanding how to make improved breeding decisions to reduce the bottom 25% of the calf crop. We're going to discuss how genomics and large effect gene technology can be used to more accurately identify the genetic variation that exists within a herd, make more informed replacement female selections, and create precision mating decisions that maximize the strengths of the mating, even in a multi-sire group setting. Attendees will also be challenged to think differently about bull selection. Rather than purchasing bulls based solely on individual estimated merit (EPDs), we'll discuss how to identify sires that best complement an existing cow herd and breeding objectives. This leads to reducing wasted mating, increases uniformity, satiability, and profitability over time. First introduced in 2018, the Allied Genetic Resources precision mating tools have enabled producers to make more informed breeding deacons tailored to their individual operations and goals. Whether you're a feedstock or commercial producer, this session will demonstrate how large effect gene genomic technology can be integrated into your current management system by turning genomic information into practical easy to implement solutions that improve the next generation.
Are You Ready for the Next Disaster?
Senator Tim Richards, Oliver English - W.H. Shipman, HCA Vice President, Arthur Keyes - USDA Farm Service Agency, State Executive Director for Alaska, Hawaii, and Pacific Basin, Dean Matsukawa - Deputy to the Chairperson, Hawai'i Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity
Managing Cattle Health and Nutrition Strategies to Meet Expectations
Dr. Catherine Dowling - Senior Technical Services Veterinarian with Zoetis, Dr. Clay Burson - Associate Beef Technical Specialist with ZinPro
In this session, Dr. Dowling will discuss the evolving health challenges that Hawai'i-born calves face as they move through the production chain and why producers' expectations for those calves might not always stack up to reality. Approaches to navigating those challenges will be discussed not only from a health standpoint but also a nutritional standpoint; Dr. Burson will highlight the ways nutrition contributes to both health and performance of calves throughout the production chain.
Feed Forum Flash Presentations
Finishing Cattle in Hawai'i
Timothy Luton - General Manager, Maui Cattle Company/Kulolio Ranch
This presentation will cover issues with finishing cattle in Hawai'i and general market dynamics that lead to this solution of working with Mahi Pono citrus pulp and growing feed. We will discuss retaining cattle locally, producing high-quality beef in the state.
Locally grown, high protein forage: Ali'i Grass
John Carroll - Lead Agronomist, Texas Biomass Inc.
Hexas will present on our locally grown, Hawai'i's own high protein forage, Ali'i Grass. We will discuss our feed trials as well as Ali'i Grass nutritional value, digestibility, crude protein content compared to alfalfa and other forage and when Ali'i Grass will be available for purchase.
Kenaf for Hawai'i Cattle: What We Know, What We Don't, and What It Could Take to Find Out
Martin Smith - Chief Executive Officer, United Global Co-Opportunites LLC, Kentucky
Hawai'i's inability to grow grain economically means that many calves are shipped to the mainland for finishing, so extending local feed production could help ranchers retain ownership of their cattle longer. Kenaf, a short-day annual forage crop, may offer a potential solution. In Kentucky, kenaf grew to eight feed in 67 days, and mature whole-plant samples tested at 17-18% crude protein and 61-63% total digestible nutrients (TDN). However, Hawai'i's shorter winter daylength may cause the crop to flower earlier and remain shorter, while its frost-free climate could offer unique growing opportunities. Further research is needed to determine its yield across seasons, how well it ensiles compared with guinea grass, and whether any regulator concerns exist because knead belongs to the Hibiscus genus. Since kenaf had not yet been tested in Hawai'i, the goal is to find one or two interested ranchers willing to participate in a small-scale trial to evaluate its potential as a local livestock feed source.
Expanding Local Feed Production for Hawai'i
James Twigg-Smith - Director of Agricultural Operations, Kuleana Farms Hawai'i
Kuleana Farms is scaling up agriculture to significantly expand local feed production, supplying corn grain, sunflower meal, macadamia meal, and soon canola meal as fresh local feed ingredients for Hawai'i's cattle ranchers, dairy operators, and other livestock producers. The company expanded its agriculture operations to Kauai in 2023 where its 200-acre farming and milling operation in Kaumakani includes a new crush mill production facility and large-capacity grain storage; the farming operation there is executed to increase to 500+ acres by 2028. The company's farming of non-GMO corn grain has already proven to be of great value to local producers. Beginning of June, Meadow Gold Dairy began purchasing container loads of the corn as fresh, locally grown grain for regular feed rations at its Hawai'i dairy operations, helping to reduce the need for imported animal feed while maintaining supply chain stability. Kuleana Farms was created by the founders of Maui-based Pacific Biodiesel. The company's innovative production model also yields high-value food and renewable energy feedstock to benefit Hawai'i's circular economy. The Kaumakani mill produces Kuleana Hawai'i Grown Culinary Oils, which are sold to local restaurants and food producers. These agricultural oils are also utilized as feedstock for local biodiesel production. As part of the mill's zero-waste production process, the residual "meal" after oil is crushed from nuts and seeds is sold as high-protein ingredient for local livestock feed. From farm to bottle, the entire operation is 100% renewable the mill on Gay & Robison land is hydro-electric powered and all farm equipment, tractors and center pivot irrigation generators run on 100% biodiesel produced in Hawai'i by Pacific Biodiesel. Learn more and hear what's on the horizon as Kuleana Farms introduces new crops, food products, farming technologies, and milling services for the Hawai'i Ag community.
Saturday, November 14 - Annual Meeting
Call to Order
Lani Petrie - President, Hawaii Cattlemen's Council
Review and Approve 2025 HCC Annual Meeting Minutes
Managing Directors Address
Nicole Galase
NCBA - Current Issues
Gene Copenhaver, NCBA President
Updates from the Department of Ag and Biosecurity Animal Industry Division
Biocontrol Projects for Hawai'i Rangelands
Tracy Johnson, Research Entomologist, USDA Forest Service, Institute of Pacific Island Forestry
Self-perpetuating biological control using host-specific natural enemies has been applied for long term management of numerous ecosystem-altering invasive species in Hawai'i for more than a century. Over the last four decades, the Forest Service has contributed via a program and facility for delivering carefully screened biocontrol agents to target Hawai'i's worst weeds, including gorse, banana poka, fayatree and strawberry guava. Ongoing efforts include two projects targeting important rangeland pests. A Christmas berry thrips from Brazil, already introduced in Florida, and fully tested for deployment in Hawai'i, is among the next round of biocontrols to be evaluated for release. Feeding on thrips is a new shoots is expected to gradually suppress growth and spread of Christmas berry. A new project targeting twolined spittlebug will evaluate the suitability of a fly from South America which is a known predator of pasture spittlebugs. Given that spittlebugs and their close relatives are alien species in Hawai'i', there is a strong possibility that this predator will prove sufficiently specialized for use as a biocontrol. Other projects in the early stages of foreign exploration and evaluation of potential agents are targeting forest and rangeland weeds such as miconia, clidemia, albizia, Himalayan ginger, Himalayan raspberry, fountain grass and fayatree.
Committee Reports
Outgoing President's Address
Lani Petrie, President
Installation of the New Slate of Officers
Pono Von Holt, HCC Governance Chair
Annual Meeting Adjourned
Jason Moniz, Incoming President