HONOLULU (HI Now) - Healthy bees mean healthy farms, stronger local food systems, and a more sustainable future for Hawai‘i. At the University of Hawai‘i Hilo Farm Laboratory, students are learning that big lesson in a hands-on way, surrounded by 110 acres of orchards, animals, research spaces, and more than 20 active beehives.
Located near the Pana‘ewa Zoo, the UH Hilo Farm is a living laboratory where students learn by doing. Karla Hayashi, UH Hilo faculty member and immediate past president of the University of Hawaii Professional Assembly, shares how the farm connects students, faculty, and the community through real-world agriculture experiences that support the next generation of island sustainability leaders.
For nearly 40 years, entomology professor Lorna Tsutsumi has helped students understand why honey bees are so important to agriculture and food security. Bees pollinate many crops, help reduce dependence on imports, and support value-added products like honey, beeswax, lip balm, and soap. The farm also features a one-acre bee garden filled with bee-friendly plants that produce edible fruits, showing how bees and people can thrive together.
Community support continues to keep the program buzzing. Through an adopt-a-beehive effort started by Chef Alan Wong, supporters like Big Island Candies, Hawaiian Sun, D. Otani Produce, and others are helping grow awareness around beekeeping and sustainability. To learn more about the UH Hilo Farm Laboratory and its programs, visit hilo.hawaii.edu/academics/cafnrm/farm/ or follow UHPA on Instagram @uhpafaculty.
Copyright 2026 KHNL. All rights reserved.