Around the state, people interested in food, farming and "building a vibrant, local food economy" will gather for a series of "food sovereignty" conferences this summer, focused on agriculture and youth empowerment.

The O'ahu conference, 'Aina Ho'ola o Ma'ilikukahi ("Hands Turned to the Soil") 2009, will take place June 12-13 in Kahana Valley with a special youth pre-conference day on June 11. The curriculum ranges from discussions of food security to tours of farms and food producers identified as "leading models of change" and hands-on workshops in Hawaiian herbal medicine, seaweed identification and preservation and canning and pickling. The conference takes place in Kahana Valley and youth will camp out there during the event.
Registration is $20 per day for adults (Friday and Saturday only) and $55 for youth, Thursday-Saturday; includes T-shirt and meals).
Other conferences are set for the Big Island (June 10-14 in Keaukaha), Maui (July 3-6 in Lahaina) and Moloka'i (residents only, July 17-18 in Ho'olehua).
To learn more about each, go to:
O'ahu: maoorganicfarms.org (or e-mail conference@maoorganicfarms.org)
Big Island: hoeaea.com
Maui: e-mail kupuae@gmail.com
Molokai: kahonuamomona.org/conference.html