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Is vertical agriculture good for Hawaii?

A public webinar on the pros and cons of “vertical agriculture” with Sensei Ag, MetroGrow, State Rep. Nicole Lowen, and Big Island farmer Richard Ha.

Zoom webinar recording may be accessed here: https://youtu.be/HicFCmbmCSo

Monday, August 16, 11 AM – 1230 PM

Speaker bios:

Nicole Lowen

A resident of Kailua-Kona for more than 20 years, Nicole has been serving as state representative from the Big Island since 2012. She is chair of the House Energy and Environmental Protection committee and has sponsored and passed a number of bills helping to improve Hawaii’s environment and quality of life.

Blair Richards

Blair entered the ag world as a seasonal employee for Charlie’s Produce while studying at Washington State. Blair eventually became General Manager of Rogge Co., a division of Charlie’s that specializes in providing goods & services to Alaska. Upon relocating to Hawaii, after working for D. Otani Produce, a family-run distribution company, in 2018, Blair joined Sensei, where he is currently the Director of Sales & Business Development for Hawaii.

Richard Ha

Richard is a US Army Vietnam Veteran and forty-year commercial banana and hydroponic tomato farmer. He is also Founder and President of Sustainable Energy Hawai’i; a member of the Social Science Ass’n, and various boards and organizations. 

Kerry Kakazu

Kerry is CEO of MetroGrow, the first vertical ag operation to open in Hawaii. Based in Honolulu, this facility is producing greens and other crops that are sold in local markets.