Rooted in the Land: The Importance of Farm Life

For my audio feature story, I focused on Waimānalo Country Farms and the broader issue of Hawaiʻi’s changing agricultural landscape. My main interview was with Dominic Kadaoka, a local farmer who shared the story of his family’s farm and expressed his hopes for keeping agricultural land alive amidst growing development pressures. I also interviewed Wailiea Toupo a senior at UH Manoa majoring in Ethnic Studies, who offered cultural context on how land and water are deeply connected to community well-being and identity in Hawaiʻi.

This story explores not just farming as a livelihood, but as a relationship to the land that reflects values of respect, care, and sustainability. By combining natural sounds from the farm, interview clips, and narration, I aimed to highlight the importance of preserving Hawaiʻi’s agricultural spaces and honoring the people who continue to care for them.