Aloha and welcome to livestock Walaau podcast brought to you by human rights employee CTAHR and the livestock extension group.
Melelani Oshiro:The goal of this podcast is to provide educational support information, guidance and outreach to livestock stakeholders in Hawaii. We are your host Mele Oshiro, and Shannon Sand. This is our episode number one for us. And we thought it'd be a great start for us to introduce ourselves and our podcast today. So I guess I'll get started. I'll start a boss. Just talk a little bit about myself, I guess in background I locally grown here grew up on the Hamakua coast and I didn't provide the sugarcane plantation community so exposure to agriculture played a big part in my life. My grandmother's family were ranching families. They gave me a lot of exposure to horses and cattle and livestock and that aspect of life. So as I got older, this interest kind of stuck with me. And agriculture and animals have always been a part of my myself since then, and including in my education. So I completed my Bachelor's at UHV level and agriculture, and then continued to get a second bachelor's in Animal Science at Massey University. And then did my masters over at u h Manoa. In animal science, say my research during my master's focused on grazing behavior, and looking at production efficiency in grass finished beef cattle. So it was it was pretty interesting, I gained a lot of experience and knowledge about our grass finished cattle here in Hawaii. And just in the tropics, in general, you know, a lot of the research was very informative for me. And I applied very much to our production processes here and our grass finish programs here in Hawaii. I am the livestock Extension agent with CTAHR. On the Big Island, I'm based out of the quanta extension office. And I also do work out of the commercial office as well. I've been in this position from 2090. Prior to that, I was also with CTAHR. From 2009. As a research technician for our range and pasture fed livestock programs, that position there worked a lot or had a lot of multiple projects that I worked on. One big project was the fire weed management and the release of our bio control suku zo this acoustic sensor was the moth that was released for the bio control in 2013. So I helped manage the release program for that continued working a lot with our grass finished beef program and looking at grazing management and stocking density studies, a lot of outreach into the Pacific Islands, and working on managing some of the websites that were created for that and collection of data and traveling to the multiple places of our field locations and trials that are going on. So that was all part of the beginning parts of my experience working in CTAHR and extension and wait prior to that I worked as for about 12 years as a veterinary technician. So I was trained as a veterinarian technician and a lot of the lab methods, basic animal handling skills and husbandry so current my current program right now focuses basically on all our livestock industries here in Hawaii, have my background in grass finished beef definitely puts a focus or interest myself more in that, you know, I worked a lot on meat part, meat quality and carcass quality of animals and doing carcass evaluations and all those meat tenderness studies and whatnot. So it does grab my interests, but I do work with all the different industries, you know, and I think I don't I have my myself have my own little backyard flock of hens that we raise, you know, for our own production and for me to share with my family and friends. So, you know, that definitely is part of my program. And of course our range and pasture management I think is very important here in Hawaii. You know, we deal a lot with invasive species and does impact our industry. So you know if it if it entails livestock and the production of it, then it's always going to have some kind of aspect or importance into my program here.
Shannon Sand:I will hand it over to Shannon and let her diverse background and were her programs and what she's been doing. Thank you Millie, though. My name is Shannon sand. I am the egg finance Extension Agent for the University of Hawaii. I am located on Big Island as well. But I'm located in the Hilo office and only the Hilo office, thankfully, because I don't have to bounce around to other places. That being said, I do have statewide responsibilities. And yeah, so it's it's been really interesting because the majority of my time here has actually been spent in lockdown for extension. And so it's been very interesting to make the switch over to more of an online content and And so we'll talk about that a little later. And so in terms of some of our, our hopes, and what we hope you get out of this, and what you know, our dreams are for this eventually. But as far as like how I got to be here, it was a little bit of a winding road. So I am originally from a farm and ranch that's a little bit outside of and I say a little bit relative to the mainland. So it's like 30 minutes outside of Gainesville, which is where the University of Florida is located. So my parents have a farm and ranch there, and they still raise Well, my sister, technically, it's been transitioned over to her, my sister does the cattle and my younger brother does hay and cucumbers, some row crops, but mostly like forage, silage hay types of products that he grows, I say products. So you could tell him my background is like ag business management marketing, my brother would laugh at me for that, just so you know, so feel better if you are. So I did my first undergraduate degree at the University of Florida in the area of ag business management, and marketing. And then I also did my first master's degree at UF in the area of food and Resource Economics, it was all kind of housed in the same department. So it worked out really great. And I was able to stay home and you know, get to be with my family. So that was wonderful. And then I have some other additional great opportunities to go to Oklahoma State University, where I earned a master's degree in the area of Ag Economics. And I focused on the Oklahoma quality, I said, I, I focused on value added beef cattle. And we use data that we collected through the Oklahoma quality beef network, which was great because I got to go around and visit different sale barns and things like that and take different factors or variables related to different value added traits, and see how that correlated into the price that they received, and in terms of the profitability from these different value added traits. So it was very exciting. And I really enjoyed my time in Oklahoma State. And from there, I like wandered on. Again, I'm not actually walking, but you know, I was like I made my way over to Auburn University. And I did research in the area of bringing new crops to market basically, specifically in the southeast. So that was really exciting. Because we looked at, basically, if you were a farmer, and you wanted to bring lotus root to the market, would people know how to cook it? Would people want to use it? And then like, you know, what was the potential for profitability in that. So that was really exciting, because I got to go out and do a lot of actual, like, econ, and like meeting people and like taste testing. So that was very exciting for me. And I really enjoyed that. In terms of like I said, just seeing the realistic application of economics, this is the way I would put that and like, does this work is as a possibility for producers. So I have a very wide and varied background, I feel like and from there, I spent, I spent about six years in South Dakota State in a few different places in the state working for South Dakota State University as a livestock business management field specialist. And I was had a statewide appointment there as well. And I covered everything from risk management, strategic planning, estate and transition planning, business management, finance, I generally if it falls under the business management umbrella, I covered it for the state along with a couple of other colleagues and specialists. And so we had a nice team and I traveled a lot of that. Fine. And so that was really great. I got to do a lot in that area. And then a couple of years ago, well, almost two years ago now I saw this position. And so I applied for it. I haven't looked back, and it's been really, really great.
Unknown:So yeah, I've enjoyed that a lot. So Well, we're glad that you came and made the move to Hawaii and glad to have you here with your expertise. I think it's so important. Like, you talk about the real logistics of things, right? And that's what it is we want to know, what is it actually going to look like in the real world? And is it going to be applicable right to a producer, which is the most important thing and I think what extension? That's where we need to make sure that what we're sharing the information that we're providing in the workshops that we we put on is this going to be useful for them out in the field, you know, and absolutely, so that's definitely an important part of it. And so I guess that's kind of what we hope that folks can get out of our podcast. You know myself we live in in Hanukkah, but driving out to The corner office, you know, I spent a good time on the road. And so I found podcasts to be really useful to keep up to date on things that were going on. And if there was, you know, even a something that I couldn't attend, but I wanted to listen to it I you know, I could go to the podcast for it. So yes, Shannon nine longtime had been in session. Yeah, I would say since that like pandemic happened, and we kind of got put on, you know, to go virtual with everything. We started discussing this and are very excited to finally be recording our first episode and get to share with you guys about the program. And
Shannon Sand:I guess chatting want to share anything else about what we hope to get out what we hope to get out of this and whatever we hope everybody else can get out of this podcast. Yeah, I'm Mellie. And I have really been talking about this for a year. Now I looked at the date, and I was like, Oh, my gosh, it has been here was right around the time we went into lockdown, we started discussing it. Because we both do love podcasts. And the nice thing is, is, you know, several different conferences, and some of the stuff we've been involved in, in the last year have made those into like podcasts, or audio formats, or audio and video, which is what this will be. So hopefully, you'll be able to watch this on YouTube as well as downloaded on all the different forms of podcasts which mele knows way more about than I do, I feel like so she can kind of tell you where you're gonna be able to find it. But I think our hopes are is that, you know, the Wala'au is it's just a talk story. But our hopes are is that this becomes a two way street so that we get a lot of input from y'all. And we are able to bring on different producers to talk about their story and what they've done in terms of different different management practices for their livestock, whether that is cattle, or sheep, or goats, or poultry or aquaculture, aquaculture, and just different ways things are done. But also we can bring you outlooks for the livestock industry, hopefully a couple of times a year, maybe more, maybe less just depending on kind of the data and statistics that we can find and have available to us and get an idea of what's going on in the industry statewide. And, and kind of have some looks so but we hope that you guys get, I want to say a friend in a way, but some additional information out of this some ideas and just hear some stories from other people. And maybe you'll be one of the people that gets it have their stories, you know, shared we certainly hope so. And yeah, I mean, that's, that's all I can really think of is kind of what we're going for with this and Emily can correct me if I'm wrong about any of this or add to it. No, I think yeah, that spot on. And I think, you know, that's what Wala'au is, is to talk story, you know, and we, we hope that we can create those conversations for folks, whether it's to reach out to, you know, specialists within the university, outside of the university, I think can always provide, you know, whatever's not here, we'd like to be able to bring that expertise here. And then even learning from our neighbors, you know, I think within our local communities, sometimes you think, you know, you might have the same problem and don't even realize it. So, you know, learning from, you know, your fellow ranchers or producers and whatnot, is that that's what we hope that we can continue that conversations and get that information out to everybody you know, and reach out to us. So we will be building a website that you can reach out to us that way on the website and send in comments or questions about the podcast, or if there's specific interests that you have, and you'd like to hear about our speakers or anything like that. He'll be able to reach out to us that way. We also have the livestock extension group page on Facebook, that you can reach out through us that way, we will post the links and everything to these podcasts in there and the topics that will be on discussion and when they will air and all that information. We also have a range and livestock newsletter that goes out from one of our specialists in the county. And we will also include that information in there. So anybody that on the newsletter if you're not want to subscribe to the newsletter, all that information is on our Facebook page. So we will be sure to have all those links available and information available to everybody. I think that's in our podcast. Once we get it going. It will be available in your apple podcasts or iTunes, Spotify, Google podcasts, the big ones all pretty much your basic podcast platform or YouTube channel and our YouTube channel. So once those links are out there, you can click on it you'll find it and be able to subscribe it into whichever platform you are listening to the podcasts. That's kind of what we hope and plan for this podcast and you know We hope that we can continue our art outreach support, even though we're limited right now restricted, I should say, from face to face or workshops that can be held you know, it puts it really a sticking it I guess to say when we have to, you know, we usually do traveling workshops from island to island and when there's quarantines and testing and you know, all that stuff, it makes it very difficult. So, we hope that this will be another avenue of us continuing to outreach support to our stakeholders and I hope that you all find it useful so a yes. I just I agree with mele that's what I'm gonna go with, I think with our limited resources that we have available and we'll probably have available for the next few years. I think this is a potentially hopefully a good opportunity and a good way to visit. Talk story so yeah. So Well, thanks, everyone for tuning in to listen to us today. We hope you found this information useful. We hope you come back to join us again for next episode, we will post those updates in our Facebook page and we said and I guess I'll be able to we talk starting next time. Mahalo