Following the March 2026 Kona Low storms that flooded numerous Hawai‘i farms, free testing was offered by Agricultural Diagnostic Service Center, part of the Cooperative Extension of the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa's College of Tropical Agriculture and Resilience. The window for that free testing closes soon, July 21.
Farmers can submit up to three free samples, according to ADSC.
Tests can identify potential issues with soil nutrients, "to determine if essential minerals were leached," plant tissue health, plant diseases and changes in the pest population.
Outside of that free window and sample count, ADSC offers such testing to "commercial farmers ... at a reasonable cost" as a routine service. Adds ADSC:
- Drop off samples for testing on Mondays, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., or Tuesdays from 9:00 to 11 a.m. They will be shipped to our labs on Tuesday afternoons.
- Questions? Contact adsc@hawaii.edu or (808) 956-5437, Monday through Friday from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The Center itself had recently reopened when the storms hit.
"The reopening of the ADSC came at a pivotal moment, allowing us to deliver immediate support to our agricultural partners as they recover and replant,” said CTAHR Dean Parwinder Grewal, in a statement. “We encourage any affected farmers who have not yet taken advantage of these free resources to submit their samples before July 21 to help get their operations back on their feet.”
The Kona Low storms did tens of millions of dollars in damages to farms, and businesses. Aloha State Daily played a role in the recovery with a fundraiser that netted more than $200,000 specifically for farm relief. Grants of the money are being distributed to farms via the Hawai‘i Farmers Union Foundation's Hawai‘i Flood Response Fund.
