Liahona Farm

Tevita Mekihele, Farm Manager

This information was obtained in an interview with Tevita Mekihele, Liahona Farm Manager.

Liahona Farm started about 1950 as part of Liahona School. The farm consisted of chickens, pigs, dairy cattle, and beef cattle. The cattle were first kept at Mekeke (about 8 miles from Liahona) and then Niumate (about 2 miles west of Liahona). The herd consisted of about 750 animals including calves, steers, bulls, and heifers; of which about 400 were cows. Food crops were also grown at Niumate.

 

The main purpose of Liahona Farm was to provide food for Liahona students. The students were required to work on the farm - planting and harvesting crops, and cooking food. Classes in animal husbandry taught the boys about breeding, rearing, and caring for cattle. After graduation, thee boys graduated could use this information in their daily lives when they had their own farms. Agriculture classes continue to be taught at Liahona High School. The Farm provides learning for Liahona students as well Tonga Institute of Science and Technology (a government tertiary school).

When the cafeteria was closed at Liahona High School, the piggery and the dairy were closed at Liahona Farm. Beef cows were kept, but the program must be self-sustaining. Thus, cattle are sold to cover the expenses of the farm.

A few years back, the cattle program was reduced. The herd is now maintained at about 80 animals to include 53 cows. Liahona Farm was also moved to be a part of the Welfare Program.

The farm’s purpose now is for education and to make use of the land. The farm also fills priesthood requests and church functions. An example is when the King passed away, Liahona contributed cows to the Royal family for the feast and to sell in order to provide church gifts such as tapa and mats.

Tevita 'Asi (Farm employee) checks on this garden

Liahona Farm now places a big emphasis on teaching gardening. A “Learning Garden” was built in about 2016. Priesthood leaders and villagers visit the “Learning Garden” to become knowledgeable in new and better ways to garden. Vegetable gardening encourages better nutrition. The typical Tongan diet lacks fresh vegetables. Liahona Farm provides seedlings to people who come to the “Learning Garden” to help get them started in gardening. Tevita and his crew teach how to make keyhole gardens which is similar to raised bed gardening (see prior post). Over 1000 keyhole gardens have been started in the last few years on the island.

Separating cows in AI program from the others

Recently Liahona Farm was selected to participate in an international program to build up the cattle herds in developing countries. Artificial insemination (AI) will enable new blood lines to get into the herd.

The cows must first be separated in fields for those participating in the program and those not.

The cows are first given a pregnancy test, a few weeks later another pregnancy test. They are also given immunizations to ensure they are healthy. Finally, the cows will be artificially inseminated. 

AI is a powerful tool employed for livestock improvement. In artificial insemination the germplasm of the bulls of superior quality can be effectively utilized without regard for their location in far away places. AI is used to increase the genetic pool with which the animals can be mated, potentially decreasing effects of inbreeding. The Liahona herd is in need of the new blood so this AI program will be a benefit to Liahona Farm as well as the research team. 

The AI program provides learning opportunities for the students. High school students from around the island come to the farm to learn about artificial insemination.





All things bright and beautiful, All creatures great and small,

All things wise and wonderful, The lord God made them all.

Red Cross Shelter Training

Tom from NZ and Rob Dobb based in Fiji

We were invited to attend the Shelter Coordination Workshop put on by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. Two men from the IFRC facilitated the workshop, Rob Dobb based in Fiji and Tom from New Zealand. They had many pictures of shelters being used in recent responses throughout the Pacific including the volcano eruption in Vanuatu with evacuation from the island and floods in Fiji.
     

Vanuatu shelters for persons evacuated from island of Ambae to island of Santo because Mt Manaro volcano eruption

We rubbed shoulders with the various participants in the shelter aspect of emergency response in Tonga. We will work with them in the event of another cyclone or other emergency here in the Kingdom. These are important contacts .. people we should have worked closely with after Cyclone Gita, but had not made these contacts before the cyclone. Now we feel we have met them and will continue to be involved with meetings so we will be able to work together with the next event.



A shelter kit contains a saw, hoe, machete, shovel, measuring tape, hammer, pliers, tie wire, rope, shears, different kinds of nails, plus of course the tarp. From these materials. the shelters are constructed.

At the workshop, participants were divided into groups and each group made a shelter, No construction was wrong, although some were "better." One group used 2 tarps and were able to construct a shelter with 2 rooms. They felt this would allow for privacy when needed.

Basic Shelter

2-room shelter

Preparing for emergencies has been a big concern for us here in Tonga. We learned some things from Cyclone Gita about being better prepared. We have been restocking our emergency container at Liahona and setting up containers in Vava'u and Ha'apai. This workshop opened our eyes to shelter needs.

Rob Dodd let us know how to purchase these tarps from Red Cross and we are in the process of getting some to have in our container at Liahona. This is at a HUGE cost savings. We have searched for good quality tarps and they are very expensive. By purchasing through Red Cross they are much more affordable. Our Pacific Area supervisor approved us to purchase them for Tonga as a trial. If we feel they are good, the purchase may be extended to the other Pacific Islands.

It wasn't raining when Noah built the Ark