What Is The Future Of Hawaii’s Farming? Some Say Sheep … When it comes to livestock in Hawaii, cattle is king. But there’s another animal with plenty of promise, especially for small farmers.
Sheep could and should become an integral part of Hawaii’s future livestock industry, agricultural insiders say.
The animal is small enough to include in smaller farms, feeds on a mostly undiscerning diet of grass, and produces several different products during its lifespan and afterwards.
And as the state continues to focus on intensifying local food production to address concerns of self-sufficiency and boost local food security, sheep hold promise for not just the livestock industry, but the agricultural industry as a whole, some farmers say.
Part of the argument for sheep is that they are amenable and meek, chiefly eat grasses, and provide several products — wool, milk, cheese and meat — while others tout their eating habits as an additional service that provides important environmental promise for soils and solar energy.
