The Agribusiness Development Corp. has issued a violation notice to one of its license-holders after he claimed an unapproved drag-racing event on state farmland was a way of tilling the soil.  

“I don’t know that I agree that mud bogging is good for tilling soil. I would argue that you’re compacting it,” ADC board member Jayson Watt said during a Thursday board meeting. “I’m a little concerned that … maybe you don’t understand that component of farming.”

The ADC issued Scott Wong of Ohana Hui Ventures the notice Wednesday for violating his agreement with the corporation by not seeking approval for the event, along with additional alleged violations, including sub-licensing of the land. 

Wong held the “Built From Scratch Mud Drag” on his 400-acre parcel Oct. 12, with pickups and specialized vehicles racing down a dirt track. The event attracted about 1,000 people, with a stage, food trucks and a $25 admission fee. 

“To do the mud drag, to be honest, was the wrong decision,” Wong told the ADC board Thursday. “I have no excuse for that.”

The ADC tried — and failed — to cancel the Whitmore Village event the night before it was held. Stopping it the next day was impossible because the police were outnumbered, ADC property manager Roger Clemente told the board.

Board members peppered Wong with questions, including why some attendees had shipped specialized vehicles from off-island for an event that he said was intended to be relatively small. 

Board chairman Lyle Tabata asked if Wong had “thoroughly read” his ADC license before going ahead with the event and inquired, “what possessed you to do an event like this on ag land?”

Wong pointed to the 25 acres of clearance work that had been done on his parcel in an area previously filled with invasive trees, trash and deserted vehicles. The event – originally intended for up to 400 people – was a way to pay back the contractors to help cover the cost of land clearance, he said, adding he did not take any cut of the ticket proceeds.

Clearing the land was in accordance with his conservation plan, written by the federal National Resource Conservation Service, Wong said.

On Monday at a Wahiawa Neighborhood Board meeting, Wong said he was being unfairly targeted by certain community members and that his mission was to “get that place clean for the ADC. That’s our partnership with them, and that’s our partnership with this community.”

On Thursday, he said the land clearance was to the ADC’s benefit.

“The clearing is not for ADC,” Tabata replied. “It’s for you and your license. Let’s just make that clear. It’s not doing it for ADC.”

Wong, who is also operations director for the nonprofit Friends of Waimanalo, blamed various community members and the media for blowing the event out of proportion.

Neighborhood board member TJ Cuaresma testified at the Thursday meeting that Wong was bringing conflict to the community, on top of breaching his agreement with the ADC.

“Let us remind Mr Wong that he does not have a lease for this area. He has a license,” Cuaresma said.

Unlike state land leases, where tenants take full control of property, the ADC issues license agreements that only allow certain activities, such as farming.

The ADC violation notice also includes alleged sub-licensing agreements held between Wong and other farmers, which Wong denies.

Jazmine Corpuz, a Whitmore Village community organizer, claimed Wong was also sub-licensing his land to others — which is also outside his license terms.

“I was told directly by one of his farmers that he pays $16,000 to the state to farm his kalo (taro). I know someone shouldn’t be paying $16,000 to farm kalo,” Corpuz said.

As of 2022, Wong’s license agreement was set at just over $1,600 a month.

Wong denied the allegations and invited ADC staff to visit his property.

“I just want people to come and investigate it first before it’s put as a violation,” Wong said.

The board did not make any decisions on the fate of Wong’s license because the ADC is still following up on the violation notice.

But the ADC did defer his request to hold a “Keiki Construction Zone” event in November, one he said was aimed at helping educate children about agriculture. Board directors were more open to the children’s event.

“It’s a good idea but not appropriate for where we are in time,” Tabata said.

“Hawaii Grown” is funded in part by grants from the Stupski Foundation, Ulupono Fund at the Hawaii Community Foundation and the Frost Family Foundation.