FOR MORE INFORMATION Contact: Sheila Sarhangi Hawai‘i Community Foundation (808) 772-0718 Mobile ssarhangi@hcf-hawaii.org
827 Fort Street Mall Honolulu, Hawai‘i 96813 HawaiiCommunityFoundation.org August 4, 2020 Hawaiʻi Community Foundation (HCF) today announced over 30 nonprofits that will receive a total of $721,739 in grants, funded by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, to support community-based food security efforts in Native Hawaiian communities statewide. The grants support HCF Strong Funds for each county, including Kaua‘i Strong, O‘ahu Strong, Maui County Strong, and Hawai‘i Island Strong, which were created by HCF to build community resilience by providing resources for disaster preparedness, response, and recovery. Nonprofits were chosen based on their ability to address COVID-related food needs while integrating aloha ‘āina, sustainability and local agriculture into their programs. The food security grants funding comes from a portion of the $3-million Emergency Relief Package passed by the OHA Board of Trustees in May 2020. The press release is available here.
Grantees are as follows: Kaua‘i Strong Fund Organization Name Kumano I Ke Ala O Makaweli
Kūkulu Kumuhana O Anahola
Project Description Kumano I Ke Ala O Makaweli (KIKA) plans to increase food security by planting dry land kalo on their acreage located in Waimea Valley which will triple the amount currently being produced by West Kauaʻi farmers. They will continue to run their summer and after school cultural enrichment programs which serves 50 Native Hawaiian youth. The knowledge of ʻāina-based farming and Hawaiian culture learned by the youth is shared year-over-year as the older youth become mentors to the incoming youth in the program. Kūkulu Kumuhana O Anahola (KKOA) has established Ulupono Anahola (UA), an Agricultural Training and Youth Center, to provide support for the families of Anahola by reviving kalo farming and growing their own food while creating a safe space for the youth to be nurtured into future leaders for Anahola. KKOA is also conducting a series of workshops entitled, “Resilient Leaders & Food Security.” The program 1
Hui Makaʻāinana o Makana
Mālama Hulēʻia
Na Maka Onaona
Aina Hookupu O Kilauea
started with the rescue of over 1,000 kalo plants and the planting in pots of an additional 2,000 vegetables, fruit trees, herbs and medicinal plants by the community. As more families join their programs, KKOA hopes to strengthen the food security of the residents of Anahola. Hui Makaʻāinana o Makana (Hui) are the stewards of 15 acres of ancient Hawaii land located in Hāʻena and continue to provide a safe place for families to farm, fish, and maintain mental and spiritual health, through connection to ʻāina. The Hui will utilize the work of several interns to help with resource management and data collection of the ahupuaʻa which is critical to their sustainability. Mālama Hulēʻia will begin the next phase of restoration on the Ancient Hawaiian Fishpond, Alakoko, and replant the area with Native Hawaiian plants and trees. Mālama Hulēʻia will also be creating several educational videos about the fishpond, Hawaiian culture and how to malama aina that will be shared with HIDOE schools and publicly. Na Maka Onaona (NMO) has partnered with ʻĀina Hoʻokupu O Kīlauea to organize and distribute 2,000 produce boxes per week across Kauaʻi reaching communities from Hāʻena to Kekaha. They are utilizing the help of several local organizations to deliver and arrange pickups in their communities. The produce from the boxes is all from local farmers on island and many of the boxes reach the most vulnerable families who need the most. ʻĀina Hoʻokupu O Kīlauea (AHK) has proposed to start a pig incubator program involving local families. AHK will build a pig pen on a host family’s property, provide the pigs, veterinarian services and buy the pigs back once they are at market size. Benefits to the family include payment for the pigs and if they wish, they can keep the meat of one of the pigs for themselves. Benefit to the island is getting closer to food security and keeping the money on Kauaʻi.
O‘ahu Strong Fund Organization Name Homestead Poi
Hoʻokuaʻāina
Hui Aloha ʻĀina Momona
Project Description Homestead Poi proposes a multi-phase approach to food production and sustainability which includes community education, expansion of kalo patches on the organization's farm in Waiahole, increased food production and storage on site to support community demand, and increased food security on the farm to ensure harvestable crops for market and direct-to-community distribution. In the next six months, Hoʻokuaʻāina strives to continue to do the same work it started during the COVID-19 response, which includes educating the community through online tutorials and increasing production on-site to provide more food for the community. The organization partnered with several local non-profits to provide food for community distributions on the Windward Coast. Hui Aloha ʻĀina Momona’s goal for the next six months is to promote the consumption of laulau and lūʻau by supporting the cultivation and 2
Hui Mahiʻai ʻĀina
Hui Mālama o Ke Kai
Kākoʻo ʻŌiwi
Kauluakalana
Ke Kula Nui o Waimānalo
KEY Project
harvesting of kalo across Hawaiian communities. To accomplish this, the organization will serve at least 200 families or 800 individuals to create 10,000 pounds of new lūʻau leaf growth. The organization plans to distribute at least 5,000 huli into the community, clear at least one acre of land for planting, and will host six community workdays with 40 people attending per day. Farms for this program are in Kahana and Waimānalo. Hui Mahiʻai ʻĀina is developing a community garden for sustainable food production among Waimānalo’s newest community housing project. With key partnerships in place, the organization anticipates food production by the end of the year that will serve 50 families or 150 individuals, not only with traditional crops and other food plants, but also with education focused on sustainable and healthy food systems. Hui Mālama o Ke Kai Foundation will operate its E ʻAi Kākou program which focuses on providing families education and food products rooted in Native Hawaiian food systems. The program sources local foods from fisherman and backyard farmers to sustain the supply chain of local producers. In addition, the organization will educate families on food preparation, on creating their own sustainable food systems at home, and on the value of understanding food security through subsistence practices. Kākoʻo ʻŌiwi operates farming and other sustainable Hawaiian practices on 404 acres of food forest, fishponds, wetlands and kalo patches. The organization would like support in the development of a food production and processing space called, ʻOpū Nui, which would help the organization, and partner organizations, cultivate value-add products and raw products that can create a sustainable revenue stream. Revenues earned by the nonprofit directly support food productions and community programming focused on Hawaiian sustainable practices. Kauluakalana focuses on food sustainability and Hawaiian food practices through its program Kūkanono. The organization plans to develop new kalo patches, new sweet potato patches, and harvest about 400 lbs. of food in six months. Funds will support food production, food harvesting, and infrastructure support on site to ensure sustainability and safety of the space and the food plants. Ke Kula Nui o Waimānalo is seeking support for their youth program that teaches food production methods. These youth will support the on-site garden at the Waimānalo Kauhale, which houses many of Waimānalo’s homeless. The program seeks to build and sustain food production practices for Waimānalo and for the new Kauhale community, housing some of the most vulnerable individuals and families of the community. KEY Project, through its ʻUmeke ʻAi series, plans to distribute food and educational materials focused on Hawaiian traditional foods and sustainable food practices. The organization will operate the program 3
Koʻihonua
Kōkua Kalihi Valley
Kuhialoko
Kula No Na Poʻe Hawaiʻi (KULA)
MAʻO Organic Farms
Waiʻanae Coast Comprehensive Health Center
through its kūpuna and keiki programs to track how many people are served, how much food is distributed, and how many materials are created for education on traditional food and farming systems. Koʻihonua operates a farm and learning program in Waiawa on ʻOahu. The organization is shifting their primary focus of revitalizing the land at Hanakēhau and is developing more food production opportunities including its first kalo patches to the area, which will add to the harvests from existing aquaponics systems, as well as the honey and eggs being raised. The organization works with local families to teach sustainable food practices with monthly workdays and provides food boxes to these families and to kūpuna living nearby. Kōkua Kalihi Valley will continue to serve kūpuna and high-risk patients through its Hui Hoaka program, focusing on providing hot meals and produce bags on a weekly basis. The program will source supplementary produce, to its own harvests out of the Mahi ʻĀina program, from 12 local farms producing healthy organic food produce and protein for distribution. Kuhialoko is operating a farming and sustainable practices program focused on the cultivation and distribution of food within the community. The organization seeks to share its resources and knowledge of native food systems, practices, and preparation with families and individuals who are open to learning and engaging in the process and are willing to help share and or distribute the food produced. Kula No Na Poʻe Hawaiʻi (KULA) is providing two free hot meals a day for 25 weeks to 50 children who participate in their Lamakū afterschool program. The organization is partnering with Lunalilo Homes and chef, Tammy Smith, to focus on ʻai pono meals using traditional Hawaiian foods. The ʻai pono meals are intended to provide healthy food options aligned with traditional food preparation practices to improve well-being of the children. The youth will also engage with Lunalilo Homes to understand how the food is sourced from the māla on their grounds. MAʻO Farms will participate in the Waianae Mākeke utilizing two interns and one farm apprentice to staff the farmer’s market booth. The organization is eager to participate again, following the COVID-19 shutdowns, to help the community re-gain access to their local organic produce at discounted rates. The organization will not only sell food, but they will continue to distribute food to the community. This is accomplished with their youth summer program whereby young people learn how to work in a culturally rooted sustainable food system. The Waiʻanae Coast Comprehensive Health Center is supporting local farmers, ranchers, and fisherman through its Nānā o Kūpuna Ola Project, which provides $50 in market vouchers to redeem for local produce and products. The program allows each kupuna to source healthy local foods at the farmer’s market and engages local vendors, 4
of which many are ʻāina-based organizations, to receive benefits from being voucher eligible. This program is a direct response to food security needs and supportive of ʻāina-based community sustainability. Maui County Strong Fund Organization Name Hawaiʻi Farmers Union Foundation
Hawaiʻi Taro Farm LLC
Hui No Ke Ola Pono
Hui O Kuapā
Ke Kula o Piʻilani
Kīpahulu Ohana, Inc.
Ma Ka Hana Ka ʻIke Building Program
Project Description Hawai‘i Farmers Union Foundation (HFUF) supports farmers throughout the state. This project supports their efforts in Hāna and Lāhaina. In Hāna, HFUF has created a farmer’s market as part of their Island-wide Food Hub system, with a built-in function to provide vouchers to families and kupuna who are in need due to COVID-19. In Lāhaina, the Kuʻia Agricultural Education Center (a partnership with Kamehameha Schools) seeks to reestablish a Native forest and provide education on canoe crops. The Hawaiʻi Taro Farm LLC currently produces 4,000 pounds of taro per harvest and hopes to double that production. Before the pandemic, the company sold to tourist venues and now intends to pivot selling to local residents. Funding for this project would allow the company to sell produce below cost, to provide education and to explore new distribution methods that would allow increased production (and lower cost per pound) in the future. Hui No Ke Ola Pono (HNKOP) is currently distributing produce and eggs to residents of Hawaiian Homesteads land on Maui. Over the summer, they intend to begin programs teaching families to produce their own produce and fish using backyard aquaponics installations –blending modern technology with a local focus on sustainability, native plants and cultural practices. Hui o Kuapā has a 30-year track record of restoring and maintaining productive fishponds on Molokaʻi. They will start the restoration of ʻOhalahala fishpond and adjacent loʻi kalo terraces at Manaʻe in East Molokaʻi, using volunteers from the immediate area. Ke Kula o Piʻilani primary school partners with Ola Mau Farms to incorporate traditional Hawaiian agriculture and foodways into the school’s curriculum. This funding would allow Ola Mau Farms to restore 2 additional loʻi kalo and half an acre of currently fallow land in Central Maui and engage 36 keiki in hands-on education. Kīpahulu ‘Ohana operates Kapahu Living Farm, which produces kalo and other canoe crops for consumption by the local community, using traditional Hawaiian practices. Kīpahulu Ohana has been distributing food boxes free to households in Southeast Maui since the beginning of the pandemic. Funding will support these existing programs as well as enable the start of a new fishing program. Ma Ka Hāna Ke ‘Ike Building Program (MKHKI) operates Mahele Farm, Hana School gardens, and 27 loi kalo in Wailua Nui where they provide cultural and agricultural training to East Maui youth. The organization
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Nohoʻana Farm
Sustainable Molokaʻi
Lāhaina Restoration Foundation
distributes food produced to local residents and kupuna. They partner with local farmer Ed Wendt to restore loi kalo and create mala kalo. Nohoʻana Farm is owned by a Native Hawaiian family that has restored their ancestral land to produce kalo and other canoe crops. Nohoʻana Farm has responded to COVID-19 by providing a total of 350 pounds of poi to 40 Native Hawaiian families every week for two months. This funding would allow the Farm to increase distribution to120 families. Since the start of the pandemic, Sustainable Molokaʻi has been responding to the steep increase in demand for food among Molokaʻi residents by supplementing Food Bank boxes with local fruit, vegetables, meat, and seafood. Their continuing programs include farmer education/apprenticeships and ʻulu tree giveaways. A new program in 2020 would start a community garden. Lāhaina Restoration Foundation manages ʻĀpuakēhau, the historical site of the Kings kalo patch. The park is landscaped with native plants and includes three kalo beds which were planted by students from the local schools in February and which will be harvested in three groups during the rest of the year. The park also hosts monthly workshops on canoe plants and poi pounding.
Hawai‘i Island Strong Fund Organization Name Hawaiʻi ʻUlu Producers Cooperative
OK Farms
Hui Mālama i ke Ala ʻŪlili
Project Description The Hawaiʻi ʻUlu Cooperative is a farmer-owned and -operated business working to revitalize ʻulu as a viable crop and dietary staple. Their project includes a food distribution network and educational campaign targeting five Native Hawaiian communities, focused specifically on indigenous starches including ʻulu, kalo, and ʻuala. In addition, HUC will host educational workshops on cultural food uses, cooking demonstrations, and best practices for home or commercial crop production. In response to the impacts COVID-19, OK Farms partnered with over 40 farmers to launch a CSA box pickup, providing the community with a mix of freshly harvested agricultural items. This program has allowed farmers to continue sales while addressing the shortage of food in grocery stores. The drive-thru and delivery of fresh produce greatly reduces exposure for high-risk individuals while ensuring they have access to healthy foods. Hui Mālama i ke Ala ʻŪlili (huiMAU)’s mission is to re-establish the systems that sustain its community through place-based educational initiatives and ʻāina-centered practices that cultivate abundance, regenerate responsibilities, and promote collective health and well-being. Their project focuses on transitioning the ʻāina out of forestry and back into active community education and food production use. This effort will involve clearing two acres of invasive guinea grass and African tulip trees, fencing, setting up a water catchment system, and planting approximately 40 ʻulu trees, 20 kukui, and an assortment of Hawaiian varieties of kalo, ʻuala, and maiʻa.
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Kahua Paʻa Mua Inc.
Kumukī`ā
Maona Community Garden
Pōhāhā I Ka Lani
Waimea Hawaiian Homesteaders' Association, Inc.
Kahua Pa‘a Mua’s (KPM) mission is to enhance communities through economic, conservation/preservation, social and educational programs. KPM plans to expand its crop and animal food production to a 5-acre parcel in Kapanaiʻa, opening one acre of production to kupuna and their families to cultivate. Currently, families in this program are harvesting and sharing with over 500 people by delivering to extended ʻohana and donating to community meals and the local Food Basket. Kumukī`ā will educate Native Hawaiian kūpuna on how to care for, harvest, and process Native Hawaiian foods to feed the mind and body. This project will provide 50 kupuna in Waimea with near-harvest ready container gardens of vegetables, such as kalo, ʻuala, maiʻa, lūʻau, ʻolena, and mamaki. Recipients will learn about container garden cultivation, harvesting, and use in daily diet. This will provide immediate access to fresh vegetables, allowing kūpuna to save on food costs and reduce the need for grocery shopping. Maona Community Garden (MCG)’s goal is to increase the food security of Native Hawaiian families by providing the technical skills required to produce their own food. Their project includes 16 workshops on a variety of topics including gardening, aquaponics, harvesting, and composting. Each workshop participant will receive 5-6 pounds of food, with a total of 1,000 pounds of food to be distributed over six months. Pōhāhā I Ka Lani (PIKL) provides immersive programs to promote placebased land stewardship, cultural education, and community engagement at sacred places in and around Waipiʻo Valley. The Mahina ʻAi Project will increase and expand production of traditional Hawaiian food and medicine crops for donation and sale to Hawaiʻi Island residents. This will also provide economic support through employment of individuals to assist in the work and purchasing of crops from local farmers to add to donated food items. The Waimea Hawaiian Homesteaders Association, Inc is a communitybased, socio-economic development organization which promotes the advancement, rehabilitation, self-sufficiency, and well-being of its Native Hawaiian Homestead lessees. The ʻUmeke ‘Ai O Waimea Nui program purchases fresh produce from Native Hawaiian farmers, ranchers and fishermen to keep these producers and their employees at work. The produce is sold to Native Hawaiian families at a discounted price to ensure consistent access to healthy, nutritious food during the pandemic.
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