Project Overview
While Hawai‘i has abundant
agricultural lands and a 12-month growing season, the state imports >80% of
its food from markets located at least 2,300 miles away. Despite the increasing
interest in local food production, few farms become established by beginning
farmers due to a lack of agricultural and business knowledge and the inability
to access start-up capital. The objectives of this project are to (1)
train beginning farmers/ranchers, with a particular focus on socially
disadvantaged farmers, (2) facilitate access to financial and production input
resources, including farm leases and microloans, and (3) expand TKC's online
database of resources. We initially developed a 20-session training
program, including 39 hrs of classroom instruction, 30 hrs of on-farm
instruction, and 36 hrs of farm visits. The total program comprised of 188
hrs, including BFRDP-supported workshops island wide. Addressing evaluations, we
adjusted our training program to an 18-session format that includes 45 hrs of
classroom instruction, 45 hrs of on-farm workshops, and 30 hrs of farm visits.
Sessions were held twice a month. For graduation, participants fill additional
68 hrs instead of the 83 hrs in 2017 with additional workshops supported by the
BFRDP or offered through CTAHR or other appropriate agriculture-related
workshops, online education, business planning, and farm internships and
development, depending on the individual participant's needs. Across the three
cohorts, a total of 61 individuals started the program and 49 of those
participants completed it. A total of 23 public additional island wide public
lectures and workshops attracted 447 community members. Technical assistance including
business planning, agricultural production, and farm financing was provided by
TKC's Rural Cooperative Business Development Services (RCBDS) team to 45 individuals
and businesses.
Number of Participants: 61
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Individual Stories / Examples of Success