Advocating for strategic investments in agricultural projects that increase production and access to locally grown products, AgHuiʻs network assisted in identifying funding matches from both public and private philanthropic sources for the following projects:
Maui Nui Venison received $200,000 of CARES funding and $150,000 from a private foundation to support the construction of their venison processing facility on Maui. This will allow the company to remove invasive axis deer from fragile island watersheds, create employment, and provide high-quality protein to our local community.
Kaunamano Farm received $75,000 from a private foundation to expand production of pasture-raised Berkshire pigs. This will support the farmʻs innovative approach to raising and marketing heritage breed livestock on Hawaiʻi Island.
Farm Link Hawaii received $10,000 to expand acceptance of SNAP benefits. This initiative will help connect SNAP users to locally grown food producers and increase the economic impact of federal SNAP funding in our community.
North Shore Economic Vitality Partnership received $203,000 from the City and County of Honolulu. The focus and goals for both initiatives were to help local farmers make improvements on the farm in the areas of food safety and business needs so as to achieve access to larger, more stable markets, build capacity, and meet food safety standards commonly required by larger buyers.
GoFarm Hawaii received $308,000 in CARES Act funding from the City and County of Honolulu. The focus of their project is to strengthen Hawaii’s food security and local supply by developing the agricultural workforce and new farm operators in Hawaii. The project will also support existing agricultural operations through education and technical assistance. In addition, the program will provide community food sustainability education.
SNAP ‘Da Bux’ Double Up Food Bucks program received $500,000 in State of Hawaiʻi CARES Act funding, along with a philanthropic match of $500,000 to support community feeding efforts for SNAP recipients statewide. This SNAP Double Up Program doubles the purchasing power for SNAP recipients at the point of purchase for locally grown fruits and vegetables, eggs, and ground beef.