A Kauaʻi nonprofit focused on increasing local food production and resiliency is turning its attention to partnering with more Native Hawaiian farmers to meet the local food needs of the island’s North Shore communities.
ʻĀina Hoʻokupu o Kīlauea (AHK), together with partnering farmers, ranchers and fishermen, produces more than 10,000 pounds of produce, meat and fish each month. That is enough to fill 250 donated farm boxes weekly and serve about 100 to 150 people daily through AHK’s retail space, Johnny’s Market.
But unless the organization can increase its production or support other farmers, it will not be able to meet the needs of the community.
To address this, AHK is developing an innovative 2-acre model of food production designed to connect Native Hawaiian farmers with AHK’s financial resources and agricultural expertise.
The idea is for AHK to partner with grantees of the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands’ (DHHL) Kuleana Homestead Program, which allows beneficiaries to lease unimproved, off-grid homestead lots for agriculture.
Through the 2-acre model, AHK would provide all the infrastructure needed for farmers to start raising pigs, chicken and sheep and to grow plants like banana, ʻulu and pineapple. The farmers would provide the labor and land. The model is designed to be a high-yield, low-input system, requiring only about 1-2 hours a day of feeding animals and harvesting food, said AHK Executive Director Yoshito L’Hote.
“The goal of this model is for everybody to engage with the food they eat. [The grantees] get to support the community by providing locally grown food. But also, in case of emergency, there’ll be up to 100 breadfruit trees planted, hundreds of pigs, and thousands of chickens raised. Those are the elements that provide food resiliency and economy,” said L’Hote.
Based on a recent financial analysis conducted by AHK with support from philanthropic donors and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA), the initial start-up cost for each farm is estimated at $80,000, and the investment would pay for itself in about three years.
After this initial period, all the infrastructure is turned over to the farmers. If they choose to continue with the system, there is the potential to generate $50,000 to $60,000 per year in revenues. AHK is coordinating with DHHL to arrange a field visit so the department can provide feedback about the feasibility of their plan.
A key part of the model is being in proximity to a retail and processing space – which is where Johnny’s Market comes in, said L’Hote. The market, which opened in 2023, was a critical piece of making AHK’s operations financially viable. Johnny’s Market, which sells only Hawaiʻi-grown products, has helped shift the center’s funding from 80% grants and philanthropy to 80% earned income.
“The biggest change since we opened the market [has been] financial relief. It’s the final piece to the puzzle,” said 25-year-old Kalei Waipa, AHK’s production manager and field supervisor for the past six years. “We finally have a store that has allowed us to sell our vegetables and bring in financial income to supplement everything.”
Johnny’s Market is part of AHK’s Kīlauea Community Agricultural Center (KCAC), which includes a 75-acre farm, education center, pavilions and food processing facilities. The property, acquired by the Kīlauea community through a contested case hearing, is now owned by the County of Kauaʻi and leased by AHK.
The market is named after the late Johnny Akana, a founding member and president of Kīlauea Agriculture Association, who pushed for the community to be able to farm the 75 acres. Thanks in part to Akana’s efforts, AHK has been farming the area for the past decade.
“We have discovered how much everybody wants to buy local, fresh, high-quality produce and, because there’s nobody between the farmers and the customers, 60-70% of the money made from the sales of produce is going to the farmers – which is not the case in a regular grocery store. It’s more like 15%,” said L’Hote.
“We’ve also eliminated so much of the waste of transportation, the carbon footprint, the plastic wrapping, the cardboard, and the fuel to distribute. We’re creating a way healthier food system that takes into consideration the impact on the ʻāina and the people.”
Part of cultivating sustainability for such a system is to empower the next generation of farmers and local food advocates, according to L’Hote. “It’s that generation that needs to see the value and push the boat forward.” By design, the team at AHK is comprised mostly of employees in their 20s and 30s – including L’Hote’s son and daughter.
Waipa said engaging the younger generation in farming is important. He is already seeing a shift in how his peers value local food and local food systems. This, coupled with a growing dissatisfaction with higher-paying but less-satisfying jobs, may push more people from “Generation Z” (those currently ages 13-28) to return to the land.
AHK’s vision is to give the upcoming generation access to land and housing, allowing them to farm and mālama ʻāina not as a job, but as a lifestyle that increases food availability, economic diversity and security for generations to come.
“You can only do a job that makes you money, but doesn’t make you happy, for so long,” said Waipa. “I have a friend in construction who I worked with before on a farm. He says he’s not nearly as satisfied with his job. He’s making more money, but he’s not feeling fulfilled and happy. I think that’s been a huge thing for our generation.”
