About Kū I Ka Māna
In 2012, The Kohala Center received a grant from the United States Department of Agriculture to create and deliver Kū I Ka Māna, a beginning farmer training initiative. The County of Hawai‘i provided the necessary matching funds to secure the USDA grant.
Starting in the Hāmākua region of Hawai‘i Island, The Kohala Center, in partnership with several local government agencies and academic institutions, will recruit, train, and support at least 40 new farmers in 2013-2014. The program will also help these new farmers develop business plans, secure farm leases, gain access to farm equipment and materials, and successfully produce, market, and distribute their crops. As part of this program, The Kohala Center is developing a training site in Honoka‘a that will be used to teach successful farming practices.
Kū I Ka Māna supports several primary goals of The Kohala Center, state and county governments, island leaders, and community groups: to increase local food production, decrease dependency on imports, diversify Hawai‘i Island’s rural economy, create jobs, and promote greater self-reliance.
The third cohort of Kū I Ka Māna begins on Friday, January 31, 2014 and runs through mid-June. Classes are held Friday evenings from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the North Hawai‘i Education & Research Center (NHERC) in Honoka‘a, and Saturday mornings from 9:00 a.m. to Noon at Ka Hua ‘Āina, our training farm on lower Lehua Street in Honoka‘a on the way to Haina.
Beginning farmers who successfully complete the training program and create viable farm and business plans will be able to work with the State of Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture to execute short-term leases on farmlands managed by the Hāmākua Agricultural Co-op, County of Hawai‘i and Kapulena Agricultural Park, with the understanding that satisfactory farm operation start-up will allow for longer-term land occupancy.
To apply to Kū I Ka Māna click here. The application deadline for the third cohort is Friday, January 10, 2014. For more information, contact Derrick Kiyabu by e-mail or call 808-220-2312.
The Kohala Center is an equal opportunity provider and employer.