HILO, Hawai‘i—October 25, 2013—Chris J. Kanazawa, State Director for USDA Rural Development, announced the selection of the Kohala Center, Inc., to receive a $200,000 grant. The funding is being provided through USDA Rural Development’s Rural Cooperative Development Grant (RCDG) program.
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KAMUELA, Hawai‘i—February 13, 2013—Value-added and specialty foods consultant Lou Cooperhouse will present “Food Business Basics: Getting Started and Finding Your Niche in the Specialty Foods Business” workshops in Hilo, Honoka‘a, Pahala and Ho‘olehua March 11–15. The workshops are designed for farmers seeking to develop their raw product into a value-added product and bring it to market, entrepreneurs and restaurateurs interested in diversifying their revenue streams with specialty food products, and established producers looking to take their food businesses to the next level.
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KAMUELA, Hawai‘i—October 26, 2012—Eight Hawai‘i Island farmers markets now accept EBT cards. SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly called food stamps) recipients can use their EBT cards at the Maku‘u Farmers Market in Puna, Hilo Coffee Mill Farmers Market in Mountain View, Kino‘ole Farmers Market in Hilo, Volcano Farmers Market in Volcano, Keauhou Farmers Market in Kona, Hawi Farmers Market in North Kohala, Hilo Farmers Market in Hilo and S.P.A.C.E. Farmers Market in Puna.
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KAMUELA, Hawai‘i—February 24, 2012—A new farmer-to-farmer video about Integrated Beetle Management is available online to help farmers manage the coffee berry borer beetle (CBB). The beetle has spread at an alarming rate through Kona, threatening the survival of Hawaii’s premier specialty crop.
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KAMUELA, Hawai‘i—April 1, 2011—The Laulima Center is open for business and is prepared to support cooperative business ventures throughout the State of Hawai‘i. Visit its new Web site at http://www.laulimacenter.org to learn more about how cooperatives can benefit Hawai‘i’s business community and about the services the center can provide to assist potential cooperatives.
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KAMUELA, Hawai‘i—February 4, 2011—Groups throughout the State of Hawai‘i that would like to form a cooperative but need some assistance getting organized, writing a business plan, or becoming legally incorporated have a new resource—the Laulima Center. Established by The Kohala Center and funded by a USDA-Rural Cooperative Development grant and the Ulupono Initiative, the Laulima Center will serve all sectors of our rural economy by providing organizational support to cooperative ventures statewide.
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