July 7, 2015 (Honolulu Civil Beat)—Gov. David Ige signed a bill Tuesday that is intended to increase the amount of local food students eat in Hawai‘i’s public school system and boost their understanding of its importance.
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May 8, 2015 (West Hawaii Today)—With 83 percent of its beef and a whopping 95 percent of its pork, lamb and goat products being imported, Hawai‘i Island’s meat production is a long way off from the ideals of the sustainability movement.
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August 25, 2014 (Hawaii 24/7)—A new no-interest loan program is available for Hawaii Island farmers and food producers, in an effort to increase local food production, reduce dependence on imports, and strengthen local businesses. The Kohala Center, with support from the County of Hawaii, has created the Hawaii Island Food Producers Fund to increase access to capital for the island’s food producers.
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May 8, 2014 (Hawai‘i Public Radio)—The Hawaii Island School Garden Network has a goal of exposing students around the island to the benefits of fresh fruits and vegetables. Generally that means the kids grow food in the school garden. But the Garden Network is looking at bringing in local fruits and vegetables another way, too. From Hawaii Island, Sherry Bracken has the story.
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May 6, 2014 (West Hawaii Today)—On the mainland, big farms can find ways to sell their produce to small school districts, but with the situation reversed in Hawaii, local farmers sometimes find it difficult to get their products to the state’s large public district, says Nancy Redfeather, program director of Hawaii Island School Garden Network.
That’s where the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program comes in. The program provides funding to eligible schools — those serving students in kindergarten to sixth grade with at least half of the student population qualifying for free or reduced lunch — to purchase locally grown produce for morning and afternoon snacks.
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May 5, 2014 (Hawai‘i Public Radio)—An organic certification is a way for customers to make sure the food they’re buying fits certain standards. But that can be challenging for many farmers here in Hawaii, especially since the state has no locally-based certifier. HPR’s Molly Solomon reports on a recent study that takes a closer look at some of the issues and challenges faced by Hawaii’s organic food industry.
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February 2, 2014 (West Hawaii Today)—Organic farmers could see more green, and not just in their fields. Puna makai Councilman Greggor Ilagan has introduced a bill that would give certified organic farms a break on their property taxes. The legislation, which the County Council’s Finance Committee will consider Tuesday, would lower the tax assessment for the farms from as much as $4,000 per acre to $420 per acre for nondedicated agriculture land.
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August 29, 2013 (North Hawaii News)—Kaiser Permanente Hawaii announced it will donate $27,000 in grant funding in support of The Kohala Center. The grant from Kaiser Permanente to The Kohala Center will provide food safety certification and offer the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Program in Oahu, Maui, and Hawaii Island elementary schools. This initiative will provide food safety certification of high-need schools and will benefit approximately 700 students. In addition to the Kohala Center donation, they also granted the University of Hawaii Foundation a $50,000 grant, for a total of $77,000 to the two organizations.
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