Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** hawai'i has the most physically…

Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** hawai'i has the most physically isolated area in the united states and IT is widely known that the state imports 85-90% of food consumed locally. Hawai'i's physical isolation and import-dependent economy make the costs of doing business among the highest in the nation. For this reason, approximately 51% of primary farm operators in hawai'i report having a job away from their farm to make ends meet. The median age of a farmer is 60 years old and, with 93% of farms (6,815 of 7,328 farms) organized as small family operations, business succession is difficult as young people move out of state or pursue other career paths in search of financial security. Despite these challenges, farmers, families, and communities continue to work and ask for support in their efforts to improve food security, encourage new farmers, create new economic opportunities, engage indigenous knowledge and practices, and care for agroecosystems and 'aina (land; that which feeds).this project builds upon the kohala center's work over the last decade as hawai'i's only rural cooperative development center to provide technical assistance (TA), education, and outreach to socially disadvantaged and underserved farmers, ranchers, and rural communities. This project will engage 500 producers in education and technical assistance (TA) in agribusiness and cooperative development to: 1) facilitate the ownership and operation of successful farms and ranches; 2) increase familiarity with and participation in USDA and other government programs that support agriculture; 3) facilitate a learning pathway for producers that draws on knowledge produced through western and indigenous ways of knowing, and that is integrated with hawai'i's evolving community food systems; and 4) support the growth of the next generation of producers who are integrated into rural communities and economies, and hawai'i's rich 'aina-based culture. This project will impact the quality oflife in rural areas of hawai'i by supporting the success of socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers to provide reliable employment opportunities to local communities. The project evaluation methodology will also track progress toward related indicators of social, cultural, and ecological health. By focusing TA on beneficiaries operating in the agricultural value chain, the project will encourage conditions that support the attainment of a high quality of life characterized by economic and educational opportunity, an affordable cost of living, and abundant natural resources that are stewarded using traditional and regenerative agricultural practices to improve local food security and ensure a strong agriculture economy for the future.