A Big Island farm is one of two young businesses that will share $35,000 in seed money as winners of the 2016 Mahi‘ai Match-Up Agricultural Business Plan Contest sponsored by Kamehameha Schools and the Pauahi Foundation.
Each business also received an agricultural lease from Kamehameha Schools with up to five years of waived rent and startup seed money from the Pauahi Foundation.
The winner of the $20,000 first-place prize was Kaivao Farm LLC. Using traditional organic and sustainable agroforestry methods, Kaivao Farm plans to specialize in the cultivation of ulu and cassava on 9.5 acres in Pahoehoe.
Along with their main starch crops, team members Angela Fa‘anunu, Kalisi Mausio, Keone Chin and Haniteli Fa‘anunu will cultivate wauke, hala and other secondary crops for use in education and practice of traditional art forms such as kapa-making and ulana (weaving).
“Kaivao Farm will serve as a living classroom with a holistic, aina-based approach, centered on the resources of Pahoehoe ahapua‘a,” Angela Fa‘anunu said. “We are guided by the vision of building capacity of our local communities by increasing access to healthy food and learning opportunities through practicing cultural traditions that maintain the integrity of the aina and ourselves,”
The second place, $15,000 winner was Maha‘ulu, a ulu production, processing and distribution cooperative planning to be based on 5.8 acres in Punaluu on Oahu.
“I’d like to thank this year’s applicants for being a part of the Mahi‘ai Match-Up Business Plan Contest,” said Sydney Keli‘ipule‘ole Sr., director of statewide operations for Kamehameha Schools. “We received many creative plans from innovative farmers and entrepreneurs this year. I encourage them all to keep developing their ideas and continue the work to help feed our communities and lead us to a sustainable Hawaii.”
Winners and mentorship recipients were revealed during a July 30 fundraising gala on Oahu. Proceeds from the event go toward agricultural scholarships and grants to support local agriculture and sustainability in Hawaii.
For more information about Mahi‘ai Match-Up, visit www.pauahi.org/mahiaimatchup.
