Through our innovative cohort training methodology, delivered on Hawai'i Island November 2022 to February 2023 and on O'ahu from May 2023 to July 2023, we’ve provided services currently unavailable for small farmers to develop competency in bookkeeping consistency, financial analysis, opportunity assessment, budgeting, goal setting and the ability to assess challenges, adjust operations, and evaluate progress to improve their risk management decision making and economic viability.
Our train-the-trainer program, delivered with service providers on Hawai'i Island and O'ahu, successfully introduced our local organizations and agencies serving the agriculture sector across the islands, to smart financial tools and practices that will help address the risks inherent in starting a small farm business in Hawai'i. Over the course of the project, 128 participants were meaningfully engaged in training workshops, one-on-one consultations, peer-to-peer learning and awareness campaigns. Participants included representatives working with farm businesses around business planning, loan readiness, land access, record-keeping, disaster recovery and insurance and representing agencies and organizations from USDA FSA, OACA, The Kohala Center, USDA RMA, HDOA, GoFarm Hawai'i, Hawai'i Farmers Union United (HFUU), Kamehameha Schools Land Asset Division, Pacific Gateway, YMCA, SBDC, and the City and County of Honolulu's Office of Economic Revitalization.