Financial analysis, marketing support, business plan production, grant writing – perhaps not what you’d expect from a beginner farmer training program.
But as Janel Yamamoto explains in a recent article, GoFarm Hawaiʻi offers services for those already working in the agricultural industry.
The director of the highly successful CTAHR program was a recent guest of the Ulupono Initiative’s “Stories from Hawaiʻi’s Farmers & Ranchers” series.
In the conversation, Janel points out that GoFarm Hawaiʻi, which has provided support to farmers and future agricultural industry professionals since 2003, has built training sites on Oʻahu, Maui, Kauaʻi and Hawaiʻi Island. This enables the program to offers educational opportunities throughout the state on business topics, recently hosting a Hawaiʻi Agri-Tourism Webinar Summer Series.
GoFarm also provides services in the community, such as a program at the Waiawa Correctional Facility and a collaboration on Hawaiʻi Island to support veterans who wish to start farming.
“New beginning farmers are critical for our state,” Yamamoto said. “We want farmers, ranchers and anyone who aspires to work in the industry to know there are resources available to support them through today’s uncertain times.”
Read the full conversation.