CTAHR’s New Model for Community Partnerships and Solutions

We are reimagining our statewide footprint. We have launched a strategic initiative to transform our 22 Centers of Applied Research and Extension Services (CARES) into dynamic hubs of collaborative innovation. These are not merely research stations; they are the engines of community prosperity.

Our approach is grounded in the "Community Talk Story" model –  deep listening to identify the most persistent local challenges and co-designing the solutions to meet them. In one example, recent talk story events in Waimānalo have crystallized a community-led vision centered on four pillars:

• Scaling ʻāina-based learning and local food production.
• Providing dedicated space and resources for practitioners, including managed loʻi (kalo patches) and limu (seaweed) restoration projects.
• Engaging the next generation through hands-on agricultural leadership.
• Creating living-wage jobs and robust support systems for local entrepreneurs, ensuring graduates of programs like GoFarm Hawai‘i have the infrastructure to succeed.

Modernizing Our Infrastructure

A vision for 2035 requires modern facilities. We have initiated a 20-year infrastructure master plan to modernize our 22 CARES stations across the islands. Renovations are complete at our Hawaiʻi Island sites in Komohana, Mealani, and Kona, with critical upgrades currently underway at our Waiākea facility. By investing in these physical foundations, we are ensuring that CTAHR remains a world-class partner in Hawai‘i’s agricultural and social evolution.