Farming After GoFarm

GoFarm Hawai‘i held its first Alumni Conference on February 17, where over 100 participants from O‘ahu, Kaua‘i, Maui, and Hawai‘i Island came together to network and learn. Topics of educational sessions included value-added food production, establishing non-profit organizations, financing through loans and grants, cost of production, varietal selection, packaging products for market, and networking and collaboration. Local farmers also attended to share their experiences in scaling up their businesses. GoFarm Hawai‘i’s goal is to enhance Hawai‘i’s food security and economy by increasing the number of local agricultural producers. It hopes to offer those with an interest in agriculture a combination of knowledge, experience, and support to assist them in becoming viable production growers, and accomplish this in a manner that encourages sustainability. The program has graduated over 250 students in the last 5 years.