Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
Situation or Problem: Ninety percent of the food consumed on the island of Kaua`i is imported from the U.S. Mainland, resulting in the highest food prices in the nation. Kaua`i is at the end of the transportation lines, with all food being imported by barge or commercial airlines. With extremely high, and increasing costs of living, Kauai's communities direly need to expand local subsistence gardening and local food production in order to improve the island's self-reliance and better support low-income residents. Kalo (taro) and poi are high quality traditional staple foods of the Hawaiian people, small and family farmers in the area grow 60% of the Kalo (taro) in the State, of which 90% is sold to large mills, mostly off-island, at extremely low farm gate prices. Other knowledgeable farmers grow gourmet produce sold to hotels and resorts, and at local farmer markets, which are popular and well-attended by visitors and residents alike. Such markets provide an important food system link in enabling family farmers to connect directly with those seeking to buy local produce. There is great need for a community certified facility to process crops and make value added products, and technical and business training to build capacity for farmers to succeed in these efforts. Farmers on Kaua`i are an aging population, and almost no youth or younger people are getting into farming for social and economic reasons. In order to achieve long-term food security for the island, youth need to be inspired to grow food to feed themselves and their communities, and to get their families into it. This is beginning to be achieved by Waipa's youth programs, and other Public Charter Schools which incorporate gardening into their curriculum. Waipa has found that exposing children on a regular basis to growing, making and eating food, makes it part of their knowledge and experience base, and their interest in it continues to grow. Purpose: This project's purposes are to improve local food system infrastructure and self-reliance by increasing and providing local food processing capacity and engaging farmers, consumers and distribution links to improve farm profitability, local food distribution and consumption; Increasing community-based, family farming, distribution, and consumption of healthy, locally grown foods, and improving skill levels of children, youth, and families in these areas; And increasing available knowledge and information on sustainable agricultural practices relevant to area crops, soils and conditions, and available resources.
Animal Health Component
100%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
100%
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
Goal #1: Improve local food system infrastructure and self-reliance by increasing & providing local food processing capacity and engaging farmers, consumers and distribution links to improve local farm profitability, local food distribution and local food consumption. Objectives and outputs of Goal #1: A. Construct and equip a state certified community commercial kitchen and poi mill as a community asset completed & available for use by 2010. By project's end, an increased volume, availability and/or diversity of local foods will be available at local farmers markets and other venues. B. Facilitate training and use of either the certified kitchen or poi mill by 10 local farming families, organizations, programs or groups by project year 3. C. Facilitate increased poi and locally grown produce distribution to 150 families by project end. Mill and distribute 500 lbs of poi weekly in the new facility by end of Year 2, and 750 pounds per week by end year 3. D. Create a grassroots, community-based distribution network for poi and kalo by establishing relationships and distribution points with organizations or individuals in low income communities. Goal #2: Increase community-based, family farming, distribution, and consumption of healthy, locally grown foods, and improve skill levels of children, youth, and families. Objectives and outputs of Goal #2: A. Expand Waipa's half acre organic garden to 1 acre in rotation, and utilize garden and existing kalo farms (2 acres) for expanded youth programs and other garden education programs for over 250 educational program participants/year. B. Increased capacity and improved sustainability of our farm irrigation system with 2 new catchment/storage tanks. C. Enroll at least 40 youth from low income families in programs to learn growing, marketing, and/or processing healthy, locally grown food, through hands-on activities that utilize the kitchen facility, poi mill, garden and kalo farm sites. D. Create paid internships for at least 10 older youth for 1-3 years in kalo or vegetable gardening and food processing. Target 50% managing their own enterprise by project end, E. E. Expand training opportunities to address community's specific needs. F. Host an annual event to showcase and promote traditional food skills and knowledge. Goal #3: Increase available knowledge and information on sustainable agricultural practices relevant to area crops, local soils, growing conditions and resources. Objectives and outputs of Goal #3: A. Pilot and experiment with sustainable practices in the development and management of the expanded 1 acre garden and existing lo`i kalo (wetland taro fields). B. Document Waipa's baseline management practices, experiments conducted, findings and how new practices have improved Waipa's sustainable management of its resources. C. Demonstrate and make available to the local farming community, increased information on sustainable agricultural practices relevant to area crops, soils & conditions, and available resources.
Project Methods
Goal #1: Improve local food system infrastructure and self-reliance by increasing & providing local food processing capacity and engaging farmers, consumers and distribution links to improve local farm profitability, local food distribution and local food consumption. Methods of accomplishing Goal #1: Construct and equip a state certified community commercial kitchen and poi mill as a community asset, and fund initial staffing of the poi mill through a 25% FTE position to coordinate poi day and distribution/expansion; Facilitating training and use of either the certified kitchen or poi mill by local farming families, organizations, programs or groups; Facilitating increased poi and locally grown produce distribution by expanding the and expanding the current distribution network, by establishing new relationships and distribution points with organizations or individuals in low income communities. Goal #2: Increase community-based, family farming, distribution, and consumption of healthy, locally grown foods, and improve skill levels of children, youth, and families. Methods of accomplishing Goal #2: Expand Waipa's half acre organic garden to 1 acre in rotation, and utilize garden and existing kalo farms (2 acres) for expanded youth programs and other garden education programs; Increasing capacity and improving sustainability of the farm irrigation system with 2 new catchment/storage tanks. Enrolling youth from low income families in programs to learn growing, marketing, and/or processing healthy, locally grown food, through hands-on activities that utilize the kitchen facility, poi mill, garden and kalo farm sites; Creating paid internships in kalo or vegetable gardening and food processing. Target 50% managing their own enterprise by project end; Expanding training opportunities to address community's specific needs through community partnerships and Waipa staff; Hosting an annual event to showcase and promote traditional food skills and knowledge. Goal #3: Increase available knowledge and information on sustainable agricultural practices relevant to area crops, local soils, growing conditions and resources. Methods of accomplishing Goal #3 Pilot and experiment with sustainable practices in the development and management of the expanded 1 acre garden and existing lo`i kalo (wetland taro fields); Document baseline management practices, experiments conducted, findings and how new practices have improved Waipa's sustainable management of its resources; Fund a 25% FTE Sustainability Coordinator to oversee sustainability planning & evaluation; Make available increased information on sustainable agricultural practices relevant to area crops, soils, conditions and available resources. Techniques will be explained, practiced and demonstrated through farm visits and written media. Only simple experimental techniques will be used. Primarily organic and locally grown and sourced fertilizer and amendments will be utilized and experimented with. Baseline measures will be taken, and the effect of inputs analyzed by utilizing experiment and control plots. Growth measurements will be taken and compared in both plots.