WAIOHAI — Hawaii’s local food production just got a boost from the federal government and there could be more support to come if the 2018 farm bill passes through Capitol Hill.
North Shore Economic Vitality Partnership announced Monday the group landed a new designation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture — as the newest member of the GroupGAP (Good Agricultural Practices) Certification Program.
That means the group is one of 15 organizations nationwide that can now officially run food safety certification programs for local farmers, which ensures it’s up to standards for commercial sale.
“By working with a lot of partners and the Department of Agriculture to implement GroupGAP we’ve learned that food safety certification is a challenge for small farmers across the state,” said Kevin Kelly, president of North Shore EVP.
He continued: “We need to work together to grow more food for Hawaii.”
Local food has to be up to standards and certified safe for restaurants, markets and retailers. It’s an important piece to Gov. David Ige’s plan to double local food production by 2020 and for local farmers, a safety certification can mean increased sales.
“Improving agriculture is something this community has always supported,” Kelly said.
The first 10 GroupGAP certified farms will receive the certification in the coming weeks after completing a final audit of their farms. Now that the program has USDA recognition, North Shore EVP is reviewing applications for the next group of farms from across Oahu and plans are being made to take the program to farmers across the state.
Meanwhile, the 2018 farm bill passed through the U.S. Senate Thursday with the details about a grant program for locally grown food in tact.
The provision was introduced by Sens. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and it would award grants to increase the quantity and quality of locally grown food, including through small-scale gardening, herding and livestock operations.
The grants would range from $100 to $5,000 for individuals and from $100 to $10,000 to tribes, religious organizations, food banks and other nonprofits and federally funded educational facilities, and local governments in Hawaii, Alaska and insular areas.
The bill also reauthorizes an education grant program to Native Hawaiian and Alaska Native-Serving Institutions, totaling $10 million every year for five years.
That kind of money could be helpful for farmers all over Kauai who are part of the island’s backbone, Kelly said.
“We all love the country, but its our farmers who are preserving the legacy of agriculture on the North Shore,” he said.
Schatz said the farm bill that just passed through the U.S. Senate creates more opportunities for new farmers and ranchers.
“This new federal money will give people the resources to start a garden or build a business that promotes locally grown food,” he said.
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Jessica Else, environment reporter, can be reached at 245-0452 or at jelse@thegardenisland.com
