Oahu to launch $3M agriculture grant program for small farmers

The City and County of Honolulu is launching a $3 million grant program to support Oahu’s small farmers, ranchers and growers.

The Oahu Agriculture Grants program will launch Monday at noon, and applicants will have until Oct. 20 at 10 a.m. to apply. The city will be awarding $50,000 grants to 60 applicants.

“Investing in local agriculture is a vital step in our strategy to create a more diverse and equitable economy,” said Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi in a statement. “These grants will help small farmers expand their production and create much needed jobs for our community. It brings us closer to our vision for O‘ahu and quite frankly it is imperative more of our food is grown, harvested, and prepared for our tables by our neighbors.”

The grants were first proposed by Honolulu Council Vice-Chair Esther Kiaaina to support local agricultural producers. The federal funding was allocated in the city’s executive operating budget for fiscal year 2022.

“Local agriculture has played an integral role throughout Hawaiʻi’s history, but in the last few decades, we have increased our reliance on external shipments for our food supply,” Kiaaina said in a statement. “That is why it is crucial that we invest in local food production, sustainability, and resiliency. This Agriculture Grants program will support our local farmers’ livelihood, ensure food security for local families, and revitalize and diversify our State’s economy.”

To qualify, producers must be based on Oahu, have been in business by March 13, 2020, and produce documented harm from the COVID-19 pandemic. Producers must also be fully compliant with the Internal Revenue Service and the state’s Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs and Department of Taxation.

On Wednesday at 3 p.m., a webinar for grant applications will be held by the city’s Office of Economic Revitalization and Department of Budget and Fiscal Service. It will be streamed live on the OER’s Facebook page.

More information about the grant program can be found at www.oahuaggrants.org/.