2 farm winners plan variety of crops

Azuki bean, breadfruit, purple cabbage, green papaya, pigeon pea, sorghum and soybeans are among crops slated for local production as the result of a farm business plan competition now in its third year.

The Mahi‘ai (farmer) Match-Up competition presented by Kamehameha Schools and Ke Ali‘i Pauahi Foundation produced two winners among four finalists whose business plans were judged at an event Saturday.

The winners, which receive startup cash and an agricultural lease with up to five years free rent on vacant Kamehameha Schools land, are Counter Culture Foods and Mala Kalu‘ulu Inc.

Counter Culture Foods, which placed second and was awarded $15,000 plus 5 acres in Paalaa on Oahu’s North Shore, plans to grow a variety of crops — including azuki bean, chayote, chili pepper, cowpea, daikon, ginger, green papaya, millet, pigeon pea, purple cabbage, sorghum, soybeans and turmeric — to ferment into kim chee and tempeh.

First-place winner Mala Kalu‘ulu focuses on growing breadfruit as a canopy crop under which various other crops including turmeric will be grown. The cooperative was awarded $25,000 and 3.7 acres in Keei on Hawaii island.

Keawe Liu, Pauahi Foundation executive director, said in a statement that the contest has been successful in finding and helping innovative Hawaii farmers.

"It has developed into a creative and exciting new venue to encourage farmers to develop their ideas and submit a plan to help with Hawaii’s food security issues," he said.

The contest, which has corporate sponsors including Ulupono Initiative and American Savings Bank, was launched in 2013, when it attracted 148 applications.