New brand marks food from Ho’opili

D.R. Horton Hawaii, which plans to build 11,750 houses on farmland in Ewa, launched a "Grown in Ho‘o­pili" brand on Tuesday to "honor the agricultural heritage of the area."

The Grown in Ho‘o­pili label will be attached to produce grown on about 200 acres of the 1,500-acre proposed West Oahu master-planned community, the company said.

"Grown in Ho‘o­pili honors the agricultural heritage of the area and D.R. Horton Hawaii’s commitment to the continued success of future farm operations," the company said in a news release. "Colorful labels will mark all fresh produce from Ho‘o­pili so that shoppers will have an opportunity to support locally grown produce."

The state Land Use Commission approved the Ho‘o­pili project two years ago despite opposition from the Sierra Club’s Hawaii chapter, community group Friends of Maka­­kilo, state Sen. Clayton Hee and others who said it would take away some of the best agricultural land on the island.

To help compensate for the loss of farm land, D.R. Horton agreed to dedicate more than 200 acres of the proj­ect to commercial farms, community gardens and home gardens.

The Ho‘opili development site, which is roughly bordered by the H-1 freeway, Ewa Villages, Fort Weaver Road and Kuala­kai Parkway, has long been within the urban growth boundary designated by the city to accommodate population growth and protect farmland elsewhere on Oahu from development.

The first Grown in Ho‘o­pili farm is run by Ho Farms, which recently moved some of its operations from Kahuku to 60 acres in Ho‘o­pili.

"We’re proud to be the first farm in the Grown in Ho‘o­pili program," said Shin Ho of Ho Farms in a news release. "Our first harvest at Ho‘o­pili has been huge." Ho Farms is growing tomatoes, cucumbers, okra and other vegetables.

Construction has not yet begun on homes in Ho‘o­pili, said spokes­woman Christine Matsuda Smith. Smith refered further questions, including when construction is expected to begin, to Cameron Nekota, vice president of D.R. Horton Hawaii, who did not return calls.

Grown in Ho‘opili produce will be available at grocery stores, including Times, Safeway, Foodland, Whole Foods, Don Quijote, Down to Earth, Kokua Market and Tamura’s Market, as well as Alan Wong’s, Town, MW and other restaurants, D.R. Horton said in its news release.

The Land Use Commission rejected the Ho‘o­pili venture in 2009. D.R. Horton revised its plan, setting aside about 16 percent of the proj­ect site for farming, and won approval from the commission in an 8-1 vote on June 8, 2012.