Six visionaries combined social entrepreneurship with years of experience and a will to give back — plus plenty of hard work — to create the Red Barn Farmstand in Haleiwa, a site that connects every phase of the sustainable- food chain. The quaint red stand opened last week to offer fresh produce, prepared grab-and-go foods, and local artisanal products such as kim chee, chocolate and coffee. Outdoor tables and benches sheltered by large umbrellas dot the green grass fronting the farm stand, making for a picturesque scene.

It all started when Holoholo General Store’s Jill Nordby and Jamie Sexton, who process 2,000 pounds of local produce weekly for 300 subscribers to their community-supported agriculture program, heard about Kamehameha School’s 2014 Mahi‘ai Match-Up. The contest sought out agricultural business plans dedicated to increasing sustainable food production.

“We’re committed to making local food accessible and affordable to people,” Nordby said.

The women wanted to enter, but they first approached Emily and Elisabeth Beagle, twin sisters who farmed and cooked in Los Angeles, to join forces.

Holoholo won the contest, taking away $25,000 and five years of waived rent on 6 acres of Kamehameha Schools’ agricultural land. The Beagle sisters moved to Hawaii and got to work clearing the land and developing recipes for farm-to-table fare. Meanwhile, Milton Agader and Al Medrano of Twin Bridge Farms, with whom Holoholo was already working, built the red farm stand and invited the women to run it.

“They said that other people had once helped them, so they wanted to extend an opportunity to us,” Nordby said.

The farm stand serves up items such as Chicken Souvlaki Wrap ($9.75), marinated chicken with creamy tzatziki; roasted beet salad ($12.95); and a granola parfait ($6) with Greek yogurt and fresh fruit. Among the menu’s various other items are pastries and beverages.

The stand, stocked with a variety of organic vegetables from Holoholo Farm, also assists neighboring small farms with moving products.

Nordby said they previously could work with only 15 large farms able to supply enough for customers who subscribed to receive their bags of produce.

“We deliver so much food we couldn’t work with backyard farmers,” she said. “Now, with the stand, we have a place small farmers can drop off their produce.” What doesn’t sell goes to subscribers.

The site also houses a mobile processing unit, basically a certified kitchen on wheels. It’s where the Beagles process the farm’s produce and whip up their menu. Holoholo wants to share the unit as well as a nearby 25-foot cooler with farming neighbors. They understand access to such infrastructure can make a huge difference in a small farm’s bottom line.

And that ties back to the bottom line of Holoholo’s work.

“Our mission is to celebrate locally produced food,” Nordby said. “We want to connect people to the farmers’ bounty and bring it back to the dinner table.”