Waianae farm earns federal grant

A Waianae nonprofit has won a $1.6 million federal grant to build a new produce processing facility that meets higher food safety certification standards and could help create 200 jobs.

The U.S. Department of Commerce announced the grant made by its Economic Development Administration to Waianae Community Redevelopment Corp.

The Waianae nonprofit, which established Ma‘o Organic Farms, plans to develop a processing facility that also will be used for farmer training. Private donors Kamehameha Schools, Kokua Hawaii Foundation and the Atherton Family Foundation are contributing $400,000 to the venture.

Gary Maunakea-Forth, Ma‘o managing director, said the 24-acre farm in Lualualei Valley repurposed three giant chicken sheds on the property for office, equipment and produce processing uses but that the processing plant isn’t ideal.

“It’s pretty rustic,” he said. “It’s pretty run down. What we’re trying to do is replace one of the chicken sheds with a proper warehouse.”

Maunakea-Forth said the new facility will allow the farm to obtain a higher food safety certification and package its produce for sale in retail stores, which will provide for increased distribution.

The farm also is seeking to acquire more land to expand farming and increase crop production.

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross said in a statement that the investment will help local agriculture, entrepreneurs, small businesses and workers.

“President (Donald) Trump and his administration are diligently working to help empower our nation’s entrepreneurs so that they can grow, thrive and create new jobs in their local communities,” Ross said.