More than 200 food sustainability, farming, and public school pros recently converged at the Kamehameha Schools Ka‘iwakīloumoku Hawaiian Cultural Center to attended the annual Hawai‘i Farm to School Conference.
The goal of the event was to promote the knowledge and best practices needed to develop and sustain a statewide farm-to-school program that would re-grow the local agricultural economy, future farmers, healthy schools and communities.
The all-day event was organized by the Hawaii Farm to School and Garden Hui and the Kohala Center and included several panel discussions.
KS Land Assets Division Director Neil Hannahs was among the panelists who discussed the status, needs, and next steps for growing the local food supply, future farms, and farmers – including Hawai‘i’s agriculture education ‘auwai (pathway)
“KS is dedicated to the farm-to-school movement,” says Hannahs. “There are numerous nutritional, sociological, and economical benefits to providing locally grown foods in schools for Hawai‘i’s children.
“To achieve this goal and to contribute to a sustainable food system in Hawaiʻi, KS has invested in land planning, infrastructure improvement, farmer recruitment and market development for 88,000 acres of land with high agricultural potential.”
According to KS Sustainability Manager Amy Brinker, KS is uniquely poised to model the farm-to-school movement for the state because of its land and institutional buying power.
“Our next strategic plan provides a powerful opportunity to build on the foundation that our campuses, and ʻĀina-Based Education and Land Assets divisions have been building with regard to growing farmers and maximizing agricultural lands.”
Sponsors of the conference included Kamehameha Schools, the USDA Food and Nutrition Service Farm to School Program, the Johnson Ohana foundation, Kaiser Permanente, HMSA, the Kōkua Hawaiʻi Foundation, Slow Food Oʻahu, and Whole Foods.
The event aligns with the goals of KS’ Strategic Agriculture Plan. To learn more about how Kamehameha Schools supports local farmers and the agricultural industry, visit www.ksbe.edu/land.
KS is dedicated to the farm-to-school movement. There are numerous nutritional, sociological, and economical benefits to providing locally grown foods in schools for Hawai‘i’s children.
Neil Hannahs, KS Land Assets Division Director
KS Cultural Specialist Varez learns more about the Strategic Agricultural Plan from Communications Specialist Mae Russell.
Varez welcomes more than 200 conference attendees to Ka‘iwakīloumoku.
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