Mahi'ai Match-Up Contest winners share $35,000 in seed money

Aug. 4, 2016

Contributed by Leanne Okamoto

Two budding young businesses will share $35,000 in seed money as the winners of the 2016 Mahi‘ai Match-Up Agricultural Business Plan Contest sponsored by Kamehameha Schools and the Pauahi Foundation.

Each business also received an agricultural lease from Kamehameha Schools with up to five years of waived rent, and start-up seed money from the Pauahi Foundation.

KAIVAO FARM
The winner of the first place $20,000 prize was Kaivao Farm, LLC. Utilizing traditional organic and sustainable agroforestry methods, Kaivao Farm plans to specialize in the cultivation of ʻulu and cassava on 9.5 acres in Pāhoehoe, just north of Hilo on Hawai‘i island.

Along with their main starch crops, team members Angela Faʻanunu, Kalisi Mausio, Keone Chin and Haniteli Faʻanunu will cultivate wauke, hala and other secondary crops for use in education and practice of traditional art-forms like kapa-making and ʻulana (weaving).

“Kaivao Farm will serve as a living classroom with a holistic, ʻāina-based approach, centered on the resources of Pāhoehoe ahapuaʻa” said Angela Faʻanunu with Kaivao Farm.

“We are guided by the vision of building capacity of our local communities by increasing access to healthy food and learning opportunities through practicing cultural traditions that maintain the integrity of the ʻāina and ourselves,” Faʻanunu added.

MAHAʻULU
The second place, $15,000 winner was Mahaʻulu – an ʻulu production, processing, and distribution cooperative to be based on 5.8 acres in Punaluʻu on the island of Oʻahu. Team members include Makani Ortogero, Jessica Nāpua Casson, Nick Kawelakai Farrant, Ted Nakamura and Clement Paishon.

By collaborating with existing ʻulu farmers and establishing shared cooperative processing, branding and distribution channels, Mahaʻulu aims to increase the local availability of Oʻahu-grown ʻulu and restore ʻulu as an affordable and accessible staple food.

In order to maintain environmentally and economically sustainable farming operations, they will cultivate secondary crops such as vanilla, mushrooms and honey.

“I’d like to thank this year’s applicants for being a part of the Mahi‘ai Match-Up Business Plan Contest,” said Sydney Keliʻipuleʻole, senior director of statewide operations for Kamehameha Schools.

“We received many creative plans from innovative farmers and entrepreneurs this year. I encourage them all to keep developing their ideas and continue the work to help feed our communities and lead us to a sustainable Hawaiʻi.”

THE MAHIʻAI MENTORSHIP
Working to help mahi (cultivate) new farmers and integrate its educational, financial, agricultural and sustainability efforts consistent with Hawaiian cultural principles, KS is providing more opportunities for aspiring farmers this year with the introduction of Mahiʻai Mentorship – created through a partnership between KS and GoFarm Hawaiʻi.

Four mentorship recipients – Leolani Kini and Noe Mano from Oʻahu, Charleston Mahiai from Maui and Trevis Simola from Kauaʻi – have been selected to participate in the GoFarm program. Valued at $3,000, participants will be given a combination of knowledge, experience, and support designed to help them become viable production growers.

The winners and mentorship recipients were revealed at a July 30 fundraising gala at Dole Cannery’s Pōmaika‘i Ballrooms. Proceeds from the event will go toward agricultural scholarships and grants to support local agriculture and sustainability in Hawaiʻi.

Mahiʻai Match-Up is a partnership by Kamehameha Schools and the Pauahi Foundation. Lead sponsors, Ulupono Initiative, Hawaiʻi Farm and Food Magazine and Hiʻilei Aloha, LLC along with numerous others, generously joined in to help make the contest and gala possible. For more information about Mahiʻai Match-Up, visit www.pauahi.org/mahiaimatchup.

We received many creative plans from innovative farmers and entrepreneurs this year. I encourage them all to keep developing their ideas and continue the work to help feed our communities and lead us to a sustainable Hawaiʻi.
Sydney Keliʻipuleʻole, KS Senior Director of Statewide Operations

The Mahi‘ai Match-Up first place winner Kaivao Farm was awarded $20,000 in seed money to help grow the business. Utilizing traditional organic and sustainable agroforestry methods, Kaivao plans to specialize in the cultivation of ʻulu and cassava on 9.5 acres in Pāhoehoe, just north of Hilo on Hawaiʻi island. L-R: Pauahi Foundation executive director, Pono Maʻa, Keone Chin, Angela Faʻanunu, Kilipohi Faʻanunu-Soares, Kalisi Mausio and Jack Wong, Kamehameha Schools CEO.

The second place, $15,000 winner was Mahaʻulu – an ʻulu production, processing, and distribution cooperative to be based on 5.8 acres in Punaluʻu on Oʻahu. L-R: Pauahi Foundation executive director Pono Maʻa, Ted Nakamura, Nick Kawelakai Farrant, Jessica Nāpua Casson, Makani Ortogero and Jack Wong, Kamehameha Schools CEO.