Bound by a shared purpose to advance food self-reliance in Hawai‘i, Kamehameha Schools (KS) and The Kohala Center (TKC) have partnered up to launch Mahi‘ai a Ola, an initiative to support local farmers, agricultural education, and innovative solutions to improve food security.

Mahi‘ai a Ola encompasses the deeper meaning of mahi‘ai - the idea of cultivating an ‘āina-based lifestyle, a way of thinking, and our connection to and relationship with ‘āina. In the larger food system, farmers cultivate more than food, they cultivate minds, families, and communities.

This year, we are supporting the vision of Mahi‘ai a Ola in three key ways:

1. Mahi‘ai Match-Up - an agricultural business plan competition, awarding a 5-year land agreement and a $10,000 prize
2. Mahi‘ai a Ao - scholarships for various agriculture-related educational programs, and
3. MahiX - an open innovation challenge seeking cooperative solutions to the most pressing issues in the ag sector.