HAWAIʻI FARMERS UNION
HAWAI'I CHAPTER

Join the Hawaiʻi Farmers Union Hawaiʻi Island Chapter and connect with a diverse community of farmers, ranchers, growers, food producers, and agricultural supporters across Hawaiʻi Island. From Kona and Kohala to East Hawaiʻi and Puna, our chapter brings together communities with distinct growing environments, agricultural traditions, and opportunities to strengthen local food systems.

Our members represent a wide range of agricultural practices, from coffee, macadamia nuts, ʻulu, cacao, tropical fruits, and avocado to kalo, taro, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, ranching, agroforestry, and small-scale homesteading. Through chapter meetings, workshops, networking opportunities, and community events, we support members in sharing knowledge, building relationships, accessing resources, and strengthening agriculture across the island.

The Hawaiʻi Island Chapter also supports opportunities for agricultural education, market development, food hubs, agroforestry, grant and funding resources, and community engagement around agriculture and food systems. We encourage members to connect with one another, local agricultural organizations, community leaders, and guest speakers to help build a resilient and sustainable agricultural future for Hawaiʻi Island.

Hawaiʻi Island Chapter Highlights

Kona: South Kohala to South Kona. 
Kona's high-elevation farms benefit from cloud coverage and rich volcanic soils associated with Hualālai Volcano, creating conditions well suited for coffee, macadamia nuts, breadfruit, bananas, avocado, and other tropical fruit. Farmers also cultivate dryland taro, pumpkin, and sweet potato in lower-elevation soil pockets. The region's unique landscape has shaped a place-based approach to farming, with cultivation often focused on smaller, workable areas.

Kona is also home to the historic Kona Field System, developed by Native Hawaiians beginning in the 1700s and reflecting a sophisticated upland agricultural system. Farmers continue to carry forward ʻike surrounding plants and their uses in food, medicine, and cultural practices. The region is also home to food hubs including Adaptations, Inc. and Hawaiʻi ʻUlu Producers Co-op, and maintains connections with agricultural organizations and community groups throughout Kona.

East Hawai'i: Hāmakua Coast, Hilo. 
East Hawaiʻi is focused on expanding support for farmers markets, food hubs, and agroforestry initiatives while pursuing grants and other funding opportunities that can strengthen resources and services for members. The region's diverse agricultural communities provide opportunities to connect farmers, producers, and consumers while supporting the growth of local food systems.

Kohala: Hawi, Kappau, Kawaihae. 
Kohala offers opportunities for agricultural education through workshops focused on farming and ranching, as well as community conversations that help residents better understand agricultural issues and perspectives. The chapter works to foster connections among farmers, ranchers, community members, and local leaders.

Puna & K'au: Pāhoa, Keaʻau, Hawaiian Acres, Volcano.
Puna & K'au are some of Hawaiʻi Island's most agriculturally diverse regions, home to small farms, homesteads, and innovative agroforestry systems. Farmers cultivate ʻulu, kalo, cacao, coffee, macadamia nuts, and tropical fruits, often working with volcanic soils shaped by relatively recent lava flows. The community's agricultural traditions are rooted in resilience, sustainability, and regenerative approaches to land management.

Email:  mchawaii@hfuu.org

Phone:  (808)793-5484

monthly or annual programs