Mālama Kauaʻi’s FEED Orchard Grants to increase fruit production, food access

Mālama Kauaʻi will distribute 18 FEED Orchard Grant Awards to increase fruit production for food access markets this summer. 

According to the organizationʻs news release, the FEED Orchard Grants aim to boost fruit production to meet market gaps and provide local fruit for food access programs. 

To learn more about grant eligibility and to sign up for the Grant Info Session on June 2 at 3 p.m., visit https://malamakauai.org/feed-farmer-grants.

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The grant package will include:

• $1,500 in mature food trees of the farmers’ choice to install on their farm as long as it maintains a low Weed Risk Assessment score.

• $500 for orchard expansion supplies such as compost, mulch, irrigation, and orchard maintenance tools, including, pest prevention measures such as bird netting and fruit fly traps.

• Two seats for farm staff to attend a two-day Orchard Management Workshop with Ken Love of Hawai’i Tropical Fruit Growers Association on Aug. 20 and 21.

The program is being funded by the Kaulunani Urban and Community Forestry Program of the Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Forestry and Wildlife, the State and Private Forestry branch of the USDA Forest Service, Region 5, and the Food Access Capacity Building Project from the Hawaiʻi Department of Health.