MA’O Organic Farms Palikea Expansion

The Island of Oʻahu is home to the majority of Hawaiʻi’s population, but 85-90 percent of its food is imported, while suitable parcels for agriculture are increasingly difficult to find because of competition from development interests, real estate speculators, and agricultural uses unrelated to food production. The Trust for Public Land and MAʻO Organic Farms, which helps youth from under served communities attend college while receiving a stipend and training in the business of farming, worked together to purchase a 21-acre agricultural property on Oʻahu that MAʻO has added to its land inventory and placed into organic agricultural production, growing healthy fruits and vegetables for the community. The protected Palikea lands preserve valuable agricultural lands, increase local food production, and grow youth empowerment efforts by training and educating future community leaders.