Building self-reliant food systems in Hawaiʻi through strategic placement of grant and concessional capital.

The Hawaiʻi Good Food Fund (HGFF) provides grant capital, technical assistance, and professional networking to farmers and food producers to improve community food security in Hawaiʻi. The approach is grounded in the belief that by strengthening relationships among food system funders, intermediaries, and enterprises, we can more effectively support and capitalize growth and viability within our local agricultural and food landscapes.

Through an effective and efficient network of mission-aligned lenders, grantors, and technical assistant providers, HGFF offers the following capital products and services:

  • Catalytic Grants to food system enterprises to support business development, while striving for economic, social, and ecological viability within the operation

  • Matching Grants to food system enterprises designed to leverage capital from federal, state, county, and other funders

  • Planning and Education Grants to facilitate business growth and professional development

  • Coordination of access to other loan and equity investment products through a network of cooperating investment institutions

  • Coordination of client deal flow among collaborating investors to increase available capital and reduce risk

  • Business-related technical assistance to prepare enterprises for investment in their start-up and scaling activities

  • Coming soon! Kuina ʻAi Grants for operations dedicated to growing and sourcing local food to increase access to culturally appropriate, nutritious food among food insecure populations

HAWAIʻI GOOD FOOD FUND

“If we are serious about systems change, our investment approaches need to match the intention and reality of that pursuit.”

-Hannant, A., Burkett, I., Fowler, E., O’Brien, T, McNeill, J., and Price, A. (2022). Design Foundations for Systems Capital.

HGFF Impact

$2.8M Invested

73+ Clients

“HGFF is filling a critical gap for Hawai‘i farmers whose needs are not yet being addressed by our capital landscape. Direct support for things like equipment and infrastructure has real, immediate impacts–helping folks strengthen their operations, meet demand, and contribute to a more resilient local food system.”

—Agriculture Stewardship Hawai‘i, HGFF technical assistance partner

Including 55+ for-profits and 15+ nonprofits

Community-Informed Grant Making

HGFF collaborates with several networks of technical assistance providers that are serving Hawai‘i’s farm and food businesses. Grants are currently made to enterprises based on a referral process via these service providers and professional networks. The timing of grantmaking is based on the availability of funds.

Meet our TA Network:

GoFarm Hawaiʻi (GFH) works to enhance Hawaiʻi’s food security and economy by increasing the number of sustainable, local agricultural producers. GFH provides beginning farmer training, farm business education, individualized technical assistance, and access to land and shared resources to help aspiring and existing farmers build viable agricultural businesses.

Since 2012, more than 700 participants have graduated from GFH’s beginning farmer training program. GFH currently offers its beginning farmer training program on Oʻahu, Maui, and Hawaiʻi Island, while its business technical assistance, workshops, educational programs, and other farmer support services are available statewide. Through these efforts, GFH has supported thousands of additional farmers and agricultural producers across Hawaiʻi.

GFH co-hosts the Hawaiʻi Agricultural Training and Technical Assistance Network with Agriculture Stewardship Hawaiʻi.

Learn more at gofarmhawaii.org and gofarmhawaii.org/aghelp

Agriculture Stewardship Hawaiʻi (ASH) empowers Hawaiʻi’s agricultural communities to nourish land and people. ASH co-hosts two networks, the Agricultural Finance Network and the Agriculture Technical Assistance Network (AgTAN) that provide platforms for professionals to collaborate through bi-monthly online meetings and annual in-person gatherings. 

The Hawaiʻi Agricultural Finance Network is a group of individuals representing organizations that provide capital (e.g., loans, grants, etc.) to farm and food businesses across Hawaiʻi. In existence since 2018, the network provides a platform for finance providers to build relationships, and share information about their capital products and opportunities for partner financing. 

The Hawaiʻi Agricultural Training and Technical Assistance Network, launched in 2015, brings together technical assistance (TA) providers from across Hawaiʻi who are engaged in business development with farmers and food producers. Members from the network have applied for collective funding to support shared TA goals, hosted joint webinars, and worked together to support shared clients.

Learn more at agstewardshiphawaii.org

Hawaiʻi Investment Ready (HIReady) works to change the conditions around community-rooted enterprises and solutions so they can grow, sustain their impact, and contribute to a more resilient and regenerative Hawaiʻi. In the food system, HIReady takes a systemic and relational approach: strengthening enterprises while building trusted relationships among entrepreneurs, funders, investors, government, and other partners so they can better align resources, solve problems together, and move capital toward community-rooted solutions.

Hālau Kuapapa is HIReady’s learning collective of 24 to 30 capital allocators from philanthropy, government, finance, and the private sector. Members learn by doing, building relationships across institutions, exploring systemic approaches to investing, testing collaborative finance strategies, and sharing what they learn. Together with HIReady’s work supporting food and agriculture enterprises, Hālau Kuapapa helps create a food system where enterprises are better supported and capital and institutions are increasingly able to work in coordinated, responsive ways.

Learn more at hiready.net

Support the Hawaiʻi Good Food Fund

Help local farmers access the financial services they need to ensure food security and thrive.

Donate

Learn More

To learn more about the Hawaiʻi Good Food Fund, contact Nicole Milne Ph.D., Program Manager