'Tis the season for giving. Commercial farmers have a chance at the gift of a federal grant aimed at building food security with agroforestry practices. The Hawaiʻi ʻUlu Cooperative and The Nature Conservancy are shepherding the program.
The Conversation talked to Dana Shapiro, the cooperative's general manager, and Chris Kaʻiakapu, the local director of the Expanding Agroforestry Project program. It's funded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities initiative.
They shared how the grant program could be a game changer for emerging and established commercial farmers as Hawaiʻi builds more climate-smart communities.
For those unfamiliar with agroforestry, it's an intentional mix of crops, larger trees, and ground cover. The three eligible agroforestry practices are alley cropping, windbreaks, and silvopasture.
Potential applicants are not limited to planting ʻulu trees, which grow best in lower elevations. Invasive trees are not eligible for the program.
"We're in the process of coming up with a blacklist of crops that are not allowed because of their invasiveness or potential to spread disease," Kaʻiakapu said.
He said most of the interest is currently coming from farmers on Hawaiʻi Island, but there are some on Oʻahu, Kauaʻi and Maui.
The national goal is to accelerate the adoption of agroforestry with 30,000 new acres planted across 30 states by the end of the five-year project. The deadline to apply is Dec. 31, but there will be future enrollment periods.
"This source of funding is a grant. It's not a reimbursement grant. It's an incentive program. So it's actually upfront capital, and you don't have to pay it back," Shapiro said. "We're really encouraging people not to apply until they feel that they're ready."
This story aired on The Conversation on Dec. 5, 2023. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. on HPR-1.
