The Hawaii Department of Agriculture (HDOA) will award 579 grants, totaling $2.68 million for small-scale agriculture including home gardening, herding and livestock operations in areas troubled by food insecurity.
Recipients were chosen from among 7,400 applications under the Micro-Grants for Food Security Program (MGFSP), according to a news release from the governor’s office. The applications and project proposals went through evaluation by HDOA’s Market Development Branch (MDB) with final approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The grants ranged from $750 to $5,000.
“There was an unprecedented interest in the Micro-Grants program this year,” Phyllis Shimabukuro-Geiser, chairperson of the Hawaii Board of Agriculture, said in a release from the governor’s office. “Those who were awarded the grants submitted proposals that were well thought out and most likely to achieve the grant purpose of increasing the quality and quantity of locally grown foods in areas where access to food is limited.”
According to the release, winning proposals stood out based on the description of the project, the number of beneficiaries and the level of food security in the location of the household.
Of the 579 grants awarded, 347 were on Oahu, 67 in Maui County, 32 in Kauai County and 133 on Hawaii Island, the release said.
Successful proposals ranged from fencing to protect crops and seedlings from axis deer damage to purchasing garden towers and raised beds for vegetable production. Another examples were building shade houses, providing refrigeration/freezing capacity and canning supplies for food preservation, and creating aquaponic, hydroponic and aeroponic systems. Other approved purchases covered seeds and tree crops as well as irrigation systems and the construction of poultry coops.
Questions regarding the status of the awards may be addressed to MDB via email at: hdoa.md.microgrants@hawaii.gov.
