The Kauai County Office of Economic Development (“OED”) is requesting proposals for the Agriculture Farm Expansion Grant Awards for the 2024-2025 Fiscal Year.
Donor Name: County of Kauai Office of Economic Development
State: Hawaii
County: Kauai County (HI)
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 01/02/2025
Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000
Grant Duration: 2 Years
Details:
The intent of the grant program is to advance Kauai’s agricultural industry through targeted investments in the expansion of farming across the island.
Funding Information
OED intends to award grants ranging from $15,000 to $100,000 each for different initiatives that align with RFP Project Specifications. Total funding will be no more than $667,500.
Grant Period
Project funding period will be March 1, 2025, to September 30, 2026.
Eligible Projects
Eligible projects from eligible operating farms and ranches on Kauai for projects that will have a direct impact on the expansion of existing agriculture on Kauai including:
- Local produce
- Local livestock and poultry
- Local aquaculture and mariculture
- Local floriculture
- Local horticulture
- Local agroforestry
- Local apiculture
- Other
Grant funds will be approved for one or more of the following:
- Expand farm yield capacity and production.
- Improve environmental impact, safety and/or health practices
- Increase business acumen (creating business plans, etc.)
- Adopt or increase utilization of technology.
- Adopt or increase business visibility through marketing or other efforts.
- Adopt or increase utilization of regenerative agriculture practices such as soil health improvement, agroforestry, cover cropping, and holistic grazing management.
Eligibility Criteria
- To be eligible for award through this RFP, the applicant shall: Be a Non-Profit entity that operates a bona-fide farm or bona-fide ranching business and/or nonprofit entities that partner with operating bona-fide farm or bona-fide ranching businesses (as defined below) throughout Kauai County. Non-profit organization governing board members shall have served without compensation and have no material conflict of interest. The Applicant shall be the Non-Profit Organization who operates a bona fide farm or bona fide ranches or partners with a Bona Fide Farmer or Bona Fide Rancher. A Bona Fide Farmer is someone who:
- Is an owner-operator of an established farm conducting a substantial farming operation and for a substantial period of the person’s life resided on a farm or depended on farm income for livelihood; or Has not less than two years’ experience as a full-time farmer or four years’ experience as a part-time farmer and who, in the administrator’s judgement, is likely to successfully operate a farm by reason of ability, experience and training as a vocational trainee or;
- A New Farmer who shall farm full-time and who is: a college or community college program graduate such as agriculture or aquaculture who has less than two years’ experience as a full-time farmer or less than four years’ experience as a part-time farmer; and a person who by reason of ability, experience and training as a vocational trainee is likely to successfully operate a farm, as determined by the administrator or;
- A qualified person, or association of persons, actively engaged in farming, agricultural processing, or agricultural product development activities.
- A bona fide ranching business is someone who:
- Is an owner-operator of an established ranch conducting substantial ranching operations. Has a registered livestock business that operates on agricultural land on Kauai and is engaged in the production of livestock products, including but not limited to cattle or sheep.
- Is an owner-operator of an established ranch conducting a substantial ranching operation and for a substantial period of the person’s life resided on a ranch or depended on ranch income for livelihood; or Has not less than two years’ experience as a full-time rancher or four years’ experience as a part-time rancher and who, in the administrator’s judgement, is likely to successfully operate a ranch by reason of ability, experience and training as a vocational trainee or;
- And
- Is a citizen of the United States who has resided in the State for at least three years, or a permanent status alien who has resided in the State for at least five years and;
- Has not had, during the five years preceding the date of disposition a previous sale, lease, license, permit, or easement covering public lands canceled for failure to satisfy the terms and conditions thereof and;
- Is not in arrears in the payment of taxes or other obligations to the State of Hawaii or to any of its Counties.
For more information, visit OED.
