$750K grant helps veterans build farming businesses

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Hawaiʻi veterans looking to start or grow a farm business will get training in farming and business skills, along with well-being support, through a $750,000 grant to GoFarm Hawaiʻi, a program of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa's College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience (CTAHR). GoFarm Hawaiʻi will partner with the Veterans Business Outreach Center (VBOC) of the Pacific, which moved from UH Hilo to CTAHR in August.

Over three years, the project will provide agricultural and farm business education and support to 600 aspiring veteran farmers. The program will also help start, maintain, or improve 25 veteran-operated farms through technical assistance, business consulting, and help accessing U.S. Department of Agriculture resources.

In-person activities will focus on Oʻahu and Hawaiʻi Island.

Growing the partnership

The grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture supports a partnership between CTAHR's GoFarm Hawaiʻi beginning farmer training program, VBOC, Seeds of Wellbeing and Cooperative Extension.

"The support and warm welcome from the Dean and the college's faculty and staff made it easy to become part of the CTAHR ʻohana," said Lori Hiramatsu, director of VBOC. "Our missions align, and we can create synergy for the community of veteran agricultural entrepreneurs."

"Bringing VBOC into our college is part of our strategy to provide business skills to Hawaiʻi's farmers and increase local food production," said CTAHR Dean Parwinder Grewal. "Combining farm production science with essential business, financial, and entrepreneurial skills creates a pathway for our military veterans to succeed."

Business support

Funded by the Small Business Administration, the outreach center provides free business training and counseling, including Boots to Business and Reboot workshops.

Based at the Mānoa Innovation Center, the team serves transitioning service members, veterans, National Guard and Reserve members, military spouses and widows across Hawaiʻi, Guam, Saipan and American Samoa.