Nalo Farms, Waimanalo

July 5, 2012

 

Workshop fact sheet (includes farmer profile, description of topic and helpful resources

Master Farmer Dean Okimoto and his staff welcomed us to Nalo Farms sharing their extensive experience with sucessful value-added products such as their signature “Nalo Greens” as well as the discontinued salad dressing line that lost quality as the price was driven down. Other ways Nalo has added value is by investing significant capitol in a processing facility, which allows them to assure food safety standards are met.

Additonal guest speakers included: Steven Chiang of the University of Hawaii Agriusiness Incubator Program who talked about marketing strategies, Jason Shitanishi of the Farm Services Agency who spoke about Farm Loans, and Nicole Milne of the Kohala Center who introduced the group to the resources available through the center to assist farmers with grants.

Following the series of speakers, participants boarded a bus for the farm tour. The first stop was to see the processing facility and second we visited the farm site where the “Nalo Greens” are grown. We were treated to a tasting of the many different greens straight from the field. We also saw where they are keeping bee hives to produce honey.

 

 

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Handouts:

• Value-Added Programs Workshop Fact Sheet (Oahu RC&D)
• Marketing Plan Template
• FSA Farm Programs
• Farm Loan Programs
• Farm Loan Programs Brochure
• Reimbursement Transportation Cost Payment Program

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Resources & Publications:

• “Value-Added Strategies: Taking Agricultural Products to the Next Level“
• “Hawaii Agribusiness Guidebook” (Produced by Oahu RC&D with UH CTAHR)
• “Government Assistance in Marketing and Promoting Hawaii’s Agricultural Products”
• Agribusiness Incubator Program- University of Hawaii (Provides business consulting services to agriculture-related businesses)
• Value-Added Producer Grants– USDA
• The Kohala Center- Laulima Center (supporting cooperative ventures statewide)
• Agricultural Marketing Resource Center (AgMRC)– A National Information Resource for Value-Added Agriculture

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