Waimānalo Country Farms, which is known for its fields of sunflowers and corn, as well as its pumpkin patch and lemonade, won’t have a spring harvest due to flooding from the recent Kona low storms, which followed earlier ones in January. Shawn Kadooka, who owns the farm with her husband, estimates the 52-acre farm sustained about $100,000 in damages and hopes it will be open again in the summer.
“Our spring harvest is not happening,” Kadooka said. “We're hoping that our summer harvest will come through.”
She hopes the federal government will declare this a major disaster because farms rely on low-interest loans to replant and rebuild, Kadooka said. Gov. Josh Green submitted a formal request for a major disaster declaration to support recovery efforts earlier this week.
Back-back Kona low storms pummeled the Islands this month, causing widespread power outages, and flooding homes, farms and roads. Green estimates damages could top $1 billion statewide. As rain continued to fall last weekend on already saturated ground, concerns mounted that Wahiawā Dam might fail, which led to evacuation orders for about 5,000 residents of Haleʻiwa and Waialua.
“We are telling people that if they want to give a monetary donation, direct it to people who lost their homes,” Kadooka said. “Please give it directly to them because I'll be very honest with you – farmers, we have to expect these things, because either a pest hits us or a disease hits us. This year, it's weather. You have to prepare for those things. But these people that have lost everything, I mean our hearts are just — I can't even sleep thinking about it.”
At Waimānalo Country Farms, the storm flooded fields, damaged vehicles, and destroyed a garage and supplies.
“But our major loss that we're having is that we are not able to plant,” she said. “We are behind on our planting. … Our spring harvest is not happening. We're hoping that our summer harvest will come through.”
The City and County of Honolulu is encouraging farmers and ranchers impacted by the storms to apply for one-time grants of $1,500 offered by the State of Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity’s Emergency Farmer Relief Program. Applications for grants must be submitted by Friday, March 27. Details.
Farmers can also report the impact of the storms on their operations to Agriculture Stewardship Hawaiʻi, which combines the previous Oʻahu Resource & Conservation Development Council and the Oʻahu Agriculture and Conservation Association.
Waimānalo Country Farms, originally known as Golden Melon Farm, was started in 1948 by Kadooka’s great-great grandfather Gee Chong Wong and great-grand uncles Tuckee Wong and Ronald K.S. Wong, according to its website.
“It's not that we don't need help,” Kadooka said. “We do need help. But there's so many other people out there who lost everything completely. … When people have been asking us, I've just been telling them: ʻWhen we open in summer, that's when I'm going to need them to tell all their friends that we're open. That would help us the most.’”
Now that the water, which was up to five feet in places, has subsided, it is time to make repairs, she said. Military units have offered to help.
“We're just really thankful for everyone who reached out and helped us — and reached out and offered to help,” Kadooka said. “We just really, really appreciate the kindness of everyone in this crazy world that we live in. Everyone has been so kind and so generous. We just want to thank everyone.”
Follow Waimānalo County Farms on Instagram for updates or go to their website: waimanalocountryfarms.com.
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Katie Helland can be reached at katie@alohastatedaily.com.
