Getting direct relief to farmers as quickly as possible after the Kona Low storms has been a steady goal for Christian Zuckerman, who is vice president of the Hawai‘i Farmers Union (HFU) and chief financial officer of the Hawai‘i Farmers Union Foundation (HFUF).
To help Hawai‘i’s agricultural communities recover from severe winds and flooding after back-to-back Kona Low storms in March, HFUF launched the Hawaiʻi Flood Response Fund.
Individual and private donors, foundations and community partners have collectively contributed more than $1 million to the fund to date. Mahalo to Aloha State Daily readers who helped donate through the matching grant we organized that raised $200,000.
As of this month, about $700,000 has been distributed in awards, ranging from $1,000 to $10,000 dependent on reported damage, to 162 producers across the Islands.
“It definitely was a big achievement. I was very surprised by how much support came together around the Kona lows, but I also think it highlighted the importance of supporting farmers and the value that our local community puts on our farmers,” Zuckerman told ASD, noting that “a good portion of the funds” came from beyond Hawaiʻi.
Roughly 30 more grants are still pending, he said, adding that the remaining funds will be geared toward long-term recovery and “helping farmers become more resilient for the future.”
Full-time commercial farmers were prioritized, according to Zuckerman, who said they received hundreds of applications both from internal outreach and word of mouth.
The needs of applicants were broad, he said, from crop loss and disrupted sales to heavy equipment, fencing and nursery damages, among other issues.
“We have a lot of farmers using the funds to cover their rental lease because they went from having an income to nothing; we were able to help keep the lights on for another couple months, while they get back on their feet.”
Ancient Valley Growers in Kaʻū on Hawai’i Island had their operations threatened not once this year, but twice with the Kona Lows and Hurricane Lala. Farm owners Matt and Andy purchased a diesel generator to power its walk-in cooler with the grant money to help keep their produce fresh and marketable through another storm.
HFUF has launched a separate fund in response to Hurricane Lala. To donate or learn more, click here.
Looking ahead, Zuckerman hopes to launch a permanent farmer relief fund where fundraising efforts would be ongoing to be able to deploy immediately amid future disasters.
He attributes HFUF’s nimbleness with the Hawaiʻi Flood Response Fund to its small team, who dedicated their time to start a fundraising campaign, create a grant portal (using Natural Resource Data Solutions) and distribution process, review grant applications and more. His role, he says, was more behind the scenes, working with funding partners and local media groups to help spread the word.
This isn’t the first time the nonprofit has shifted priorities toward disaster recovery. Following the 2023 Maui wildfires, HFU President Kaipo Kekona helped create a community response hub in West Maui that distributed more than $10 million in food and supplies.
As the state chapter of the National Farmers Union, HFU is a membership-driven organization that advocates for farmers and ranchers, spanning regional chapters, HFUF is its 501(c)3 arm that focuses on funding its mission to build a more resilient and sustainable local food system.
“It’s very much farmer led, which makes our organization unique,” said Zuckerman, who owns a 7-acre regenerative farm in Waiʻanae. “I love farming, but I understand the challenges and issues that farmers face. And I think that allows me to help address some of those issues and then support the farmers directly to get over those challenges.
“We are a very resilient breed; we get the work done. I’m impressed at how quickly farmers can pick up the pieces and move forward.”
Registration is now open for the 16th annual Hawaiʻi Farmers Union State Convention from Oct 16-18 in Waimānalo. More details.
Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros can be reached at kelsey@alohastatedaily.com.
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