In this episode we speak with Hoʻōla Veteran Services co-founder Emily Emmons and Hilo Food Hub Manager Amanda Cox about the range of services offered. We review in detail their goFarm "Growing Veterans" program, their Farm-to-Car online farmers market, and the Hilo Food Hub.
This podcast is brought to you by University of Hawaii College of Tropical Ag. and Human Resources (CTAHR), and the Seeds of Wellbeing or SOW Project. This podcast is supported by the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network (FRSAN) grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture and Hawaii Department of Agriculture.
Resources:
#wellness #mentalhealth #farming #agriculture #ranching #stress #hawaii #stressmanagement #agproducers #veteranfarmer #horticulturetherapy #farmersmarket #foodhub
Find out more about us:
In this episode we speak with Hoʻōla Veteran Services co-founder Emily Emmons and Hilo Food Hub Manager Amanda Cox about the range of services offered. We review in detail their goFarm "Growing Veterans" program, their Farm-to-Car online farmers market, and the Hilo Food Hub.
This podcast is brought to you by University of Hawaii College of Tropical Ag. and Human Resources (CTAHR), and the Seeds of Wellbeing or SOW Project. This podcast is supported by the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network (FRSAN) grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture and Hawaii Department of Agriculture.
Resources:
#wellness #mentalhealth #farming #agriculture #ranching #stress #hawaii #stressmanagement #agproducers #veteranfarmer #horticulturetherapy #farmersmarket #foodhub
Find out more about us:
The views information or opinions expressed in this episode are solely those of individuals involved, and do not necessarily represent those of the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, our funders, or any of the organizations affiliated with this project Welcome to a seeds of well being experts in the field podcast featuring people working in their fields of expertise to provide support for agriculture producers in Hawaii, in the United States, and in some cases around the world. These podcasts were made possible by a grant from the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, also known as C tar, and the seeds of well being or soy project, and is supported by a grant from the US Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, and the Hawaii Department of Agriculture.
Amanda:It's so important to reach out. I kind of had it pounded into me that just, you kind of suck it up and drive on you just don't deal with your emotions and just keep going. But I've learned that you have to reach out because there's so many people going through the same especially in veteran services. There's just so many of us like in goFarm, I'm with fellow veterans, and it feels so good to just be pulling weeds talking to somebody who's going through the same exact thing as what I am. My husband retired from the army too, so it's, it's so great to have connections like that, to not be afraid to reach out.
Jim:In this episode, we first speak with Emily Emmons from Hoʻola Farms and Veteran Services. Hoʻola Farms has grown in scope of services over the past few years to manage a farm-to-car online farmers market, and the Hilo Food Hub. We speak about the struggles of veteran farmers but also how working in agriculture can be therapeutic and beneficial. Now let's hear more.
Emily:Thank you for having me on today. My name is Emily Emmons, and I am the co-founder of Hoʻola Veterans Services, which is also known as Hoʻola Farms. I co-founded the organization with my husband, John, who is a combat veteran. We had a lot of healing as a family and individually after planting and harvesting fruits and vegetables in our backyard. As a family, as we continue to grow, we realized that we really wanted to share both the healing and the education aspects of agriculture so that we can empower other families to heal and grow and be prosperous in the same ways that we had felt like we had gained. So that was the start of Hoʻola Farms seven years ago. We've done a lot of growing as you mentioned over the last few years. I remember watching "A Climate for Change" and it really sunk in that no one is coming to save us. And that we were the ones that we've been waiting for. And as a leader of a organization in the agriculture sector in Hawaii, I was inspired and empowered to look around and find ways to be part of the solution during an otherwise scary and uncertain time. We knew a few things for sure that there were still local farmers that had produce that needed to be sold and distributed. And that we knew those farmers and knew families that needed food, so it was an easy way to engage and get into the food distribution and working with local farmers to be part of the solution there. So that was really when we started to understand the additional needs of farming before we had really focused on agriculture training. But what happens year two, year three, year four, when you're looking for some economic resilience in your farm, and it's not just the idea or the dream of farming anymore, but you're actually doing it, What next? Well now we have opportunities through our Groundwork to Grow education training program with funding from the USDA beginning farmer rancher program to provide added value education and training courses and other opportunities to expand knowledge to existing farmers and ranchers that are out there along with beginners that are looking for more information. So I think that while it was a challenging last few years, it was also a really an inspiring time to look around and find ways that we could be part of the solution and I'm really proud of our whole team and all the volunteers that have been part of making it all happen because without it, it wouldn't have happened so and all the farmers out there the ranchers, fisher-people that have brought in the fish all of it so grateful so
Jim:Am I right that there's a connection between go Farm Hawaii, which is part of the University of Hawaii, and Hoʻola Farms and Veteran Services? Is there a connection there?
Unknown:That's right. So we, ore first ag vets grant with funding from the USDA. Ag vets grant was to provide a six month production agriculture training for veterans. And we did that with the goFarm Hawaii partnership. We're so grateful for their continued support. And now I'm proud to say that we have graduated 27 veterans from their program over the last three years and reached many more in the different programs and workshops that we have provided along with the goFarm team. So we continue to grow not only here on Hawaii Island, but also statewide in that way.
Jim:And you started on the Big Island of Hawaii. But are your program services available throughout the Hawaiian Islands?
Emily:Yeah, so the scholarships that we provide for veterans are statewide scholarships for veterans in the goFarm training program.
Jim:Okay, so let's talk about some of the expansion you've seen as, as Hoʻola Farms and Veteran Services. We're speaking together at the newly opened or newly reopened Hilo Food Hub. So can you talk a little bit about that and the work that's gotten you here?
Emily:Well, at the beginning of 2022, we hosted our first Groundwork to Grow added value production class here at the Hilo food hub, and the founder and owner at the time, was ready to transition to a new career. And so it was just a positive time for us to step in and acquire the Hilo Food Hub and expand the offerings that we can provide for our farmers and for the customers who are, were already at the commercial kitchen. Because it was an already active business. There's a lot of advantages to being in this big warehouse, where folks can just back in their supplies and their goods right up to the back of the or to the front door of the commercial kitchen, and load and unload with ease. And there's also bays that are available for rent or lease so that you can keep your supplies here safe. Makes it easy for, it makes it easy for you to to grow your agribusiness or your small business here with us. We took ownership of it in April of this year of 2022 with funding from the Not Yet Foundation, which, really grateful for their support. And they really see the value in in helping to create a hub and a commercial kitchen where farmers and producers can come and take their raw goods and turn them into added value products. It also again helps with that resilience, that economic resilience of a small business, when you're able to turn it into an added value product, you're able to save it, you're preserve it and be able to ship it or better distribute it locally so that there's longer shelf life. So there's just so many benefits to having access to a commercial kitchen.
Jim:Exactly. And from speaking to ag producers on the islands through the SOW project, we realize how critical it is to find a commercial kitchen. One that's licensed properly so that if ag producers want to go after the more profitable revenues that are available through value added products, anything after the first cut, then it's critical to have access to a commercial kitchen.
Emily:And we are now getting some more equipment like a really fancy new mixer and dehydrator and a flash freezer that assists us in being able to support different kind of clientelle then we maybe had in the past. A egg washer too. And I'm really proud of our team again here for that because they take a lot of pride in understanding and being that first access point of knowledge and understanding of what is required. And then the steps that need to be taken. Now you still have to go ahead and take those steps and do those things for your business. But we're here to help support you along the way.
Jim:And I believe you folks also have administrative supports available as well for ag producers.
Emily:Yeah, we have a shared office space and a label maker. We also have access to consultants that can help you build, a create a logo or work on a logo or a label to make sure that it meets requirements and those kinds of things. So we have those services available here as well. And we're going to continue to grow that list of services as we continue to expand in the future. We want to be an agriculture incubator, an innovation incubator.
Jim:So I know you mentioned to me you're looking for new space and your current location is near the airport right on the bay, near the shipping lines in downtown Hilo. So what is your target audience and what folks do you do serve in general?
Emily:Well, that's interesting that you asked that question because currently we have customers coming from all the way from Kalapana and up Hamakua and then in Hilo, Keau, Mountain View. So I would say it's it's a full gamut of folks looking for access to commercial kitchen. So we build pretty easy packages so that you can start small or if you need more time and private space in the kitchen, we can do that as well. So we try to make it efficient and affordable. For everyone who's interested,
Jim:You use the term package, could you tell us a little more about that?
Unknown:It's an, yeah, package of hours per month that you would know that you would get. And then we have a nice platform where all of the registration and all of your booking of your hours in the kitchen, go right on there. So you're able to see who else is going to be in the kitchen and have flexibility to know, you know, that you've blocked off your time, and that that's your time that you're going to be here. So and it's a 24 hour kitchen, which makes it really nice for those early morning bakers, and late night creators. And we encourage that as well. So everyone's welcome. That's right,
Jim:Well, 24 hours, that's great. That's seems like maybe the next thing you could open up would be a health club.
Emily:Well, we are planning to host health and wellness classes here in the future, and just remind people to move your body. And like what that actually looks like, we're not asking you to do cartwheels or run a marathon. But what does it look like to make sure that you honor yourself for five minutes every hour of the day and things like that. So we're looking for ways that we can incorporate that into how we remind people to care for themselves while they're building their business.
Jim:Wow, quite a holistic range of services and service offerings for me, folks, that's great. Let's switch and talk a little bit about the Farm-to-Car. Tell us about, I think you've been doing that a year now, and so tell us a little bit about how that came about.
Emily:Well, during that same, during the same COVID time, our market garden or market demo garden really was growing as well. And a lot of the produce that we were selling was through the Farm-to-Car program that was started by the Hilo Farm Bureau. And so, when their year grant cycle was up, they were going to not proceed with the program. And so we decided to take over and continue to grow and expand that program. And I'm really proud to say that today, we have over 54 Local agri-businesses that are actively selling on the site each week. They've sold$250,000 worth of produce that have gone directly back into the farmers pockets since the beginning of the program. And we're really proud of that. That's, that's money that comes right back into our economy and stays local. About six months after we started, we were approved to carry SNAP. So now we also accept SNAP and EBT. And that's been a wonderful way to ensure that we're bringing federal dollars in and those are dollars that would otherwise not be spent with a local farmer producer and stay here locally. So those dollars are encouraged and really important to us to show the need. People want to buy fresh healthy produce, they want to have access and choice. And we can provide that on Hawaii farm to car.
Jim:Oh, something that seems interesting to me related to Farm-to-Car and the timing is it came about at a time of COVID when it was hard for ag producers to find venues to sell their products. The farmers markets were closing, restaurants were closing, and they had an abundance of produce while at the same time the consumers couldn't go to farmers markets and it was harder for them to find fresh produce so Farm-to-Car is all online, it makes it possible for the folks to shop during a certain window, and and then the ag producers know exactly what to harvest and then deliver in time for the pickup. Can you tell us about the Farm-to-Car parameters related to those kinds of things?
Emily:So we're open Friday morning 10am through Monday at 6pm is the ordering time, online, so it's an online website and you can pick from haircare products and animal food and fresh produce and we have a ton of nursery items baked goods. And you know you brought something up and I forgot to to highlight it but that program was started in it for it filled a need a gap that was needed for the community but we had they had trained a whole customer base how to now access and and receive local produce from farmers that they want to support anyway. And so we really saw that as a value add to taking over the program and why the need was there to continue to run it because if you look at the trends and where we're going with the future of shopping, even look at Target. You can't even find a place to park in Target anymore because everything is online pickups. So the big corporations have caught on that people are ordering and buying online. And so we really saw it as a value add to the farmers and having access to those same kinds of clientele who want to be able to purchase things online, and then wanted the flexibility to have access to what they were going to be purchasing. I think now our customers know that they can trust that the produce was dropped off by the farmer this morning, the same day that they're picking it up. And they literally can have same day farm to table food ordered and drive thru pickup once a week. And I don't know where else, you can have that experience. And that's something that we thought was valued to at least keep around and keep exploring how we can utilize that process to expand and support more farmers in the future in selling their goods. We also see it as a really great model for helping beginning farmers start to sell their produce. If they only have eight heads of lettuce, they can post their produce on the site and sell their eight heads of lettuce. And when they're out, they're out. And that's just what it is. So it helps farmers scale up their products understand the price point that they want to be at and the value that the customer is willing to pay. And I think that that, that has been a lot of value to our farmers and producers that sell on the site as well.
Jim:And it's not like you're trying to replace farmers markets with what you do, right?
Emily:I really believe that we're actually in support of farmers markets, because now the farmer who might already be harvesting two days a week, could harvest for Farm-to-Car as well and be distributing our online at the same time that they're they're selling to the markets. The one benefit is that they only have to harvest what they've already pre-sold to drop off to us. So if they only sell those six head of lettuce, that's what they're dropping off. Also, I think our Wednesday afternoon pickup time, that's not a usual market day and an access point. So I see us as being commuter and family support where maybe they wouldn't otherwise be able to get to a market. Yeah, I mean, we want to be only supportive to the farmers market.
Jim:So as we talk about Hoʻola Farm Services, you have a training program for ag producers, you have a place for them to process their food and make value add products, and you have a place for them to sell it. So might now be a good time to talk with someone that's been through your programs.
Emily:I think that would be great. Let's bring in Amanda.
Jim:We next add Amanda to the conversation. Amanda is the Hilo Food Hub manager, but is also a participant in the Hoʻola Farms Growing Veterans program. We speak with her about her experiences using these services, but also her perspective as a veteran who's turned farmer in Hawaii. So now we have with us. Thank you, Amanda. Amanda Cox, and you are both the recently hired food hub manager for Hilo Food Hub as well as you're in the middle of the, what's called the Hoʻola Ag Excel program. Is that Is that right?
Emily:It's called the goFarm Hawaii Growing Veterans Program.
Jim:I knew it was important to ask that question. Yes, there's Yep. because there's the goFarm program, and then there's the piece that you mentioned is a subset?
Emily:Well, it was just, we were going to do it different by making sure that we provided health and wellness programs along with agriculture training to ensure that the veteran felt comfortable and confident going through the program with the communication skills and other support along the way. So if they ran into challenges or issues, we just wanted to make sure that we help be a conduit and support instead of it just being the end of the opportunity.
Jim:So is it the same goFarm program and are there actually additional pieces that you offer around...?
Emily:That's right. So a veteran throughout the state can apply to be and go through the goFarm program and we will provide a scholarship for them to go through that program
Jim:And then provide additional resources, as well, right?
Emily:Right. I'm sorry. Yes. And then we have access to additional resources through our website and we also have one-on-one calls. They still have access to our licensed social worker and other support services throughout the program. We've even had some that have come to visit us anyway. Here at our job site throughout the time
Jim:The AgExcel goFarm program plus you have additional services. Runs the same time window though?
Emily:Yep, they actually go through the cohort with everyone so it's the same cycle as everyone else.
Jim:So Amanda, how did you hear about all, all this?
Amanda:I first heard about Emily and Hoʻola Farms through my friend and neighbor, Maggie, and, and then I went to the first Intro to Ag, and it just felt right. It felt right because as a retired soldier I have been searching for what my purpose is after retiring. And being with the land or being with anything farming or agriculture just feels right. To me, it feels comfortable. I don't feel stressed. So it just feels I keep saying the word organic, but it feels organic. To me, it's happening, how it should be happening.
Jim:How did you first realize you have that connection to the land.
Amanda:So I grew up heavy into 4-H and FFA and I've always been around animals and I loved growing things like, you know, ornamental plants, and, and then I realized how important our health is and how my own health after my service is. In the military it kind of deteriorated. And so, and the older I got, the harder it is to bounce back. And so I'm realizing now how important and how good I feel when I do eat
Jim:So you signed up his fairly recently. So you're in the right. goFarm, Hoʻola, I'm sorry, I'm not using the right word, Emily. But Iʻm gonna call it goFarm plua. You are in goFarm plus, now and you're about halfway through?
Amanda:We are about halfway through. I have five more weeks of my CSA deliveries. and then our final presentations.
Jim:Yeah. So there's part of the ag, part of the goFarm program, there's a community supported agriculture component where they force you to have, is it 10 customers, in that ballpark?
Amanda:We have seven customers for seven weeks. Yeah.
Jim:For seven weeks, and you have to deliver them a box of foods for an agreed upon price that they're paying, and potentially strangers and potentially not. But yeah, how did how are you finding that piece of it? The CSA piece.
Amanda:I love it. Actually, I first thought that it would be difficult, because CSA program out here, or even West Coast, is kind of foreign. It's more. I feel like it's more understood on the East Coast. And so I'm explaining it took a while. But once I explained it, I actually have one customer who bought 11 shares for her office. And that was amazing. It's for, I put it on her conference table and make it as pretty as you know, as can be, and her staff gets to go in and shop on their conference table every Thursday.
Jim:Sounds great. Do you have like a favorite part so far? You, ʻcause you're through most of the most of the work and most of the aspects of it if you're at the CSA stage, right? I think you've probably experienced a lot except for what it's like to put in cover crops and you know, and undo all that. But what do
Amanda:My favorite part, hands down is delivering what I worked you like best so far? so hard for and just handing over like my babies, you know. They're started, most of them, from seed and it's just amazing to see people's reactions and the possibilities of the produce that I put in front of them and what they can do with it and how good they're going to feel. And knowing that it's grown without pesticides or herbicides makes me feel so much better, you know,
Jim:Ties and all sorts of benefits, right? Yes. So sounds like you like to program and would recommend it. So I think, maybe Emily, is there a best way for folks that are interested in being part of that program. Let's start with that program There's certain best times to be paying attention or you have a
Emily:Sure. That program or any program, we have a wonderful website where you can go on and learn individual programs, requirements, dates of the next one that's coming up, who funded it, and why it matters. So those things are all on our website at hoolafarms.org. Oh, and then you can also shop online at our ecommerce distribution. Farmers Market at hawaiifarmtocar.org. newsletter I believe We do, we have a newsletter. It's going out every month now. And we're working on creating that to make the most sense and provide the most information along the way.
Jim:Yeah. And so I think you can sign up for the newsletter you would post there. Hey, now's a good time. Yep. Sign up for goFarm Plus. Oh, you can take that term.
Emily:Yeah. Oh, thank you. Yeah, we might be retrofitting that.
Jim:So what do you think Amanda, what's you, so you still have some time to put in on this program, but do you have any sense from what you've been through so far as to what the future looks like for you and ag production?
Amanda:I do actually because of Hoʻola Farms. I volunteered at the Farm-to-car. That was my first introduction to the Farm-to-Car market. And I realized that's where I want to sell my produce. It's just it's so fair, and a smooth flowing event that it really is geared towards taking care of the farmer and connecting the farmer to consumer, you know. And so I want to grow my own produce and sell it at Farm-to-Car and my family, we started Ikaula Farms in its in Panaewa area on a Hawaiian Homeland agriculture lot. And so that's where I'll be taking, what I learned.
Jim:Nice. Do you think you'll do a CSA piece still or try to focus everything in the Farm-to-car?
Amanda:That's, I have the CSA in a five year or longer term, itʻs in our goal, but right now I want to focus on crops that I know my family will eat, and just stuff that I can sell well and have a, build a good reputation. I want to be really good at quite a few, maybe three to five pieces of produce before I grow even bigger.
Jim:I believe that's what they teach in your goFarm Plus program isnʻt it.
Amanda:That is what they teach us. Yep. Start small.
Jim:Yes, that sounds good. Do you have? Are you in a place where you have a website or any of that set up for social media? I could link that out.
Amanda:I don't I just have an email address.
Jim:It sounds like you have some resources here that could help with some of that.
Amanda:Absolutely.
Jim:So the Seeds of Wellbeing project has talked to a lot of ag producers throughout the state and to identify what the biggest stressors are. And there are a lot of them: land, finances, legislation, are up at the top. But, so that's been our focus is to talk to ag producers about their stressors, but we've discovered in speaking to folks, and notably veterans in particular, that has said it reduces stress. So have you found that to be the case at all in your involvement with ag?
Amanda:Absolutely. My husband goes to the gym for stress relief, I go put my hands in the dirt. And and that has been huge for my own mental health, recovery, and I'm learning with my own like TBI issues, and I, I just, it just feels right. Like it's, it's kind of hard to put it into words. Now that I think about it. I'm like, oh, no, it's hard to put it. But I just feel a sense of relaxation and no fear of the unknown when I'm out in the garden.
Jim:Yeah. So yeah, we've heard a lot of stories about the therapeutic benefits of of ag production. And it does vary. And you don't have to use words at all that matters is it means something to you. You know, it works. Yes. So that's key I just have some kind of general questions for both you which are you know, if you have any advice or suggestions or recommendations or things that you would want to share with ag producers out there that are feeling stress that are looking for resources, maybe Amanda, share any, any thoughts, any reaction to that question?
Amanda:My first thought is that it's so important to reach out. I kind of had it pounded into me that just kind of suck it up and drive on. You just don't deal with your emotions and just keep going. But I've learned that you have to reach out because there's so many people going through the same, especially in veteran services. There's just so many of us like in goFarm. I'm with fellow veterans, and it feels so good to just be pulling weeds, talking to somebody who's going through the same exact thing is what I am my husband retired from the army to so it's, it's so great to have connections like that, to not be afraid to reach out.
Jim:Yeah, that's important. I mean, this "cowboy up" is a phrase that weʻve heard used, right, "Just cowboy up" but that's clearly there are things that don't quite work as well as they did in the past that we're trying to reinvent to have better solutions today.
Emily:Yeah. How's that working out for us?
Jim:Yeah. Howʻs that working out for you? Yeah, yeah. Maybe try something else. What do you think Emily?
Emily:Well, I think you know, Amanda is a perfect example of someone who is actively involved in the food system in multiple ways. And I think for anyone interested in getting involved or being part of the, the food sustainability, the the solution, it there's many places to start. You can start by growing a garden in the backyard. You can shop locally and support farmers locally. You can choose to put your money in those directions. You can choose to make sure that you're supporting that local farmer down the road with extra resources when you have them. Like there's lots of ways to get involved. If you're a social media expert, you could offer your, your skills or your knowledge. If you know how to make a logo, you could offer to do that, or a simple website. Sometimes those simple things can make all the difference. And then you're part of the movement and the purpose to move forward. So
Jim:Be part the change you want to see.
Emily:That's right.
Jim:We'd like to thank Emily and Amanda for their time and for sharing information about the work of Hoʻola Farms and all their services. Clearly, as Emily stated, they see themselves as the ones to take the lead in providing wraparound services for not only veterans, but for as many local ag producers as their programs and facilities can handle
Amanda:It such a, everything about Hoʻola Farms is, and I'm not just saying that because Emily is sitting here, but everything about Hoʻola is so, what's the word? Refreshing and vivid? Like just everything is we are everybody carries on our team? And we all have a heart? And
Jim:it sounds like ʻohana, maybe?
Amanda:Yeah, I can't, Iʻll think of the words tonight. Probably.
Jim:Yeah, it feels very supportive and kind of embracing. That you're really trying to have a network of people that are like ʻohana, like in terms of its use in Hawaii, that are your ʻOhana to help with all the pieces that you have to deal with as an ag producer.
Amanda:I remember now that you're saying that. Value. I feel valued here. And that's huge. Especially for veteran I think I don't know maybe I'm just speaking for myself but to feel valued makes me want to get up and go to work every day. Like doing, you know, being part of the change. Like what you said so
Jim:Yeah, and maybe I should ask us the Hub Manager, like do you want people coming here directly or should they be going to Farm-to-Car?
Amanda:They should be going to our website first. And then Yeah, cuz the Hilo Food Hub, if I had a bunch of people coming in every day, I've never gets my my tasks done and take care of our members that we have. But definitely go to our website first and shop. Always shop, Friday through Monday at our online farmers market.
Jim:Pickups Wednesday,
Amanda:and pickups Wednesday
Emily:Make it easy
Jim:And I will share the links.
Amanda:Thank you.
Emily:And thank you. Thank you for doing this and highlighting the importance of farmers and ranchers and their voices on a variety of topics. I think it's really important, so thank you.
Jim:The intention of this podcast series is to create a safe space for respectful and inclusive dialogue. With people from across a broad and diverse spectrum involved in growing and making accessible the food we share together. A diversity of voices, perspectives and experiences can serve to deepen mutual understanding, to spark creative problem solving and provide insight into the complexities of our agricultural system. If you our listeners have experiences with Hawaii agricultural ecosystems from small holder farms to large even including multinational agricultural industrial companies, or anywhere in between, and you would like to share your story, please contact us. We welcome your places and perspectives