To cultivate the future of sustainable agriculture in Hawaiʻi, GoFarm Hawaiʻi, an extension program of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience (CTAHR), is training its 10th group of new farmers on its Pūlehunui training site on Maui in September.
The cohort began with the five-week AgXposure phase, where participants explored diverse production systems and learned directly from established Maui farmers. Site visits included Kēōkea Malalani with Common Ground Collective, Kupaʻa Farms, Lā ʻUlu at Maui Nui Botanical Gardens and Hawaiʻi Taro Farm.
“Being part of AgXposure outlined the state of farming and agriculture on Maui and showed us that there are many methods of farming and many ways to impact the food system…it has opened more doors of opportunity, and my imagination has run wild with all the possibilities,” shared one aspiring farmer.
From seed to sales: hands-on training, specialized skills
Nine students who completed AgXposure have advanced into the 7–month intensive AgXcel phase. The curriculum covers everything from seed to sales: crop production, soil health, farm systems, equipment operation, harvest techniques, food safety, farm financials and more.
Each student is required to develop a detailed crop plan of 25 varieties of vegetables for a 7–week Community Supported Agriculture—a weekly subscription box of mixed vegetables—that they will implement under the guidance of their farm coach. Students will also market their produce and track sales to practice essential entrepreneurial skills.
The group is expected to graduate in April 2026. Graduates who demonstrate they can manage a farm may apply for the AgIncubator program, the final stage of GoFarm Hawaiʻi’s pathway to farm ownership.
