HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0434.002 2020-2022 P/ U61
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From: Leanne Mahalak
Sent: Monday, October 18, 2021 4:02 PM
To: Council Testimony
Subject: Hawaii Farm-to-Car (Resolution 235-21)
Aloha,
We are writing in support of Resolution 235-21 which will provide grant funding for Hawai'i Farm-to-Car. As recent
graduates of GoFarm Hawaii, we were absolutely delighted to discover Hawai'i Farm-to-Car. This innovative and
timely program puts food into the hands of consumers in an efficient and easy way and supports local farmers as
well. As we were completing our beginning farmer training, and wrapping up our mini traditional CSA for our 5
customers, we had ridiculous amounts of produce that we did not know what to do with. Enter Hawai'i Farm-to-
Car..... the team at Ho'ola makes it SO easy to connect the product with the people!
Way more savvy than the traditional CSA system, customers select ONLY what they WANT and as farmers we know
that the veggies we've labored over are really going to someone who specifically chose them. They will not languish
in a crisper and become compost!
Hawai'i Farm-to-Car has also become a great way for us to analyze the market. We can adjust prices, quantities, and
crop types to better refine our crop planning and marketing. The data that we can review as producers within the
online platform is super informative and validating.... We can see that we have repeat customers for specific
crops. They like our Okra!!!
Hawaii Farm-to-Car is a super worthy cause, especially now. Connecting locally grown food to consumers in an
elegant and seamless way is a win for us all!
Thank you,
Leanne and Dan
CD
Dan and Leanne Mahalak
Kaiwiki Food Forest
"Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do."
--Leonardo da Vinci
Gomm.
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