Final report for WRGR24-002
Project Information
Since 2021, the Hawai’i Island Agriculture Partnership (HIAP) has been building a collaborative model for farms to share equipment, services, and labor for improved economic efficiency and profitability. This project will build upon those efforts to work with HIAP members in aligning interests and opportunities for establishing a HIAP labor improvement initiative that addresses the challenges faced by small, local farms.
HIAP provides a useful structure for addressing this key challenge. HIAP’s workforce development strategy team will serve as an advisory council for the project. Key project activities will include:
• Outreach and engagement with at least 60 producers, farm workers, and agricultural service providers through meetings and focus groups to review and discuss the local relevance of four farm labor business models identified in a previous SARE research study titled, "Creative Farm Business Models to Address Hiring, Training, and Management Barriers" (LNE19 – 386R);
• Establishing a HIAP labor improvement initiative that incorporates elements of the four labor models agreed by farmers and farm workers as having the most potential for overcoming farm labor challenges on Hawai’i Island; and
• Developing a set of web-based educational materials and at least two educational workshops that help farmers understand the new labor business models, service providers and other potential options for overcoming their labor challenges.
The objectives of this project draw upon the conclusions and lessons of the original SARE research (LNE19 – 386R) to determine the appropriate labor
business models most suitable for Hawaii Island.
Objective 1: By month 6, increase at least 60 farmers and farmworkers’ knowledge of the four innovative labor business models from previous SARE research and gather feedback on which have the most potential for Hawai’i Island. Farmers will have improved understanding of the specific
challenges of applying each labor business model in a local context.
Objective 2: By month 12, improve knowledge and awareness of farmers’ about farm labor issues and potential solutions on Hawai’i Island, collectively creating a labor improvement initiative to HIAP’s workforce development strategy.
Objective 3: By month 18, increase the technical capacity of HIAP members in implementing labor improvements under its workforce development strategy by developing a set of web-based educational and awareness materials and at least two educational workshops that help farmers understand new business models, service providers, and options for overcoming their pervasive labor challenges.
The agricultural landscape on Hawai’i Island has undergone significant changes over the past several decades. As the sugarcane plantations that once dominated the region closed nearly thirty years ago, the number of small-scale, diversified farms have increased significantly and yet the availability of labor to support these farms has become a major constraint. This project represents a critical step in ongoing efforts to enhance the profitability of Hawai'i Island's small, highly diversified farms. Its purpose is to address farmers' challenges in recruiting, managing, sharing, and retaining a diverse, experienced pool of skilled local farm workers.
Since 2021, the Hawai’i Island Agriculture Partnership (HIAP) has been establishing collaborative mechanisms for Hawai'i's farms based on the Next Generation collective impact model for public-private partnerships. This project will work with HIAP members to conduct a series of meetings and focus groups with more than 60 farmers and farm workers to align interests and opportunities for developing a HIAP labor improvement initiative that addresses the challenges faced by small, local farms.
HIAP provides a useful structure for addressing this key challenge. In previous agricultural system studies to date (see www.hiagpartnership.org/ag-and-food-system-study), the cost, quality, and consistency of farm labor was frequently identified as a major constraint to growth across many sectors of the island’s agricultural cluster. Larger farms are able to outsource much of their labor and recruitment, but for the diverse small to midsize farms that form the core of HIAP’s membership, a more innovative model for finding, sharing, and mobilizing labor is needed.
HIAP’s workforce development strategy team will serve as an advisory council for the project. Key project activities will include:
- Outreach and engagement with at least 60 producers, farm workers, and agricultural service providers through meetings and focus groups to discuss the applicability of the four labor models identified in a previous SARE research study titled, "Creative Farm Business Models to Address Hiring, Training, and Management Barriers" (LNE19 – 386R);
- Establishing a HIAP labor improvement initiative that incorporates elements of the four labor models agreed by farmers and farm workers as having the most potential for overcoming farm labor challenges on Hawai’i Island; and
- Developing a set of web-based educational materials and at least two educational workshops that help farmers understand new labor models, service providers, and options for overcoming their labor challenges.
Phase 1 (Months 1-6): Farmer and Farmworker Engagement
The project will start with the engagement of a diverse cross-section of at least 60 agricultural professionals, farmers, farmworkers, and labor service providers from throughout Hawai’i Island to discuss labor constraints and potential models for overcoming them. The discussions and feedback will be collated and synthesized by the Hamakua Institute team, who will present it to HIAP’s workforce development strategy team for review and analysis.
Milestone 1: Completion of farmer and farmworker engagement phase and preparation of a summary presentation for HIAP’s workforce development strategy team.
Phase 2 (Months 7-12): Collective Analysis and Planning
HIAP’s workforce development strategy team will identify the targeted agricultural sectors, employee skill sets, and farm labor models that HIAP will seek to concentrate new funding and investment strategies to develop. They will incorporate these targeted models into a new labor improvement initiative under HIAP’s workforce development strategy.
Milestone 2: Agreement upon new HIAP labor improvement initiative and its alignment within HIAP’s workforce development strategy.
Phase 3 (Months 13-18): Education and Awareness
The project will design a set of web-based educational and awareness materials that will guide HIAP members in testing and developing new models for recruiting, sharing, and training farm labor. The materials will gather feedback from HIAP members’ and share results of new labor models across the partnership as they unfold. Two educational workshops will be held to explain how the models work and bring together the key groups for learning how to implement new models for sharing and coordinating farm labor needs.
Milestone 3: Completion of HIAP web-based education program on farm labor and two educational workshops with HIAP members on developing and testing new models for sharing farm labor.
Cooperators
- - Producer
Education & Outreach Initiatives
Increase at least 60 farmers and farmworkers’ knowledge of the four innovative labor business models from previous SARE research and gather feedback on which have the most potential for Hawai’i Island. Farmers will have improved understanding of the specific challenges of applying each labor business model in a local context.
The project engaged farmers and agricultural stakeholders through multiple channels. The Hamakua Institute team conducted outreach and dialogue through HIAP’s existing network of teams and working groups, incorporating the four models from the prior SARE research—producer-owned collaboratives, worker-owned collaboratives, nonprofit-owned temporary farm employment agencies, and nonprofit collaborative internship programs—into ongoing HIAP discussions.
A formal focus group was convened on July 31, 2024, via Zoom, bringing together six producers and agricultural professionals representing cooperatives, vegetable farming, macadamia nut production, breadfruit research, and Hawaiʻi County government. Participants included representatives from the Kamuela Vacuum Cooling Cooperative, Ancient Valley Growers, Nahua ʻAina Farms, Island Harvest, Māla Kaluʻulu Cooperative, and the County of Hawaiʻi Research and Development office. The 90-minute session was documented and reviewed by ASU researchers under IRB study #00020386.
In addition to the formal focus group, the ASU capstone team conducted individual interviews with subject matter experts including Matthew Lau (University of Hawaiʻi West Oʻahu, MAʻO Organic Farms) and Doug O’Brien (President & CEO, National Cooperative Business Association CLUSA International).
Stakeholder engagement informed a deeper comparative analysis that went beyond the original four models from the Northeast SARE research, identifying nine relevant models from Hawaiʻi, the continental United States, Cuba, India, Australia, and New Zealand. Farmers demonstrated increased understanding of both the potential and the limitations of various labor models in the local context.
Improve knowledge and awareness of farmers’ about farm labor issues and potential solutions on Hawai’i Island, collectively creating a labor improvement initiative to HIAP’s workforce development strategy.
Building on the focus group findings and the ASU team’s research, HIAP’s workforce development strategy team reviewed the stakeholder dialogue and identified priority directions for the labor improvement initiative. The ASU capstone research provided a structured comparative framework using five key dimensions—organizational structure, workforce supply, governance, resource contributions, and government involvement—to evaluate each model’s applicability.
The analysis confirmed insights from the original SARE research (LNE19–386R): that a single “one-size-fits-all” labor model is unlikely to succeed. Instead, a hybrid approach drawing on elements from multiple models is more appropriate for Hawaiʻi Island’s diverse agricultural landscape.
Focus group participants and HIAP leadership identified the following as the most promising directions for the labor improvement initiative:
- Expansion of cooperative and collective labor structures that allow farms to pool resources, standardize wages, and share seasonal labor more efficiently
- Strengthening of workforce development programs modeled on MAʻO Organic Farms and GoFarm Hawaiʻi, with structured internship pathways, tuition support, and cultural education
- Community-oriented recruitment initiatives that connect agricultural work to Hawaiʻi’s cultural heritage and values around ʻaina (land stewardship)
- Policy advocacy for farmworker housing, agricultural wage subsidies, and improved government communication with the farming community
HIAP’s workforce development strategy team has incorporated the findings into its planning framework. The ASU report provides a documented basis for grant applications and partnership development to fund pilot cooperative labor projects on Hawaiʻi Island.
Increase the technical capacity of HIAP members in implementing labor improvements under its workforce development strategy by developing a set of web-based educational and awareness materials and at least two educational workshops that help farmers understand new business models, service providers, and options for overcoming their pervasive labor challenges.
The primary educational deliverable for this phase is the ASU capstone report, which serves as a comprehensive resource hub for HIAP members and the broader Hawaiʻi Island agricultural community. The report is being published on the Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems’ website (foodsystems.asu.edu) and will be made available on HIAP’s platform as a reference document for farmers exploring new labor models.
The report includes:
- Comparative case studies of nine labor models with actionable adaptation guidance for Hawaiʻi Island
- A summary table comparing models across five key dimensions, enabling farmers to quickly identify which structures align with their needs
- Specific recommendations for policy advocacy, including engagement with Representative Jill Tokuda on the Farm Bill, advocacy for farmworker housing programs, and support for agricultural overtime tax credit legislation modeled on Oregon’s approach
- A farmer survey instrument (Appendix C) that HIAP can distribute to capture broader island-wide input from producers not included in the focus group
Educational workshops for HIAP members will be held to present the report findings and facilitate dialogue about implementing cooperative labor pilots. The workshops will draw on the comparative model summaries and farmer survey to identify the specific hybrid approaches that have the broadest support from HIAP members.
HIAP now has a research-backed, community-informed educational resource to guide its labor improvement initiative. The farmer survey instrument provides a ready-made tool for expanding engagement beyond the initial focus group participants.
Educational & Outreach Activities
Participation summary:
Learning Outcomes
Project Outcomes
A central goal of this project was not only to research and assess alternative labor models, but to translate those findings into a concrete, ongoing initiative within HIAP’s organizational structure. This section describes the current state of the HIAP Labor Improvement Initiative as established through the grant period.
The HIAP Labor Improvement Initiative is a cross-cutting effort driven jointly by multiple HIAP teams, reflecting the fact that labor challenges touch every dimension of the partnership’s work—from market access and equipment sharing to food systems resilience and community development. The Workforce Development Strategy Team provides overall coordination and serves as the primary advisory body, while other HIAP working groups contribute sector-specific expertise and help identify participating farms for pilot activities. The Hāmākua Institute provides organizational backbone and administrative support, ensuring continuity as the initiative moves from research into implementation.
Strategic Framework
Based on the stakeholder engagement process and the ASU capstone research, HIAP has identified four complementary model elements that together form the foundation of the Labor Improvement Initiative. These were selected because they address different dimensions of the labor challenge—structural, workforce development, seasonal supply, and administrative—and are designed to work in combination rather than as isolated programs.
- Cooperative Resource and Labor Sharing
Drawing on elements from the Cuban and Indian cooperative models and existing Hawaiʻi Island precedents such as the Kamuela Vacuum Cooling Cooperative, this element focuses on enabling HIAP member farms to pool seasonal labor, standardize wage structures, and share equipment and administrative resources. The goal is to reduce the burden on individual operations while creating a more stable, shared workforce across the partnership. A cooperative labor pilot is currently being identified and designed, with HIAP teams working to define participating farms, governance arrangements, and resource commitments.
- Structured Internship and Workforce Pipeline
Modeled on elements of MAʻO Organic Farms’ youth leadership training and the University of Hawaiʻi’s AgConnect program, this element aims to build a sustained local agricultural workforce through culturally grounded internship and training pathways at HIAP member farms. Key design features include shared stipend funding across member farms, partnerships with community colleges and high schools, farmer mentorship, and integration of Hawaiian cultural values—particularly aloha ʻaina and kuleana—into the program experience. HIAP is actively identifying funding sources and institutional partners to support this pipeline.
- Guest Worker and H-2A Coordination
For farms requiring experienced seasonal labor beyond what local pipelines can supply, the initiative is exploring how HIAP could provide collective support for H-2A and J-1 visa program participation—reducing the administrative and compliance burden that currently makes these programs inaccessible for many smaller farms. This could include shared housing solutions, coordinated visa processing, and connection to programs such as MESA (Multinational Exchange for Sustainable Agriculture) that combine cultural exchange with agricultural skill-building. Critically, any guest worker coordination will be designed to avoid the regulatory conflicts that arise when H-2A workers and volunteers are present on the same farm simultaneously.
- Shared HR and Hiring Support
Recognizing that many HIAP member farms lack the administrative capacity to manage recruitment, onboarding, payroll, and compliance independently, the initiative is exploring a shared human resources function that could serve multiple farms collectively. This could take the form of a partnership with an existing hiring agency, a HIAP-managed HR coordinator role, or a hybrid model combining both. Providing this shared infrastructure would lower the barrier for farms to access both local and international labor pools while keeping farm operators focused on production.