$750K Grant Supports Veterans in Building Farming Businesses
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Hawaiʻi veterans looking to start or grow a farm business will benefit from a $750,000 grant to GoFarm Hawaiʻi, a program under the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience (CTAHR) at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. This partnership with the Veterans Business Outreach Center (VBOC) will provide training in both farming and business skills, along with well-being support, over a three-year period to 600 aspiring veteran farmers.
The program aims to assist in establishing, maintaining, or improving 25 veteran-operated farms through technical assistance, business consulting, and guidance on accessing USDA resources. In-person activities will primarily focus on Oʻahu and Hawaiʻi Island.
Growing a Powerful Partnership
The grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) strengthens a collaboration between CTAHR’s GoFarm Hawaiʻi, VBOC, Seeds of Wellbeing, and Cooperative Extension.
“The support and warm welcome from the Dean and the college’s faculty and staff made it easy to become part of the CTAHR family,” said Lori Hiramatsu, director of VBOC. “Our shared mission aligns perfectly, and we can create a powerful synergy for the veteran agricultural entrepreneurs in our community.”
“Integrating VBOC into our college is part of our strategy to equip Hawaiʻi’s farmers with business skills and foster local food production,” noted CTAHR Dean Parwinder Grewal. “Combining agricultural production science with business, financial, and entrepreneurial education paves the way for military veterans to thrive in their farming ventures.”
Business Support for Veterans
Funded by the Small Business Administration, VBOC offers free business training and counseling, including Boots to Business and Reboot workshops, tailored to the unique needs of veterans transitioning from military to civilian life.
Located at the Mānoa Innovation Center, the VBOC team provides support to veterans across Hawaiʻi, Guam, Saipan, and American Samoa.