At build-out, ‘Ōuli intends to add 200+ acres of food producing farm crops to the Island of Hawai‘i. The community plan calls for 140 farm/home lots; each lot will include at least one acre of planted farm crops. The community will also use farm crops to replace traditional landscaping along roadways and in common areas (approximately 20 acres). There will be a community garden of some 3 acres to provide fresh produce to the community’s restaurants and a 30-acre community farm which will include 4 acres of greenhouses offering advanced technology in water conservation, aquaculture, and environmental controls, and a 4-acre irrigation reservoir.
Within the 30-acre community farm, some 20 acres will be set aside for the purpose of providing plots to farmers who are caring for the farm/home lots and farm crops around the community. These plots will be offered to the farmers at a minimal lease rent while they are employed at ‘Ōuli and after a designated number of years the employee will be able to engage in a long-term lease. Within these plots the farmers will be allowed to grow crops for their own use and benefit.
Among the crops under consideration by ‘Ōuli are: avocado, mango, citrus, dragon fruit, coffee, papaya, and other specialty crops; natives, such as ‘ulu, maia, kalo, ‘uala, kō, pala‘ai, koai‘a, ‘iliahi, a‘ali‘i, and other dryland crops; and the greenhouses would produce truck crops, such as greens and tomatoes.
‘Ōuli will seek to partner with agricultural organizations and the University of Hawai‘i to add to the island’s resources and food production.
‘Ōuli’s farm effort will add substantially to the island’s food supply and help to meet sustainability goals set by County and State governments. ‘Ōuli envisions distributing the crops it grows via food hubs and other locally based organizations. Crops will be distributed on Hawai‘i Island first and then the outer islands to support all residents of Hawai‘i.
‘Ōuli is exploring the opportunity to build off-site workforce housing near its community. It has started a conversation with Queen Emma Foundation which owns land in the Kawaihae area. A draft land plan for 99 units has been created and ‘Ōuli is currently researching leasing, financing, planning, and permitting options. The parcel ‘Ōuli has identified is adjacent to Kawaihae Village, a workforce housing community developed as the Kohala Coast resorts were established.
As ‘Ōuli Farms grows, it will provide steady, long-term employment in the arenas of farming, hospitality, construction, maintenance, and management. It is currently establishing a management team, the first level of staffing, with people who all have extensive Hawai‘i experience and have lived in Hawai‘i most, if not all their lives. The team will gradually increase as the community grows and at the end of the next decade ‘Ōuli expects to have 150 team members on staff. In addition, local contractors and businesses will be retained to support ongoing operations and maintenance.
‘Ōuli is committed to preserving the cultural history of its property and the legacy of what has gone before. Cultural/historic sites and the story of the land will be shared with the community, homeowners and especially the island’s keiki. A cultural garden is planned, as well as cultural classes conducted by kupuna of the region. ‘Ōuli is establishing a komike (committee) of community representatives who are knowledgeable about the ahupua‘a and can help to guide any cultural decisions which need to be made.
The ‘Ōuli Farms Foundation has been established to provide charitable support to island organizations – cultural programs and on-island charities – which are already benefiting island residents. A portion of the funds raised to support the foundation and its charitable distributions will come directly from the farm lot owners living on site.
Regenerating and reforesting of ‘Ōuli’s land with native dryland forest trees is an important part of ‘Ōuli’s commitment to sustainability. Trees, including milo, sandalwood, and koai‘a (endemic dryland koa), will be planted and used as property boundaries, natural windbreaks and as part of the community’s landscaping. Native plants, such as kalo, ‘uala, uhi, and pili grass, will also be used in the stream bed areas to control erosion.
The weather patterns and natural environment of ‘Ōuli makes establishing a fire safety protocol a key component for the property. ‘Ōuli is looking into forming a volunteer fire department trained in wildfire safety which will provide protection for the community and can assist the local fire department as well as other volunteer fire teams on the island. The community will establish buffers and fire prevention green belts as part of the design of the property perimeter.
Development of an agricultural irrigation water source is key to supporting the community farms. ‘Ōuli is in the permitting process to establish two non-potable irrigation wells on site to provide farm crop irrigation and water for recreational activities in the community. Development of this water source will reduce the potable water use in the community.
The community’s wastewater will be handled by septic systems for the large acre farm home lots. ‘Ōuli is exploring small package sewage treatment plants to handle community areas.
Support for education initiatives for island keiki from pre-kindergarten through high school and beyond are important pieces to ‘Ōuli’s commitment to the community. It will partner with state and local governments and community organizations to showcase career opportunities in farming. ‘Ōuli will support:
- Increase childcare opportunities, both for the island and its employees, through collaborative work with other organizations.
- Collaborate with local schools to provide learning opportunities around food sustainability and farming.
- Host field trips to introduce students to farming and agricultural opportunities on the island.
- Partner with the University of Hawai‘i to provide internships and scholarships to students interested in pursuing a career in farming.
