Maui Ag Fest & 4-H Livestock Fair 2020 Cancelled – Relief Programs Added.
In this unprecedented time of crisis, the Maui County Farm Bureau (MCFB) is announcing its recent decision to cancel the 2020 Maui Ag Fest & 4-H Livestock Fair that was to take place on Sat., May 30. The decision follows the announcement from the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture, which suspended all 4H activities for the remainder of the season. “We are saddened to have to make this announcement, but out of an abundance of caution and uncertainty about when we will be able to gather and hold events coupled with 4H activities being suspended, our board made this difficult decision,” said Warren Watanabe, MCFB Executive Director.
MCFB will preserve the Maui Legacy Farmers Pancake Breakfast, which has traditionally been a favorite event during AgFest. The old-fashioned pancake breakfast honors local farmers for their contributions to agriculture and the community. The event will be held later in the summer on a date a venue to be determined. The public will be able to purchase tickets to the event.
In pivoting attention to farmers who have suffered devastating losses from the closures of restaurants and hotels, MCFB will be re-purposing its county grant that was earmarked for AgFest, to a program called the Farm Product Purchase Program (FPPP). The County of Maui has added an additional $60,000 to the program that will allow MCFB to purchase produce from commercial farms in active agriculture production on Maui. The produce will then be distributed by the County of Maui to families in need due to losing their employment. “Farmers are making difficult decisions as they transition their operations to survival mode, cutting back on expenses, laying off workers, hoping the economy will return before they run out of cash. This program will provide them with some income as well as provide families much needed food,” said MCFB President Teena Rasmussen, “The importance of keeping food production on our own island has become paramount as we experience our island’s vulnerabilities in this crisis.” Farms must apply to be part of the program.
DOWNLOAD FARM PRODUCT PURCHASE PROGRAM FORM HERE. The deadline for applications to be received is April 12.
A second program is being launched today for current members of the MCFB called the Farmer’s Emergency Relief Fund. This program uses MCFB’s unrestricted funds to provide 10 grants of $2,000 each to farmers experiencing hardship to put toward their farms’ operating expenses. “This program will provide an instant cash infusion to help our member farmers weather this difficult time,” said MCFB Vice-President Kyle Caires, “We must use our resources during this time toward saving our family farms.” This program is for MCFB members in good standing as of March 1, 2020.
DOWNLOAD FEED – FARMER’S EMERGENCY RELIEF FUND FORM HERE. Deadline for applying is April 26, 2020.
In addition to these programs, MCFB is asking residents to seek out and ask for locally grown produce, meat, eggs and flowers when buying for themselves, family and friends. “We hope, now more than ever, that the community will support farmers’ markets, CSA box programs, and seek out local produce in the supermarkets,” Rasmussen says, “When you’re shopping, look for certified labels including Grown on Maui, Island Fresh, Made in Hawai‘i, Hawaii Seal of Quality, and Made In Maui branding. And don’t forget to tell your local farmers that they are appreciated.”
About Maui County Farm Bureau: MCFB represents 180 farm family members on Maui island. MCFB is a chapter of the Hawaii Farm Bureau and is affiliated with the American Farm Bureau. Membership in MCFB is open to all farmers regardless of their methods of farming, friends of farmers, and businesses who support farming on Maui and in Hawaii.
Membership application form can be found HERE
About Farm Product Purchase Program: Maui County Farm Bureau is purchasing produce from farmers island wide, and the County of Maui is distributing it to residents in need. The program provides our farmers with much-needed cash to keep their enterprises going and provides food to families who, through no fault of their own, now have no paychecks. Designed for commercial farms in active agriculture production on Maui, the program requires that eligible farmers have sold an average of $2,500 per month in produce prior to March 2020. Membership in MCFB is not a requirement for applicants.
About Farmers Emergency Relief Fund: Using unrestricted funds, MCFB will award 10– $2000 grants to individual farm members of the organization. The program is for commercial producers only in livestock, produce, flowers, and nursery products. If awarded, the farm may use the grant to pay for any direct cost related to their ag operation, except for payroll expenses. Applications may be found at mauicountyfarmbureau.com. The deadline to apply is April 26th, 2020. The grants will be awarded on May 1, 2020. Membership in MCFB is required for this program.
About Maui AgFest & 4-H Livestock Fair: AgFest consists of many highlights, including the Maui Legacy Farmers Pancake Breakfast, 4-H Youth Livestock Show & Auction, Keiki Zone, Grown on Maui Farmers Market, Grand Taste, Food Booths & Food Trucks, Agriculture Education and Information and more. This event has continued to evolve over the years since the inaugural celebration took place in Wailuku in May 2007. In 2019, with 4H coming in as a presenting partner, the festival was rebranded to Maui AgFest & 4-H Livestock Fair launched at the War Memorial Complex.
AgFest is supported by a grant from the County of Maui Office of Economic Development and generous sponsors: A&B, Inc., Bayer, Goodfellow Bros., Haleakala Ranch, Hawaiian Electric, Kā‘anapali Golf Course, Mahi Pono, Matson, Maui Coast Hotel, Pacific Media Group, Young Brothers, and Ulupono Initiative.
Media Contact:
Charlene Kaʻuhane
(808) 385-3530
Charlene@kauhaneinc.com