Kaʻū Farm Wins Flood Grant, Buys Generator Before Next Storm Hits

A small farm in Kaʻū that produces fruit, vegetables, eggs, milk, and meat is among 162 farmers, ranchers, and fishers across all six Hawaiian Islands who just received emergency grants meant to help them recover from a brutal stretch of 2026 storms. Ancient Valley Growers, run by Matt and Amy, was already reeling from March's Kona Low flooding when Hurricane Lala struck in August and caused more damage. Now the couple is using their grant money to buy a backup diesel generator and install a new solar system, hoping it will keep their walk-in cooler running the next time the power goes out.

The grants come from the Hawaiʻi Farmers Union Foundation, which has raised more than $1 million overall and has distributed more than $700,000 of that in unrestricted grants so far, according to Big Island Now. The awards, ranging from $1,000 to $10,000 depending on need, are funded by the organization's Hawaiʻi Flood Response Fund, which launched in response to the March 2026 flooding and other extreme weather that battered the islands. Christian Zuckerman, a farmer who serves as the foundation's vice president and CFO, said the back-to-back Kona Low storms were especially devastating because multiple systems hit in a row, according to the same report.

Two Storms, One Farm, No Safety Net

Ancient Valley Growers was threatened first by the Kona Low storms and then suffered damage during Hurricane Lala in August, per Big Island Now's reporting. The farm told the outlet that the new backup power systems will guarantee the operation keeps working through future outages. That kind of resilience investment matters more in Hawaiʻi than it might elsewhere: as Honolulu Civil Beat reported, only about 3% of Hawaii farmers hold federal crop insurance, since the federal rules were largely built for large mainland commodity operations rather than small, diversified farms like Ancient Valley Growers.

That coverage gap helps explain why unrestricted grants have become such a critical lifeline. The Kona Low storm systems that soaked the islands in March dropped an estimated 2 trillion gallons of water statewide, with localized rainfall reaching up to 61 inches, making it Hawaii's most severe flooding event since 2004, as reported by AgWeb. Between March 11 and March 15 alone, some island areas recorded over 30 inches of rain. AgWeb's reporting also found that the storms damaged more than 4,000 acres and caused statewide agricultural losses exceeding $31 million, with Oahu accounting for more than $20 million of that total.

How Foundation Money Reaches Farmers

Zuckerman said the foundation cannot make every farmer whole again, but the grants can begin the road to recovery, per the same Big Island Now account. He added that natural disasters can push Hawaiʻi farmers to the breaking point. The foundation says the money, made possible by private donors, foundations, and community partners, goes toward replacing lost crops and equipment and restoring damaged farm infrastructure. The Hawaiʻi Farmers Union has said it stands ready to mobilize emergency relief, restore farms and food access, and support long-term recovery as storms continue to threaten farming operations across the islands.

The foundation is now raising money for a second round of grants, and community members and businesses can donate through the Hawaiʻi Farmers Union website, according to Big Island Now's report. It is not the only relief effort mobilized this year. A separate agricultural recovery fund from the Hawaii Agricultural Foundation and Hawaii Farm Bureau raised more than $350,000 by July to provide grants of $2,500 to $10,000 for storm-hit operations, according to Big Island Now's earlier coverage, with early damage assessments for that fund estimating over $7 million in losses across roughly 1,000 acres.

State and Federal Programs Add to the Patchwork

Government agencies have layered in their own assistance alongside the private grants. The Hawaii Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity set up an Emergency Farmer Relief Program in March, authorizing $500,000 in restricted state funds for one-time $1,500 emergency grants to affected farms, ranches, and ag businesses that hold a valid Hawaii General Excise Tax license. The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced this week that Hawaii producers who suffered livestock, feed, crop, or land losses from extreme weather, including Hurricane Lala, can apply for federal disaster programs covering things like excess livestock mortality, damaged honeybee hives, and farm-raised fish feed losses through March 1, 2027.

The Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency has also flagged additional support, including a USDA Farm Service Agency deadline extended to July 31 for Emergency Conservation Program cost-share assistance covering land grading, fence restoration, and emergency water measures, with up to 25% advance funding available. Separately, the U.S. Small Business Administration opened a Business Recovery Center in Hilo in April to help Hawaii County businesses and residents pursue low-interest disaster loans. The Office of Hawaiian Affairs, meanwhile, launched its own $1 million disaster assistance program in May after a survey found 86% of respondents had no flood insurance, offering up to $15,000 to Native Hawaiian homeowners and $7,500 to renters whose primary residences suffered major damage.

For farms like Ancient Valley Growers, the patchwork of state, federal, and nonprofit aid represents the difference between limping through another storm season and shutting down entirely. Hoodline has previously reported on the storms' toll across the islands, including a Waimanalo farmer forced to free 500 animals during the March flooding and the more recent arrival of Hurricane Lala battering Honolulu. Whether the foundation's second round of grants can keep pace with continued storm damage remains an open question as Hawaiʻi's farmers brace for whatever comes next.