Applications are open for a limited number of travel scholarships that could give Maui farmers, ranchers and fishers a path to Oʻahu this month, where the Hawaiʻi Farmers Union State Convention is returning for the first time since 2017. The gathering runs October 16 through 18 at the Waimānalo Cares Center, with a public convention day open to the entire community and a members-only policy meeting closing out the event.
A Statewide Gathering Built Around Makahiki
According to Maui Now, this year's convention carries the theme Mahiʻai Makahiki, honoring farmers, fishers, ranchers and community members who support Hawaiʻi's food systems. The name draws on the traditional Hawaiian four-month Makahiki season honoring Lono, the deity of agriculture, rain and peace — a period when warfare was forbidden and communities instead gathered for harvest feasts and competitive games, as the Kaʻiwakīloumoku Hawaiian Cultural Center explains.
The schedule opens with an ʻāina workday at the Nation of Hawaiʻi on October 16 from 3 to 5 pm, per the same Maui Now report. The public convention day follows on October 17 from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm at Waimānalo Cares Center and requires no HFU membership to attend, while the HFU Annual Policy Meeting on October 18, from 9 am to 2 pm, is reserved for members only.
Why Maui Growers Need Help Making the Trip
The Mahiʻai and Youth Scholarship program is accepting applications for a limited number of awards for new and beginning farmers, ranchers, fishers and youth in ʻāina-based programs from the neighbor islands, the outlet reports. The awards could make it possible for Maui producers to take part in statewide discussions that would otherwise require costly inter-island travel. Christian Zuckerman, vice president of the Hawaiʻi Farmers Union, said the convention's return to Oʻahu will showcase the organization's work and bring the farming community together statewide.
Getting neighbor-island smallholders into the room matters because Maui County has been working its own side of the food security equation. Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen signed Bill 98 into law in September, codifying a formal county food security plan after local survey data showed 60% of Maui County residents had reduced grocery purchases due to financial strain.
The Stakes Behind Hawaiʻi's Food Security Push
The urgency animating these conversations is rooted in hard numbers. Hawaiʻi imports more than 80% of its food supply at a cost of up to $3 billion, according to Honolulu Civil Beat, and the islands maintain only five to seven days of commercial grocery supply on shelves at any given time, according to Wai Gardens. Hawaiʻi had 6,569 operating farms in 2022, roughly 10% fewer than in 2017.
Advocacy, Disaster Relief and Convention Programming
The Hawaiʻi Farmers Union has also weighed in on contentious land policy. During the 2026 legislative session, lawmakers debated Senate Bill 2153 to tighten definitions around “bona fide” agricultural operations, prompting HFU advocacy director Hunter Heaivilin to caution against piling administrative burdens onto smallholders and traditional Hawaiian subsistence growers, as Hoodline previously reported.
This year's convention program reflects those overlapping pressures. Sessions planned for the public day include disaster policy, agricultural policy, advocacy, land conservation, procurement, food safety and market expansion, alongside programming on loko iʻa, traditional food systems, ranching, fisheries and food-as-medicine. Attendees can also get hands-on with soil health, biochar production, cacao and chocolate making, plus Makahiki games and community booths hosted by local organizations.
Operational Pressures Facing Local Producers
Labor and raw inputs account for 68% of total manufacturing expenses for local food enterprises, according to Jong Enterprise.
The Hawaiʻi Farmers Union represents family farmers, ranchers, fishers and agricultural advocates across the state. National Farmers Union President Rob Larew and U.S. House Representative Jill Tokuda are both expected participants, Maui Now reports.
Tickets, Support and How to Get Involved
Major support for the convention comes from the Stupski Foundation, Healy Foundation, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Kamehameha Schools and Matson, with additional backing from Johnny's Selected Seeds, Ulupono Initiative, Farm Lovers Farmers Markets, Slow Money Hawaiʻi and the CCOF Foundation. The Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity is providing grant support, and the University of Hawaiʻi College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources is a partner, according to the Maui Now report.
Convention tickets are available through the HFU website, with last-call pricing through October 15 set at $5 for HFU members and $15 for general admission; prices rise at the door to $10 for members and $20 for general admission, and children under 12 attend free. Volunteers and community booth hosts can apply through the convention website, which also hosts ticket purchases, scholarship applications and volunteer registration. Questions about the convention can be directed to [email protected].
