Community

Bayer is committed to supporting Hawaii agriculture and island communities through partnerships with other community members and by supporting programs that improve the lives of Hawaii residents, and promote successful production of locally grown agricultural products.

Ag Park at Kunia 

Established in July 2011 as a private-public partnership between Bayer Hawaii, the Hawaii Agricultural Foundation and Island Palm Communities, the Ag Park at Kunia is approximately 220 acres of land on Oahu that has been made available to local farmers in an effort to help them achieve economic self-sufficiency and diversify local food production.

Comprised of four distinct parcels that vary in acreage, the Ag Park at Kunia provides excellent growing environments with consistent sunlight and warm temperatures. Currently, more than 20 farmers are actively utilizing the land to grow a variety of produce, including fruit trees, cucumbers, tomatoes, chili peppers, taro, ulu, long beans, squash, okra, butternut squash, string beans, and eggplant. This locally grown produce can be found at the Leeward Community College Sunday farmers’ market or via delivery service with Oahu Fresh and Holoholo General Store.

To ensure the success of both the farmers and the park, Bayer provides in-kind support including security, land preparation (e.g., mowing, disking), technical expertise and bulk purchasing opportunities.

Bayer Hawaii also leases out approximately 636 acres of land across the state to local farmers and ranchers for diversified ag. On the island of Molokai, Bayer leases 130 acres of its land to local farms that produce coffee and an assortment of vegetables.

To learn more about Bayer Hawaii’s commitment to local ag production, please visit: https://www.hinowdaily.com/bayer-taking-steps-to-solidify-hawaiis-food-security

Interested in being an Ag Park at Kunia tenant?

Please contact the Hawaii Agricultural Foundation.

Kokua

The Hawaiian word kokua means “help” or “support”, and it’s one of Bayer Hawaii’s core values to support the communities in which our employees live and work.

Throughout the years, Bayer Hawaii has given grants and volunteered manpower for numerous educational, environmental, community and humanitarian endeavors including beautifying parks, protecting natural watersheds, raising funds for public schools and charitable organizations, donating to human service agencies, contributing to disaster relief efforts, sponsoring scholarships and educational programs, supporting the arts, judging science fairs and helping out at numerous community events.

Some of the non-profits that Bayer Hawaii has supported include: Aloha United Way, district and state science fairs, Filipino Community Center, Hawaii Red Cross, the Maui Arts & Cultural Center, University of Hawaii, West Maui Mountain Watershed Partnership, Kamaole Point Park, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Maui, Special Olympics, Habitat for Humanity, Hale Makua, Blood Bank of Hawaii, Haleakala National Park, Maui Youth & Family Services, Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii, Hawaii State Farm Fair, county farm fairs and Ag in the Classroom.

Honouliuli Internment Camp Preserved

Hidden deep within an overgrown gulch in Kunia, Oahu, on land that was later donated by Bayer, lay the remains of the Honouliuli Internment Camp, one of Hawaii’s largest World War II internment camps.

Once known as jigoku dani or “Hell Valley” by its inhabitants, the internment camp was unique in having detained both prisoners of war and a diverse group of U.S. citizens and resident aliens, including those of Japanese, Korean and European descent. After the war, the camp was bulldozed, leaving historic artifacts and remnants nearly untouched for 60 years.

In 2007, Bayer’s predecessor purchased the surrounding Kunia farm area and pledged to collaborate with interested community organizations to preserve the historic camp site. Together with local community partners, we worked towards achieving the highest level of preservation, in hopes of donating the land and establishing the site as a U.S. National Park. And our hard work paid off…

On February 19, 2015, President Barack Obama announced the site would be designated as a new national monument for historic protection, to be preserved in perpetuity as part of the U.S. National Park System. Bayer and our local partners were thrilled to have reached this exciting milestone – the result of years of hard work by numerous individuals and organizations who had been diligently and patiently working, step by step, to make this community vision a reality.

To achieve this vision, ownership of the land was transferred to the federal government. Today, we continue to cooperate with U.S. National Park Service and community members as they work toward achieving the ultimate fruition of the Honouliuli National Monument.