Bayer has remained committed to supporting local ag production by implementing programs that help Hawaii farmers thrive and improve farm productivity. From supplying vegetable seeds to supplying the land in which farmers grow their produce, Bayer’s goal is to ultimately improve farm productivity and increase the amount of locally grown produce for Hawaii.  

This year marks the 10^th anniversary of the Ag Park at Kunia, which is a partnership between Bayer Hawaii, the Hawaii Agricultural Foundation, and Island Palms Communities. The Ag Park at Kunia is approximately 220 acres of land on Oahu that has been made available to small local farmers in an effort to help them achieve economic self-sufficiency and diversify local food production.  

“The purpose of the Ag Park at Kunia is to help small local farmers by providing the land and the resources needed to be successful and ultimately up to scale,” said Alan Takemoto, government and community affairs lead of Bayer Hawaii. “Over the past decade, we have seen tremendous growth with our ag park farmers. Many who started with small areas at the ag park are now farming plots 3-4 times larger than when they started.”

Jason Brand, owner of Kunia Country Farms and Kō Hana Distillers, is one of those success stories. A perfect example of starting small and then scaling to an unprecedented level, Jason began growing heirloom Hawaiian sugarcane on a 15-acre parcel of Ag Park land in 2014, and today, just seven years later, farms over 300 acres across Oahu and is continually seeking more land to put back into production.  

The Kunia Ag Park is located across the street from Kō Hana Distillers, where Jason and his team transform all the sugarcane that is grown in Kunia into Kō Hana Hawaiian Agricole Rum. In addition to its farming and distillery operations, Kō Hana Distillers offer unique farm tours and rum tastings that are open to the public. The company is currently working toward a production goal of 75,000 cases per year. 

“The Ag Park was our springboard towards farming success,” said Jason Brand. “In addition to being good neighbors who provide equipment or services when needed, Kunia has very fertile soil and all the water we need to properly manage our special sugarcane. The Ag Park and Bayer have both been wonderful partners in our growth.” 

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, as well as cattle.  

To ensure the success of the farmers and the Ag Park itself, Bayer provides in-kind support, including security, land preparation (e.g., mowing, disking), technical expertise and bulk purchasing opportunities. Bayer Hawaii leases out approximately 636 acres of land across the state to local farmers for diversified ag. On the island of Molokai, Bayer leases 130 acres of its land to local farmers that produce coffee and an assortment of vegetables. 

To learn more about the Ag Park at Kunia or to become an Ag Park tenant, please visit https://www.hawaiiagfoundation.org/haf-ag-park-at-kunia/ .  

***Click the above image to listen to Jason Brand on November's Sustaining Hawaii radio show.