Whitmore Project's Inaugural Harvest

This past weekend marked an historical moment for Hawaiiâ€™s agriculture industry. A portion of the 1,200 acres of fertile agricultural lands, once part of the Galbraith Estate in Central Oahu, purchased in a unique public/private partnership in 2012, begun harvesting its first crop of watermelons grown by Sugarland Farms. After much land clearing and preparation by the grower and updating of the aging infrastructure by the State, Sugarland owner Larry Jefts, planted the first seeds in anticipation of the upcoming summer season. As the stateâ€™s largest grower of watermelon, Jefts is also demonstrating that watermelon can be successfully grown in the Whitmore, Wahiawa area. The bulk of the watermelon production in the state currently comes from Ewa and Kunia.

The lands at Galbraith were fallow since 2004, when Del Monte ceased pineapple production. Two years later, Del Monte closed resulting in 551 people losing their jobs and 2,000 acres of prime farmland up for sale. While many felt that important

agricultural lands such as these needed to be preserved, it was the combined vision and efforts of elected officials, community leaders and motivated private organizations that made the preservations of these lands a reality. These lands will provide access to more land for small farmers to ramp up their current operations producing more product, thus increasing greater economies of scale, which helps increase sustainability.

Driven by funding sources from the Trust for Public Lands, contributions by the state and county, this prime agricultural parcel has been preserved for new growth and expansion of agriculture in Hawaii. The 2012 Galbraith purchase now serves as the

model for securing important ag lands throughout the State. The greater vision is that these thriving farm lands will spur further economic growth in the community. When agricultural production increases, businesses in the neighboring communities will see increased activity as well, strengthening the overall economic health of the area.

Over the next few months, a dozen small farmers will be occupying parcels at Galbraith to help reduce our reliance on imports. I look forward to what the future holds for the Whitmore Project.

(Above Left) Addressing attendees on this historical moment for Hawaii's ag industry. It has been over a decade since the last crops were harvested on these lands.

(Above Right) Sen. Mike Gabbard, Chairman of the Committee on Water, Land, and Agriculture, Tisha Uyehara, Chairwoman of the Agribusiness Development Corporation Board of Directors, and I enjoying watermelons from the inaugural harvest.

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The Whitmore Project is a revitalization and redevelopment plan for fallow agricultural lands and non-active commercial industrial facilities in the Wahiawa and Whitmore Village community. The Whitmore Project is a model that can be used to reactivate Hawaii's agricultural industry by helping farmers to grow their business, create jobs, and provide a sustainable future, in both food production and the economy, for the State of Hawaii.

For more information on The Whitmore Project, please visit https://www.facebook.com/WhitmoreProject/

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