Following the success of the “Seed to Harvest” farming initiative, the University of Â鶹´«Ã½ at Mānoa (CTAHR) is expanding its work to boost food security and entrepreneurship on Molokaʻi with “Harvest to Market.” It¡¯s the next step for Friendly Isle home gardeners transitioning from backyard gardening to being part of the local agricultural economy.
Seed to Harvest was created last year by Molokaʻi-based CTAHR Extension agents Kyle Franks and Jennifer Hawkins and funded by a 2025 County of Maui grant. The program recently graduated its third group of backyard farmers who have grown hundreds of pounds of fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs using on-island resources.
Business of backyard farming
Harvest to Market shifts focus toward the business and entrepreneurial side of agriculture; it’s designed for home gardeners with extra produce, immersing them in marketing, pricing, budgeting and production schedules. A new opportunity emerged as the group gained confidence and grew more than one hundred pounds of cabbage.
“Our growers are doing a great job, but now they have excess,” said Franks. “So the next step is helping them get their produce to market.”
People are learning how to transform backyard fruits and vegetables into value-added goods—such as artisanal jams, jellies or freeze-dried items—that can be sold at local farmers’ markets. Franks and Hawkins guide growers through state regulatory frameworks to ensure all fresh and processed food sales comply with state health and food safety laws.
Overcoming barriers, building resilience
“Finances and food safety can be intimidating, and is where people usually just say, okay, I’m just going to do this subsistence, or I’m going to barter,” Hawkins said. “Having the resources and knowing the right people to come in makes a huge difference in the outcome of individuals and their comfort level.”
By giving residents the skills to cultivate food and the business acumen to sell it, CTAHR continues to tackle food inequity, reduce reliance on expensive imports, and foster a highly resilient community on Molokaʻi.