For Business
RESOURCES FOR FARMERS
Aloha Kauai Agriculturalists,
The North Shore Economic Vitality Partnership’s (NSEVP) GroupGAP cohort 6 recruitment ends in just a few days! This is a reminder to any vegetable producers to contact NSEVP and/or submit an application by Sunday, February 6, if you are interested in working towards USDA Harmonized-GAP certification through the GroupGAP program. You may find the pdf application HERE.
GroupGAP is a new USDA food safety certification option that will increase opportunities for smaller farms to supply GAP-certified produce. This robust certification process addresses many challenges that small farms face in complying with food safety audits and meeting the demands of the retail, food service, and institutional buying community. GroupGAP makes food safety certification accessible for small and middle-sized producers by allowing farmers, food hubs, and other marketing organizations to work together to undergo GAP certification as a group. The program will build a network of farms that share safety, quality standards, and training with the goals of accessing new markets, diversifying revenue streams, and increasing production and profitability. Cohort 6 is set to launch March 2022!
GroupGAP cohort is especially beneficial to smaller farms looking to:
- Expand their farm production but don’t know where to start.
- Are interested in becoming Food Safety Certified.
- Are preparing for FSMA compliance.
- Looking to access new markets and increase sales.
Farms must complete and submit the application to NSEVP’s Lisa Rhoden (P: 808-343-8196 | lisa@nsevp.org) or Francesca Scola (P: 808-868-6805 | fscola@nsevp.org).
This Resources for Hawaii’s Agriculture Industry (PDF) provides summary information about major provisions that could offer critical support for the Agriculture Industry.
This Agribusiness Guidebook is available to help guide agriculture producers who are interested in starting an Agri-Tourism Operation.
RESOURCES FOR BUSINESSES
Rural Relief Small Business Grants are offered by Local Initiatives Support Council (LISC). These grants have been offered over a series of rounds. The grant supports small businesses in rural areas with focus on entrepreneurs of color, women and veteran-owned businesses. To learn more, visit the LISC website.
SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans are available. To learn more, visit the SBA website.
Hawaii Pacific Health Business Hotline is a resource available to businesses from 7am to 4pm. Businesses can call 808-763-2720 to speak with a health professional about COVID-19 preparedness, precautions and responses for your business.
Buy Hawaii, Give Aloha is an initiative launched by The Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT) to showcase products made in Hawaii. Buy Hawaii, Give Aloha supports local businesses by providing a free platform for kama‘aina and visitors to find their favorite brands and discover new products. To learn more or to sign up as a featured business, check out their website: https://invest.hawaii.gov/buy-hawaii/
Small Business Development Center provides one-on-one business advice at no cost. You can also view the calendar of business events here.
ProService Hawaii has several re-opening guides for Hawaii businesses on their website including: The-New-Normal_How-to-Make-a-Comeback-Plan
SimplicityHR by ALTRES COVID-19 Employer Resource site, is a website designed to help Hawaii businesses navigate the challenges you and your workforce are facing due to COVID-19. On this site you will find Employer News, Toolkits, Quicklink Resources and Articles and to help guide your efforts. https://www.simplicityhr.com/covid-19/
The Small Business Owners Guide to the CARES Act: This guide can help you understand the federal resources available for small businesses as part of the CARES act.
