New Haleiwa agriculture park helps immigrants, refugees start farm businesses

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – A new 80-acre agriculture park in Haleiwa is growing more than crops. It’s helping refugees plant roots.

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The project on Oahu’s north shore is essentially a farming incubator for immigrants, refugees and trafficking survivors to help them start their own businesses, while supporting food security in the islands.

Meechai Moda and Gigi Reynolds are originally from Thailand and have been working together on various farms in Hawaii since 2007.

“Working at the farm is very hard. You got to effort every day, you know, like get up early, you not finish until like later on,” Reynolds said.

“Farming is already inside of us. We’re happy when we do it. Even the hard work, we’re happy, we love it,” Moda said.

Now, after years of working other people’s land, they have four-and-a-half acres of their own to grow what they want, like si gua, an Asian summer squash. They also plan to grow long beans, tomato, cucumber, eggplant, and chili peppers, and sell their produce direct to customers, in downtown stores, and at farmers markets.

“I moved a lot — many, many farms. But I never saw a good place like this. Because this is a good location,“ Moda said.

They’re among the farmers planting the seeds of a new agricultural park in Haleiwa, a project of nonprofit Pacific Gateway Center on land leased from Kamehameha Schools.

“Pacific Gateway Center’s been around since 1973, started as an immigrant resource center for refugees making their way from the Vietnam War,” said Matthew Johnson, Executive Director of Pacific Gateway Center.

The Center helps immigrant families and trafficking survivors with legal services, language support, job training, business development and access to food, housing and now farmland.

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“The idea is to provide them the support so they can continue doing the work that they know and they love so they can support themselves and their families.”

Leasing an undeveloped one-acre plot on Oahu can cost $300 to $500 a month, more depending on the location and infrastucture.

Pacific Gateway Center offers leases below market rate, clears the land, preps the soil, sets up water access and teaches business basics from LLC and general excise tax registration, to securing grants,

“We supply the infrastructure, we supply the workshops and the training and all the wraparound services,” said Bo Bory, Pacific Gateway Center’s Agricultural Program Director.

“A lot of our farmers, started off as farm help. And so they were working for other farmers, working for other companies basically,” Bory added. “We provide them the opportunity to actually have their own land, have their own business.”

The program also aims to leverage generations of farming knowledge to build resiliency and more local food sources.

“Our ag park is just one small step in helping Hawaii become food secure.”

For farmers, it’s a chance to plant roots in their new home.

“I want to make good quality produce, premium products for the Hawaii people,” Moda said.

Pacific Gateway Center is hosting a private blessing ceremony for the ag park on June 12 to mark the milestone.

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To donate or learn more, visit pacificgatewaycenter.org/pgcfarms.