Hawaiʻi Farm Project and Hawaiʻi ʻUlu Cooperative to process ʻulu from Maui farmers

Maui-based agriculture and agritourism hub Hawai‘i Farm Project and farmer-owned diversified growers collective Hawai‘i ‘Ulu Cooperative today announced a partnership to aggregate and process the Hawaiian staple crop ‘ulu, also known as breadfruit, from farms across Maui in a single, convenient location on the island.

Working in partnership with John Cadman of Maui Breadfruit Company, Hawai‘i ‘Ulu Cooperative will begin receiving ‘ulu from its farmer-members across Maui at Hawai‘i Farm Project’s newly renovated cutting and processing facility in Hāli‘imaile, beginning this month.

After receiving the ‘ulu, workers at the facility will then clean, cut, steam, freeze and package it for distribution to local restaurants, schools and hospitals on Maui. The collaborative effort will make it much easier and quicker for farmers to transport and process their ‘ulu with far less challenges in preserving quality and freshness.

“‘Ulu has a very limited shelf life so being able to quickly receive and process the fruit on-island—allowing what is grown on Maui to stay on Maui—and distribute it  for residents, chefs, schools and keiki to enjoy at peak flavor and freshness is critical to us. Prior to this partnership, that was difficult,” said Hawai‘i ‘Ulu Cooperative CEO Dana Shapiro. “We’re looking forward to our collaboration with Hawai‘i Farm Project being long term, eventually allowing us to grow and scale our processing at their facility to include other crops from our farmer-members. There is a true need for this service on Maui.”

Added Hawai‘i Farm Project Chief Executive Officer John White, “Being pineapple farmers ourselves and understanding the importance of harvesting, processing and getting the freshest fruits to consumers, retailers and restaurants, we are thrilled to work with Hawai‘i ‘Ulu Cooperative to help provide the same level of aggregating and processing for Maui farmers and their crops. Our newly upgraded processing facility is unique and can easily accommodate our own Maui Gold Pineapple as well as other crops. This partnership is a win-win for sustainable agriculture on Maui.”

The partnership with Hawai‘i Farm Project marks Hawai‘i ‘Ulu Cooperative’s return to ‘ulu receiving and processing on the island for the Maui farms it works with, including Hāna Ranch, which last year produced more than 30,000 lbs. of ‘ulu. 

Prior to the 2023 Maui wildfires, Hawai‘i ‘Ulu Cooperative processed ‘ulu from its farmers at the University of Hawai‘i Maui College’s Pā‘ina Culinary Arts Building. Post wildfires, Hawai‘i ‘Ulu Cooperative transitioned from processing ‘ulu at UH Maui College to donating it to the college for use in meals for residents affected by the wildfires. With no processing facility on Maui, Hāna Ranch began sending its ‘ulu to Kona for processing then shipping it back, which was not feasible.

Utilization of Hawai‘i Farm Project’s facility will allow Hawai‘i Ulu Cooperative to collect and process more than 3,000 lbs. of ‘ulu weekly to start, with an aim of totaling up to 30,000 lbs. within 10 weeks of operation.

Though designed for pineapple, the capabilities of Hawai‘i Farm Project’s newly upgraded processing facility are complementary to handling ‘ulu and other crops. Its equipment includes washing machines, conveyors, a steamer and a cascading freezing tunnel capable of freezing produce in about 45 minutes, critical for preserving ‘ulu for transport.

A seasonal crop, ‘ulu’s growing season in Hawai‘i typically runs from July through December. ‘Ulu season’s peak harvest months of October and November produce about 65% of the state’s annual supply.

The plant’s agricultural history in Hawai‘i dates back more than a thousand years ago to the arrival of the Islands’ first Polynesian voyager settlers who brought ‘ulu and more than two dozen other canoe plants with them as critical crops. A versatile starch, ‘ulu can be utilized in a variety of dishes and may be boiled, steamed, roasted, grilled, fried, baked, mashed or turned into a gluten-free flour. A single ‘ulu tree can produce hundreds of pounds of food each year.