Mentorship program opens applications for new farmers

The Hawaiʻi Farmers Union is accepting applications through Oct. 15 for a free mentorship program that teaches aspiring farmers on Maui, Molokaʻi, and Lānaʻi how to build agricultural businesses.

The Farm Apprentice Mentorship Program will select 30 students for its upcoming class starting in December. Participants receive free books, tools and course materials, along with a graduation stipend to fund their own operations.

The program has trained 252 farmers across 11 cohorts since it began over a decade ago, and is supported by the County of Maui, the University of Hawaiʻi Maui College, the Sustainable Living Institute of Maui and other Hawaiʻi Farmers Union partners.

“Our vision for our farm felt like a pipe dream up until we began the FAM Program,” said Christina Kaea-Medley of Pueo Crown Farms in Kēōkea-Waiohuli Homestead. “Through attending the classes, farm tours, mentorship and encouragement, we gained the knowledge to see that our goals were within reach.”

Real-World Farm Experience

Instructors teach classes on Thursday evenings at the University of Hawaiʻi Maui College and hold Saturday morning sessions directly on local farms. Molokaʻi and Lānaʻi cohorts conduct their own on-farm classes for active union members.

More than 40 instructors, mostly working farmers, taught the most recent cohort. Students learn Korean Natural Farming, graft fruit trees, cultivate mushrooms, and build soil compost from food waste.

Students also toured the Kauluwehi Garden on the University of Hawaiʻi Maui College campus, a former parking lot now growing native trees and plants for families who lost their own in the wildfires.

In June, 29 people graduated from the training, including 17 on Maui, eight on Molokaʻi, and four on Lānaʻi. Graduates earn a Certificate of Professional Development and join an alumni network that provides access to grants and employment.

“It’s made me more realistic as well,” said Tonia Ciancanelli of Kīhei. “I can do everything, I just can’t do it all at once and I can’t do it alone.”

“The FAM Program is a really unique way to learn about farming because every one of our instructors is either a farmer or an ag professional working right here,” said Sara Gilligan, HFU FAM Program Director. “Students become part of a community of farmers who are constantly learning from each other and lifting each other up. It’s not just a training program focused on how to build a profitable farm business. It’s a collaborative learning experience, and those relationships don’t end when you graduate.”

Applicants must demonstrate a commitment to regenerative agriculture in Maui County. Interested individuals can apply online at hawaiifarmers.org or email fam@hfuu.org before the Oct. 15, 2026, deadline.