#ACT 175

Gov. Josh Green today signed HB 1800, Act 175, Session Laws of Hawaiʻi 2026, the state’s supplemental budget bill, which amends Act 250, SLH 2025 and appropriates funds for Executive Branch operations and capital improvement projects.

The cook-off celebrates the creativity, skill, and dedication of Hawaiʻi’s school food service professionals while encouraging the use of locally grown, raised, and caught ingredients in public school meals.

Tofu poke, prepared fresh in school cafeterias, featured tofu mixed with green onions and onions, tossed in a Hawaiian-style sauce of shoyu, sesame oil, garlic and ginger. Although the recent severe weather impacted the availability of local produce across the state, schools were encouraged to incorporate locally grown vegetables, if available, as part of the Department’s broader farm-to-school initiative.

Hawaiʻi public school cafeterias statewide offered students a fresh, locally grown rainbow salad with lunch this January, highlighting the Department’s continued commitment to farm-to-school efforts and student wellness. The colorful salad featured locally sourced lettuce, cucumbers, watercress and tomatoes, as available, along with carrots and purple cabbage.

This October, Hawaiʻi public school cafeterias statewide were invited to serve “bussin’ volcano bowls” — a playful take on a taco salad — for lunch, featuring locally sourced beef, lettuce and tomatoes where available. More than 4,300 pounds of local ground beef, 6,300 pounds of local green lettuce and 4,400 pounds of local tomatoes were distributed to 95 participating schools.

This September, public school cafeterias on Oʻahu, Kauaʻi and Hawaiʻi Island were offered the opportunity to serve chicken papaya soup — a classic Filipino dish also known as Tinola — for lunch using locally sourced bok choy and green papaya, as available.

The effort is part of the Department’s farm-to-school initiative, which aims to enhance food sustainability in Hawaiʻi and aligns with the goals of Act 175 to improve student health while supporting local farmers.

Participating Hawaiʻi public schools served ʻulu (breadfruit) banana bread for breakfast this month using local ʻulu flour, supplied by the Hawaiʻi ʻUlu Cooperative.

Participating Hawaiʻi public schools served banana sheet pancakes for breakfast this month, featuring local apple bananas. The effort is part of the Department’s farm-to-school initiative which aims to enhance food sustainability in Hawai‘i and aligns with Act 175, which focuses on improving the health of students while supporting local farmers.

The Hawai‘i State Department of Education is reaching out to potential vendors, including farmers and distributors, to gather product information and feedback as part of an effort to increase locally sourced food in public schools.