#Wahiawā Value-Added Product Development Center

A dozen Hawaiʻi-based food makers are getting a boost as they look to expand their locally sourced products to shelves in major retailers. A $25,000 grant from the Ulupono Fund at the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation is lowering barriers for these entrepreneurs to use the state’s first high pressure processing system.

The program is a partnership between the alliance in partnership with the state, Leeward Community College in Honolulu and Wahiawā Value-Added Product Development Center in Wahiawā; it is aimed at taking value-added products from concept to business plan and pitch in just 12 weeks.

More than 180 leaders from government, private sectors, public health, education and community organizations gathered for the Hawai‘i Food System Summit on Dec. 8 and 9 to explore actionable strategies for building a stronger, more accessible and disaster-resilient food system.

Applications are now open for Cohort 6 of Hawai’i Ag & Culinary Alliance’s Cottage Industry to Commercial Enterprise Scholarship—an initiative designed to help local value-added food entrepreneurs using Hawai‘i-sourced ingredients scale their businesses. 

Earlier this week, members of the Hawaiʻi State government attended the National Forum on Education Policy in Washington D.C.

The facility will house training programs that will provide participants an opportunity to create new and unique food-related products while learning critical entrepreneurship skills such as marketing, branding, product development and business management.