What We Offer
We hold the State master leases for approximately 1,000 acres of land that are located between Paauilo and Honokaa, which is a few miles towards Waipio Valley from Honokaa town. All of our lands sit at a low-elevation and have irrigation water available from the Hamakua Ditch. These lands have been divided into 100 farms that range in size from 5 to 20 acres.
Residents that can meet the qualification requirements of the DOA are offered a sub-lease with the following terms:
- Lease expires June 2033
- Lease rent is approx. $150 per acre, per year
- There is no residential use allowed on the land
- The land must be in full production within 3 to 5 years of signing your sub-lease.
- Conservation plans from Hamakua Soil and Water Conservation Service or The Natural Resource Conservation Services are required. This service is free.
- You must maintain a Liability Insurance Policy in an amount of at least $1,000,000 insuring the farmer, Coop and DOA against all claims. Cost for this is approx $500 per year.
- You must pay your lease payment of approx $150/acre, property taxes and administrative costs as billed on a semi-annual basis.
- Members are required to apply for irrigation service through the Honokaa-Paauilo Irrigation District.
The Hawaii Department of Ag requires an application package that addresses the following. If you can answer “Yes” to the following questions, you will most likely qualify. The Board of Directors has final approval of all requests for membership:
- Have you been a resident of the Island of Hawaii for more than 3 years?
- Do you have at least two years’ experience as a full-time farmer or four years’ experience as a part time farmer?
- Do you have experience or training that would make you likely to successfully operate a farm?
- Are you willing to complete and submit an Application to the Department of Agriculture and wait 2-4 weeks for approval? (Assistance in preparation is available to those that need it.)
- Are you willing to submit a Farm Business Plan complete with Cash Flow Projections, Maps and a realistic time line towards full production? (Assistance in preparation is available to those that need it.)
- Are you willing to prove your financial capability by providing the following: Current Financial statement, 3-years state tax returns, Credit Report, Tax Clearances, Grant/Loan commitments if any? (Assistance in preparation is available to those that need it.)
- Are you willing and able to pay a $100 membership fee, 12-month lease payments in advance and an additional amount to the bond fund upon signing a sub-lease?
- Are you willing to cooperate with others working cooperatively towards a prosperous and sustainable farming community?
If you answered yes to these questions and provide the necessary documentation then you will most likely be approved for a sublease.
Click here to apply for a sublease.
Our Mission Statement
The Hamakua North Hilo Agricultural Cooperative is a community of farmers working together to support each other and the Island community by successfully producing fine quality, sustainably produced Hamakua agricultural products.