MAKAWELI, KAUAʻI — Six organizations across Kauaʻi have been awarded a combined $450,000 in agricultural grants, including funding to continue restoring a traditional irrigation system serving kalo farmers in Makaweli.
The County of Kauaʻi Office of Economic Development (OED) announced the recipients Monday, Nov. 9, as part of its Fiscal Year 2026–2027 Agriculture Farm Expansion Grant Program.
Among the recipients is Mālama Kauaʻi, which will continue restoration of the Puʻulima ʻAuwai in Makaweli. The project aims to improve irrigation access for six multigenerational kalo-farming families while supporting the long-term sustainability of traditional Hawaiian agriculture.
The Makaweli irrigation system also received support through the county’s previous agricultural grant cycle, making the latest award part of an ongoing restoration effort.
The program supports projects designed to expand local food production, improve agricultural infrastructure and strengthen Kauaʻi’s food security.
Other grant recipients include:
- Waioli Valley Taro Hui: Restoration of approximately two acres of overgrown loʻi and ʻauwai to improve irrigation and agricultural productivity.
- Lydgate Farms LLC: Expansion of cacao processing and chocolate manufacturing through a commercial processing facility.
- Hoʻomalu Ke Kai: Expansion of renewable energy infrastructure at Kauaʻi Sea Farm to support aquaculture production.
- Nourish Kauaʻi ʻOhana: Agricultural equipment purchases for Lin’s Farm, a 21-acre farming operation.
- ʻĀina Hoʻokupu o Kīlauea: Purchase of a tractor to support the Kīlauea Community Agricultural Center and independent farmers.
According to OED, recipients were selected through a competitive application process evaluating agricultural production capacity, operational efficiency and long-term sustainability.
“Supporting our farmers means investing in Kaua‘i’s future,” said OED Director Nalani Kaʻauwai Brun.
The county did not specify individual award amounts in its announcement.
For more information about the Agriculture Farm Expansion Grant Program, contact OED at 808-241-4946 or oed@kauai.gov.
Source: County of Kauaʻi Office of Economic Development, Nov. 9, 2026; county Agriculture Farm Expansion Grant announcements for fiscal years 2024–2025 and 2026–2027.