This Program Helped Big Island Farmers And Families. Now It’s Out Of Cash…Federal funding and private donations helped support local food producers and feed thousands of local families during the pandemic.
Before the pandemic, Patrick Maier, owner of a 6-acre permaculture farm on Hawaii island, made an estimated $240 to $450 a week selling produce at local farmers markets and cafes. Then came the pandemic, the cafes closed, and people stopped buying as much food.
“There was a relatively bleak period for three to six months where it seemed nobody needed anything,” Maier said.
