The Kohala Center/Employment/Events/Opportunities

Employment

Kohala Food Hub is hiring two positions
Kohala Food Hub is currently hiring one full-time associate and one part-time driver/packer in Hāwī. View the job descriptions here.

The Kohala Center (TKC) is hiring two positions
TKC is hiring a grants accountant and a financial controller. Visit TKC’s Career Center for more information and to apply.

Opportunities

Scholarships for students studying organic agriculture
The California Certified Organic Farmers Foundation is offering $5,000 scholarships to college and vocational students training for a career in organic agriculture. Applications are due April 18. Apply here.

Grant opportunity for farmers impacted by funding freezes
The American Farmland Trust is offering grants up to $10,000 to for-profit farmers and ranchers who have experienced financial hardship due to government funding freezes. An additional $250 is available to applicants interested in funds to support self-care opportunities. Applications are due April 26. Apply here.

Events

Webinar series: Tools to enhance your business management
Join experts online from the Center for Farm Financial Management at the University of Minnesota for a free weekly webinar series designed to enhance business management skills. The series will run every Thursday at 10 a.m. HST through May 1st with a different topic each week:

• April 17: How much did that market make?
• April 24: FSA Programs, Farm Answers, and USDA Beginning Farmer Programs
• May 1: Putting it all together

» Register online

Native planting classes
Join the Big Island Invasive Species Committee for free native planting classes to learn the basics of soil preparation, seed selection, planting techniques, and proper watering and fertilization of native plants. Click the links below to register.

• Saturday, April 19 • 9–10:30 a.m. Hawaiian Paradise Park Community Center
• Saturday, April 26 • 11 a.m.–12 p.m. Paws University in Kona
• Saturday, April 26 • 12:30–1:30 p.m. Paws University in Kona

Lā Honua 2025
Saturday, April 19 • 9 a.m.–6 p.m.
Pepeʻekeo Park, 28-1084 Mamalahoa Hwy, Pepeʻekeo, HI 96783 (map)
The Lā Honua Earth Day Festival is an annual celebration hosted by Project Kanu, dedicated to uplifting regenerative agriculture, sustainability, and Hawaiian cultural values. This year’s theme is “Niu, The Tree of Life.” Events include a 5K Run & Walk, festival and market, plant giveaway, and pau hana at Onomea Hub.
»More information

Niu (coconut) production workshop
Sunday, April 27 • 9 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Onomea Farm Hub Farm, Pāpaʻikou, Hawaiʻi Island (register for location details)
Join Project Kanu, the Hawaiʻi ʻUlu Cooperative, and Onomea Farm Hub for a hands-on workshop sharing stories, science, and sustainable practices centered around niu. Participants are encouraged to bring a potluck dish to share.
»Register online

Variety Showcase
Wednesday, May 21 • 4–7 p.m.
Outrigger Kona Resort & Spa, 78-128 Ehukai St, Kailua-Kona, Hawaiʻi Island (map)
The Culinary Breeding Network and GoFarm invite food enthusiasts, farmers, chefs, and plant breeders to the Variety Showcase, a public event celebrating the vibrant world of tropical plant breeding. Attendees will have the opportunity to taste new and in-development vegetable, fruit, and grain varieties, including those with deep cultural and agricultural roots in Hawaiʻi, and to learn about the important work that breeders and seed growers are doing to shape the future of food.
»Buy tickets with farmer discount