by David Corrigan & Stephanie Salazar

HAWI, Hawaii: The State Office of Planning has released a Master Plan for land acquisition, design, and construction of an agricultural resource center and processing facility in Ho`ea, North Kohala, Hawaii.

The proposed site is a 5 acre parcel located in the Hualua ahupuaa on the east side of Upolu Road.The site is located next to the 500 acre Ho’ea Agricultural Park.

Irrigation water will be available from the Kohala ditch and potable water will be available from the Department of Water Supply.

Since the departure of the sugar plantations in the mid-1970s, the North Kohala area has been seeking new economic development alternatives for local residents. State officials say the primary goal of the Master Plan is to meet North Kohala’s Community Development Plan goal of producing 50% of the food it consumes.

The Master Plan was prepared for the Office of Planning and County of Hawaii by Kahua Pa`a Mua, Inc. and the Hawaii Future Farmers of America Foundation. The work was made possible by a grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration.