Media release courtesy the Kohala Center

KAMUELA, Hawai‘i – Hawai‘i Island farmers and distributors can find out how to sell farm-fresh fruits and vegetables to local schools during upcoming free informational meetings with Glenna Owens, director of the School Food Services Branch of the Hawai‘i Department of Education.

The USDA Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) provides funding that enables eligible schools to purchase locally grown produce for morning and afternoon snacks. This is a unique opportunity for Hawai‘i Island farmers and distributors to introduce local fresh fruits and vegetables to public schools and provide island keiki with healthy, nutritious food grown on the island.

Farmers will learn how to participate in the FFVP and which fruits and vegetables are in highest demand, and Owens will explain to distributors the process of purchasing for and selling to Hawai‘i’s FFVP.

The meetings will be held:

• Tuesday, May 13, 4–5 p.m. at the CTAHR Komohana Station, 875 Komohana St., Hilo. Limit 20 people.
• Wednesday, May 14, 12:30–1:30 p.m. at Mealani Experiment Station, 64-289 Mamalahoa Hwy, Waimea (Kamuela).
• Wednesday, May 14, 4–5 p.m. at the CTAHR Kainaliu Station, 79-7381 Mamalahoa Hwy., Kainaliu (across from the Aloha Theater). Not handicap accessible.

Registration is free but space is limited. RSVP by May 12 online at http://ffvp.eventbrite.com or call The Kohala Center at 808-887-6411.

The meetings are sponsored by the Hawai‘i Island School Garden Network and the Laulima Center for Rural and Cooperative Business Development, both of which are programs of The Kohala Center.

About The Kohala Center
The Kohala Center is an independent, community-based center for research, conservation, and education. The Center turns knowledge into action so that communities in Hawai‘i and around the world can thrive—ecologically, economically, culturally, and socially. The Center’s main areas of interest are energy self-reliance, food self-reliance, and ecosystem health.