According to the 2010 County of Hawaii Agriculture Development Plan, our variable climates and varying elevations create unlimited potential for crops or livestock. This island is roughly the size of Connecticut in land area. Its daytime temperatures seldom reach 90ºF and low night temperatures rarely fall below 60º F, with extreme upper elevations excepted. Rainfall, the principal water source, varies from annual averages exceeding 200 inches on mid-elevations of the windward side to less than 4 inches on the leeward coastal plain.
The Hawaii County Food Self Sufficiency Baseline Study 2012 maps (GIS) agricultural activity islandwide and reveals the location and type of farming occurring within each region of the island. Hawaii’s agricultural products, both edible and non-edible, are grown for local consumption and for export. Vegetable crops, taro, tropical fruits, banana, papaya, aquaculture and specialty food crops account for 10,400 acres of active agricultural land use.
The island is home to several existing and several more planned commercial kitchens to support value-added food products.
