2023

2022

HIDOE School Garden Coordinator

Act 258 (2022), signed into law by Governor David Ige on July 7, 2022 provides one year of funding for a School Garden Coordinator to serve in the Hawai‘i Department of Education (HIDOE) Office of Curriculum and Instructional Design (OCID) to "provide technical support and startup resources for schools interested in developing a school garden program," as part of HIDOE's Hawai‘i Farm to School Program (see Act 175, 2021, below). 

Hawai‘i Farm to State Goals, Amended

Act 144 (2022), signed into law by Governor David Ige on June 27, 2022 amends Act 175 (2021) (farm to state goals, see below) so that the statute only applies to certain governmental entities, including the Departments of Education, Health, Public Safety, Defense, and the University of Hawai‘i (HIDOE, HDOH, DPS, DOD, UH).

2021

HIDOE Hawai‘i Farm to School Program

Act 175 (2021), signed into law by Governor David Ige on July 2, 2021: Transitions the Hawai‘i Farm to School Program and coordinator position from the Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture (HDOA) to the Hawai‘i Department of Education (HIDOE), and sets the goal of 30% locally-grown school food by 2030. The purposes of the Hawai‘i Farm to School Program within HIDOE are to:

1. Improve student health;

2. Develop an educated agricultural workforce;

3. Enrich the local food system through the support and increase of local food procurement for the State's public schools;

4. Accelerate garden and farm-based education for the State's public school students; and

5. Expand the relationships between public schools and agricultural communities. 

Codified in law as HRS 302A-405.5 & 302A-405.6.

Hawai‘i Farm to State Goals

Act 176 (2021): Sets incremental local food procurement goals for all state departments in Hawai‘i, reaching 50% locally-grown by 2050.

Codified in law as HRS 27-8.

Sourcing from Food Hubs for Farm to School

Senate Concurrent Resolution 38 (2021): Urges HIDOE to procure goods and/or services from food hubs for its farm to school program.

Expanding ‘Āina-Based Values

Senate Resolution 219 (2021): Sets forth the Hawai‘i State Senate’s support for the efforts of community organizations working together to expand ‘āina-based values across all sectors of society, and urges the Governor and county mayors to proactively support development of new initiatives that strengthen ‘āina-based assets toward a more thriving Hawai‘i.

2017

Farm to School Month in Hawai‘i

Act 10 (2017): Establishes October as Farm to School Month in Hawai‘i in perpetuity.

Codified in law as HRS 8-29.

2015

HDOA Hawai‘i Farm to School Program

Act 218 (2015): Establishes the Hawai‘i Farm to School Program and coordinator position in the Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture (HDOA). Passage of this act led to involvement by the Lieutenant Governor and a commitment by the Hawai‘i Department of Education (HIDOE) to transition school food from imported and processed to scratch-cooked and locally-sourced via the ʻAina Pono initiative. [Note: See Act 175 (2021), which transferred the Hawai‘i Farm to School Program and coordinator position from HDOA to HIDOE.]

P-20 Agriculture Education

Senate Resolution 80 (2015): Urges the University of Hawai‘i College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (UH CTAHR) to develop a coordinated framework of support for preschool through post-secondary (P-20) agriculture education in Hawai‘i. The Hawai‘i Farm to School Hui partnered closely with UH CTAHR over three years to convene stakeholders, gather data, and develop recommendations via the Report to the 2019 Legislature.

BOE Policy E-3: Nā Hopena A‘o (HĀ)

Strengthen HĀ within all HIDOE employees and students

BOE Policy 103-1: Health and Wellness

Support implementation of the HIDOE Wellness Guidelines

BOE Policy 103-6: School Food Services

Increase locally-grown foods within HIDOE school food programs