The state of Hawaii and the Trust for Public Land, a non profit organization, have just announced that they have purchased more then 1,700 acres of undeveloped land on the island of Oahu for $25 million from the George Galbraith Estate. Out of this, 500 acres will be be set aside as preservation, while the remaining 1,200 acres will be made available to farmers by the middle of 2013. While the exact produce grown has yet to be determined, it is expected that it would include vegetable crops like cabbage, lettuce, basil and tomatoes. Executive Director of the state Agribusiness Development Corp, James Nakatani, stated, “Within about six months the land should be ready to go, ready to plant. Our plan is to provide both large and small farming operations with long-term leases. There will also be an opportunity for farmers on neighbor islands to expand their operations on Oahu.
According to the Trust for Public Land, Hawaii imports between 85 percent and 90 percent of its foods. The trust hopes that by expanding food production, Hawaii can become more self-sufficient. Hawaii Governor Neil Abercrombie commented, “I think the interest is going to be enormous. I think we’re going to take major strides towards agricultural sustainability that simply hasn’t been possible.”
Source: Honolulu Star Advertiser, 12-12-2012, www.staradvertiser.com
Posted by Jeff Uyemura-Reyes, Broker-in-Charge, Realtor®
Global Executive Realty, LLC
www.myhawaiihomesearch.com
www.myhawaiicondo.com
www.myhawaiidreamhome.com
Posted by Jeff Uyemura-Reyes, Broker-in-Charge, Realtor®
Global Executive Realty, LLC
www.myhawaiihomesearch.com
www.myhawaiicondo.com
www.myhawaiidreamhome.com
