Over the weekend, the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) ceremoniously recognized a major milestone for the indigenous community of Hawaii by awarding 68 agricultural lots on Hawai‘i Island, its largest agricultural offering since the 1980s. These property parcels, which are located in the suburbs of Honom and Maku u in Hilo, offer the DHHL beneficiaries emerging chances to engage in both homesteading and farming. They varied in size, with Maku U providing both 5-acre and 2-acre lots for a variety of agricultural approaches, and Honom designating 1-acre lots for subsistence farming.
As stated on the Office of the Governor website, “Ohana are built on the ina and it is the department’s commitment to keeping our families in Hawai i and on the land,” stated Kali Watson, DHHL Director, reaffirming the department’s commitment to preserving family ties through land stewardship. The long-standing waitlist and the beneficiaries’ aspirations to firmly establish roots on their ancestral soil are to be addressed by a variety of homesteading options that appear to be sustainable.
To commemorate the distribution of these lots, about 200 recipients and their families met at Keaukaha Elementary School. Many saw the event as a positive start toward building a sustainable and prosperous future. These agricultural lots, especially those intended for subsistence farming, are well situated close to already-existing infrastructure, creating an atmosphere that supports both residential living and small agricultural economic growth.
Those who want to engage in more commercial farming are given significant requirements; according to the DHHL, they must “create a farm plan, like a business plan” and commit at least two-thirds of their property to cultivation. Beneficiaries have the option to construct a single-family home or additional housing unit in addition to agricultural development, which might turn these parcels into centers of comprehensive community development. According to the Office of the Governor website, Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke hailed this as “an exciting milestone for DHHL beneficiaries,” praising their journey toward food sovereignty and self-sufficiency.
With the news of an additional 40 subsistence agricultural lots designated for Honom and more than 1,600 lots around Hawai i Island in areas like La i pua, Kaumana, Honoka a, P lamanui, and Pana ewa slated for the near future, the development momentum is certain to continue.
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