Maui Breadfruit dba Pono Pies - John Cadman
Pono Pies has developed deserts and hummus made from natively sourced and abundant breadfruit. John incorporates this amazing fruit with a passion for healthy desserts. They use Maui Grown Breadfruit, Macadamia nuts from Waiehu, Haiku honey, and almond milk as a base. The crust is made from Macadamia nuts, dried coconut and honey for a little sweetness. They contain no sugar, flour or gluten, eggs, butter or dairy of any kind, and no GMO. The pies are now available on all the major Hawaiian islands. He benefited from a $10,000 loan from five lenders. The loan was used to get product labels bulk printed. It’s been fully paid back.
His business grossed $250K last year and employs four people, including his son who will eventually take over. He not only started Pono Pies, but shares his kitchen space with other small community food businesses, and hopes to grow that in the near future as well. He is all about building up Hawaii’s small food chain. The Slow Money Institute in Colorado featured John and his food business in a write-up in their annual publication. ponopies.com/ |
Ha Farms (Living Aquaponics) - Zac Hosler
Zac Hosler is a go-getter of a farmer. Very committed, very energetic and motivated, and a smart businessman. He received a Slow Money loan of $20,000 from a hui (group) of six participating lenders. The loan paid for a second-hand air conditioned van for produce deliveries, materials to build a walk-in refrigerator, and improvements to farm infrastructure. Ha Farm continues to increase production capacity with the addition of new grow beds, grow tunnels and a new wash station.
Seeing his mother and his young son go through cancer treatments had a lot to do with Zac's inspiration to farm. He believes we are what we eat and that farming would enable his family and his community to eat safe, healthy food while also teaching others how to farm efficiently without pesticides or other toxins. Zac has triumphed over his son's cancer and created a very successful farm. Today, he is again expanding the farm in response to the Covid pandemic, aggregating more Big Island products and providing a delivery service to customers. www.livingaquaponics.com/ There is a link to a great documentary about Zac's farm and the promise of small scale aquaponics that you may view here. |
J. Ludovico Farm - Julius Ludovico Julius Ludavico started out raising pigs using Korean Natural Farming methods, before realizing that pasture-raised chickens were his calling as a farmer. Prior to the closure of restaurants during the Covid pandemic, Ludavico was the premiere provider for locally grown chickens for many well-known O'ahu restaurants. Today, his chickens are being sold in some Oahu grocery stores (Kokua Market, Nijiya Market and Foodland Farms Kapolei) where they are easily accessible to local families.
Slow Money Hawaii loans helped Ludavico to lease and equip a USDA approved slaughterhouse after his business outgrew its status as a backyard operation. One of his lenders was Milton Agader of Twin Bridge Farm in Haleiwa, an old-timer North Shore O'ahu farmer who was an able mentor too. Julius is now the only commercial supplier of locally raised poultry on Oahu and is in demand by restaurants and home cooks alike. jludovicofarm.com/ Molokai Livestock Co-op - Jack Spruance
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Molokai Livestock Co-operative is a slaughterhouse that processes only locally raised, grass-fed cows while promoting environmentally sound land management practices and the humane treatment of animals. Their efforts help to combat soil erosion and increase the sequestration of carbon from the atmosphere. The grass diet and humane handling of the animals gives them a bucolic life, eating as nature intended, and produces a quality meat that is aged to perfection.
The Livestock Co-op is a valued member of Moloka'i's small rural population where the availability of locally produced, fresh food is extremely important and businesses that support the island's economy are vital. A Slow Money Hawaii endorsed KIVA loan of $8,500 helped the Co-op to pay for some basic marketing tasks that have given them an online presence and made it possible for them to sell and ship directly to consumers on all islands. molokai.localfoodmarketplace.com/ |
Hawai'i Ulu Co-op - Dana Shapiro
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Slow Money Hawaii lenders are proud to have been a help to Ulu Co-op in its early stages 3 years ago. At that time, 10 lenders collectively made a $30K loan to enable the Hawaii Ulu Producers Co-op to purchase two freezers saving the business $2,500 per months for rented freezer space.
Impressed with the speed with which the Co-op was growing and with its management, some of the lenders later made a second loan of $25K to help the Co-op ramp-up operations to win a Department of Education school lunch program contract. In summary, these helped this dynamic and deserving new business rise to the next level by providing capital for essential infrastructure needed to grow and fulfill their mission of revitalizing Hawai‘i's food security. Check them out! eatbreadfruit.com/ |
Thrive Family Farm - Jason and Jennifer Witte Jason and Jennifer Witte decided to start Thrive Hawaii Family Farm while Jennifer was pregnant with their first child and struggling to find vegetables that were local, fresh, sustainable, and organic. This led Jason to discover his calling in farming, and he's been growing the business every year since. They received a Slow Money endorsed Kiva loan of $10,000 to set up irrigation systems and put toward a tractor. In 2021 Slow Money Hawaii helped them raise over $10,000 to purchase more equipment to expand their growing capacity even more. They continue to supply the island with fresh, organic greens even during these challenging times.
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