Resources

1. Observe your site across different weather conditions.
2. Start with a small mulched area and mixed planting (see Start Here).
3. Visit local farms, gardens, and food forests when possible.
4. Connect with other growers for plant material and experience.
5. Track what succeeds and expand from proven patterns.

Local exchange of plants and practical notes multiplies impact. The organizations below are strong starting points for food-forest and regenerative work on Kauaʻi. Contacts and program details were checked in October 2026, with additions in November 2026; confirm schedules and deadlines before visiting or applying.

1. UH CTAHR Cooperative Extension – Kauaʻi County Office — Free, research-based advice on soils, crops, and pests. State Office Building, 3060 Eiwa St, Room 210, Līhuʻe · (808) 274-3471.
2. USDA NRCS – Līhuʻe Service Center + Kauaʻi SWCDs — Free technical help and conservation planning, plus EQIP cost-share for practices such as windbreaks, irrigation, and soil health.
3. DLNR DOFAW – Hawaiʻi Forest Stewardship Program — For owners managing at least 5 acres of forested or previously forested land (neighbors can combine parcels). Reimburses up to 50% of plan and project costs; plans run at least 10 years. Ask DOFAW whether your agroforestry plan qualifies.
4. Regenerations Botanical Garden — Nonprofit running the Kauaʻi Community Seed Bank in Kapaʻa and a seed garden and permaculture food forest in Kalihiwai. Locally adapted seeds, plants, and cuttings; classes; island seed & plant exchanges. (808) 652-4118.
5. Mālama Kauaʻi — Local-food nonprofit: farmer support (including a startup program for egg producers), grants and grant-writing help, internships, food access programs, and the KauaiLocalFood.com online food hub.
6. Hawaiʻi Farmers Union United – Kauaʻi Chapter — Grower network with regular meetings and educational panels. Check the statewide HFUU site for current chapter contacts.
7. Plant Pono–endorsed nurseries — Nurseries that follow practices to keep little fire ants and invasive plants out of their stock. See KISC’s current list. Kauaʻi examples include Kauai Seascapes Nursery (Kīlauea) and Permaculture Kauai (Moloaʻa, (808) 634-5412).
8. County of Kauaʻi Office of Economic Development – Agriculture — County ag specialists and the Agricultural Farm Expansion Grant ($15,000–$100,000). Applicants must be a nonprofit that runs or partners with a farm of 100 acres or less that has held a GE tax license for at least a year. The FY2027 round closed August 13, 2026; watch for the next one.

• ʻĀina Hoʻokupu o Kīlauea — Runs the Kīlauea Community Agricultural Center, focused on island food security.
• Common Ground Kauaʻi — Agroforestry farm and food-forest tours and farm dinners on a 62-acre former sugar and guava plantation in Kīlauea.
• Kauaʻi Food Forest — A community-based, multilayered agroforestry project in Kalihiwai on Kauaʻi's North Shore, led by Regenerations Botanical Garden in collaboration with Mālama Kauaʻi and the Sanctuary of LUBOF. An educational demonstration site for subtropical agroforestry, with Saturday volunteer work days. (808) 652-9860.
• Kumano I Ke Ala — A 501(c)(3) nonprofit in West Kauaʻi doing culturally grounded Native Hawaiian education, land rehabilitation, and food-system revitalization, including youth programs, workforce training, and volunteer days for loʻi kalo restoration and native land work.
• Waipā Foundation — A 501(c)(3) nonprofit, established in 1994, that stewards the 1,600-acre Waipā ahupuaʻa along Hanalei Bay on Kauaʻi's North Shore as a living learning center. Offers educational programs and hands-on experiences for schools, families, and community members, and monthly volunteer workdays on the fourth Saturday. (808) 826-9969.
• Kauai Nursery & Landscaping — Līhuʻe. Fruit trees, palms, and flowers; design services; compost from its green-waste facility; weekend workshops.
• Kauai Seascapes Nursery — Family-owned nursery and full-service landscaping contractor on Kauaʻi's North Shore in Kīlauea. Carries tropical plants, palms, fruit trees, and edibles, and offers landscape design and installation, including sustainable and agroforestry techniques. (808) 828-0444.
• Vetiver Kauaʻi — Kalāheo business specializing in eco-friendly erosion control with vetiver grass. Assesses land, designs systems, and installs vetiver plantings suited to Kauaʻi's rain, wind, and steep terrain; also sells vetiver slips. (808) 647-3117.
• Lydgate Farms — Cacao and diversified agroforestry with chocolate farm tours in Kapaʻa.
• Kauaʻi Community College Apiary Project — Beekeeping classes and a beekeeping certificate; the island’s HDOA-certified queen breeder. [email protected].
• Kauaʻi Grown — Directory and label promoting locally grown products, farms, and restaurants.
• Kauaʻi County Farm Bureau — Farmer network; co-hosts a garden fair with UH CTAHR.
• Kauaʻi Invasive Species Committee (KISC) — 7370 Kuamoʻo Rd, Wailua · (808) 821-1490 · [email protected]. Pest identification, reporting, and free little fire ant test kits.