Megan Fox, executive director of the nonprofit Malama Kauai, is working to increase local food production and access in Hawaii.
“There’s so much hope and beauty in seeing people believe that they can change things and then doing it,” Fox said. “The small and big wins that end up making a difference — whether it’s for one family, or one farmer, or thousands – it truly speaks to me of our island and its determination.”
The nonprofit, which was founded in 2006, has various programs that connect people with food from local farmers, but one of its offerings allows customers to make purchases online and delivers those products directly to homes across Kauai. In 2022, the program’s efforts brought locally grown food to more than 700 customers, as well as thousands of beneficiaries of emergency food distribution, she said. The program’s annual sales were just over $450,000, Fox said.
Of its recent accomplishments, the nonprofit partnered with Moloaa Irrigation Cooperative to build the $3 million Moloaa Aina Center, which opens this summer. The center will be the island’s first food hub where farmers’ products can be washed, processed and stored, or turned into value-added products, such as juices, jellies, jams, hot foods, or dried items, which have longer shelf lives. The 3,490-square-foot, two-story center will be built by Ladd Construction, Inc. and includes a technical assistance office, commercial kitchen, processing equipment and cold storage, Fox said.
Malama Kauai also runs Village Harvest, a program where volunteers help harvest fruit from private residences, which is donated to pantries and youth programs or delivered to homebound or homeless residents of the island. In 2010, Malama Kauai, in partnership with Hawaii Farm to School Hui set up the Kauai School Garden Network, which helps establish gardens at schools. The nonprofit also supports local farmers with events, workshops and grant programs.
Malama Kauai’s annual operating budget was nearly $1.3 million last year, due to the nonprofit’s capital campaign to raise funds for a food hub, said Fox, who has led the organization since 2017.
What are some of the biggest challenges to increasing local food production? I would say right now that the top two barriers to increasing food production on Kauai are land access and invasive species. Farmers need long-term leases, or the ability to purchase land to own, so they can invest in their businesses, plant long-term crops like orchards, get loans and grants, build out infrastructure for clean washing and food safety, etc. Yet, Kauai has the most expensive agricultural land statewide, and very few offer long-term leases, so a lot of those primary business functions of farming are difficult to do. Farming shouldn’t be something that’s only an accessible career path for the wealthy; we should be encouraging and supporting anyone who wants to feed us to do so.
Then, if you have land, the constant barrage of invasives are fighting your every effort — pigs and parakeets, especially, but also general pests and diseases. When you see fields of work get wiped out overnight because of one of these things, it’s obvious that we need to be doing more to help farmers prevent and overcome these obstacles. These are really heartbreaking events and so common.
What trends are you noticing in agriculture right now? Nationally and locally, I see farmers markets declining and food hubs growing. The pandemic accelerated the trend, but it was already here. Consumers like the convenience of delivery options and shopping online whenever it is good for them. Farmers like saving money and labor, especially when the labor market is so tight.
How would you describe your leadership style? I really don’t consider myself a leader, per se. I lead by doing and try to surround myself with people who are just as passionate and dedicated and have an ethical mindset that puts their community first. In the end, to reach our goals of a resilient and food secure island, we need to be serving our farmers and our community’s needs fearlessly.
Megan Fox, executive director
Malama Kauai
Email: megan@malamakauai.org
Phone: (808) 828-0685 x12
Website: malamakauai.org
