A Maui-based farming company, Mahi Pono, is running a summer internship program that gives high school students hands-on experience in agriculture.
“Many young people don’t realize how diverse and rewarding a career in agriculture can be,” said Tiare Lawrence, a community specialist at Mahi Pono, in a written statement. “The internship gives them hands-on experience in a wide range of ag-related fields, and we’ve seen a lot of students discover job opportunities they didn’t know existed. Plus, many of our interns love that their contributions are benefiting their communities in a tangible way and help to make Hawaii more sustainable for the future.”
The paid internship program for high school students provides an overview of various career paths in the industry, including irrigation, agronomy, farm labor and field maintenance. The internships run for six weeks from June 12 to July 21.
The program is one of several designed to get younger generations involved in an industry where the average age in the U.S. is 57.5 years old, according to census data reported by the United States Department of Agriculture. Earlier this month, Mahi Pono announced a partnership with the University of Hawaii's College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources to train farmers, leasing 15 acres of land to CTAHR's GoFarm Hawaii program for hands-on education. The nonprofit Agriculture Leadership Foundation of Hawaii also announced earlier this month that it was looking for applicants for its Agriculture Leadership Program, which involves leadership training seminars and travel to Washington D.C., a state of the cohort's choice, and four islands: Hawaii Island, Oahu, Kauai and Maui.
Mahi Pono was created in 2018 as a joint venture between California-based Pomona Farming LLC and the Public Sector Pension Investment Board, which is one of Canada's largest pension investment managers. Mahi Pono owns and operates about 41,00 acres of farmland in Central Maui. The former sugarcane land, previously owned by Alexander & Baldwin, is now being used to grow a variety of food, including limes, lemons, oranges, tangerines, coffee, avocado, macadamia nuts, ulu, onions, kale, lettuce, watermelon, bananas, coconut and lilikoi, according to the company's website.
Mahi Pono produce is sold under the Maui Harvest brand through retailers such as Costco, Whole Foods, Down to Earth, Pukalani Superette and Farm Link on Maui and across the state.
Applications for Mahi Pono's fourth cohort of high school interns are due Saturday, May 27. For more information, go to mahipono.com.
