Congresswoman Jill Tokuda will hold meetings with farmers and ranchers across Hawaii to ensure their concerns are accounted for in the 2023 Farm Bill.

Tokuda is Hawaii’s only congressional delegate to sit on the House Agriculture Committee, one of two committees charged with leading the bill’s drafting.

The omnibus Farm Bill — renegotiated in congress every five years — is a law governing an extensive list of federal food and agricultural programs.

The last Farm Bill was worth $428 billion and included funding for conservation, crop insurance, commodities and nutrition programs.

Tokuda is also welcoming nutrition and hunger advocates, as food assistance programs account for about 75% of the Farm Bill’s spending.

Tokuda says she anticipated the cost of transportation and shipping, climate change, natural disasters and the general cost of farming will be among the issues raised by farmers.

The meetings will be held throughout the state the first week of May, with an additional three town hall meetings on Lanai, Molokai and on Big Island.

Monday

Kona Town Hall
5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

West Hawaii Civic Center, Council Chambers, 74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Highway, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii 96740

Tuesday

Maui Farm Bill Listening Session
11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

UH Extension Community Hall, 310 W. Kaahumanu Ave. Wailuku, HI 96793

Wednesday

Lanai Farm Bill Listening Session
2 to 3:15 p.m.

ILWU Hall, 840 Ilima Ave., Lanai City, HI  96763

Lanai Town Hall
4 to 5 p.m.

ILWU Union Hall, 840 Ilima Ave., Lanai City, HI  96763

Thursday

Molokai Farm Bill Listening Session
3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Mitchell Pauole Community Center, 90 Ainoa St, Kaunakakai, HI 96748

Molokai Town Hall
4:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Mitchell Pauole Community Center, 90 Ainoa St, Kaunakakai, HI 96748

Friday

Waianae Farm Bill Listening Session
1 to 2:30 p.m.

Nanakuli Public Library, 89-070 Farrington Hwy, Waianae, HI 96792

Saturday, May 6

North Shore Farm Bill Listening Session
2:30 to 4 p.m.

Waialua Elementary School, 67-020 Waialua Beach Rd, Waialua, HI 96791

“Hawaii Grown” is funded in part by grants from the Stupski Foundation, Ulupono Fund at the Hawaii Community Foundation and the Frost Family Foundation.