 This is Think Tech Hawaii, Community Matters here. Welcome back to Think Tech Hawaii's Hawaii Food and Farmer Series. My name is Stephanie Mock and I will be your host today. We are joined in the studio with a very special friend of the show, actually founder of the show of Hawaii Food and Farmer Series Matt Johnson. Matt wears many different hats. We know you as Think Tech hosts first and foremost, right? That's the most popular role you have. That's the one that pays the bills. Pays the bills here, right? So you're a Think Tech host. You're also, I know you don't like the title, but like CEO of Oahu Fresh, you're a professor of ag business. And the reason we have you on our show today is because you're also going to be talking about a different role you have as a marketing professional with some women farmers' workshops that you're doing with Oahu R.C. and D. Yeah. Yeah. So, you know, you've done the show like a hundred times now, probably close to. You've been doing it for years. Collectively, yeah. Collectively as a team. This is the hundred and second show. It's been 10 years. Yeah. We made it. Congratulations. Congratulations to you. Thank you. You started it. I've only been here in a short amount of time. Justine actually started it. Oh, okay. And then she pulled me along. And brought you on. Oh, okay. So she's really the... Well, she, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. All right. But I'll take credit for the show too, you know? Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Please do. Anyway, enough about the history of our ThinkTech show, we're here today to talk about business building blocks, women farmers workshops with the Oahu R.C. and D. Oahu R.C. and D is a non-profit that was started in 1997 and the acronym stands for the Oahu Resource Conservation and Development Council. And talking about those multiple roles or many hats that Matt wears, he actually used to be part of the Oahu R.C. and D back in the day, right? Full circle. Full circle. Yeah. So Oahu R.C. and D, not a ThinkTech, women farmers workshops. And so our show today is really talking about the work that Oahu R.C. and D has done on the ground here on Oahu and throughout the Outer Islands in establishing a women farmers network, especially providing training opportunities and networking opportunities for women farmers. So there are about 7,000 farms currently in Hawaii and 30% of those are led by women, which is actually higher than the national average. The national average is 25%. So we are very unique here in Hawaii that we have a higher than national average of women farmers who lead their farming operations, especially when Hawaii is not considered a lot in terms of national statistics. This is something that we should be really proud of, especially here in our agricultural sector that continues to grow and is in transition from the plantation days into new diversified agriculture. So Oahu R.C. and D a couple years back decided that they wanted to reach out to women farmers. Our executive director, Jean Brokish, she is a farmer herself and she wanted to see what women farmers in Hawaii, because they're so geographically isolated just in terms of islands and not having that established network, what do they need to take their businesses to the next level and manage their risk? So we did a survey of 120 women farmers throughout Hawaii and they identified five topics that they wanted to learn more about. So one of them was federal programs, one of them was agritourism, food safety, another was business planning, and that's where we brought Matt in who has an extensive history of business planning and ag business as he's a professor of ag business to come and talk to the women farmers during these workshops to talk about how you establish a business plan for your farming operation and what the benefits are. So Matt, I was hoping you could talk a little bit about the workshop series that you did last year with the WALF who are C&D. Where did you go and what did you talk about specifically? Yeah, great intro and great background I think on the program and really the importance of it where I think these workshops, they just go for pretty much like half a day, three fourths of a day and I think there's a lot of appreciation for just having events where small farmers can get together. I think that's probably the biggest highlight for the farms that participate. And also focusing on women farmers like you said, Hawaii has a larger the national statistics of women farmers and just having events to get together but then also to have meaningful conversations and like you said based on the survey that WAHO are C&D did identifying these different topics that people want to hear more about. And yeah, so we're obviously, we're not there to talk about all aspects of marketing and I believe it's like a 30 or 40 minute presentation, I think it's more just kind of getting the conversation started and then just really kind of connecting people if there is a specific topic or something that someone's looking to do like for example, Pomai is going to be joining us as well and she's going to be talking about another ThinkTech who we've grouped into women farmers workshops as well. Yeah, we're just taking her ThinkTech show on the road. Pretty incestuous. We should, are we taping this? Can we do a live show tomorrow? Oh, maybe. Okay, we'll talk to you. We'll get some footage, yeah. But yeah, so yeah, Pomai is going to be talking about act tourism and then I'm going to be talking about marketing, planning and yeah, as you said, we started this last year and yeah, we went all over. We went to Lihue, Kauai and then we were on the big island in Waimea. Just Waimea, I don't think we went to Hilo, yeah. And then we went to Maui. Where did we go in Maui? I wasn't there, I don't know. You weren't there? But yeah, we went to Maui and then we're also, You were there. That was a year ago. A year ago. And then we were, yeah, on Oahu as well at Kula Ranch. Okay. And yeah, so just need to see who's showing up. So you have a variety of farmers that are just kind of curious, maybe getting started and also maybe interested in the GoFarm program. But this is just like a one day kind of, you know, hot topic event to kind of get a little taste of all the different programs that are out there. And yeah, just learn a little bit about what's happening. So yeah, this year, so starting tomorrow, we're going to be up at Kuga Farms on North Shore here on Oahu. And then next Tuesday, we're going to Kona. We're going to be at the Honey Bee, what's the name of the farm? Big Island Bees. Big Island Bees. I just met Wendy earlier today, who's going to be our host. And then on Thursday, going to Maui, at least Kula Lavender. So not as many trips as last year, but still a good kind of cross section. And it's really neat to see, you know, the different farms and different, you know, islands and what people are interested in and talking about. And, you know, I remember last year, the group of YMA on the Big Island, they're just very like kind of almost like coming at us. I got very specific questions. And who are you? Yeah, well, I mean, not so much that, but just like they definitely were there with a very specific purpose, whereas some of the other trainings, people are like, hey, yeah, just stoked to be there and whatnot. So just need to see the different reactions. And I love it, I get to learn about, you know, what people are doing. And especially on the neighbor islands, but there's so many small, you know, projects, small farms doing amazing things that you would never hear about because, well, one, you know, farmers don't, you know, really broadcast or market what they're doing with a whole reason why we have this show. So it's neat to really just get out there and just listen and see really like, hey, what's happening? What are your struggles? And, you know, we try to make those connections with if we can't help you out. Well, amongst all of us, we have a lot of really good networks and we try to make those connections. Yeah. And you were talking about, you know, like most people think of workshops or trainings or conferences. You go and you see the professional speak and that's it. And these workshops, you know, had that opportunity to hear from agricultural professionals like yourself, but like you were talking about your learning just as much as they are, right? You're learning about what they need, what kind of small farms are out there and just kind of business ideas for you. But it also offers the opportunity for that peer to peer network, right? That farmer to farmer. So, you know, maybe you can't answer a specific question, but another woman farmer in the audience has had that same issue and knows something that can deal with that issue in a solution. So, the workshops really focus, you know, on allowing that connection for professionals, especially on outer islands where they don't have as much access and then giving us a chance to see what's out there, what do farmers need and how can we help them and learn from them? And then also that peer to peer network that you don't always get as a farmer, right? Your head's down, you're like trying to get your own business started and you don't always have the opportunity for development or looking outside of your own farm to learn from others and what their mistakes and trials and tribulations are. Yeah, so I think we have a short video actually just kind of detailing the workshops that were done last year just so people can see photos and see what kind of all the networking was about. It was fun. Yeah, I mean, don't pull it up too much. We're going to watch it. Let's do that video. You just saw that video. That was great. Yeah, I wish you could have heard it in the background. But yeah, so we are kind of done the first half of our show already and we talked about phase one of the workshops that we did last year and kind of what is the idea of targeting women farmers? Like why that audience and what kind of tools do they need in their toolbox to lead their farming operations and manage risk so that they can build and continue to grow their operations? So we're going to take a quick break and talk about what's coming up. Thank you. This is Think Tech Hawaii raising public awareness. I'm getting older. Do I need to worry about falling? Yes, you do. Each year, one in four people, 65 and older will experience a fall and many will be serious. The majority of falls happen at home. So remove things that could make you trip and install handrails to keep you steady to learn more about the steps you can take to help prevent a fall. Please talk to your doctor. You can also visit AARP foundation dot org or Medicare made clear dot com slash falls. This message was brought to you by UnitedHealthcare and AARP Foundation. Aloha. I'm Marcia Joyner, inviting you to come visit with us on cannabis chronicles, a 10,000-year artisty where we explore and examine the plant that the muse has given us and stay with us as we explore all the facets of this planet. On Wednesdays at noon, please join us. Aloha. Welcome back. So the first half of our show, we were talking about phase one about women farmers workshops with Oahu R-C-N-D. Just to remind you, Oahu R-C-N-D stands for Oahu Resource Conservation and Development Council, which is a sustainable agriculture nonprofit based on Oahu that works throughout the islands to support farmers in stewarding natural resources and building their agribusinesses. We're talking today with Matt Johnson, who, like I mentioned before, wears many different hats, but today specifically we're talking to him about women farmers. So the first half of our show we talked about, we went to Maui, Big Island, Oahu, Kauai, and talking about the five different topics that women identified in their survey of what they wanted to learn more about. And through a grant through WARME, which is the Western Extension Risk Management Education Center, oh my goodness, if I'm not set up, I apologize. Yeah, we made up that name, don't worry. The acronym, W-E-R-M-E. Yeah, cool. We were able to get additional funding for what we like to call phase two, additional workshops on outer islands that have more of a focus. So like you were talking about the workshops last year were a little bit more broad, right? You can't go to a workshop and learn everything you need to know in six hours, but it could give you a really good introduction on things that you need to better consider for managing risk and improving your operation. And from those workshops and their evaluations, they identified three main topics that they wanted to focus on for additional training and that was value added production, agritourism, and marketing. We're like, who knows marketing? Do we know anyone who knows marketing? Of course we do. You know a few people. We know a few people, yeah. Especially Professor of Ag Business, Matt Johnson, right? It just sounds wrong all the time. You shouldn't have said that. I'm gonna continue to say that about you. Yeah, okay. Yeah, so this year we're going to, we're gonna have a workshop on Oahu at Kahuku Farms, which is tomorrow. And we also have workshops on Maui, the Lee Kula Lavender, and also Big Island, which is Big Island Bees, which is in Captain Cook, near Kona. So this year we thought, last year was a broad introduction. What are some tools that women can have in their risk management toolboxes, if you will, to really take steps in order to improve their businesses? So I know last year you talked about business planning and you gave a great template to kind of get people started thinking about who's your main audience, that kind of thing. I thought, I was hoping you could talk a little bit more about what you're gonna be talking about in these workshops and what kind of tools you hope to provide women farmers this round. Yeah, so the topic that was given to me is, yeah, marketing, planning, you know, pretty broad topic. But what's neat about this round of workshops that we're doing is that it's actually at the specific farms. So it's great because we're going to Cuckoo Farms, Kylie, who's been on the show before. I mean, she's really the ag marketing expert. So that's really what we're just going to her place and leveraging a lot of what she's done there because I think a lot of what she's doing, what Cuckoo Farms is doing, a lot of other farms want to be doing. People, you know, you talk to farms like, yeah, you know, what's your plan? Like, oh, I'm gonna grow some stuff and then we're gonna do some farm tours. Right. You know, just like it's that simple. And Kylie has a pretty amazing story and I got to work with her pretty closely and kind of getting that part of her business up and going where, you know, Cuckoo Farms is second or third generation farms. And then Kylie went to marketing school and she came back and wanted to work in the family business, but also one had her own ideas. So that's where she kind of created Cuckoo Brand and this amazing roadside farm cafe up by the shrimp trucks. Fantastic. If anyone hasn't been there, you got to go. You got to go. The aside bowl is amazing. Yeah, Wednesday through Sunday. And so they're utilizing, you know, ingredients coming from the farm and also neighboring farms as well and do some amazing eggplant nini and they do a farm pizza and the shakes and the, what's the dessert? A aside bowl? There's another dessert. It's the lily-coi, like the cake, the bread. It's like lily-coi syrup. It's really good. They have an amazing menu. It's just a nice area to sit and enjoy. And they also do tractor rides, which seems kind of cheesy at first, but when you hop on there, it's the best time ever. Best time. And I'm just impressed with, you know, they have, you know, fully functioning farm, growing amazing papayas. Also do a lot of eggplant, lily-coi, taro leaf. And then they've created this, you know, actually cool, fun experience. Like it's a place where you want to go. And it's amazing when you go out there. I mean, it's crowded. Yeah. They have a neat cross-section of North Shore locals coming by. They also have tourists to get some people from Turtle Bay, which is right around the corner, coming by there and checking them out. So in terms of marketing, they've just done a really good job. Beautiful signage, beautiful building. Everything is color-coded that goes with their logo. They also have their own value add products, which I forget who's gonna be talking about that. Someone from SAE Designs, but there's gonna be someone talking about value add, which Kylie and them are doing a lot with lily-coi products. So they're just really exemplary, you know, in the different things that they're doing that. I think a lot of startup farms, you know, strive to try and be at that level. So that's really what I'm gonna be doing is just kind of show, you know, kind of highlighting more specifically, like what's going on here. And talking to Kylie, because this didn't just happen overnight. No. You know, a lot of planning, a lot of thought went into everything from their logo, their color schemes, this signage, their beautiful signage, but also understanding too, like who are the customers that are coming there? So as I mentioned, you have your regular locals, you have your tourists, so they're reaching out to both different communities. They also have school groups that are coming by there. Yeah, they do a lot of field trips. Yeah, a lot. Because they are a working farm. Even though agritourism venues, they are first and foremost a working farm. Yeah. So they have a lot of, you know, these different groups that are interested in coming by. And so they're creating this experience that, you know, these different diverse groups are wanna come and check out. And I think a lot of it is word of mouth, but a lot of it also too is just signage along the side of the road. They're right across the street from the shrimp farms. So I think they get a lot of people coming by and checking it out. And yeah, beautiful seating with Malca views. Yeah. And yeah, just good spot to hang out. I think they do events as well. I think so. Yeah, I really like that idea you brought up of like, you know, this is a great model farm. They incorporate value added, agritourism, marketing, definitely are great with their marketing plan. And then you're talking about, you know, kind of picking it apart, showing these new farmers or the women farmers who are coming to the workshop. Some steps that they can take to get that. And recognizing it is a timeline and it's dynamic and you're not gonna do it overnight, right? It's gonna be a lot of trials. It's gonna be a lot of experimentation too. You can't just copy Cahoo Coo Farms. You can't choose their color scheme, that kind of thing. And really branding it and marketing it as your own personal story, right? No one else can have your own individual story. So how can we market that as you as a woman farmer leading a operation? How can we brand or market that individual story so that you can capitalize off it, right? Like you can create this marketing branding idea that will continue in the future, right? Instead of just, oh, we're just tomatoes. So yeah, but how did you get into tomatoes? What's the color scheme? What's your graphic design gonna be like that kind of thing? Instead of just, oh, I like to grow tomatoes. How can we make this a true ag business that will not only produce food locally or internationally, but also help with diversifying our economy as well? Yeah, yeah. So yeah, so we're gonna be Wahoo, Maui, and I, excuse me, Big Ed, and we have Pomani talking about agritourism, she's gonna be talking a little bit more, I believe, on permitting considerations or just kind of small steps. Everyone wants that perfect farm of like, yes, we're gonna have tractor tours, but what are some tools and actual real steps you can take to begin that process, right? For a woman farmer who might be out in Pune or something, they're gonna have no idea who to reach out to or what kind of resources. So this is the first step of like, come check out the workshop, meet these other women farmers on your island so you build that network locally, but now they have connections with you and they can reach out to you in the future and say, hey, can you be a consultant on this project or can you help me build a marketing plan for my farm kind of thing? So yeah. And I think even more so, having that connection with Kylie, it's talking specifically about the agitourism part of it, that literally took years just to get the proper permitting to be able to do that. There was something ridiculous with the land designation that they were on ag park land and they had to get the designation change with Department of Ag, which is the owner of the land there to like non-ag land. There's some funky terminology that would allow them to do on farm sales. So that was something that really threw them for a loop. And I feel like this happens more often than not. You can do all the planning in the world, but then you run into something like this that could really hold you up. Similar to, I was just talking to Ron Wiedembach earlier, a Hawaii fish company, Hawaii Fish Farm. I've been looking like, yeah, he's been trying to get a long-term lease on his property for literally 30 years, but I digress. That's going to like a whole different show. I'm like, yeah, where are you going? Has he been on the show? Let's bring it back to women farmers. I don't know if Ron's been on the show, anyways. Let's bring you back, he's bringing you back. But also, looking too, it's great. Like the parking, they had to set up parking and fencing, being able to close the parking when, you know, ADA ramps, had to put an ADA ramp, which these are all big ticket items. And that if you're not thinking about ahead of time, it's going to mess you up and just blow up your budget. So that, I mean, I think that's also going to be, Pamai's going to have a great talk and kind of getting into the act tourism part of what's happening there and people can get, just a sense of reality of how challenging it can be. Yeah, well, all right. Well, that's all the time we have for today's show, talking about business building blocks, women farmer workshops with Oahu RCND. We encourage you to check out oahurcd.org slash women farmers for tickets for tomorrow's workshops, excuse me, on Oahu, as well as our workshops on Maui and Big Island. We hope to see you there until next time. Thanks.