Hawaii Launches Emergency Farmer Relief Grants: Up to $1,500 for Farmers and Ranchers Hit by Three Storms
The Office of Governor Josh Green announced in Honolulu on October 30 the launch of an Emergency Farmer Relief (EFR) grant program to help farmers and ranchers affected by the recent natural disasters that hit Hawaii. The program, announced in Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity (DAB) news release NR26-26, is run jointly by the Governor's Office, the DAB and the Department of Accounting and General Services (DAGS).
The program responds to three major storms, Lala, Lowell and Moke, which severely impacted Hawaii over more than three weeks from mid-August through the first week of September, in an arc stretching from Ni'ihau in Kauai County to Na'alehu on Hawaii Island. The storms destroyed homes, wiped out major roads and devastated agricultural land.
Governor Josh Green said the trio of storms did severe damage across the islands and that the agriculture industry was not spared, making relief for communities across Hawaii critical. The new EFR program will help farmers and ranchers repair infrastructure, replace damaged or destroyed equipment and get back to producing food for the state. Sharon Hurd, chairperson of the Board of Agriculture and Biosecurity, said relief after the Kona low storms earlier this year reached roughly 1,300 members of the agricultural community and showed how vital it is to get money into farmers' and ranchers' hands quickly.
Applications open November 2. Operators of farms, orchards, ranches and similar operations with affected agricultural land anywhere in the state may apply through the Governor's Office for at most one check of $1,500 per eligible applicant per year. Applicants must submit a W-9 together with a Schedule C or Schedule F from their tax returns as proof of work as a farmer or rancher.
The online application portal closes on January 29, 2027. Because program funds are limited, the DAB will process applications on a first-come, first-served basis if eligible applicants exceed available funding. The state expects checks to be available for pickup at locations across the state starting in early to mid-January 2027.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 夏威夷州可爱岛哈纳莱海岸（资料图）。CC BY-SA，Michelle Maria摄（Panoramio），经 Wikimedia Commons。 / The Hanalei coast on Kauai, Hawaii (file photo). CC BY-SA, by Michelle Maria (Panoramio), via Wikimedia Commons.
