The Surfrider Foundation Oʻahu Chapter is honored to feature our newest member of the Ocean Friendly Restaurant Program, the 'ĀINA Farm Stand, Kōkua Hawaiʻi Foundation's most recently opened mission-aligned business. This quaint farm stand is nestled in the heart of Haleʻiwa town on the North Shore of Oʻahu and lies on 8 acres of land that includes the Kōkua Learning Farm — that even has its own large-scale in vessel composting system that composts food and green waste — the Backyard Garden, Kōkua General Store and soon to be Kōkua Community Center.
The 'ĀINA Farm Stand opened its doors in November 2024 and shares the bounty of produce from the Kōkua Learning Farm, along with 65 other local farmers and businesses around the area. The ʻĀINA Farm Stand is one of 3 mission-aligned businesses along with the Kōkua General Store, a bulk refill and low waste lifestyle product store, and Kōkua Vintage, located inside the Kōkua General Store, that has a curated collection of second-hand items. These were all created to align with Kōkua Hawaiʻi Foundation's mission, to promote local and healthy food awareness, production, consumption, and empower viable waste reduction practices.
Kōkua Hawaiʻi Foundation is 501(c)3 non-profit organization founded in 2003 by Kim and Jack Johnson that supports environmental education in Hawaiʻi schools and communities. Their goal is to provide experiences that enhance appreciation for the environment and foster lifelong stewards of the earth. They host monthly Kōkua Learning Farm community workdays and quarterly Plastic Free Hawaiʻi beach cleanups in collaboration with other non-profit groups including: Surfrider Oʻahu, Sustainable Coastlines Hawaiʻi, Parley for the Oceans, Kupu Hawaiʻi, Empower Youth, and many others around the island of Oʻahu.
They have eight programs: ʻĀINA In Schools, a farm to school program which provides garden, nutrition and compost curriculum and connects kids to where their food comes from, the 3Rs School Program which supports on campus recycling collection, the Plastic Free Hawaiʻi program which helps schools, communities, and businesses reduce their single-use plastics, two grant programs, the KHF Field Trip Grant which get students to outdoor sites all across Hawaiʻi, KHF Project Grants that support environmental initiatives on school campus, the Kōkua Learning Farm Youth Internship, offering on-farm training to build skills around agroecology, food production, soil health & culinary explorations for students in grades 9-12, Kōkua Learning Farm Field Trips, engaging students with an enriching field trip experience allowing learners of all ages to explore various aspects of our food system, and the new Kōkua Compost Program
July has been deemed Plastic Free July Month for Kōkua Hawaiʻi Foundation, and Surfrider Oʻahu joined the organization with many other local non-profits on July 5th, the "Dirtiest Beach Day" after July 4th's festivities to provide education about the harmful effects of plastics on our oceans through a beach cleanup event. To learn more about all upcoming events or how to get involved, visit https://kokuahawaiifoundation.org
Surfrider Oʻahu sat down with some of the Kōkua Hawaiʻi Foundation's key players, Samantha Carroll, Plastic Free Hawaiʻi Program Coordinator, Ella Narvasa, 'ĀINA Farm Stand Assistant Manager, and Kim Johnson, Kōkua Hawaiʻi Foundation’s Co-founder, President & CEO to learn more about the 'ĀINA Farm Stand and their mission.
"At Kōkua Hawaiʻi Foundation one of our main school programs is ‘ĀINA In Schools which connects kids to where their food comes from through garden, nutrition and waste reduction curriculum. The ‘ĀINA Farm Stand is the storefront manifestation of this where we are connecting the community through food. We thought the best way to show the community where their food comes from would be opening a space that featured foods all sourced locally from our farm and other local food producers. Know your farmer, know your food, and make the connection." - Kim Johnson, Kōkua Hawaiʻi Foundation Co-Founder, President & CEO
“We chose to make the ‘ĀINA Farm Stand an OFR because we believe that caring for the ocean begins with how we care for the ‘āina. Every choice we make, from the food we serve to the waste we reduce, is rooted in our love for Hawai’i. When we honor the land, we protect the sea, and together, we create a future where our island community and environment can thrive” - Samantha Carroll, Plastic Free Hawai’i Program Coordinator
"The ʻĀINA Farm Stand does not use any single-use cups within the establishment. We have a "full circle-cup donation" system and use reusable coffee cups donated from people in the community eliminating and encouraging reuse over single-use. We are a waste diversion store and take pride in educating the community on how to divert waste." - Ella Narvasa, ʻĀINA Farm Stand Assistant Manager
Want to find an OFR near you or learn more about the program? Click HERE!