As we continue to develop relationships and secure funding to complete the West Hawaii Community Kitchen, we’re focusing in how to ensure that the daily operations of the kitchen facility, once opened, will be fully aligned with the needs of the farmers and food producers in our community. 

In our 2014 community input process that was designed to identify producer needs and priorities, the facility was designed as two separate kitchens, totaling more than 1,000 sq. ft., in order to maximize access. The available functions will include commercial dehydrating, juicing and canning; baking, cooking, roasting and fermenting; produce sorting, washing, trimming and packing; and dry, refrigerated and freezer storage space.

With these design elements in place, we’re looking at how the operations plan will meet the widely varying needs of kitchen users to include options for hourly, daily and monthly use. The community also expressed a need for classes and trainings to help producers understand the regulations, licenses and costs associated with value added production.

In 2023, we plan to launch a second community input process to explore these issues in depth.

We’re also thrilled to announce the recent very generous donation of a second walk-in refrigerator/freezer for the kitchen, which will significantly expand the capacities of the new facility.