MA'O Organic Farm

What MA'O Organic Farm does

MA'O Organic Farm is a Hawaiian nonprofit social enterprise operating under the Wai'anae Community Re-Development Corporation (WCRC), founded in 2000 to address intergenerational poverty, food insecurity, and limited educational attainment in Wai'anae through a combined organic-farming and youth-development model. It operates one of the largest certified organic farms in Hawai'i across 281 acres of Lualualei vertisol soil in Wai'anae, growing 40+ varieties of fruits and vegetables, and is in the process of absorbing an additional 249 acres in Mōkaha via a land grant from The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation. The farm is co-managed by youth interns and apprentices enrolled in a portfolio of programs including the Youth Leadership Training (YLT) two-year college internship with full tuition at Leeward Community College and stipends, Summer/Winter Ramp-Up programs, the Farm Expansion Experience (FE'E) summer internship across six partner farms, and a High School Internship for Wai'anae/'Ewa/Waialua students. Culturally-grounded programming is delivered through the 'Auwai edu-preneurial college-to-career pathway, the Ho'ōla 'Āina Youth Food Sovereignty Congress, and partnerships with Leeward Community College and University of Hawai'i West O'ahu; rigorous health-outcomes research is conducted via the Mauli Ola Study with UH JABSOM and UHERO.

Name

MA'O Organic Farm

Legal name

Wai'anae Community Re-Development Corporation (WCRC)

Website

https://maoorganicfarms.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

MA'O Organic Farm is a Hawaiian nonprofit social enterprise running one of the largest certified organic farms in Hawai'i on 281 acres in Wai'anae, employing youth interns to grow 40+ organic crops while delivering tuition-covered college pathways and health outcomes research for Native Hawaiian young people.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Organic Agriculture

NAICS

Vegetable and Melon Farming (1112)

SIC

Agricultural Production-Crops (100)

akta.pro primary industry

Organic Vegetable & Melon Farming (Open-Field) (AFAGAKAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Organic Fruit & Tree Nut Farming (Orchards) (AFAGAKAB), Fresh Organic Produce Wholesale (AFAIAJAA), Organic Produce Wholesale (AFAIACAE), Agricultural Production & Farm Operations (EDAOAOAA)

Keywords

• Certified organic agriculture
• Community supported agriculture
• Youth workforce development
• Organic produce distribution
• Agricultural education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Waianae

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Organic Produce Sales: Revenue from selling certified organic produce grown on the farm through multiple channels: CSA subscription boxes (weekly or bi-weekly), farmers' markets (Kaka'ako, Pearlridge, Wai'anae), grocery stores (Foodland, Whole Foods, Down to Earth), restaurants, and Farm Link Hawai'i online platform. Total produce sales of $7,640,455 from 2000-2020.
2. CSA Subscription Program: Community Supported Agriculture subscription boxes requiring 8-box commitment. Subscribers receive 8-10 items weekly including salad greens, cooking greens, root vegetables, and herbs or seasonal fruit. Delivered to pick-up sites across O'ahu.
3. Internship Program Fees/Sponsorships: Youth Leadership Training (YLT) program provides full tuition coverage at Leeward Community College funded through partnerships and grants, with monthly stipends for interns.
4. Donations and Grants: Nonprofit funding from foundations (W.K. Kellogg Foundation, The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation), government grants (Navy REPI Challenge $1.57M), and individual donations to support youth programming and land stewardship.
5. Gift Cards: Farmers market e-gift cards sold in denominations from $5 upwards, usable at Kaka'ako Farmers Market, as a consumer product gifting option.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

MA'O Organic Farm operates one of the largest certified organic farms in Hawai'i across 281 acres in Lualualei Valley, cultivating more than 40 varieties of fruits and vegetables for distribution through CSA subscriptions, farmers markets, grocery retailers, and restaurants. The organization also operates structured youth leadership training and internship programs that combine paid agricultural work experience with academic study, integrating cultural pedagogy with college-credit coursework. As a revenue-generating nonprofit social enterprise, MA'O blends commercial organic farming operations with workforce development for young adults from the Wai'anae community.

Product overview

MA'O Organic Farm operates as a social enterprise nonprofit organization combining certified organic farming with youth education and empowerment. The core offerings consist of organic farm operations producing over 40 varieties of fruits and vegetables across 281 acres in Lualualei Valley, and a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) subscription service. The education portfolio includes the Youth Leadership Training (YLT) program with Summer/Winter Ramp-up preparation components, the Farm Expansion Experience (FE'E) internship across partner farms, and High School internship opportunities. The ʻAuwai educational framework and Youth Food Sovereignty Congress provide cultural programming. Supporting offerings include farmers market gift cards, the Mauli Ola health research study, and the Dialogues alumni survey project. These programs are integrated through the social enterprise model where farm revenue and outside funding support youth education while youth labor contributes to farm operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Subscription

Quantifiable outcome

• 60% of interns reduced their Type II diabetes risk within a year at MA'O (diabetes prevalence dropped from 62% to 30% in study cohort)
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Kuilima FarmscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Partner farm in the FE'E (Farm Expansion Experience) internship program, offering hands-on organic vegetable farm management and food production training across 6 collaborating farms on O'ahu.
• Ho'okua'āinacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Partner farm in the FE'E internship program providing agricultural training site for youth learning sustainable farming practices across O'ahu's partner farm network.
• Kualoa RanchcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Partner farm in the FE'E internship program offering diversified agricultural experience and food production training on O'ahu.
• Kāko'o 'ŌiwicoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Partner organization and CSA pick-up site for FE'E internship program, located in He'eia with agricultural and cultural programming.
• Sustainable Agriculture Education Association (SAEA)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Co-hosted 2018 YFSC alongside SAEA national conference at University of Hawai'i West O'ahu, bringing together youth delegates and agricultural educators.
• Trust For Public LandminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011Partnership facilitating Michelle Obama's visit to MA'O Organic Farms in 2011 for agricultural and youth empowerment programming.
• University of Hawai'i John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership with Dr. Alika Maunakea conducting Mauli Ola study on health impacts of MA'O experience, examining physical health, gut microbiome, and social network effects on diabetes risk among youth interns.
• UH Economic Research Organization (UHERO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership examining economic implications of health outcomes and the relationship between 'āina and health within social networks.
• Leeward Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary educational partner providing full tuition coverage for YLT interns, with pathway programs for youth transitioning from farm internships to college enrollment.
• University of Hawai'i West O'ahu (UHWO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partner with partial tuition coverage available for YLT interns, scholarships for UHWO students, and Pu'uloa campus programs.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Suzie's Farm: Certified organic farm in San Diego with CSA, farmers markets, and on-farm education programming — comparable diversified organic farm with direct-to-consumer and educational channels.
• Kāko'o 'Oiwi: He'eia-based nonprofit operating restored taro lo'i and organic agriculture with educational programming; comparable Hawaiian cultural-agriculture nonprofit structure and MA'O CSA pickup partner.
• Kahumana Organic Farm: Hawaii-based nonprofit social enterprise operating an organic farm with workforce development, education, and CSA distribution — closest direct peer given shared mission-driven organic farming, youth/adult training programs, and CSA channels on O'ahu.
• Full Belly Farm: Large diversified certified organic farm in California with CSA, wholesale, and farm-education programs; comparable multi-channel organic CSA operation at greater scale.
• Ho'okua'āina: Hawaii nonprofit operating an organic farm in Maunawili with youth and community programs; comparable social-enterprise organic farming model and MA'O FE'E internship partner.

Regional players

• Adaptations Inc. Hawaii-based sustainable agriculture and local food systems social enterprise operating a tropical fruit CSA and farm — comparable regional organic CSA model focused on Hawaiian local food production.
• The Kohala Center: Hawaii Island-based community nonprofit with programs in food self-reliance, youth education, and sustainable agriculture — comparable Hawaiian social-enterprise education/agriculture mission.

Emerging players

• FoodCorps: National nonprofit connecting youth to healthy food through school-based service programs; comparable youth-agriculture education mission though delivered through schools rather than a working farm.
• Real Food Generation: Student-led nonprofit building a more equitable, sustainable food system through campus-based food enterprises — comparable youth-led food systems mission with an educational angle.

Broad incumbents

• Hawaii Agricultural Foundation: Hawaii statewide nonprofit supporting local agriculture through education, farmer development, and market access; broader incumbent serving overlapping farmer-education and local-food mission.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/maoorganicfarms
• Facebookfacebook.com/maoorganicfarms
• Instagraminstagram.com/maoorganicfarms
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ma-o-organic-farms

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles22 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about MA'O Organic Farm