gofarm hawaii

What gofarm hawaii does

GoFarm Hawai'i is a non-profit beginning farmer training and agribusiness education program operating as an Extension initiative of the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (UH CTAHR). Founded in 2012 and building on the 2003 Agribusiness Incubator Program (AIP), the organization delivers a sequential, phase-based curriculum — AgCurious (free 2-hour awareness session), AgXposure (5-week exposure), AgXcel (6-month intensive training), and AgIncubator (up to 3 years of land access with shared equipment) — across physical training sites on O'ahu (Waimānalo and Waialua), Maui (Pūlehunui), and Hawai'i Island (ʻAlae near Hilo). Complementary specialized programs include AgOrchard (10-week orchard course, $200) and AgriFloristry (8-week floriculture course, $200), plus a free statewide AgBusiness consulting service covering finance, marketing, business planning, and succession planning, and a confidential land matching service connecting landowners with farmers.

The underlying program combines a science-based curriculum developed and iterated over 12+ years with rigorous hands-on commercial farm practice — AgXcel students manage 2,500 sqft plots of diversified vegetables — and is supported by farm coaches and alumni-turned-coaches at each site. Curriculum production is co-developed with UH CTAHR faculty advisors covering soil science, plant protection, nematology, and agroecology. The organization also delivers statewide technical resources through a Train-the-Trainer network, irrigation training (WERME, USDA NIFA Award 2024-70027-42472), translated agribusiness resources in Chinese and Thai, and 1:1 succession planning via American Farmland Trust grant funding.

Revenue mechanics are grant-dependent: UH CTAHR institutional funding, USDA NIFA competitive grants, American Farmland Trust grants, and modest participation fees for specialized courses form the funding stack, while core training phases and AgBusiness consulting are free or heavily subsidized with need-based and veteran (50%) fee assistance. Customer segments include aspiring and beginning farmers (primary), existing farm and food businesses seeking business support, aspiring orchard and floriculture entrepreneurs, and Hawai'i landowners seeking farm tenants or succession planning. Distribution is site-based in-person training supplemented by Zoom evening classes, competitive cohort application (20-60 applications per cohort, 10-12 AgXcel acceptances), and event-driven recruitment via open houses, farm tours, and a YouTube Community Edition video series. GoFarm Hawai'i is not a venture-backed or publicly traded entity and operates entirely within the non-profit/extension model.

Name

gofarm hawaii

Legal name

GoFarm Hawai'i

Website

https://gofarmhawaii.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Short description

GoFarm Hawaii is a UH CTAHR Extension non-profit that delivers sequential beginning farmer training, free AgBusiness consulting, and land matching services across Hawai'i to enhance local food security through new sustainable producers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Education and Training

NAICS

Farm Management Services (115116), Soil Preparation, Planting, and Cultivating (115112)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Agricultural Production & Farm Operations (EDAOAOAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Agriculture & Food Production (EDABALAA), Crop Rotation & Whole-Farm Cropping Systems Design (AFACABAJ), Farm Finance, Input Procurement & Risk Tools (Budgeting, Inventory, Insurance Links) (AFAAAFAO), Nutrient Stewardship & Soil Fertility Management (4R Nutrients, Compost, Biofertilizers) (AFAGAMAE)

Keywords

• Beginning farmer training
• Agricultural education
• Agribusiness consulting
• Sustainable farming
• Land matching services

Headquarters

HQ city

Honolulu (Main Office)

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding and External Funding: GoFarm Hawaii is a UH CTAHR Extension program that relies on grants and external funding to operate its training programs, support land access initiatives, and assist farm businesses statewide.
2. Training Program Participation Fees: Modest participation fees for specialized programs including AgOrchard ($200) and AgriFloristry ($200), with need-based and veteran scholarships available for core AgXcel programming.
3. AgBusiness Consulting Services: Free technical support services for farm and food businesses provided statewide, including business planning, financial analysis, marketing strategy, and succession planning. Services are free based on team capacity and project scale.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

GoFarm Hawaii delivers a sequential, multi-phase beginning farmer training program (AgCurious, AgXposure, AgXcel, AgIncubator) combining science-based curriculum with hands-on commercial farm and business training. The organization also provides free statewide AgBusiness consulting (business planning, financial analysis, marketing, succession planning) and operates a confidential land matching service connecting farmers with landowners across Hawaii.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Named customers12 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration13 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (UH CTAHR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGoFarm Hawaii operates as a UH CTAHR Extension program. The original Agribusiness Incubator Program (AIP) was formed in 2003 at UH CTAHR. GoFarm Hawaii was launched in 2012 by UH professionals and maintains deep integration with the university system for curriculum development, research, and agricultural expertise.
• North Shore Economic Vitality Partnership (NSEVP)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerNSEVP provided translations of GoFarm Hawaii AgBusiness resources into Chinese and Thai languages, expanding accessibility for immigrant and non-English speaking farmer communities in Hawaii.
• Extension FoundationsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgOrchard program supported through Extension Foundation's AgriProspects Workforce Development Network, funded by USDA NIFA under Workforce Development Competitive Grant 2023-67037-40533.
• AgTraining and Technical Assistance Network (Hui)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative network of technical assistance providers across multiple organizations providing services in agricultural education, outreach, and skill development for farms, ranches, nurseries, and value-added businesses statewide.
• Hoʻola FarmssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerHawaii Island partner providing need-based and veteran scholarships for GoFarm training at the Alae site. Also operates Hawaii Farm-to-Car Market and provides veteran agricultural resources.
• Hawaii Department of AgriculturesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency partner through Memorandum of Agreement with Hawaii Department of Education to coordinate expertise and workforce development supporting local procurement and school meal goals.
• Waimānalo Research StationsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch facility providing land and infrastructure for GoFarm Hawaii's Windward Oahu training site, with 3 acres of certified organic land managed by Dr. Ted Radovich.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• New Entry Sustainable Farming Project: Tufts University-affiliated beginning farmer training and farm incubator program offering multi-phase training, incubator land access, and business planning support — structurally very similar to GoFarm's phase-based curriculum and incubator land offerings.
• Center for Land-Based Learning: California nonprofit running beginning farmer training, farm incubator, and agribusiness education programs with phased progression to independent operation — comparable to GoFarm's sequential AgXposure-to-AgIncubator pathway.
• Rogue Farm Corps: Oregon-based nonprofit beginning farmer training program with hands-on farm apprenticeships and farm business incubators across multiple sites — comparable multi-site, multi-stage farmer development model.
• Kitchen Table Advisors: California nonprofit providing free 1:1 business advising and technical assistance to small-scale farmers — directly comparable to GoFarm's free statewide AgBusiness consulting team.
• Angelic Organics Learning Center: Illinois-based nonprofit providing beginning farmer training, farm business education, and land access support — closely aligned with GoFarm's mix of production training, business consulting, and land linking services.
• ALBA (Agriculture and Land-Based Training Association): California-based nonprofit operating one of the country's leading farm incubator and beginning farmer training programs, combining hands-on production training with business development and land access — directly comparable to GoFarm Hawaiʻi's AgXcel/AgIncubator model.

Broad incumbents

• Stone Barns Center for Food & Agriculture: Established food and agriculture education nonprofit with broader programming in sustainable agriculture, farmer training, and food system change — overlaps with GoFarm's training mission at greater scale and with more diversified programming.
• Quivira Coalition: New Mexico-based nonprofit advancing regenerative agriculture through education, mentorship, and land stewardship programming — comparable in mission around beginning farmer support and land access, though with a broader regenerative grazing/ranching focus.
• American Farmland Trust: National nonprofit focused on farmland preservation, beginning farmer support, and agricultural policy — already a GoFarm funder and partner; comparable in mission on farm succession planning and land access advocacy.
• National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT / ATTRA): National nonprofit providing sustainable agriculture education and technical assistance to farmers via the ATTRA program — comparable to GoFarm's role as a training and resource provider, though operating at a much larger national scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/GoFarmHawaii
• YouTubeyoutube.com/gofarmhawaii
• Facebookfacebook.com/gofarm.hawaii
• Instagraminstagram.com/gofarmhawaii
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gofarm-hawaii

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 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 gofarm hawaii