O‘ahu Resource Conservation & Development Council | Grant Recipient of Women's Fund of Hawai'i

Hawai'i's biggest food exports include coconuts & pineapple. FALSE! In fact, some of Hawai‘i's biggest exports extend beyond just tropical fruits. Did you know, that Hawai‘i is the only state that commercially grows cacao?And while pineapples do grow exceptionally well in Hawai‘i (making it a top, valuable export), other leading exports of the islands include sugarcane, coffee, macadamia nuts, avocados, bananas, guavas, papayas, and tomatoes. 

These were all awesome facts I got to learn while developing the design for our latest tee, You Grow Girl, and I couldn't have done it without the amazing team behind local non-profit, O‘ahu Resource Conservation & Development Council, one of Women's Fund of Hawai‘i's Fall 2018 grant recipients.

O‘ahu Resource Conservation & Development Council.  The O‘ahu Resource Conservation & Development Council focuses on improving quality of life and promotion of sustainable communities through the management and conservation of our precious natural resources and the careful development of rural neighborhoods and businesses. most recently, their work has focused on assisting rural enterprises and farmers, while fostering education and adoption of sound conservation practices on rural lands. Several current projects engage farmers in imperiled watersheds, supporting their efforts to reduce soil erosion and water loss. Oʻahu RC&D serves the island of Oʻahu, however there are also RC&D’s located on Maui, Kauaʻi, and Hawaiʻi island.

You Grow Girl. I first heard of O'ahu RC&D from the Women's Fund of Hawai'i community.  O‘ahu RC&D is a Fall 2018 WFH grant recipient, and the money they were awarded focuses on developing their  'Hawai'i Women Farmers Network' program.  This specific program engages women farmers across Hawaiʻi through surveys, workshops, and funding opportunities. I was lucky enough to collaborate with the O'ahu RC&D team to design the 'You Grow Girl' tee and final illustration was brought to life by the amazing Delilah the Gemini! This design was not only inspired by the many fruits & vegetables Hawai‘i is known for exporting, but also the community of women farmers O‘ahu RC&D works to support. 

1. Hawai‘i accounts for 100% of the production of 6 foods in the United States: Macadamia Nuts, Coffee, Bananas, Papayas, Taro & Guavas.
2. Over 30 percent of Hawaii’s land usage – or around 1 million acres – is dedicated to farming.
3. Pineapple is widely grown on the island of Maui, while dairy and egg farms are prevalent on O‘ahu.
4. Hawai‘i ranks sixth in the nation for tree nut sales, these include nuts like macadamia nuts.

Mahalo O‘ahu RC&D for all that you do for Hawai‘i's women in agriculture! To learn more about this amazing organization, visit their websiteHERE.

When you donate to Women's Fund of Hawai'i, you aren't just supporting one non-profit, you're supporting 100's of organizations statewide, like  O‘ahu Resource Conservation & Development Council, who work to improve the lives of women and girls statewide. For a full list of current and past WFH grantees, visit their website HERE.

‘A’ohe hana nui ke alu ‘ia | No task is too big when done together by all.