Department of Hawaiian Home Lands awards agricultural lots in East Hawai‘i

The Department of Hawaiian Home Lands awarded 68 agricultural lots on Hawaiʻi Island Saturday marking the largest agricultural lot offering by the department since the late 1980s.

Located in Hilo, the Honomū and Makuʻu homestead lots range in size from one to five acres. In Honomū, 16 one-acre subsistence agricultural lots were offered, a press release from the agency stated. In Makuʻu, 20 five-acre agricultural lots and 32 two-acre subsistence agricultural lots were offered.

Nearly 200 beneficiaries and their ‘ohana celebrated the occasion at Keaukaha Elementary School.

“ʻOhana are built on the ʻāina and it is the department’s commitment to keeping our families in Hawaiʻi and on the land,” said Department of Hawaiian Home Lands Director Kali Watson. “It is DHHL’s goal to offer diverse homesteading options and these agricultural lots serve as solutions to addressing the waitlist.”

Subsistence-ag lots are less than three acres in size and near existing infrastructure. This homestead model allows beneficiaries to live and grow food on their lots for home consumption or small-scale economic agricultural activity.

According to the release, beneficiaries who opt to grow produce and other crops commercially must create a farm plan, like a business plan, as part of their lease, and lessees must cultivate at least two-thirds of the land.

With both lot types, beneficiaries have the option of constructing a single-family home or supplemental dwelling unit.

“This momentous occasion marks an exciting milestone for DHHL beneficiaries, providing not only the opportunity to build homes but also to cultivate a future grounded in food sovereignty and self-sustainability,” Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke said in a statement.

An additional 40 subsistence agricultural lots are slated for development in Honomū within the next two years. More than 1,600 lots are planned for various homesteads across Hawaiʻi Island including Laʻi ʻŌpua, Kaumana, Honokaʻa, Palamanui and Panaʻewa.