Ma'o Organic Farms

Our mission is to grow empowered youth leadership for a just, healthy, sustainable and resilient Community food system. To that end, we provide youth leadership training (ylt) programs in which youth work in the Organic farm enterprise and in return for that sweat equity they are provided full tuition to our local Community college while earning educational stipends. In 2022, the entirety of the 'auwai (educational & entrepreneurial pathway) programming saw participation from approximately 156 youth (19% decrease from the previous year). There were 60 in our high school ylt, 30 in our summer ramp up and winter ramp up programs, 3 in our ho'owaiwai ylt, 37 continuing ylt interns and 26 farm expansion experience interns. In 2022, a total of 34 ylt participants (4 current ylt, 30 alumni) received a total of 39 college degrees to including: - academic subject certificate 4- certificate of achievement 4- associate of arts 14- associate of applied science 3- bachelor of applied science 3- bachelor of arts 8- master of social work 1- master of public administration 1 - master of business administration 1- master of natural science 1 of the 34 ylt degree earners, 21 of the ylt are graduates of wai'anaWaianaeae moku (region) schools and 62% of graduates are of native Hawaiian or pacific islander descent highlighting the importance of the program supporting, matriculating and graduating vulnerable populations of youth to achieve post-secondary degrees.