Hawaii's climate supports a diverse range of farm produce beyond the standard tropical varieties such as banana, pineapple, mango and papaya. The University of Hawaii's College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources has successfully grown apples, peaches and blueberries among other produce. The challenge for local farmers is economically growing sufficient crop volume to warrant a local processing facility that can prepare, package and distribute Hawaii grown produce according to USDA food safety standards. WEDG is focused on filling this gap to support and empower local farmers, thereby meeting our community's own basic need for food abundance and sustainability. |