(BIVN) - Nearly 200 Hawaiian Homes beneficiaries celebrated the award of 68 agricultural lots on Hawaiʻi Island during a Saturday event held at Keaukaha Elementary School.
The Department of Hawaiian Home Lands said the awards marked the largest agricultural lot offering by the DHHL since the late-1980's.
The homestead lots, located in Honomū and Makuʻu, range in size from one to five acres.
16 one-acre subsistence agricultural lots were offered in Honomū.
In Makuʻu, 20 five-acre agricultural lots and 32 two-acre subsistence agricultural lots were offered.
"ʻOhana are built on the ʻāina and it is the department's commitment to keeping our families in Hawaiʻi and on the land," said DHHL Director Kali Watson. "It is DHHL's goal to offer diverse homesteading options and these agricultural lots serve as solutions to addressing the waitlist."
From the DHHL news release:
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.
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.