Co-crop Program
While the ʻUlu Co-op focuses on ʻulu (breadfruit) as the cornerstone of our mission and operation, crop diversity plays an important role in the continued success of our member farms, the environment, and the co-op as a whole. Our farmers do not mono-crop ʻulu – which can foster increased pest and disease pressure and thus require more outside inputs to maintain productivity; instead, they operate diversified production systems using agroforestry or other co-cropping techniques. As a business, we aim to support diversified production as much as possible. This also helps the co-op sustain a year-round operation and provide consistent employment to our staff.
Currently, the Co-op accepts 4 crops other than ʻUlu, which we call “Co-crops”. You can see the price points for each of these crops listed below. While we currently accept ʻulu only from our Members, we buy co-crops from both member and non-member farmers primarily outside of ʻulu season. If you are interested in selling co-crops to the Co-op, we encourage you to submit a Marketing Agreement so that we can both rely on clear harvest goals. If interested, please reach out to agroforestry@eatbreadfruit.com to request a form.
| Item | Member Price | Non-member Price |
|---|---|---|
| A Grade Breadfruit | $1.30/lb | |
| B Grade Breadfruit | $0.90/lb | |
| C Grade Breadfruit | $0.60/lb | |
| Kalo (min 5”) | $2.00/lb | $2.00/lb |
| A Grade Sweet Potato | $1.75/lb | $1.75/lb |
| B Grade Sweet Potato | $0.80/lb | $0.80/lb |
| C Grade Sweet Potato | $0.50/lb | $0.50/lb |
| Palaʻai (min 5”) | $1.20/lb | $1.20/lb |
| Green Papaya | $0.70/lb | $0.70/lb |
When planning your production of any co-crop intended for sale to the Co-op, be sure to familiarize yourself with our Harvesting Guidelines first. Below are some guides that outline our grading and standards for each co-crop.
Planning a new outplanting?
If youʻre curious about how to best cultivate co-crops around your ʻUlu season so that you can manage both – Check out this handy Co-crop Management Calendar to plan activities to ensure deliveries outside of ʻulu season.
We also have production guides for some of our co-crops that can help growers implement best practices and avoid costly mistakes!
Palaʻai (Pumpkin) Seeds Available
If you are interested in planting palaʻai (winter squash), the Co-op is currently selling seeds for $20/bag. Please use the form to make an order and our staff will be in touch.
Kalo Connection
The Co-op works with many kalo farmers across Hawaiʻi. If you are interested in starting or expanding kalo production and are seeking huli (kalo starts), please reach out to agroforestry@eatbreadfruit.com for assistance with sourcing huli.
