OUR HISTORY
Hawaiʻi ʻUlu Co-op (HUC) is a farmer-owned business working to revitalize ‘ulu (breadfruit) as a viable crop and dietary staple by empowering farmers as change-makers in Hawaiʻi’s food system.
Formed in 2016 with 9 small, diversified growers on Hawaiʻi Island, HUC has grown to over 200 member-farms on four islands (Hawaiʻi Island, Maui, Oʻahu and Kauaʻi) and is now the foremost breadfruit farmer organization in Hawaiʻi. By working together, HUC farmers are able to offer consistent, high-quality ʻulu products that are delicious, versatile, local, healthy, accessible, and sustainable.
The co-op is committed to the revival of ʻulu to strengthen Hawaiʻi’s food security, and to the value of mālama ʻāina – care or protection of the earth – by promoting environmentally responsible production methods.
Our vision is a thriving cooperative that sustains and uplifts producers, consumers, and society as a whole. Farmer owned, ‘āina grown—from our trees to your table
2016:
May
First community meeting of 15 farmers in Waimea to address the need for an ʻulu cooperative.June
9 core members meet again in Hilo and vote to incorporate the Hawaiʻi ʻUlu Producers Cooperative.2016:
2016:
August
Aggregated the first fruits from farmer-members and started to operate exclusively out of Sweet Cane Cafe. Frozen inventory stored at the Food Basket in Hilo.December
Created the first value-added products: ʻUlu Chocolate Mousse and ʻUlu Hummus.2016:
2017:
July
Membership grew to 27 members through word-of-mouth.July
Opened co-op’s first dedicated aggregation, processing and storage facility at the state-owned Honalo Marshaling Yard in Kailua-Kona. Still operated out of Sweet Cane Cafe in Hilo to receive members’ fruit on the east side of Hawaiʻi island.2017:
2018:
March
First sale of ʻulu to Hawaii Department of Education. Served all schools on Oʻahu and Maui with ʻUlu, Spinach, and Kalua Pork wraps.
October
Supplied all 270 schools in the state for Harvest of the Month lunch special of ʻulu beef stew. Some schools like it so much that they replace potatoes with ʻulu in their beef stew for the rest of the year.2018:
2018:
July
Membership grew to 56 farmers.November
Began processing other local crops for the Department of Education (ʻuala, banana, papaya).2018:
2018:
December
Partnered with Hawaiʻi Farm to School Hui to begin developing a P-20 ʻUlu Education Toolkit.December
First Maui member joined the co-op; HUC is now a bi-island co-op.2018:
2019:
April
UH College of Education STEM2 joined Hui partnership to further develop ʻUlu Education Toolkit project.July
Membership grew to 70 farmers.2019:
2019:
August
Became the first tenant at Kamehameha School’s Alae Postharvest Processing Facility, which becomes co-op’s dedicated aggregation site in Hilo for east Hawai’i farmers.November
First draft of ʻUlu Education Toolkit piloted statewide in classrooms of 20 kumu from 6 islands.2019:
2020:
January
New recipe ready retail packs of frozen ʻulu launched in 23 store locations on 6 islands.April
Online co-op shop launched in response to COVID-19, with a full array of e-commerce products available for shipping nationwide in 100% compostable, insulated packaging.2020:
2020:
June
HUC launches COVID-19 Relief and Response Campaign, partnering with the Food Basket to deliver over 60,000 lbs of frozen ʻulu and other minimally-processed local staple crops to families affected by the pandemic as of February 2021.July
Membership grew to 84 farmers.2020:
2020:
November
HUC ʻulu flour product released for wholesale and retail consumers. In partnership with Voyaging Foods and Hawaiʻi Farmers Union Foundation, the 30% by 2030 Initiative was established to continue educating the public about how to use ʻulu flour and replace 30% of imported flours with flours made with local starches by 2030.January
First chef-curated food box and cooking demo launched in partnership with Chef Kealoha Domingo of Nui Kealoha, providing home consumers across Hawaiʻi and the United States with access to Hawaiʻi grown and made agricultural products and world-class recipes and instruction from respected, island chefs.2021:
2021:
April
ʻUlu Education Toolkit officially launched on University of Hawaii College of Education STEM2 website.May
Membership surpassed 100 farmers.2021:
2021:
June
First Oʻahu member-farm, Kahumana Farm, joins the co-op.July
Co-op celebrates 5-year anniversary at annual member meeting. Travis Forgues from Organic Valley (the largest farmer-owned co-op in the U.S) joins as a guest speaker.2021:
2021:
July
Hired first Director of Sales, Tamara Butterbaugh– previously of Mānoa Chocolate
August
Launched Recipe-Ready pack line in grocery stores statewide; partnered with KCC, 7-11 and Warabeya to offer ulu wagyu beef stew at 7-11 locations statewide
2021:
2021:
September
Awarded Value Added Producer Grant from the USDA Rural Development to scale Hawaii grown and milled ulu flour
October
National Farm to School Month celebrated in partnership with Kokua Hawaii Foundation and other community partners to host ulu cooking demos and distribute Kumu Ulu boxes and educational packets statewide; hired first Member Coordinator – Kyle Jackson
2021:
2021:
November
Launched Ulu Agroforestry scaling partnership with Propagate and OK Farms, funded by Elemental Excelerator Ohana Grant
December
Completed ulu value-added product R&D initiative in partnership with Ulu ambassadors Dan Robayo and Sarah Burchard and master food preserver Shannon Rodriguez, to develop new all purpose baking mix made with ulu flour, ulu fries recipe, and new flavors for ulu hummus and chocolate mousse; project made possible by Big Island Resource Conservation and Development Council and the County of Hawaii.
2021:
2022:
January
Established partnership with HFA to significantly expand availability of recipe-ready packs at many more grocery stores in Hawaii, including Longs/CVS; hired first Marketing Manager – Kenta Nemoto
February
Launched four-part Hawaii Cooperative Webinar Series in partnership with The Kohala Center to educate coop members and the public about Hawaii co-ops
2022:
2022:
March
Awarded first grant in farmer-membership department, a Sustainable Agriculture Resource and Education (SARE) Grant to test and report on best practices for cost effectively preventing ungulate damage and managing weeds in young breadfruit orchards
April
Soft launch of Hoopili Ai campaign to restore Harvest of the Month program in Hawaii elementary schools; GM and Member coordinator travel to Wisconsin for Organic Valleyʻs Annual Member Meeting / inspired to draft HUCs first Foundational Tenets modeled after lessons learned from CROPP
2022:
2022:
May
Flour Line Launch, featuring Samoa grown and milled and all purpose basking mix alongside pure hawaii grown and milled flour; hired first Alae Postharvest Facility manager – Fiona Rowles
May/June
conduct first circuit of regional member meetings on big island
2022:
2022:
June
Final membership count 125 – across 3 islands; Ok Farms 5-acre ulu agroforestry site planted out with ulu trees and co-crops – hosted first community planting day; released ulu agroforestry in hawaii guide and hosted webinar.July
Hawai‘i ‘Ulu Co-op celebrates its 6th annual member meeting with 100 farmers, staff and guests at Honalo facility in Kailua-Kona where new board members were elected. Guest speaker Angelina McCoy shared about ‘ulu culture in Micronesia.The Hawai‘i ‘Ulu Co-op is formally invited to the Pacific Islands Farmers Organization Network (PIFON), becoming it’s first Hawai‘i member.
The ‘Ulu Co-op provided the Hawai‘i Food and Wine Festival with kalo for its Kalo Recipe Contest in partnership with Hawai‘i Executive Collaborative and Kamehameha Schools.
2022:
2022:
August
The Hawai‘i ‘Ulu Co-op reaches a milestone of aggregating and distributing over 1,000,000 pounds of Hawai‘i grown staple crops from its member farmers.The Hawai‘i ‘Ulu Co-op expands to O‘ahu and Maui with crop drop off locations for neighbor island member farmers.
September
The Hawai‘i ‘Ulu Co-op participated in the Hawai‘i ag conference, with talks on co-ops, value chain development and the Hawai‘i county BBB coalition.
First Kaua’i member joins the Hawai‘i ‘Ulu Co-op, bringing geographic representation to four Hawaiian islands.
2022:
2022:
October
Hawai‘i ‘Ulu Co-op attended the Global Breadfruit Summit which took place at the Honolulu Convention Center.
The Hawai‘i ‘Ulu Co-op hosts ‘ulu agroforestry round table with key Hawai‘i agriculture stakeholders in Hilo to get feedback and insights on future ‘ulu agroforestry developments across pae ʻāina.
November
The Hawai‘i ‘Ulu Co-op releases and co-authors Chef Sam Choy’s ‘Ulu Cookbook with Gaye Wong and Mutual Publishing Inc.2022:
2023:
January
Kirthi Hagalwadi, Masters in Public Health student from San Jose State University works as the co-op’s first public health intern, in partnership with nutritionist ambassador Cynthia Archibald and Hui Mālama Ola Nā ʻŌiwi to reach the community.February
The co-op goes to Tonga on a knowledge exchange mission with Nishi Trading, another member of the Pacific Islands Farmer Organization Network (PIFON).
The Hawai‘i ‘Ulu Co-op’s farmer members brought in a record breaking 138,839 pounds of ‘ulu in FY23 season.
2023:
2023:
March
The Hawai‘i ‘Ulu Co-op hires Aaron Braud as the new Alae Postharvest Processing Facility.
Partnered with the Nature Conservancy along with UH CTHAR and Propagate Ag to launch the AgroforestryUSA project to help increase farm income, soil health, water quality and biodiversity while reducing GHG emissions.
May
The ‘Ulu Co-op distributes the last Hoʻopili ʻAi boxes of the school year to Hawai‘i keiki – bringing the total up to 3,544 lbs of Hawai‘i-grown staple crops served to 7,725 students during the 2022-2023 school year.
2023:
2023
June
Our board of directors approves the 150th co-op member. The final count at the end of FY23 is 151 farmers strong and growing!
The Hawai‘i ‘Ulu Co-op hires Roger Fawcett as the new Sales Manager based out of Honolulu, Hawai‘i.
Celebrated the one year anniversary at O.K. Farms ‘Ulu Agroforestry project where we welcomed 150+ community volunteers’ kōkua. Together we planted 213 ʻulu trees, 25 bananas, 280 mamaki, 870+ coffee trees, 1000+ pumpkins, 600+ kō, and over 2000 kalo huli.
Participated in the Hawai‘i on the Hill event with the Chamber of Commerce Hawai‘i in Washington DC.
August
We upgraded the Honalo Processing Facility’s freezer to more than double our storage capacity from 16 to 42 pallets, allowing us to increase our production and sales capacity.2023
2023
September
Our 7th annual member meeting was held at our Alae post-harvest facility in Hilo.October
During Farm to School Month 2023, we distributed nearly 350 Farm-to-School Boxes and served almost 90 schools across the islands. Learn about the Hawai‘i Harvest of the Month & Ho‘opili ‘Ai Farm-to-School Program.
2023
2023
November
The ʻUlu Co-op was selected as the Hawaiʻi regional partner with The Nature Conservancy to expand regenerative agroforestry through technical assistance and funding. The co-op hires its first full-time Agroforestry Specialist, Chris Kaʻiakapu. Learn more about the Expanding Agroforestry Project here.
March
Our CEO, Dana Shapiro and Professor Noa Lincoln from UH CTAHR were invited to Philippines to exchange information about breadfruit production. Read Dana’s blog about the trip here.
2024
2024
May
The co-op joins Mana Up cohort 9, a Hawaiʻi-based accelerator program with the goal to create “strategic partnerships” to expand its network across various sectors and increase market opportunities for farmers. Learn more here.
June
We were invited to Hawaiʻi on the Hill in Washington D.C for a second year, met with state leaders, and showed off our newly-developed ‘Inamona MacNut ‘Ulu Hummus!
2024
2024
July
We finished the year with a record 170 farmer-members!
August
Our team volunteered at Kū-a-Kanakaʻs beautiful Kapapa Lo‘i o Keali‘ikuaʻāina in Waipi‘o Valley to help clear out a section of the river that feeds an extensive network of kalo farms. Teams that clear rivers together can move mountains together!
2024
2024
September
Our 8th annual member meeting brought together 100 farmers and friends from across the pae ʻāina to our headquarters at the Honalo Marshaling Yard in Kailua Kona, Hawaiʻi Island, to celebrate another successful year and plan for the future.
October
Through Hoʻopili ʻAi, Hawai‘i’s Harvest of the Month program, the co-op continued to supply staple crops and educational resources to schools, reaching keiki across the islands with culturally significant, locally grown foods. Since 2022, over 49,600 students from more than 200 PreK-12 public, public charter, and independent schools on Hawai‘i Island, O‘ahu, Maui, Molokai, and Kaua‘i have received one or more Farm to School Sampler Boxes full of ʻulu, kalo, ʻuala, and/or palaʻai to taste and enjoy with their classmates or at home with their families; farmer-members of the co-op have provided more than 18,450 pounds of locally grown staple foods to support this program.
2024
2024
November
New records! We received a record 92,673 pounds of ‘ulu in November alone last year! This broke all other monthly records and may be broken again this peak season!
December
We expanded our farmer support with new resources to boost yields, improve processing readiness, and strengthen agroforestry practices. Highlights include the Co-Crop Management Calendar, a Palaʻai Production Guide, a Māmaki Production Blog, and our ʻUlu Maturity Identification Resources—all designed to help members improve harvest quality and market success.
2024
2025
January
Our products made their debut at L&L Hawaiian Barbecue in Kihei, Maui, marking the start of an exciting partnership to bring Hawaiʻi-grown ʻulu and co-crops into one of Hawaiʻi’s most iconic local restaurant chains.
February
We created two new positions for our sales team: a Communications Lead and a Retail & IT Lead to help expand the reach of our farmers’ harvests. These roles strengthen our capacity to share the story of Hawaiʻi-grown crops and to bring more ʻulu and co-crops into menus and kitchens across the islands while leveraging technology to streamline our efforts.
2025
2025
March
With over 385,000 pounds of co-crops received this year alone, our farmers are demonstrating the potential of diversified agroforestry systems to feed Hawaiʻi’s people and strengthen resilience.
April
Our ʻUlu Flour was piloted in banana bread served across 90 public schools statewide, introducing thousands of keiki to this nutritious local staple and highlighting its potential to support Hawaiʻi-grown food in school meals. The pilot was a huge success and DOE is now serving ʻulu flour across all 256 public schools as part of the regular menu!
2025
2025
May
We celebrated a major milestone as our newest product, our ʻUlu Pancake Mix, hit the shelves in all Foodland stores across Hawai‘i. This partnership brings our farmers’ harvests to more families statewide, making it easier than ever to enjoy delicious, Hawaiʻi-grown staples at home.
June
We reached a new milestone with 227,677 pounds of ʻulu harvested in FY25, marking the highest annual ʻulu yield since our founding. The year also closed out with a record 185 members and over 7,000 ʻulu trees in the ground—ensuring that the next decade will bring even more abundance for Hawaiʻi.
2025
2025
July
Brewed Up Something New with Kona Brewing Hawaiʻi. We got our first taste of an exciting new collaboration with Kona Brewing Hawaiʻi: an ʻulu lager featuring Hawaiʻi-grown breadfruit from our farmer-members. The partnership brought ʻulu into an entirely new product category while showcasing just how versatile this traditional staple can be.
August
ʻUlu Animal Crackers Launched with Diamond Bakery. We teamed up with iconic Hawaiʻi company Diamond Bakery to launch ʻUlu & Blueberry Animal Crackers, made with Hawaiʻi-grown ʻulu flour from our farmer-members, real blueberries, and local honey. Developed with Hawaiʻi’s keiki in mind, the collaboration transformed locally grown breadfruit into a fun, familiar snack while creating another value-added market for our farmers’ harvests.
2025
2025
September
9th Annual Member Meeting. Our 9th Annual Member Meeting brought our growing network of farmer-members together at the ʻAlae Postharvest Facility in Hilo for another record turnout. Members gathered for an educational panel of fellow farmers, facility tours, good food, and the cooperative’s annual business meeting.
October
Expanded Our Harvest Network to New Sites on Maui, Kauaʻi and Oʻahu. We expanded our neighbor island aggregation and processing partnerships to new sites on Kauaʻi with ResiRoots and the Pineapple Store, on Maui with Hawaiʻi Farm Project and Maui Breadfruit Company, and in East Oʻahu with member farm Kualoa Ranch. These partnerships make it possible for farmers across the pae ʻāina to participate in the co-op while building the regional infrastructure needed to aggregate more Hawaiʻi-grown staple crops.
2025
2025
November
Shared Hawaiʻi-Grown Foods Across Our Community. November gave us several opportunities to bring our farmers’ harvests directly to the community. We brought our products and mission to the Mana Up Showcase, Arbor Day, and Kanaka Culinary Explosion, connecting with people through food and agriculture, while introducing new audiences to the incredible versatility of Hawaiʻi-grown ʻulu and co-crops.
December
Launched the Young Farmer Mentorship Program. With support from the Kohala Coast Community Fund, we launched the Young Farmer Mentorship Program, creating opportunities for the next generation to gain hands-on experience in ʻulu production, agroforestry, and Hawaiʻi’s local food system. Through direct mentorship with seasoned farmers coupled with agricultural education provided by GoFarm Hawaiʻi, the program helps young people build practical skills while creating real career pathways into farming in Hawaiʻi.
2025
2026
January
We Were Featured in Hana Hou!. We were honored to have our origin story and the growing movement around ʻulu featured in Hana Hou!, Hawaiian Airlines’ beloved in-flight magazine. The story introduced travelers from Hawaiʻi and around the world to the people, places, and possibilities driving breadfruit’s resurgence and the movement to rebuild a more resilient local food system.
February
Celebrated ʻUlu Across Hawaiʻi. February was full of opportunities to gather around ʻulu, agriculture, and community. We celebrated with students and families at Kua O Ka Lā Public Charter School’s incredible ʻUlu Festival, joined Amy B.H. Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden for its Grow Hawaiian Celebration, and traveled to Maui for our first regional member meeting of the season. Each gathering offered a different way to connect with community, share knowledge, forward our mission, and celebrate Hawaiʻi’s local food system.
2026
2026
March
Exploring New Crops & Strengthening Farmer Connections. We continued exploring opportunities to diversify markets for Hawaiʻi farmers by beginning research and development around coconut processing and potential value-added products on Kauaʻi. Back on Hawaiʻi Island, we gathered our East Hawaiʻi farmer-members for a regional meeting, creating space to connect, share updates, discuss local needs and opportunities, and strengthen the relationships at the heart of our cooperative.
April
Growing Our Team, Infrastructure & Farmer Connections. April brought investments in both the people and infrastructure needed to handle our farmers’ growing harvests. We promoted Ariel Navas to Production Manager and made great progress on a major upgrade to our Honalo Marshaling Yard, which involved several months of construction to expand our processing capacity. Our regional member meeting season also continued with gatherings on Oʻahu and Kauaʻi, while we advocated for legislation supporting Hawaiʻi cooperatives, farmers, and local food production.
2026
2026
May
A Record Month for Hoʻopili ʻAi Educational Outreach. Thanks to incredible support from sponsors and partners, the Hoʻopili ʻAi Farm-to-School Program reached more classrooms and culinary programs with a record distribution of free educational boxes featuring locally made products and Hawaiʻi-grown ingredients. We also welcomed Ryan Weiskopf as our new Producer Support Lead, expanding our capacity to work directly with farmer-members on production, harvest quality, crop management, and the resources they need to succeed.
June
Growing Our Team & Getting Our Hands in the ʻĀina. We closed out the fiscal year with Venus Rodin stepping into her new role as Community Outreach Assistant, strengthening our capacity to connect farmers, schools, families, and communities with our mission. Our team also came together for a hands-on kalo harvesting workday at member farm Māla Kaluʻulu in Kona and participated in Laupāhoehoe Community Public Charter School’s Farm-to-Charter School Showcase, ending another year of growth the way we like best: in community, learning from one another, and staying connected to the ʻāina and the foods that sustain us.
2026
