October News: Neighbors Helping Neighbors
Coming Together After Hurricane Lowell
Several of us at Grove Farm can remember Hurricanes ‘Iwa in 1982 and ‘Iniki in 1992. Those experiences taught all of Kaua‘i the importance of preparing before a storm. As Hurricane Lowell approached before the Labor Day weekend, some of our longtime staff reflected on the days leading up to Iniki and the long days that followed—remembering the powerful winds that swept across our island and the destruction it left behind.
For some of our younger staff, Lowell was their first experience with a hurricane. Across generations, our team understood that once the storm passed, the work was just beginning.
Before Lowell’s arrival, our experienced Land Management team was all hands on deck doing the critically needed preparation. After the storm passed, they immediately began inspecting the damage. We had already mobilized our contractors who, the next day, started removing the many fallen trees and debris that were blocking vital water systems and communication towers. We are so grateful to the contractors who worked from sunup to sun down to assist with the restoration of vital infrastructure.
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Our thanks also goes to the team at Aqua Engineers, and AJAR Inc., who worked tirelessly to restore our vital water treatment plant and the contractors and our tenants who cleared waterway and critical roads including Russell Fu, William Pavao, James Alana Tree Service, Ritchie Waalani, and Pacific Concrete, Cutting & Coring (PCCC).
Helping Farmers Support the Community
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The storm also caused significant losses for many local farmers, and power outages left many of our neighbors in need of fresh food. Amid the recovery, in partnership with Stephanie Iona and Jaclyn Kaina of the Kaua‘i Economic Development Board, Grove Farm purchased over $25,000 of produce from our tenant farmers for distribution via the Kaua‘i Foodbank, Samuel Mahelona Memorial Hospital, Meals on Wheels, and other organizations. Grove Farm staff, including Senior Accountant Sunee Putisan, began contacting farmers to find out what fruits and vegetables could still be salvaged. Although many farmers lost much of their crops, the produce they were able to salvage was brought to Grove Farm for consolidation and distribution. Thank you, Aunty Steph, for your leadership.
Hawaiʻi Foodbank Kauaʻi
We wish to express our deep thanks to Wes Perreira, Hawaiʻi Foodbank president Amy Miller, and their staff for distributing much-needed food. Wes and Amy noted that Lowell highlighted their space limitations on island that limit their capacity to fully respond to major disasters. Their small Puhi warehouse was not designed for the volume or variety of food they currently distribute, nor is it adequate for future disasters, especially if our harbor piers sustain damage that disrupts operations for a prolonged period. Grove Farm committed a donation of $250,000 to assist with their planning efforts for a much needed larger facility, centrally located at Grove Farm’s Ahukini Business Park.
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