About the Farm
Sweet Treats and Gifts is a family-run farm based in Pāhoa, Hawaiʻi, growing a diverse range of locally produced crops including palaʻai (pumpkins and squash), cassava, pipinola (chayote), dryland taro, long green squash, and fruit trees. The farm supplies produce through local markets and food-system partners, including Hawaiʻi ʻUlu Cooperative and The Food Basket’s DA BOX program, as well as local restaurants.
Farming is also deeply rooted in the family. Aileen grew up helping her mother harvest, wash, pack, and sell produce, drawing on agricultural knowledge passed down from their family farm in the Philippines. Today, Aileen leads the farm’s sales and marketing while her mother continues to guide production with decades of farming experience.
The Challenge
Despite having established markets for their produce, Sweet Treats and Gifts faced two major barriers to growth: the high cost of farm inputs and a lack of protected growing space. The farm relied heavily on purchased fertilizer, while pigs had damaged pumpkin vines and destroyed crops in its outdoor production areas. At the same time, the farm wanted to expand its small poultry operation to produce more eggs while generating manure that could be returned to the fields as a natural fertilizer.
Without sufficient capital, however, expanding poultry production safely and creating protected growing space was difficult. The farm envisioned integrating chickens and crop production into a more closed-loop system—using poultry manure to nourish crops while producing a locally grown source of protein for the community
How Mālama Da Farmer Grant Helped
Through the Mālama Da Farmer Grant, Sweet Treats and Gifts received funding to expand both its poultry and crop production. The project supported a new chicken coop, a 10-by-20-foot greenhouse, fencing and poultry netting, feed and other poultry supplies, and materials to prepare the greenhouse growing area. Grant funding also helped cover the assembly and installation of the new farm infrastructure.
Impact
The new infrastructure will help Sweet Treats and Gifts integrate poultry and crop production into a more resilient farm system. Expanding the laying flock will provide a local source of eggs while producing manure that can be used to fertilize crops and reduce reliance on purchased inputs. The greenhouse will provide protected growing space, helping safeguard crops from heavy rain, pests and feral pigs while supporting more consistent production for the farm’s existing markets.
Together, these improvements will help the farm diversify its income, reduce production costs and strengthen its ability to provide locally grown food to the Hawaiʻi Island community.
