Hawai'i Island-East Hawai'i-Chapter

HFUU-East Hawai'i

Chapter Mission:

"He Ali'i Ka ʻāina, He Kauwā Ke Kanaka"
The land is the chief, man is the servant.
We firmly believe that regenerative agriculture is the nexus of solutions for the most pressing challenges facing our community today.
-Food security
-Healthy nutrition
-Climate change
-Economic and supply chain upheaval
By empowering small, family farms and focusing on soil health and regenerative farming practices together we can build a strong, thriving food system for our community.
Through strong cooperation, shared education and a collective voice to leverage legislation, together we can manifest that vision, not only for ourselves, but through our actions become a beacon inspiring and activating the wider global community.
We are blessed in the East Hawaii community, to have outstanding resources:
-some of the best soil on the planet, now decades removed from the toxic sugar industry
-abundant rain and underground water
-a wide range of elevations to suit many diverse crops
But our most precious resource is the deeply passionate and knowledgeable farmers that have dedicated themselves to cultivating and stewarding the land.
Together we can build a future to make our keiki and our ancestors proud.
The power of a union, is far greater than the sum of it's parts.

Meeting Schedule: Quarterly

Meeting Time: Varies*

Meeting Location: Varies*

*Subscribe to our newsletter to be notified of the time and place of upcoming meetings, potlucks and educational events.

Board of Directors

Interim President & Secretary, Rebekah Cryderman considers herself a life-long student, beginning farmer and steward of the ʻāina who values curiosity, integrity and compassion. She has collaborated with organizations for sustainable development, environmental regeneration and community health across California, Ghana, Rwanda, Tanzania and now Hawaiʻi, and is passionate about encouraging multiple perspectives and supporting locally-based solutions. Currently she serves as the Director of Education and Guest Experience at Kalani Retreat Center, a nonprofit educational retreat center tucked into the coastal jungles of lower Puna. She looks forward to being of greater service towards efforts of food sovereignty, sharing knowledge and thriving community within the island of Hawaiʻi through her participation with Hawai'i Farmers Union United.

Treasurer, Michael Wheelwright is a regenerative financial advisor, musician, and permaculture activist who resides with his wife and two sons on the Hamakua Coast of Big Island Hawaii. Michael and his wife were born and raised in Utah and moved to Hawaii in 2020 for the birth of his first son. They worked together in Utah starting and managing multiple environmental non-profits including Artists for Local Agriculture, the Utah Permaculture Collective, and the SLC Air Protectors. He was the Green Party Candidate for Salt Lake County Mayor in 2019-2020 and was the Farm Director of Krishna's Food Forest and Farm for 4 years. He dedicates his life to being in service to the regeneration of the earth and the support of healthy, resilient communities everywhere.