Kokua Harvest

Hubby Pat and I were one of the first property owners to respond to an article in the Hamakua Times announcing the expansion of Kokua Harvest, the Food Basket’s island-wide gleaning (or “food rescue”) program. We had struggled for years to find homes for the plethora of extra citrus and avocados from our 80+ trees that simply fell to the ground, and then became a smelly mess and insect attractant. We were not interested in selling our produce, but instead, focused on donating to various community groups, and giving it away to just about anyone we came in contact with.

Secondarily, we have come to appreciate the annual donation letter which allows us to calculate the value of the donation based on the price of the fruit at the grocery store. Our 2022 tax write-off was $1,900, and our 2023 tax write-off was $2,400!

The Kokua Harvest volunteers are wonderful! They love to come to our orchards and pick a variety of citrus and avocados. They are trustworthy, and really exude the aloha spirit. They love what they do because they know the end result…minimizing food insecurity across our island!

And, I have also had the pleasure of connecting Kokua Harvest with my on and off island real estate sellers who have trees that need to be harvested! Whether three orange trees, a banana crop, or an entire orchard of produce, this is an awesome way to help families and communities across the Big Island.