Latest / The One Oʻahu Podcast with Mayor Rick Blangiardi / OER on resources for farmers and small businesses affected by the Kona Low storms

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OER on resources for farmers and small businesses affected by the Kona Low storms · The One Oʻahu Podcast with Mayor Rick Blangiardi

• 0:14
  Welcome to the one Oahu podcast.
• 0:16
  I'm your host, Brandi Higa, and this week we're at the city's
• 0:19
  Office of Economic Revitalization with Alex and Allison.
• 0:23
  Allison, if we could start off with you, could you tell us, your full name,
• 0:23
  Allison, if we could start off with you, could you tell us, your full name,
• 0:26
  your title and what you do here? Oh, yea.
• 0:29
  My name is Allison Grosche,
• 0:30
  and I'm a resource connector here at the Oahu Business Connector program at OER.
• 0:34
  And the bulk of what I do is getting out and talking to small businesses each day
• 0:37
  and connecting them with resources at our partner organizations
• 0:40
  and we've heard of it before. But for those who don't know
• 0:43
  what our business connector is, what it what is that?
• 0:46
  We essentially connect businesses with one of our 82 partner organizations,
• 0:49
  and we can help them find funding, support, and support for other things
• 0:52
  that their business may need. Right. And Alex, same for you.
• 0:56
  Aloha.
• 0:57
  My name is Alex
• 0:57
  Narrajos I'm the Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems program manager at OER.
• 1:01
  My job is to support our farmers and producers on Oahu, specifically
• 1:07
  focusing on small and mid-sized farmers, which make up the bulk of them.
• 1:12
  I work a lot with our partner organizations
• 1:14
  to connect them to city resources as well.
• 1:18
  And, you know, we thought it appropriate to get you folks on right now
• 1:21
  because Kona Low one and two did create some historic damage here on Oahu.
• 1:25
  But there are ways that folks can receive help.
• 1:28
  Alex, maybe if we can start with you,
• 1:29
  what are some of the programs that you're working on now and more importantly,
• 1:33
  that the deadlines for those programs that I know are coming up pretty quick?
• 1:36
  The main program we are promoting is the Farm Service Agencies
• 1:39
  Emergency Conservation Program, which is a cost share program
• 1:43
  designed to help farmers with things like debris removal,
• 1:47
  fence repair and other effects of the Canal of Storms.
• 1:51
  The deadline for that is July 31st, and you can apply by reaching out
• 1:55
  to the local Farm Service Agency office.
• 1:59
  for the cost share piece.
• 2:01
  Affected farmers are required to put up 25% of the costs incurred,
• 2:06
  and then the ECP program would cover the other 75%.
• 2:10
  and I know that's an extension from the original deadline.
• 2:12
  Does that kind of show like the scope,
• 2:14
  the magnitude of just the damage that's been caused?
• 2:17
  I think it's shows both the magnitude.
• 2:19
  I know there's been over 200 applicants so far, but also the limitations
• 2:22
  and capacity of the farm service agencies, local office.
• 2:26
  There's only one person, processing applications.
• 2:29
  So patience is also, appreciated for that.
• 2:33
  Another important deadline is July 21st, 2026 for free soil and plant testing
• 2:37
  through the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human
• 2:41
  Resources Agriculture Diagnostic Service center
• 2:44
  for flood affected farms so they can reach out to see to
• 2:47
  to get free soil testing on affected farms.
• 2:51
  And then, Alison, what about for you?
• 2:52
  What kind of programs are you working on right now?
• 2:54
  One of the biggest things we've been recommending
• 2:56
  to businesses is the Small Business Administration disaster loans.
• 3:00
  So there's two different ones.
• 3:01
  There's the Business Physical Disaster Loan,
• 3:03
  which has an upcoming deadline of June 14th, as well as economic
• 3:07
  injury loans, which aren't due until January 7th of 2027.
• 3:11
  These loans are a great option for those who do not have physical damage,
• 3:14
  but did have documented revenue loss from the Kona lows.
• 3:17
  Even if you do not know yet if you'd like to apply for
• 3:20
  if you'd like to receive a loan, we recommend
• 3:21
  applying as you're under no obligation to accept the loan.
• 3:25
  FEMA Individual Assistance applications are also due on June 14th.
• 3:29
  Another program that's
• 3:30
  available for businesses is taxpayer relief programs.
• 3:33
  Businesses now have until July 2026 to file various federal
• 3:37
  and individual business tax returns, as well as make tax payments.
• 3:41
  And please see the IRS for more information on that.
• 3:44
  And so what has the registration looked like for this?
• 3:47
  Or are we getting like a ton of people applying for this right now?
• 3:50
  I do not have an estimate on the number of applicants.
• 3:53
  I do know a lot of businesses
• 3:55
  have utilized SBA loans in the past, and they may choose to do so again.
• 3:58
  Some businesses are wary to accept loans at this time.
• 4:02
  Just given their financial situations.
• 4:04
  However, these are low
• 4:05
  interest loans that may help businesses get through this tough time, right?
• 4:09
  And so how does it work if folks maybe are interested in applying
• 4:12
  what's needed, and then what can they expect in terms of timeline,
• 4:15
  when would they be able to hear back?
• 4:16
  Or how long does the application process take?
• 4:19
  Because I know sometimes people start
• 4:20
  and they don't realize just how much goes into it.
• 4:22
  Yeah, that is a great question.
• 4:24
  I'm unfortunately not sure about the turnaround process.
• 4:26
  As if there is a large number of applicants,
• 4:29
  it may take them a long time to get back to you.
• 4:31
  But we do recommend having
• 4:32
  as much documentation as possible, whether that's images and pictures
• 4:36
  that are dated of, damage to your business.
• 4:39
  But keeping details that can show a loss of revenue, just as much information
• 4:45
  as you can that shows an economic or physical loss to your business.
• 4:48
  And if you do need help applying
• 4:50
  for one of these loans, a representative is going to be available at the Waialua
• 4:53
  United Church of Christ from 9 to 630 Monday through Saturday,
• 4:57
  and they can help you out with the application.
• 4:59
  And, Alex, I've been saying for you, for farmers,
• 5:01
  this might be a little difficult because sometimes it's hard to quantify loss.
• 5:06
  But but you know, how can people maybe who are interested apply
• 5:09
  or maybe even if they afraid to apply?
• 5:11
  What's your message to them? Yeah.
• 5:13
  So I think one thing to keep in mind is
• 5:15
  you shouldn't assume that you don't qualify.
• 5:17
  I think a lot of farmers hesitate because they think either their farm is too small
• 5:22
  or the paperwork is too complicated, or they didn't lose, quote unquote, enough.
• 5:26
  But the only way to know is to actually start the process
• 5:28
  and talk with the Farm Service Agency staff and, something to collect.
• 5:33
  In the meantime, whether or not you are qualified to get
• 5:37
  the emergency conservation funds are you should try to collect similar to
• 5:42
  what Alison said, photos of damage receipts, repair estimates,
• 5:46
  any records of lost plants or livestock, maps of affected areas,
• 5:51
  and then collect, proof of ownership or lease agreements.
• 5:55
  There is a form you'll have to complete with the FSA.
• 5:58
  But even if someone doesn't
• 5:59
  have the perfect documentation, they should still contact the USDA.
• 6:03
  Now, to begin the process.
• 6:06
  And I know that you were out there, Alex, but as you guys are
• 6:09
  helping folks sign up or just kind of understand the process.
• 6:13
  What kind of stories are you hearing?
• 6:15
  Or what kind of damage are you seeing personally,
• 6:18
  I think something that's been impactful to me is seeing,
• 6:22
  even though we're a couple months out from the storms, there's still some areas
• 6:26
  that are wet on farms, areas that haven't been able to been repaired,
• 6:29
  be repaired at all.
• 6:30
  There's still debris up on fences from sometimes the original canals.
• 6:34
  So I think we've heard many stories from impacted farmers.
• 6:38
  You know, the impact varies.
• 6:41
  Some have lost everything, including structures, vehicles, machines.
• 6:46
  Others, may maybe just lost
• 6:50
  a couple rows of planting or their road got messed up.
• 6:53
  So they're having access issues.
• 6:56
  So I think something that we're tracking is the farmers.
• 6:57
  So I think something that we're tracking is the farmers.
• 7:00
  Unfortunately, some of them will need to stop being stop farming altogether.
• 7:02
  Unfortunately, some of them will need to stop being stop farming altogether.
• 7:04
  They'll have to pull up the stakes and sort of think of a new career because,
• 7:07
  all of their income was in this operation and now they're not able to continue.
• 7:13
  So, applying for these programs and working with partner agencies
• 7:17
  to figure out paths forward is our number one priority right now.
• 7:21
  Alison, what about you? What kind of stories are you seeing?
• 7:23
  Hearing? It's very discouraging to hear.
• 7:26
  Many businesses are also unsure if they will have to close their doors
• 7:29
  in the near future.
• 7:30
  And many have cited that this is even a harder time than the pandemic.
• 7:34
  Businesses,
• 7:35
  even if they didn't have physical damage from orders, which is still a major issue.
• 7:39
  A lot have had a major loss of revenue.
• 7:42
  A lot of these businesses were kind of counting on that spring break
• 7:45
  or before summer, and they just missed out on that.
• 7:48
  So it's definitely been hard for businesses with lack of tourists
• 7:52
  coming up to the North Shore and this mixed messaging on
• 7:55
  whether that's appropriate or not.
• 7:56
  So it's been slow traffic up there for them.
• 7:59
  And many business owners are paying for expenses out of their own pockets
• 8:03
  or having to make the hard decision to lay off their employees.
• 8:06
  So it's it's different for everybody, but everybody is feeling this hard loss
• 8:10
  right now.
• 8:10
  And whether it's supply chain issues, for example,
• 8:14
  many flower or plant shops, it's kind of tied to the agriculture.
• 8:18
  They're not able to have their flowers that they typically what at this time.
• 8:21
  So despite the busy time with Mother's Day Lady
• 8:24
  Garden season, they're not able to sell as many products as they would.
• 8:28
  So across many sectors, it's just, a loss of revenue overall, I would say.
• 8:33
  Yeah.
• 8:33
  You had mentioned that,
• 8:34
  there are resources available if you if you want to show up in person,
• 8:37
  I know that you were out there at some pop ups as well, but for folks
• 8:41
  that maybe need more information, are there websites,
• 8:44
  other in-person services, language services, things like that.
• 8:47
  Where can people find more information?
• 8:48
  We recommend everybody take a visit over to the One O'ahu website,
• 8:52
  which has a lot of resources for farmers, businesses, and individuals.
• 8:56
  If you are a business owner
• 8:58
  that needs assistance, you can always reach out to the Oahu
• 9:00
  Business Connector, and we'd be happy to help you.
• 9:03
  if you're
• 9:04
  looking for translated materials in regards to FEMA and SBA resources,
• 9:07
  that can also be found on one Oahu and on the Office of Economic
• 9:11
  Revitalization website.
• 9:12
  Revitalization website.
• 9:13
  If you're looking to receive assistance with any sort of applications
• 9:16
  or recovery in person, you can visit the one Oahu
• 9:19
  visit under help, and it will list different,
• 9:23
  different locations with their hours that you can visit in person
• 9:25
  for a guided assistance.
• 9:27
  for a guided assistance.
• 9:27
  And is there anything that we missed?
• 9:30
  another resource that we have here
• 9:32
  at OBC while not Kona low specific is our upcoming Oahu
• 9:35
  Small Business Micro Loan program that will be launching on the 20th of May.
• 9:40
  This is a great program for young entrepreneurs
• 9:42
  and business owners who may not qualify for traditional capital
• 9:45
  and will have low interest loans available.
• 9:47
  There.
• 9:47
  For farm resources translated into different languages,
• 9:52
  you can visit one oahu.org which links to AG stewardship
• 9:56
  Hawai'i's website which is Agriculture Stewardship hawaii.org.
• 10:00
  Additionally, if you go to Oahu's website at Revitalize oahu.org,
• 10:04
  we have far more resources in different languages as well.
• 10:08
  And while this is about policy and resources, it's also kind of a way
• 10:12
  to get to know folks that work here in the city and county of Honolulu.
• 10:15
  So, Alex, for you, you know, this is what you do every day as a job.
• 10:19
  But actually seeing the need, how are you able to kind of,
• 10:22
  you know, at the end of the day, find balance, get back to center
• 10:25
  so that you are able to help folks the next day that you get back to work.
• 10:30
  I think something that I'm reflecting on in
• 10:33
  this time is the resilience of our farmers and their ability to lean on one
• 10:37
  another and, really strengthen
• 10:41
  their community through this crisis.
• 10:45
  Crises are always terrible and tragic, and we wish they don't happen,
• 10:48
  but they also create opportunity and synergy for creativity.
• 10:53
  And I think, what gives me hope and recharges me at the end of the day is,
• 10:57
  sort of witnessing how the state
• 11:00
  or the city, the city's different agencies are working together.
• 11:02
  And I really, I would say collaborative and,
• 11:06
  innovative way to come up with solutions
• 11:09
  to help our farmers and small businesses and other community members.
• 11:12
  So I think that gives me hope
• 11:14
  that I can continue this work and that there will be some impact.
• 11:17
  Yeah. Alison, what about you?
• 11:19
  I absolutely echo Alex's sentiments, the strength of the community during
• 11:22
  this time has been really heartwarming to see, community members
• 11:26
  leaning on each other and looking out for each other.
• 11:28
  And through my outreach, especially in the North Shore area,
• 11:31
  just hearing the positivity
• 11:33
  of these people who are going
• 11:34
  through such a difficult time, but so much compassion for their neighbors
• 11:38
  who may have an even worse situation, and so much positivity of,
• 11:42
  we're going to keep going
• 11:43
  and we're going to clean up and we're going to keep on pushing.
• 11:46
  And some businesses have been there for many, many years.
• 11:49
  And so they faced difficulties before and they're helping out
• 11:52
  some of their newer neighbors.
• 11:53
  And it's been really inspiring to see and so beautiful to share space
• 11:57
  with people who are willing to talk about what they're going through and being able
• 12:01
  to reflect on that
• 12:02
  and bring that back to the office and share what people in our community
• 12:05
  are going through and help make meaningful change has been very impactful.
• 12:10
  Well, thank you both.
• 12:10
  Any final words?
• 12:12
  One thing I want to end with is just reflecting on that.
• 12:15
  This is an opportunity for the city to show their commitment
• 12:18
  to local agriculture and our local food system.
• 12:21
  And I think that we're doing that by working together,
• 12:24
  inter city, but also with our community partners
• 12:27
  to try and utilize both city and state and also some federal resources
• 12:33
  to support our farmers and support our local food system.
• 12:37
  Allison, anything to add?
• 12:39
  I'd like to add that even if a business has not been affected
• 12:42
  by the Canelo storms, we do still have resources and assistance available.
• 12:46
  Please feel free to give us a call or an email at obc@honolulu.gov and we'd
• 12:52
  be happy to help you with your business, whether it's Canelo or otherwise.
• 12:57
  Well, thank you both for your time.
• 12:58
  And again.
• 12:59
  You can find all that information anytime at one or Ahu talk.
• 13:03
  Next week
• 13:04
  we'll be back with Mayor Rick Blangiardi right here on the One or Who podcast.
• 13:07
  Mahalo for listening. And until next time, Aloha.