On Tuesday, September 6th, 2022, we met all day to begin crafting a vision for agriculture on Kaua'i. Guna Solutions (our consultants) were on Island to facilitate this important work. To begin the day, we reviewed our norms and grounded our thinking to prepare for the work ahead:
Interact in “Kaua'i Style” - with Aloha, always respecting po'e, ʻāina, and wai
Be present, actively listen, and interact with the group stating the good and the bad, but always respecting the expertise of your peers
Show up with positivity, support, and encourage one another
Have fun
We began our work by taking a deep dive into the executive summary provided by Guna Solutions. In phase I, eight focus groups were identified, and our consultants met with six of the eight in person and two virtually. The data collected from those meetings led to the creation of the executive summary.
Guna Solutions facilitated an in-depth review of the summary and then numerous activities that promoted collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking. Our work ultimately led to the creation of the following vision for agriculture on the Island:
"Kaua'i agriculture is prosperous, resilient, and a global leader while honoring our unique culture and past."
Thank you to those who were able to attend our second meeting and we are looking forward to seeing everyone in future gatherings. Please mark your calendars now for our next meeting.
We will work with Guna Solutions on October 27th and 28th from 8:30 AM – 12:00 PM to craft our mission and draft goals and objectives. We will be meeting at Kaua'i Community College.
If you have questions, comments, or concerns, please reach out anytime.
Jackie Kaina
Executive Director
Kaua'i Economic Development Board