The following testimony was submitted by the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii on March 19, 2025, for consideration by the Senate Committees on Agriculture and Environment, Water and Land, Economic Development and Tourism and Energy and Intergovernmental Affairs.
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March 19, 2025, 1 p.m.
Hawaii State Capitol
Conference Room 229 and Videoconference
To: Senate Committee on Agriculture and Environment
Senator Mike Gabbard, Chair
Senator Herbert “Tim” Richards, III, Vice Chair
Senate Committee on Water and Land
Sen. Lorraine R. Inouye, Chair
Sen. Brandon J.C. Elefante, Vice Chair
Senate Committee on Economic Development and Tourism
Sen. Lynn DeCoite, Chair
Sen. Glenn Wakai, Vice Chair
Senate Committee on Energy and Intergovernmental Affairs
Sen. Glenn Wakai, Chair
Sen. Stanley Chang, Vice Chair
From: Grassroot Institute of Hawaii
Ted Kefalas, Director of Strategic Campaigns
RE: HB966 HD2 — RELATING TO AGRICULTURAL TOURISM
Aloha chairs, vice-chairs and other members of the committees,
The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii offers comments on — and an amendment to — HB966 HD2, which would create uniform standards for agricultural tourism operations throughout the state.
Specifically, the bill would allow agricultural tourism activities as an accessory and secondary use to primary agricultural uses in counties with an adopted agricultural tourism ordinance.
The only general requirement would be that any farm or ranch owner wanting to conduct agricultural tourism would be required to register with the county planning department and provide information on farm access, facilities and tourism activities they plan to offer.
Grassroot believes this bill would give farmers and ranchers more freedom to diversify their income sources. Agricultural tourism activities could educate visitors about sustainable practices and land stewardship, in addition to creating employment opportunities and excise tax revenues.
However, Grassroot supports the restoration of certain sections of the HD1 version of this bill.
Specifically, the committees should consider adding back existing statutory language authorizing overnight accommodations in Maui County and the proposed language that would have legalized food trucks on farms and ranches.
The language on food trucks had read as follows, in Section 3, under agricultural-based commercial operations:
(G) A roadside stand or retail activities in an enclosed structure under three hundred square feet in total floor area that is on a trailer; provided that any stand or structure under this subparagraph shall be exempt from building permit requirements, notwithstanding the need for an electric or plumbing permit, if appropriate.
Furthermore, Grassroot requests that the committees do not add language requiring that farm or ranch income must exceed tourism-derived income.
For many farmers and ranchers, agriculture is primarily for donation or sustenance, and any income-based rules could deny them the opportunity to participate in Hawaii’s largest economic driver: tourism.
Thank you for the opportunity to testify.
Ted Kefalas
Director of Strategic Campaigns
Grassroot Institute of Hawaii
