The following testimony was submitted by the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii for consideration by the House Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce on Feb. 13, 2026.
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Feb. 13, 2026, 9 a.m.
Hawaii State Capitol
Conference Room 329 and Videoconference
To: House Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce
Rep. Gregg Takayama, Chair
Rep. Sue L. Keohokapu-Lee Loy, Vice Chair
From: Grassroot Institute of Hawaii
Ted Kefalas, Director of Strategic Campaigns
RE: TESTIMONY IN SUPPORT OF HB2619 — RELATING TO HOMEMADE FOOD PRODUCTS
Aloha Chair, Vice Chair and other members of the Committee,
The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii supports HB2619, which would require the state Department of Health to treat farm kitchens no differently than it treats home kitchens under current cottage food rules.
The bill defines a farm kitchen as “a kitchen located on agricultural land, including land zoned for agricultural use or land actively used for agricultural production, in which food products are prepared using ingredients that may include agricultural products grown or raised on the same farm.”
Act 195 (2024) expanded the kinds of homemade foods that Hawaii residents could sell and allowed homemade foods to be sold at retail, through the mail and over the internet, as long as they are properly labeled.
This legislation would build on Act 195 (2024) and be especially beneficial for rural entrepreneurs who do not have easy access to commercial kitchens.
Thank you for the opportunity to testify.
Ted Kefalas
Director of Strategic Campaigns
Grassroot Institute of Hawaii
