Oahu RC&D provided risk management information to a growing network of Hawaii women farmers, kicking off with a forum that inspired and engaged 97 participants to recognize income opportunities and risk reduction strategies associated with agritourism and other opportunities for diversifying their operation and streams of revenue for their farm. Following the forum, a series of virtual workshops, entitled: Skill up! Increasing Your Farm Revenue Streams through Direct to Consumer Sales, Turning COVID-19 Challenges into Sustained Opportunities brought together 124 producers, service providers and other ag professionals to explore new opportunities and risks associated with transitioning and scaling-up operations to take advantage of new markets emerging in response to the pandemic.
In addition to the virtual learning sessions, an online Risk Management Inventory Tool was generated to address the increased risk women in our network were assuming as they rapidly adapted and expanded their operations to a direct to consumer model. Launching the tool through our social media platforms and our Hawaii Women Farmers Network (WFN) newsletter, along with relatable videos which personalized the messaging around risk management, enabled us to reach 1,596 local viewers and actively engage 111 of Hawaii's women producers.