Whats Happening
Equipment taken, crops destroyed: Thieves rob Hawaii Island non-profit farm
Equipment taken, crops destroyed: Thieves rob Hawaii Island non-profit farm
Hawaii News Now
Published: Dec. 29, 2024 at 8:14 AM HST
​
KAPOHO (HawaiiNewsNow) - A Hawaii Island non-profit organization is asking for the grinch or grinches who stole from them this Christmas to have a change of heart.
Sometime on Christmas day or night, the Kuamo’o Legacy Foundation’s farm in Kapoho was hit hard by thieves who took all of their farming equipment.
“The items that were taken were an aluminum trailer, a solar water heater a storage container and we had other solar items that was also taken, and also our water tank,” said Keone Kalawe of the foundation.
He said the culprits also uprooted a number of plants on the farm and just left on the side for no good reason.
​
While a police report was filed , all the foundation wants is their equipment back, no questions asked.
“If they could please return it, and we wouldn’t actually, you know, press charges or anything. We just need our equipment so we can function and serve our community,” he says.
The Kuamo’o farmers cultivate crops that help feed communities in the Puna region of Hawaii, crops like kalo or taro to make poi and other delectables like kulolo.
“We’re kind of like, you know astounded that you know, someone or a group of people has actually broken into our nonprofit farm and has stolen items that we use to serve the general public,” says Kuamo’o.
​
​Anyone with information or perhaps have surveillance cameras that face the road on Old Government Beach Road from Papaya Farms Road to Hawaiian Shores, please contact Hawaii County Police.Anyone with information or perhaps have surveillance cameras that face the road on Old Government Beach Road from Papaya Farms Road to Hawaiian Shores, please contact Hawaii County Police.
