Haley McKinnon
Aloha, I’m Haley! While earning a degree in chemical engineering in upstate New York, I never imagined coming home after graduation to become a farmer. Since high school, my passion has always been centered around creating a more sustainable world and I had my mind set on working on the mainland or even abroad. But after learning more about the significance of food access and nutrition, my desire to grow food emerged. Reflecting on where I could make the biggest impact, I chose to return home to Oʻahu, where greater than 80% of food is imported. My goal is to produce food in Waimānalo, where I was born and raised and where there is an even higher rate of food insecurity due to a lack of access to reliable, nutritious food.
Matthew McKinnon
Hi! I’m Matt. My background is in IT and general contracting. I participated in the GoFarm program to help my sister follow her dreams not knowing farming would become my dream. Farming was an organic transition for me because I am mechanically minded and a natural problem solver. I am driven to find ways to streamline processes and I enjoy facing new challenges everyday. As an added bonus I discovered that I could satisfy my love for teaching others by mentoring future farmers!