HONOLULU (May 15, 2012) – The Office of Hawaiian Affairs announced today that its non-profit subsidiary, Hi‘ipoi, LLC, will transition ownership and management of Makaweli Poi Mill to a Kaua‘i community organization.

“We want to ensure that people in the Kaua‘i kalo community would become the new owners and managers of Makaweli Poi Mill,” said Dr.  Kamana‘opono Crabbe, OHA’s CEO.

Hi‘ipoi’s plan allows decisions affecting Kaua‘i’s taro farmers and poi supply to be made by those closest to the situation. “We know that local decision making is important for our Hawaiian community. So our transition plan is intended to make that happen,” said Crabbe.

“We’re optimistic about our ongoing discussions with community members who are serious about becoming the new owners and managers of Makaweli Poi Mill,” said Crabbe. “All of us in the discussion are aiming for a smooth transition that maintains taro production.”

To maximize the success of the transition plan, OHA will be meeting Wednesday, May 16, with Kaua‘i kalo community stakeholders to discuss an appropriate timeline and other aspects of the transition.

“We understand our original timeline may have been too ambitious and are open to considering a longer timeframe to implement the transition,” said Crabbe. “We are committed to working with the Kaua‘i community so that kalo can remain a vital part of its everyday life.”