Empowering Farmers: Advocating for Easier Regulations on Food Trucks, Trailers, and Farm Tours

Peahi farmer Gale Ashby wants rules eased to support small farmers like himself. Photo courtesy Gale Ashby

Gale Ashby is a farmer in Peahi, known for his coconuts, dragon fruit, lemons, smoothies, and poke bowls. For years, he successfully sold these goods from a food trailer along the Hana Highway. However, in 2023, Maui County officials informed him that he could no longer operate that trailer on his agricultural land.

“The code said we weren’t allowed to, according to their interpretation,” Ashby explained. He had registered his trailer with the county, but because it was mobile, it no longer qualified as a food stand under county rules.

In response to challenges like Ashby’s, a public hearing is set for Tuesday to discuss two new bills. These bills aim to permit mobile food trucks and trailers in agricultural areas and promote agricultural tourism on Maui farms.

The Maui Planning Commission will hold this meeting on February 25, starting at 9 a.m. County Council member Gabe Johnson, who chairs the Agriculture, Diversification, Environment and Public Transportation Committee, introduced these bills.

Johnson’s initiative seeks to create more chances for local farmers and small businesses to sell their products directly. If the bills pass, farmers could operate food trucks without needing many permits, except for a simple registration.

Currently, a county ordinance allows sales of agricultural products from stands under 1,000 square feet. The proposed changes would let farm producers operate mobile food trucks and trailers.

Some key points of the proposal include:

• Mobile food trucks must remain at least 500 feet away from other trucks.
• Operating permits could be granted on a first-come, first-served basis.
• Farmers would need at least three off-street parking spaces for customers.

Another bill would permit specific types of agriculture-related activities, limited to the hours of 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. These activities could include demonstrations of traditional crafts, cooking classes, and producing local products like honey and cheese.

While no full restaurants would be allowed on these farms, they could have gift shops and spaces for demonstrating agricultural goods made in Hawaii.

Johnson believes these bills can boost income for small farmers, stating, “We’re trying to help the little guys.”

However, not everyone is on board. Haiku farmer Sydney Smith expressed concern about potential opposition, similar to the pushback against a food stand ordinance passed in 2015. She argues that restricting food trucks to a distance of 500 feet is excessive, asserting, “Every farm should be able to have a food truck or trailer if they want one.”

Ashby noted that after the county’s decision to shut down his trailer, he lost about 75% of his income. “It helps us to be successful and sustain the farm,” he said, hoping for a change in the ordinance to support farmers like himself.