Farmshop Expands to Hawai`i in Partnership with Common Ground
Farmshop announced today its expansion to Hawai`i through a joint venture and strategic partnership with Common Ground, a destination venue offering a regenerative business model dedicated to the future of food and society.
LOS ANGELES and KILAUEA, Hawaii, June 16, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Celebrating the bounty of regional growers and artisan food producers in California, Farmshop announced today its expansion to Hawai`i through a joint venture and strategic partnership with Common Ground, a destination venue offering a regenerative business model dedicated to the future of food and society.
"The pandemic and natural disasters challenging our planet have elevated the urgency for regenerative local economies — the necessity for regions to create a self-sustaining supply chain for food security," explained Oliver Niedermaier, Chairman of Common Ground. "Whether it be the rural remoteness of Hawai`i or the complexities of urban environments, we are charting a viable economic model that embraces regional innovation and diversification to lay a 'common ground' for a more resilient future."
Central to the partnership will be a future Farmshop restaurant on Common Ground's soon to be developed 83-acre agricultural campus — the former Guava Kai Plantation — in Kīlauea on the island of Kaua`i. The full-service restaurant will feature locally sourced products, provide local job opportunities, and become a destination for both residents and visitors. Founded by Chef-owner Jeff Cerciello, Farmshop is noted for its creativity, innovation and dedication to quality. It is renowned for celebrating farmers and artisan producers in its farmers-market driven restaurants and well-edited, highly curated market. Building personal relationships with local growers, producers, farmers, and designers is the cornerstone of Farmshop's long-standing commitment to local artisanal producers and purveyors. Farmshop is popular with diners for its relaxed neighborhood-restaurant vibe and impeccably sourced menu using local ingredients.
"What is really inspiring about this partnership," said Jeff Cerciello, founder/owner and chef of Farmshop, "is the opportunity to support Kaua`i's economy and cultural heritage by working alongside farmers and producers and using local ingredients and techniques that celebrate the culinary traditions of Hawai`i."
In the spirit of collaboration, Farmshop and Common Ground will engage in the following joint endeavors:
● Product development for consumer-packaged goods
● Product cross-promotion via Common Ground and Farmshop ecommerce marketplaces
● Test marketing for food industry products
● Media opportunities for food entrepreneurs
● Culinary events (live and virtual) in Hawai`i, California and other regions.
Farmshop will also take an active role in the "Food Innovation Center", an initiative of Common Ground dedicated to building regenerative local economies through the following programs:
● Accelerator@Common Ground is a business development program for seed-stage food industry companies that provides business services, equity funding and distribution to scale their businesses, and in turn, revitalize a diversified and resilient local food economy. To date, two Kaua`i based small businesses — Tiny Isle and Slow Island — have completed the inaugural cohort in 2020 and additional companies from across the Hawai'ian islands will be sponsored in 2021.
● Incubator@Common Ground is a business development program for early-stage food industry companies that provides business training, funding and connections to grow their businesses, and in turn, revitalize a diversified and resilient local food economy. Ten small businesses completed the first cohort in 2020 and one new cohort is planned for 2021.
● Distribution@Common Ground supports Hawai'i based makers of high quality, consumer-packaged goods with the goal to revitalize a diversified and resilient local food economy. The e-commerce shop offers a curation of products highlighting a new generation of local businesses. Each product is selected with great consideration based on R.E.A.L. principles: Regenerative, Equitable, Aspirational and Lasting. Each maker is passionate about their craft and conscientious about the impact their products have on the environment, ocean, community, and more. To learn more visit https://commongroundkauai.com/shop
● Farming@Common Ground is a multi-strata agroforestry model for regenerative and sustainable agriculture practices that serves as a demonstration testbed on the Common Ground campus to provide job training and skill building, and in turn, revitalize a diversified and resilient local food economy.
"By supporting our Food Innovation Center, Farmshop will help food-industry entrepreneurs in Hawai`i grow their businesses through an allegiance to locally sourced products, returning jobs and revenue to the region," explained Adam Watten, co-director of the accelerator and incubator programs at Common Ground.
For more information on Farmshop, please visit http://www.farmshopca.com and https://www.instagram.com/farmshopca. For more information on Common Ground, please visit http://www.commongroundkauai.com and https://www.instagram.com/kauaicommonground.
About Common Ground
Common Ground is a destination venue and a regenerative business model dedicated to the future of food and society. Rooted in local practices yet forward-thinking in global perspectives, the company offers economic development programs to help food industry entrepreneurs grow their businesses and diversify local economies in regions around the world. Privately held, Common Ground is located on an 83-acre agricultural campus in Kīlauea, Kaua`i, Hawai`i. For more information, please visit http://www.commongroundkauai.com and follow us on Instagram @kauaicommonground.
About Farmshop
Established with enthusiasm and passion for detail, Farmshop celebrates farmers and artisan producers who are behind all that we create. Founded by Chef-Owner Jeff Cerciello, Farmshop is noted for its creativity, innovation and dedication to quality. Join Farmshop's culinary California road trip through our farmers market driven restaurants and well-edited, highly curated market. Indulge in Farmshop's immersive experience and lose yourself in stories told by our chefs, cheesemongers, bakers and butchers. For more information on Farmshop, please visit http://www.farmshopca.com and https://www.instagram.com/farmshopca.
Media Contact
Madeline Familia, Common Ground, +1 9173286509, [email protected]
SOURCE Common Ground
Share this article