The Wahiawa Value-Added Product Development Center (WVAPDC) is currently being built out as a hub for local food innovation that will provide opportunities for graduates from Hawaii’s local high schools and colleges interested in the culinary and agriculture fields. Recently, FTHF was fortunate to have the opportunity to tour the construction site of the Wahiawa Value-Added Product Development Center. The 33,327-square-foot facility is designed to help students and entrepreneurs create value-added items like pickles and sauces from local agricultural products, and bring them to market. The finished facility will house a hyperbaric high-pressure processing machine — the first in the state — which can be used to extend the shelf life of foods, from meat and vegetables to ready-to-eat products. The overall goal of this center is to increase local food production while creating a host of opportunities for residents. Completion of the project is slated for July, 2023.