Maui Nui Venison sourcing hope following wildfires
Feb 27, 2024
True to its name, Maui Nui Venison’s Holo ‘Ai program has provided sustenance when most needed, with 2,518 deer and 64,169 pounds of fresh venison donated toward wildfire recovery efforts to date.
“We have restructured our operations and business model to further increase our capacity to answer the needs of food insecure areas of our communities, now and indefinitely,” Maui Nui Venison announced on its website. “We view this shift, not only as a response to current and projected community needs, but as further operationalization of resilience and equity within our food systems.”
Founded on a commitment to reduce the impact of the invasive axis deer population on the island's delicate ecosystem, Maui Nui Venison simultaneously offers a nutritious, locally sourced food option for residents. Maui’s axis deer population could easily swell from 60,000 to 150,000 in five years. The solution it offers is implementing stress-free, wild-harvesting methods to alleviate ecological damage while producing a range of nutrient-packed red meat products, such as steak cuts, jerky and bone broths.
The company’s efforts have not gone unnoticed. Co-founders Jake and Ku‘ulani Muise were selected as one of 15 climate companies to be part of Elemental Excelerators’s 12th cohort for “reimagining resources.” Maui Nui Venison also partners with another Elemental Excelerator company, Farm Link Hawaii, to expand its reach beyond The Valley Isle and distribute its local meat products to residents across Oahu.
“For over a decade, Elemental has successfully amplified how companies serve their communities while solving for some of world’s most complex climate issues,” Maui Nui Venison CEO and Co-Founder Jake Muise said in a Maui Now article. “We are honored to be part of Cohort 12 and grateful for the opportunity to expand Maui Nui’s impact within our community.”