Join the 2010 Eat Local Challenge with Kanu Hawai’i, North Kohala Food Forum, and the Hawai’i Homegrown Food Network
From Saturday September 25th to Saturday October 2nd, Kanu Hawai’i is sponsoring its statewide Eat Local Campaign. On Hawai’i Island the North Kohala Food Forum and the Hawai’i Homegrown Food Network are partnering with Kanu Hawai’i to support our island inhabitants in taking up the challenge of buying and eating locally grown food during the last week of September.
Visit the website http://www.kanuhawaii.com/campaigns to learn how you can make even a small commitment to eating more locally grown food and supporting your local farmers and a sustainable, homegrown economy.
Visit the website North Kohala Eat Locally Grown and this website's Events pages to learn about the weeklong local food campaign and events in North Kohala.
Here are a few examples of commitments you could make to change your personal eating habits and increase our island’s food security:
>Eat only local for one day on September 25th (or choose your day)
>Eat Local for the week of September 25th to October 2nd
>Go to your local farmers market and buy more than you’ve ever bought before
>Shop at your local natural food store and buy local food products
>Attend a workshop about growing a garden
>Stop eating at national fast food chains
>Eat out at a restaurant that uses local food products
Join the grassroots effort to support Hawai’i Island food sovereignty. Commit to make personal changes that build our local communities.
Holualoa Farmers Market Seeking Vendors
Aloha! the Holuakoa Farmer's Market in Holualoa town is looking for vendors to sell fruits, vegies, herbs, plant starts, etc.. We run Saturday mornings from 9am-noon. Contact Barb if you've got extra stuff in your garden!! 322-5072.
Demeter-certified coffee sought
Do you know any coffee growers that may be interested in wholesaling t, a majoro an American roaster and distributor? They would need to get Demeter certified.
Elizabeth Candelario, Marketing Director, Demeter USABoard Chair, Stellar Organic Certification Services707.529.4412, www.demeter-usa.org
Join our Facebook fan page at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Demeter-USA/115200118495672?ref=sgm
Call a Master Gardener!
Master Gardeners are volunteers at their respective Ag Depts in the local University across the country. We have an avid group of volunteers ready to answer your garden and plant questions right here on the BI. The Master Gardener office is located in the UH CTAHR office on Komohana in central Hilo.
The phone line is open Monday, Tuesday, and Fridays from 9am to Noon. Call 981-5199 with your garden questions.....
Farm Work-Trade for Lodging in South Kona
We have 16 acres of fertile land above the Konawaena School in Kealakekua with 2 little houses for gardeners. Macadamia , avocados and a small organic veg.garden. Free lodging in exchange for work on the land. Please contact Jean-Luc at
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New CSA: Kuaiwi Farm in South Kona
HOFA-Certified Organic Veggies, fruits BE HEALTHY, EAT LOCAL. Baskets available weekly or bi-weekly ( every two weeks) in the Kona districts. Home Delivery from Captain Cook to Holualoa. A typical basket will include: Assortment of salad and cooking greens, plus one or two bags of other hardy veggies and fruits.
We can work around allergies, and true dislikes to vegetables. We encourage our customers to try and taste these vegetables again, and check out new recipes. Baskets can be personalized. Communicate with me by email about veggie and herb choices/preferences/dislikes etc. Baskets $25. Eggs $7/dozen extra (from our free ranging chickens fed on only certified organic feed and organic produce and organic nuts from our farm. NO GMO GRAIN; eggs are not certified organic). Contact Una Greenaway, 33 years organic practices, 328-8888 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Pu'u'ala Farm & Ranch Roadside Stand & Nursery in Hamakua
Every Sunday, 10am to 6 pm: Catered Hawaiian BBQ w/ smoked grass-fed beef, pork, vegetarian luau, taro fries, other dishes, & KAVA. Also Open Daily with Taro and Taro leaf for sale until supplies last. Location: between mile markers 39 and 40, makai side, south of Honoka', Hamakua. Look for the sign.
Coastview Aquaponics Roadside Market & Tour in North Kona
Saturdays, 8 am to 12 Noon. Tuesdays & Thursdays, 4 - 6 pm. Location: 73-1202 Ahikawa Street, Mamalahoa Hwy, one street north of Ka'iminani, turn makai.
Organic lettuce, greens, herbs & flowers. We are a neighborhood farm in the Kona Coastview subdivision (near Kona Palisades). We grow our completely organic produce in an aquaponics system. Aquaponics is a combination of aquaculture and hydroponics. The fish provide the fertilizer for the plants and the plants clean the water for the fish. We want to give our community a local alternative to the poor quality, overpriced, imported produce that is sold in the stores. After several months of construction our second and much larger aquaponics system is now up and running. We are very excited to have this completed and look forward to being able to offer a wide variety of produce on a more consistent basis.
We invite you to come by every Saturday morning and see what we are doing new. For more information contact Chris & Alexis Smith,
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, and see http://www.coastviewaquaponics.com
Community Garden Starting in Waikaloa
The Waikaloa Community Garden Group has been formed by a Waikaloa couple who have made their one-third acre lot available for a community garden. Marcella Paraskevas-Ramirez and her husband Danny write, "The whole purpose of this garden is to make Waikoloa more self sustainable, keep local money for community, have organic food that did not have to travel hundreds of miles to get here, therefore eliminating our carbon footprint. This garden will also work in collaboration with the Waikoloa School for education and with the Waikoloa Community Church which is our community Food Pantry." The group hopes to document the community garden planning and building process and create a "How to" film and book for other communities to learn from. For more information contact Marcella, e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , phone 756-5994.
Ohana Living Farms Announces Poultry Sale
Ohana Living Farms in North Kohala announced that they have available pasture-raised cornish hens for sale. For more information see the full announcement at Ohana Living Farms Poultry Sale
The Pig Project 2010- Looking for New Host Farm
Holuakoa Gardens Restaurant & Cafe has raised its own pigs for serving in the restaurant. Two Durox/Yorkshire mixed breed pigs were farmed at Waiaha Farm in Holualoa from piglets on the daily slop from the restaurant and finished with the spent grains from the Kona Brewing Company.
They were delivered to Kulana for harvesting and are completely USDA approved.
They have provided fine marbled pork belly and we have started to cure bacon and smoked ham. So far the jowls were dried for guanciale, some of the shoulder smoked for tasso ham, and some of the belly for confit. We have also been serving the pork chops on the menu, to a great response.
We have been quite pleased with the quality and freshness the pasture raised pork has provided and look forward to finding another host farm to raise more pigs, lambs and chickens for us. For more information contact Barb Gerrits at
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Lotus Cafe Offers Homegrown Thai Cooking Classes
The Lotus Café, located in Kaloko New Industrial mauka of Costco, Kailua-Kona, will be offering a series of Thai cooking classesevery month. The series consists of three classes, held each Saturday, Monday and Tuesday, from 2 pm to 5 pm. Each class will have a maximum of five students, and students can register for just one, or for all three classes. Chef Ladda Simon from Chiang Dao, Northern Thailand teaches the classes using her many years of experience and family recipes.
The focus is on Northern Thai cooking, with a few indonesian and Indian recipes thrown in for variety. The first class, for beginners, covers the principles of Thai cooking, and introduces and demystifies the growing, harvesting, sourcing and use of the 20 main ingredients. After the introduction to the ingredients and principles, the class will prepare and consume a 4 course meal. Lotus Cafe makes all its sauces from scratch and teaches their healthy original and Thai traditional recipes as an alternative to people who wish to not consume the artificial ingredients and excess oil used in most Thai cooking today. Over 90% of our ingredients are organic, including our chicken, sweeteners, most of our fruit and vegetables, and all our beverages. We buy local and organic for almost every item, unless its not available. Making all curries and sauces from scratch with minimal equipment and fresh harvested ingredients is what it’s all about.
The cost for each class is $65, with discounts for three classes and couples. To learn which class is being held on which day, to register, and for more information, call Howie at 895-7032, and see thelotuscafe.com .Tea Propagation Plants Available Now
The Hawaii Tea Society announces the conclusion of the 2009/2010 Hawaii County Office of Research & Development project grant: Tea Propagation and Distribution from Hawaii County Expansion. The tea plants created as a result of this project are available now, while supplies last. Minimum order of plants is 12. Call for Hilo and Volcano pick up locations.
Shipping and Handling charges extra for delivery. Available Cultivars: Bohea, Benikaori, Yutaka Midori, Yabukita.
HTS Membership price. Non members add $1.00
“Nursery Ready” Greenhouse Rooted
70 % Shade Plugs….. ….$2.00
50 % Shade 4 “ Pots……$3.50.
50 % Shade 6” Pots. … $4.00
“Nursery Ready” In Ground Rooted
50 % Shade Bare Rooted……$2.00
“Field Ready” In Ground Rooted
Full Sun Bare Rooted .…$ 5.00
Contact Info: Eva Lee: HTS Propagation Chair, Email:
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, Tel: 808-967-7637
www.hawaiiteasociety.org
Kohala Produce Tent at the Hawi Farmers Market
The Hawi Farmers market now has a co-op tent available for consignment of your locally produced items. Just drop them off or make arrangements for pick up. We now have many more vendors and lots of attendees. Produce and value added products are always a popular item, so come talk story with your neighbors, Saturdays 8 am to 1 pm. For information about selling your produce and products at the new Kohala Produce Tent please contact Brannon at 217-6134, or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
Hamakua Macadamia Nut Company
is purchasing macadamia nuts from Kona farmers. Any farmer can drop their macadamia nuts off at the Marshalling Yard, (current home of the Food Basket/Food bank). They are purchasing nuts for $.60 per pound in husk. They will weigh the nuts, and return your bags to you immediately, on site. They are paying in 30 days. They are there on Mondays and Wednesdays from 7 am - 2 pm. Please tell your friends. Contact: Una Greenaway, President, Kona County Farm Bureau, 328-8888
The Kona Coffee Farmers Association (KCFA)
is pleased to announce that the monthly Coffee Talk Monthly Meetings formerly held at CTAHR by Virginia Easton-Smith will be continued in her absence by a KCFA education facilitator. The Education Committee of the Kona Coffee Farmers Association (KCFA), a 501(c)(6) non-profit organization, proudly plans to continue this popular monthly series of coffee farming education.Meetings are scheduled throughout the year, the first Wednesday of each month 3:30 - 5:00 pm.
Little Fire Ant now in Kona
The Little Fire Ant has been discovered in Kailua-Kona at a private home site (where they are being "treated") and at a landscaping-business property. A handful of other locations are strongly suspected of infestation. For more information see:
Emergency Response Plan for Invasive Ants in the Pacific and
Know Your Farmer's Alliance - Little Fire Ant
Help support organics in Hawaii!
HOFA is struggling to survive in this difficult economy - certification fees only pay 75% of administration costs... Please become a member, gift a membership, or donate (tax deductible!) to the Hawaii Organic Farmers Association.877-ORG-ISLE. See our website (also see full description of HOFA's outstanding work in our "Featured Organizations" section)
Training: Advanced Study Internship
in tropical agroforestry and permaculture by the people who bring you this Hawaii Homegrown Food Network newsletter. The internship is a period of practical, supervised, real-life experience establishing an agroforestry and permaculture food self-reliance project in Holualoa, North Kona. Visit the website
Eden Earthworks, in Mountain View, Puna,
is one of the first three farms in Hawai'i to earn the Animal Welfare Approved seal. The Eden Earthworks Project Fresh: Mountain View Community Gardens, is an agricultural educational program designed to increase the number of food growers, food marketers and healthy food choices. The gardens are located in the heart of the highest food insecure region on Hawaii Island. The Mountain View Gardens is a drug-free and organic farm; a learning environment for families, children, youth and seniors. Mountain View Community Gardens, builds community, provides recreation and plant seeds of hope. Hawaiian squash, Okinawa potatoes, soy bean, spinach, peppers, tomatoes, herbs, celery, kale, green onions, broccoli, taro, yam, eggplants and corn grow like crazy in the community gardens. Visit EdenEarthWorks. [Hawaii Lowline Cattle Company (Honoka'a) and Kauai Kunana Dairy are the other two Animal Welfare approved farms.] See the Edible Hawaiian Islands blog
Kula o Mala Community School Garden
We need: Volunteers, plants, seeds, trellis building materials, tools, germination trays, potting mix, positive energy, the sun and the rain. Our Mission: To teach youth how to grow food that is nutritious, delicious, and accessible. Our garden serves more than 320 students from the Hawaii Sustainable Education Initiative, the Honoka'a Elementary School A+ program, the Honoka'a Intermediate School Social Studies and SPED programs, the Hamakua Youth Foundation, and from home school programs. We commit to: Donate at least 40 lbs. a week of produce to the Salvation Army Food Pantry and Honoka'a Senior Nutrition programs. 45-3611 Mamane St. Suite 101-102 Honoka'a HI 96727 Ph: 443-9231
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Sharing The Wealth of Our Backyards
Have overflowing orange, tangerine, avocado, etc. trees, or runaway zucchini? Urban Farming volunteers in Waimea and Waikoloa will pick or pick up fruits or vegetables from your garden that you wish to share. These will be delivered to the Food Bank. Call Tina Wirth at 887-1087 or
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Kaiao Garden and Kaiao Garden Camp
The name Kaiao means the quality of light at dawn over the ocean. The vision of this garden was simple and profound. Growing food heals our body, mind, and spirit. This community garden from its inception has been devoted to collaboration, education, and community development. As the times we live in are dictating to us the direction we are going if our focus is love and care for each other then we follow the ways of the 'aina and those that have lived in this place for thousands of years. We are devoted to the truthful and important dialogue that occurs when diverse cultures participate with each other. Kaiao Garden Camp is a summer day camp for youth. Cost is free for participants. This camp is devoted to exploring kuleana as a community experience of working with the 'aina to grow food, friends, and self reflection. We are located on Lahaina Street just up from the Veteran's Cemetery in Hilo. It is open to everyone on Saturday mornings from 9-12. During the week different schools can come to the garden as part of a class or curriculum. We are also open to community projects and programs having ongoing or single sessions at the garden. Please contact us. We look forward to working with you.
Mala'ai School Garden Needs you!
Whether you like working side-by-side with middle schoolers (they're really a hoot), or prefer solitary gardening, or you are really better at grant writing or recruiting other types of help (sharing seedlings or compost, etc.), or have a particular skill set (composting, vermiculture, building things, teaching how to husk coconuts or prepare an imu), your help is needed and welcome. If you're inspired to help for whatever reason (nurturing healthier kids, supporting sustainable ag, love quiet time pulling weeds, etc.) please call Mala'ai Executive Director Matilda Tompson (885-9206) or email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . School volunteers do undergo background checks and fingerprinting for the safety of all. Of course, if Waimea is a long drive from where you live, there are more than 30 school gardens around the island – all of which would welcome your help. Email Nancy Redfeather of the Hawai'i island School Garden Network to find the garden nearest you: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Friendly Aquaponics, Free Farm Tour every Saturday
Every Saturday at 10am we give a free, in-depth tour of our farm. Tours last between one and two hours, and there is some slightly steep terrain, so come with good walking shoes. Also, make sure to apply sunscreen before your arrival. Make reservations and get directions