Aloha!

Welcome to Hawaii Homegrown!

    Building local, sustainable food communities on Hawai'i Island

  • Find others for buying, selling, sharing, and learning | Farmers Markets
  • Empower yourself and your community to become food self-reliant | Reports | Newsletter archive
 • Learn about VICTree™ Gardens—HomeGrown Food Forests | Register your interest

    It's all free and abundant, so dig in!


Breadfruit

Breadfruit

SUPERFRUIT OF THE GODS
Talking Story

Talking Story

A PARADISE OF ARTICLES
Resources

Resources

GET YOUR GROW ON
About

About

AMAZING THINGS
Revitalizing Breadfruit

Revitalizing Breadfruit

"The Ho'oulu ka 'Ulu Project.“

Ho'oulu ka 'Ulu is a project to revitalize 'ulu (breadfruit) as an attractive, delicious, nutritious, abundant, affordable, and culturally appropriate food which addresses Hawai'i's food security issues. It is well known that Hawai'i imports about 90% of its food, making it one of the most food insecure states in the nation. Additionally, since the economic downturn of 2008, many families lack access to affordable and nutritious food. We believe that breadfruit is a key to solving Hawaii's food security problems.

Read more

Home Grown Hawai'i Store with owner Michael Scott

HomeGrownHawaii-FrontwindowIt is encouraging to see the different ways individuals are taking on the challenge to make locally grown and produced food available in their own districts of the island.

About six or seven months ago, Michael Scott of Ocean View, a member of the e-mail Yahoo group Big Island Self Sufficiency (BISS), in which I am also quite involved, mentioned that he and his wife, Melanie Baca, were working on plans to open a location next to their own Aloha Dreams computer business to sell produce and other fresh goods in Ocean View.

After doing research, obtaining permits and procuring the use of a commercial kitchen, Home Grown Hawai’i opened its doors on Saturday, September 1st with a Grand Gala featuring music, an owner hosted barbecue and displaying produce and product from 12 different sources. Local vegetables, greens, herbs, fruit, coffee, eggs, homemade breads and other baked goods, jellies, jams, preserves, raw local honey, butter and feta cheese are just some of the items that can be found in the store.

Michael has a commercial fishing license and a fish dealer’s license, so the store is able to sell fresh, locally caught fish and also buy fish wholesale from other fishermen. The fresh fish is sold on the same day it is caught and surplus is canned in Mason jars, also available for sale.

Their plan is to increase their supplier base as more farmers and backyard gardeners learn of this outlet. One of their goals is to reach anyone with small or large orchards or gardens who would like to have a way to share their excess. At the moment they hope to be able to find farmers growing dragon fruit, local melons, carrots, potatoes, onions, squash or pumpkins, and locally grown spices.

HomeGrownHawaii-MelanieMichaelScott3Michael Scott and Melanie Baca in their store.On our first visit in early September, just days after the opening, the store had a small under-the-counter type refrigerator to hold the eggs, cheeses and other items that needed refrigeration. By the time of our second visit, just three weeks later, a large glass fronted commercial refrigerator had been installed and a new cooling system was also being installed in the retail space to keep the produce from wilting.

Focusing on zero waste, the store will not be using plastic bags except when necessary for wrapping fresh fish.

During a recent interview, this is what Michael Scott had to share:

HHFN: What prompted you to open Home Grown Hawai’i?
MS: The inspiration to start the store came from a desire to see farmer's market quality produce available 24/7 (in our area) and a solid support base for local agriculture for both health reasons and food security.The idea is that if the farmers have an outlet locally for their products they can spend more time farming and less time driving around the island to markets or sitting in a booth. We work on about a 30% markup, so that most of the retail price of the items goes to our local farmers/fishermen/producers.
 
HHFN: From what areas are you drawing your suppliers?
MS: Our preferred vendors are local, first from Ka’u; then Big Island, and then the state of Hawai’i, in that order.
 
HHFN: What percentage of your products are locally sourced?
MS: 95% of everything in the store is from Hawaii, most of it from Big Island. There are a few items we are still looking for Hawaiian sourcing on, like potatoes and carrots, which we currently get from the mainland.
 
HHFN: What percentage of product sold would be organic or grown by traditional methods?
MS: We have a no spray and no chemical fertilizers policy from all our farmers, but of course we have no control over the ones from off island which is why we are seeking local sources. Our lettuces and greens are organic, aquaponically grown here on the Big Island. We only have a few certified organic products but most of what we sell is what is termed "claimed organic," meaning no chemicals used.
 
HHFN: If we could give you a soapbox, what would you say to the residents of Hawai'i Island about food issues?
MS: The store is my ever evolving love affair with the idea that people can learn to work together to feed our community, it really makes me happy to finally have it open and beginning to flower. When we take EBT we are taking state and federal money and putting it into our community’s ability to feed and support itself. This is the major reason we are in business, to provide healthy products that support our families and our community.I have a passion for food security. The world is a scary place and lots of things that can happen to jeopardize the 3 day supply of fresh foods most of the markets stock. HomeGrownHawaii-Localproducebins2Local produce bins.All it takes is one major disaster and the people are at the mercy of the government, which has proven time and time again they are not up to the task of rescuing its citizens. So in addition to supporting local agriculture we offer equipment and education on preserving and stocking healthy foods and other staples. A well prepared person can easily survive for months in the event of major disaster or other event that disrupts the local food supply chain. We have gamma lids, food safe buckets, UV/moisture proof Mylar bags, and oxygen absorbers. All of these items can be used to keep staples and preserved foods safe to eat for many years. We also have some off grid living items available like ‘paloma’ type showers, solar panels, solar chargers, and foot powered hand washing stations set up for display and for customers to try. The overall idea is for self sufficiency and self reliance. We don't think folks should sit around and starve waiting for FEMA to rescue them! I know this was a bit long winded, but as you can probably tell I am passionate about these subjects and am very pleased to finally do something that I feel can benefit my community.

 

Home Grown Hawai’i Store
Hours: 9 am to 6 pm Monday – Saturday
Michael Scott and Melanie Baca
895-8013
92-1329 Prince Kuhio Blvd – Pohue Plaza
Makai side of Hwy 11, across parking lot from the L&L Drive-In and Malama Store
Hawaiian Ocean View Estates subdivision, Ka’u
Accept EBT, cash, check and barter

 


Sonia R. Martinez, the Hawai'i Homegrown Food Network regular farmers market reporter, is a cookbook author and freelance food writer for several publications in Hawai'i, including The Hamakua Times of Honoka'a. She is a contributing writer for Edible Hawaiian Islands Magazine and has her own food & garden blog at http://soniatasteshawaii.com

 

 

Print Email