Pedro (left) and Craig (right) in the early planning stages of the Hawai‘i Homegrown Food Network, sitting at a local food restaurant, Holuakoa Gardens in Holualoa, North Kona, Hawai‘i.

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In October, 2008, Craig is in the midst of presenting a series of popular workshops called the "Hawai'i Island Food Self-Reliance Workshops." The workshops cover a variety of topics having to do with homegrown food: annual gardens, perennial fruits and vegetables, traditional Hawaiian crops, raising animals, preparing and preserving food, etc.

North Kohala Report

Our first North Kohala "Eat Locally Grown Day" was on Saturday, January 16, 2010. This was one of the initiatives that came out of the North Kohala Food Forum. Restaurant owners Joan Channon (Bamboo), Karen Rosen (Kohala Coffee Mill), Peter Pomeranze (Sushi Rock) and farmer Tom Baldwin (Uluwehi Farms) wanted to feature more North Kohala-grown food in our local restaurants to build community consciousness about our healthy, locally produced foods and to create new connections with local farmers.

Part 1: Infrastructure

What it takes to grow a "locally grown" crop is more than just a geographical location. "Local" also applies to the resources that go into the crop's production and distribution. These two tomatoes were both grown on Hawai'i Island, but one was grown using a vast amount of off-island infrastructure and imported resources and the other relied only on local and sustainably produced resources.

A Project for Hawai'i Island

Together with many other upcoming events, the 6th Annual Grow Hawaiian Festival celebrates connections between Hawaiian culture and agriculture.

A new study of shade-grown coffee in Kona showed that yields were not decreased with up to 40-50% shade.

Craig Elevitch has now completed his extensive study of shade-grown coffee, one that several of our members collaborated in, and the results are intriguing. They illustrate potential environmental benefits and recommend shade levels that can maintain high coffee productivity.

A Project for Hawai'i Island

Connections between human health and soil health will be explored in a 2-day conference in January in Holualoa.