Chef Devin Lowder's Black Forest hamCharcuterie (from chair 'flesh' and cuit 'cooked') is the culinary art devoted to salting, smoking and curing meat and making forced meat products. Originally intended as a way to preserve meat millennia ago, long before the advent of refrigeration, today the art continues to be practiced not only for preservation but also, and particularly, for the flavors derived from the preservation process.

When Pigs Fly Island Charcuterie Company is owned by Devin Lowder, PCEC, and his wife, Kristin Lowder. Chef Devin, a 1989 graduate of the New England Culinary Institute (NECI), is also the Co-President of the American Culinary Federation Kona-Kohala Chapter, a Kona County Farm Bureau Board member and serves on the Advisory Committee for the West Hawai'i Community College.

Taro growing at Palili 'o Kohala, a cooperative farm headed by David Fuertes.On Saturday, February 2, North Kohala Eat Locally Grown hosted a Farm-to-Fork Tour of three farms on Ho'ea Road. Lokahi Farm, Palili 'O Kohala and Sage Farms opened their gates to the North Kohala community and visitors from all around Hawaii Island for a taste of the agricultural scene in and around Hawi.

The tour began at Lokahi Farm, a tropical botanical garden and working organic farm where Richard Liebmann and Natalie Young are fusing farming with the healing arts. Our hosts led us through the farm's diverse plantings (crops include asparagus, dragon fruit, and horseradish) and showed us the farm's research plot of medicinal plants. We were amazed by the diversity of plants grown at Lokahi—from recognizable daily fare, to edible flowers and healing herbs.

Freshly harvested sprouts at Sun's Microgreens.Sunserene Quevedo is a very enterprising young woman with a mission to teach everyone she meets about the benefits of microgreens in our diets. The project started in a small way with Sunserene's love for gardening and her desire to start eating a bit healthier: she began in her bedroom with a growing tray sitting in a tin pan for drainage, a bit of soil, sunflower seeds and a spray bottle. After a few days the seeds started sprouting and before she knew it, she was clipping tender shoots and adding them to salads, wraps, and sandwiches.

Kua o ka La students celebrate their cooking contest win at the September 2012 Breadfruit Festival with their teacher Mariposa Blanco (2nd from right) and Chef Sam Choy (right). Three years ago, Kua o ka La New Century Public Charter School, (KOKL NCPCS) began the formation of an agriculture and culinary class for its middle school students. The idea was an outgrowth of our regular Friday, project-based class for middle and high school students. The class applied the students’ science and social studies learning to projects of daily life relevance and practical skills, with the added benefit of being outdoors and hands-on.

Chef Babian shows the local produce stored in the chill room at Four Seasons Resort Hualalai.James Babian
Executive Chef, Four Seasons Resort, Hualālai at Ka‘ūpūlehu, Kailua-Kona

When Chef Babian came to Hawai‘i Island 14 years ago, he informed hotel management that his style is centered on supporting the local agricultural community through sourcing food “from the region, buying things that are in season, and using products from small artisan farmers, such as Kona coffee, goat cheese, and honey.” The concept of supporting local producers Babian feels is an ancient concept that chefs are rediscovering around the world, bringing the restaurant industry “back to the ground roots” and developing strong farm to table programs.