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Newsletter 33 - November 2011

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Aloha!

We enter the annual Hawaiian cycle of Makahiki. It starts when the constellation Pleiades rises above the eastern horizon after sunset, and lasts for four moon cycles. Makahiki honors Lono, the fertility god, the god who brings high winds, storm clouds, heavy seas and above all life-giving rain. It is a time to celebrate, to give gratitude for the harvest, and to feast. 

We who now live in a much over-civilized world would do well to harken to Makahiki’s beautiful and urgent meaning: to honor our complete dependence on the natural world, and to nurture it. The intent of the reports, events, announcements, and resources in this month’s newsletter is the same.

Enjoy eating locally & sustainably!

Me ke aloha,

Craig Elevitch and Pedro Tama
for the Hawai'i Homegrown Food Network
http://hawaiihomegrown.net
visit us on Facebook

Breadfruit tree in South Kona.


Events

Every Thursday, 9:00 am – 1:00 pm, Puna
Hawaiian Style Permaculture Class

Saturday, October 29, 2011, 09:00am - 12:00pm, Hamakua
Free Farm Tour: Natural Farming Practical Applications

Saturday, October 29, 2011, 09:00am - 04:00pm, Puna
Level 1 Earth Medicine

Saturday, October 29, 2011, 10:00am, North Kona
Farmer Chef Presentation - Lilikoi

Saturday, October 29, 2011, 02:00pm - 07:00pm, Hamakua
5th Annual Hamakua Alive! Festival

Tuesday, November 01, 2011, 06:00pm - 08:00pm, Hamakua
Small Scale Dairy Goats

Friday-Sunday, November 04-6, 2011, 09:00am, South Kona
Arbor Day at Amy B.H. Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden

Friday, November 04 to Sunday, November 13, 2011, North Kona
Kona Coffee Cultural Festival

Saturday, November 05, 2011, North Kona
Holualoa Villlage Coffee Tasting and Art Stroll

Saturday, November 05, 2011, 02:00pm - 04:00pm, South Kona
Annual West Hawai'i Seed Exchange

Saturday, November 05, 2011, 09:00am - 12:00pm, Hamakua
Free Farm Tour: Dairy Goat Milking and Pasture Management

Saturday, November 05, 2011, 03:30pm - 06:00pm, Puna
Fermented Foods Workshop

Tuesday, November 08, 2011, 06:00pm - 08:00pm, Hamakua
Biodynamics

Tuesday, November 08, 2011, 06:00pm - 08:00pm, Hilo
Natural Farming Meeting

Saturday, November 12, 2011, 09:00am - 12:00pm, Hamakua
Free Farm Tour: Marketing Hamakua Produce

Tuesday, November 15, 2011, 06:00pm - 08:00pm, Hamakua
Crop Management for Optimum Quality & Yield

Saturday, November 19, 2011, 08:00am - 05:00pm, North Kona
Makahiki Festival

Monday, November 21, 2011, 07:00pm - 09:00pm, North Kona
Hawai'i Tropical Fruit Growers Meeting

Tuesday, November 22, 2011, 06:00pm - 08:00pm, Hamakua
Natural Beekeeping: Catching Your Own Pollination Hive

Saturday, November 26, 2011, 09:30am - 01:30pm, Puna
Eastside Seed Exchange & Harvest Festival

Tuesday, November 29, 2011, 06:00pm - 08:00pm, Hamakua
Vermicomposting

Saturday, December 03, 2011, 05:30pm - 08:00pm, South Kohala
Christmas at The Fairmont -- Dining With the Chefs

View events calendar


Reports

Written by Colleen Carroll | 26 October 2011

Is there anything more cheerful than a sunflower?
Is there anything more cheerful than a sunflower?

A year travels by quickly and it has been almost one year to the day marking my first visit to the Kilauea Community Garden. I was led here by curiosity–a desire to learn more about this new revolution in community gardening taking place on the island of Kaua‘i. At the heart of it is sustainability and a strong commitment to growing more local food using environmentally conscious methods and techniques. This garden, under the careful hands of the community, is yielding plants that are enormous specimens of their type, whether they are filled with fruit, flowers or seeds.

Read more...


Written by Ken Love | 26 October 2011

A Need for Commitment to Local Farmers and a Call to End Deceptive Advertising

This third annual report covers the amount of local produce versus imported produce in West Hawaii Today weekly foods ads. It covers from Aug. 2010 through Aug. 2011 [editor’s note: see the 2009 Report and the 2010 Report ]. Stores are visited regularly in order to compare with the actual advertising and gauge the relative amounts of local and imported produce in the store. We also monitor in-store displays and labeling of local produce as well as country-of-origin labeling.

A couple of conclusions became evident during the course of this year’s data accumulation. On the up side is a continuing trend showing increases in local produce promotion. On the down side is a disturbing continuation, if not growth, of deceptive advertising.

Read more...


Written by Sonia R. Martinez | 26 October 2011

KPFmarket-overview1CElevitch
The Keaukaha-Pana’ewa Farmers Market is located on Railroad Ave. across from Home Depot in Hilo.

The newest farmers market on our island is the Keaukaha-Pana’ewa Farmers Market. It opened its doorson September 10, 2011 on one acre off Railroad Avenue across from Home Depot in Hilo. The market is open every Saturday from 7:30 am to 4:00 pm. From a starting number of 13 vendors, the market already houses 31 vendors leaving only 8 booth spots available. 

The Keaukaha-Pana’ewa Farmers Association’s mission statement and aim is “To support, motivate and educate Keaukaha-Pana’ewa agricultural lessees to establish a viable, sustainable farm community, preserve Hawaiian culture, achieve self sufficiency, strengthen pono management and respect for the ‘aina.” In keeping with the mission statement, the market is open to Hawaiian farmers and producers who lease Hawaiian Homelands, and to other entrepreneurs. The range of products runs from locally grown produce, baked goods, poi, fish, plants, value added food products and a few ready-to-eat food vendors.

Read more...


Announcements

Kua O Ka La Public Charter School is currently looking for mature breadfruit. The breadfruit will be lightly processed and frozen for use at the festival the Breadfruit Festival to be held there March 2-3, 2012. If you are willing to share your bountiful 'ulu harvest for this purpose, please contact Mariposa at 938-7903.

Get ready for a big planting this Sunday, October 30th. Please join me for "Grow Hilo" and occupy the empty space in downtown Hilo with edible landscaping. We will be planting and mulching the kalo (taro) plants from 4-6pm. Please make an effort to attend this event and represent natural farming as part of our Hawai'i community. Bring shovels, mulch, family and friends, check out the video  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ER_hpv4G6Y4 Take this opportunity to give back and meet in front of the Kress building at 4pm on Sunday October 30th. See you there. Drake, Natural Farming Hilo.

Hawaiian Farmers Market - RR Ave across from Home Depot, 7:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. Saturdays.
Locally grown vegetables, fruit, plants, baked goods, food items, jams, jellies, fish, poi, Hawaiian crafts and other agricultural products. Vendors are welcome to apply. Contact: Howard Pea at 959-7802 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Other announcements


Farmers' Markets and Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)

 
Please visit our comprehensive page dedicated to Hawai'i Island farmers' markets and Community Supported Agricuture.

Web Resources

New web site listings

Other web resources


Supporting Organizations


Sponsors


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This newsletter is published by:

Hawai'i Homegrown Food Network
PO Box 5
Holualoa, Hawaii  96725  USA
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Web: http://hawaiihomegrown.net

 

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