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Aloha!
With the passing of summer solstice, the splendor of the growing season is upon us. Flowers, fruits, roots, leaves and nuts are bursting.
And our local food economy is also teeming with life. In the past four months we have seen at least five new farmers' markets or CSA's sprout forth, serving fresh, local food to Hawai'i Islanders. That means we are buying less imported food and supporting more local growers, and producers.
And look at our summer calendar (below) of classes, workshops, seminars and festivals--not to mention new, local-food related publications. If you want to learn more about growing, producing, marketing, or just where or what to buy locally, now is the time.
From our gardens and from the staff of the Hawai'i Homegrown Food Network, we wish you a bountiful summer.
Mahalo nui loa,
Craig Elevitch and Pedro Tama
for the Hawai'i Homegrown Food Network
http://hawaiihomegrown.net
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Events
Saturday, June 30, 2012, 06:00pm - 09:00pm (Oahu)
"Ingredients Hawaii" and "PermablitzHI"
Thursday, July 05, 2012, 09:00am - 01:00pm, Puna
Permaculture Planting Class: Locally adapted perenials
Thursday, July 05, 2012, 09:00am, North Kona
West Hawai'i Master Gardener Monthly Meeting
Sat, July 07 - Sun, July 08, 2012 - 9am - 4:30pm, Hilo
Introduction to Permaculture
Monday, July 09 - Friday, July 13, 2012, 9am - 5pm, North Kohala
5-Day Workshop for Ranchers, Landscapers & Farmers
Wednesday, July 11, 2012, 09:00am - 12:00pm, South Kona
Homestead Foods: Mango Madness
Thursday, July 12, 2012, 09:00am - 01:00pm, Puna
Permaculture Planting Class: Plant Propagation
Saturday, July 14, 2012, 09:00am - 04:30pm, Hilo
Edible & Medicinal Mushroom Cultivation
Monday, July 16, 2012, 07:00pm - 09:00pm, North Kona
Hawai'i Tropical Fruit Growers Meeting
Thursday, July 19, 2012, 09:00am - 12:00pm, North Kona
Community training program for school garden volunteers
Thursday, July 19, 2012, 09:00am - 01:00pm, Puna
Permaculture Planting Class: Protein Crops
Thursday, July 26, 2012, 09:00am - 12:00pm, North Kona
Community training program for school garden volunteers
Thursday, July 26, 2012, 09:00am - 01:00pm, Puna
Permaculture Planting Class: Nitrogen Fixers and Mulch Plants
Saturday, July 28 - Sunday, July 29, 2012, 10am–5pm, North Kona
4th Annual Mango Festival
Tuesday, July 31 - Sunday, August 12, 2012, Oahu
Summer Permaculture Design Certificate Course
Thursday, August 02, 2012, 09:00am - 01:00pm, Puna
Permaculture Planting Class: Perennial Greens
Thursday, August 02, 2012, 09:00am, North Kona
West Hawai'i Master Gardener Monthly Meeting
Saturdays, August 04, 11 & 18, 2012, Hamakua
Spirit-Centered Beekeeping
Sat - Sun, August 04 - 05, 2012, 9am - 4:30pm, South Kona
Introduction to Permaculture
Saturday, August 04, 2012, 10:00am - 03:00pm, South Kona
Waiho‘olu‘u: Kukui Dyes Workshop
Wednesday, August 08, 2012, 09:00am - 12:00pm, South Kona
Homestead Foods: Jams and Jellies
Thursday, August 09, 2012, 09:00am - 01:00pm, Puna
Permaculture Planting Class: Taro and Root Crops
Saturday, August 11, 2012, 09:00am - 04:30pm, South Kona
Edible & Medicinal Mushroom Cultivation
Thursday, August 16, 2012, 09:00am - 01:00pm, Puna
Permaculture Planting Class: Papayas, Bananas
Monday, August 20, 2012, 07:00pm - 09:00pm, North Kona
Hawai'i Tropical Fruit Growers Meeting
Wednesday, September 12, 2012, 09:00am - 01:00pm, South Kona
Homestead Foods: Fermenting Soy Sauce and Tempeh
Thursday - Sunday, Sept 13 - 16, 2012, Honolulu
Hawaii Tropical Fruit Growers Hawaii International Conference
Saturday, September 22, 2012, 09:30am - 02:30pm, Puna
East Side Seed Exchange & Harvest Festival
Saturday, September 29, 2012, 09:00am - 03:00pm, South Kona
Breadfruit Festival goes bananas
Saturday, Oct 13, To Sunday, Dec 09, 2012, Puna
Permaculture Design Course
View events calendar
Reports
Written by Prakash Hebbar, H.C. Bittenbender, and Daniel O’Doherty
 High quality chocolate production can be done on a small scale.Popular worldwide, chocolate and many other products are produced from the fruit of the cacao tree (Theobroma cacao). Two of the main commercial products obtained from the specially processed beans of cacao fruit are cocoa liquor and cocoa butter, which are mixed with other ingredients such as sugar and milk to produce chocolate. When cocoa liquor is pressed to remove most of the butter, the resulting press cake when dried is called cocoa powder (10–25% fat), which is used in beverages, cakes, and cookies. Cocoa butter also has applications in cosmetics and soaps. In certain countries traditional beverages are also consumed locally made from processing cocoa beans at home. The white, sweet and sour cocoa pulp surrounding the beans in their pod is extracted to prepare beverages.
Read more...
Written by Sonia R. Martinez
 Entrance to the Mid-Week Farmers Market at Pukalani Stables in Waimea. The Waimea Mid-Week Farmers Market at Pukalani Stables has only been in existence since early April of this year, when it migrated from its previous location at Anna Ranch. The Market is managed by a board of directors and sponsored by the Paniolo Preservation Society.
At the time of the move, 12 vendors relocated and since then the number of vendors has increased to 28. They come from Waimea, the Hamakua Coast, Waikoloa, Kohala and some as far away as Puna, offering produce, food products, arts & crafts, and almost anything that has been grown or made locally on Hawai’i Island or within the State of Hawai’i.
Read more...
Written by Andrea Dean
 Please consider donating your excess breadfruit to the project.The Ho'oulu ka 'Ulu project, led by Hawai'i Homegrown Food Network (HHFN) and the Breadfruit Institute (BFI) of the National Tropical Botanical Garden is pleased to announce the launch of Breadfruit Harvest for Hunger pilot project. This fall, as soon as the breadfruit is mature, the Breadfruit Harvest for Hunger pilot will begin harvesting breadfruit that is not being used and distributing it through social service agencies to Hawai'i Island families who are food insecure.
According to a HHFN survey, people who grow breadfruit reported that 46% is wasted. At the same time, since the economic downturn of 2008, many families are food insecure—lacking access to affordable and nutritious food. Breadfruit is a local, abundant and nutritious food that can be used to alleviate hunger in Hawai'i.
Read more...
Written by Craig Elevitch
 Healthy, mulched soil is dark, has good structure, and holds moisture (left), whereas bare soil has poor structure and loses moisture faster.Decomposing organic materials are the primary source of fertility in tropical organic gardens. The richest source of organic materials is plant matter such as tree and garden trimmings, grass clippings, weeds, and kitchen scraps. These can be used directly in the garden as mulch or indirectly after composting. Mulch is a layer of decomposing organic matter on the soil surface. Mulching improves nutrient and water retention in the soil, encourages favorable soil microbial activity and worms, and suppresses weed growth. When properly done, mulching can significantly improve the well being of plants and reduce maintenance as compared to bare soil culture.
Read more...
Announcements
 A new publication entitled "Hawai'i Island Farmer's Guide to Accessing Local Markets" gives both novice and experienced farmers a leg up in developing and expanding their sales. From a farmer's perspective, the information found within the guide will help answer questions such as, "What crops should I grow?", and, "Who should I market to?" The guide reveals critical protocols and strategies on accessing and retaining markets based on the advice of 31 Hawai'i Island producers, processors, distributors, and retailers highlighted in the guide. Published by Hawai‘i Community College Office of Continuing Education and Training, Center for Agricultural Success, and Permanent Agriculture Resources, the guide was conceived of and co-authored by Waipi'o taro farmer Jim Cain, who has been working for many years to re-invigorate local food production in Hamakua by training new farmers. Download a pdf file of the new 76-page publication here.
June 2nd marked the launch of a new Saturday Farmer's Market in Honaunau. Open 9:30-2pm, the new market is on the lovely grass lawn in front of SKEA - right on Mamalahoa HWY. Local fresh produce, fresh-roast Kona coffee, baked goods, jamsand jellies, potted plants, wooodworking and arts, crafts and music make this afun local foods venue. More vendors welcome.
Announcing a new CSA in Puna. Kalapana Organics will provide weekly delivery of year-around and seasonal vegetables, fruits, and homemade value-added products.
See poster for details: Click here
For complete information call Jackie Prell at 938-5864
Contest inspires students to teach others about breadfruit
The Hawaii Homegrown Food Network, Breadfruit Institute of the National Tropical Botanical Garden, Amy B.H. Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden are presenting the Ho'oulu ka 'Ulu – Celebrating Breadfruit in Hawai'i Youth Art Contest.
 Breadfruit Festival 2011 winning entry by Prince Pecote.The Youth Art Contest is part of the educational outreach associated with the Breadfruit Festival Goes Bananas, which will be held at the Amy B.H. Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden in South Kona on Saturday, September 29, 2012. The artwork of contest winners (1st, 2nd and 3rd in each age group) will be displayed at the Breadfruit Festival and the winners will win great prizes.
The contest is open to all youth artists in Grades 1–12. To qualify, entrants must be full-time residents of Hawai'i County and must be affiliated with a school, home school group or organization. The school/organization needs to pre-judge the entries for submission. Each school may submit up to four works of art (one for each division). The divisions are: Grades 1–3, 4–6, 7–9, and 10–12.
The deadline for submissions is September 14, 2012. Interested schools should indicate their intent to submit by August 9, 2012 to Fia Mattice at 896-5122 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Contest guidelines, and links to content standards and the submittal form are available at www.breadfruit.info.
 Evening Rain Farm.Our Farm is a beacon calling the next people who have the resources to adore and adorn her. She offers her full glory and desire to be stewarded by people who revere her. She yearns to blossom, share her generosity and abundance; feel the weight of human footsteps, hear human laughter, music and appreciation, taste the nutrients blessing her, smell the ripeness, experience the flowing joy… She is hungry for her highest expression. It is all explained on the website: eveningRainFarm.com.
Farmers' Markets and Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)
Visit our comprehensive directory of 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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