Newsletter 54 - August 2013
Aloha! You may have noticed that your local farmers market is a bit quieter than usual this time of year. Summer is the time when many Hawai’i residents like to travel. This is a reminder to enjoy and support the local farmers markets wherever you are. If you are home in Hawai’i, please remember to kokua your local farmers market to keep it going through the summer months. Craig Elevitch and Pedro Tama EventsSunday, July 28, 2013, 02:00pm - 05:00pm, Hilo Sunday, August 04, 2013, 10:30 – 11:30 am, Hamakua Tuesday, August 06, 2013, 08:30 – 04:00pm, Kaua'i Thursday, August 08, 2013, 08:00am - 06:30pm, Maui Saturday, August 10, 2013, 08:00am - 06:30pm, O'ahu Tuesday, August 13, 2013, 06:00pm - 08:00pm, Hilo Monday, August 19, 2013, 07:00pm - 09:00pm, North Kona Sunday, August 25, 2013, 02:00pm - 05:00pm, Hilo Sunday, September 15, 2013, 09:00am - 03:00pm, Kaua’i Friday, September 27 To Friday, October 04, 2013, All Islands Friday, October 04, 2013, 06:00pm - 08:00pm, South Kohala From Saturday, October 12 To Sunday, December 15, 2013, Puna Monday, November 04, to Wednesday, November 06, 2013, Puna Saturday, November 9, 2013, 08:30am - 12:00pm, South Kona Saturday, November 23, 2013, 11:00am – 05:00pm, Hilo Every Tuesday. 09:00am - 12:00pm, Puna Every Thursday. 09:00am - 12:00pm, Puna View events calendarReportsLearning to Eat from the Land
I moved to Hawai'i Island close to three years ago, straight from a desk job in a small city in the northwest U.S., to my lifetime dream of learning to live off the land. My kids were mostly grown, and I was disillusioned with the effectiveness of my job as an environmental health educator. I had a new partner who shared my desire to go "back to the garden." But unlike me, Dan had planned ahead and owned 20 acres off-grid along the Hamakua coast of the Big Island. Healthy taro products by Voyaging Foods
Farmer Feature – Ohana Farm Orchards
Owners Renn and John Giblin, their daughter and son-in-law Carolina and Shad Bennett, and granddaughter Leyla have been taming the land and farming since they moved to the island in February 2012, a mere year and-a half ago. Farmers' Markets and Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)Visit our comprehensive directory of Hawai'i Island farmers' markets and Community Supported Agricuture.
AnnouncementsUSDA Announces Transportation Cost ReimbursementUSDA Announces Reimbursement Transportation Cost Program Payments and New Signup for Geographically Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers in Hawaii and the Pacific Basin. Contact: Diane Ley, State Executive Director for Hawaii and the Pacific Basin, (808) 441-2704. For complete announcement CLICK HERE. Hawai'i Organic Food Industry SurveyThe Kohala Center today launched a series of online surveys aimed at soliciting input and feedback from various sectors of Hawai'i's organic food industry. The surveys are accessible online at http://www.laulimacenter.org/organic_survey.htmlthrough Friday, August 2. The surveys are part of an initiative to determine the feasibility and potential roles of one or more organizations or agencies that would effectively support the growth and vitality of Hawai'i's organic industry. The initiative is supported by a grant from the Hawai'i Department of Agriculture. Farmers, producers, distributors, retailers, consumers, and agricultural professionals are encouraged to participate in one or more of the surveys. Participation is voluntary and anonymous. Data collected from the surveys will influence the development of solutions and recommendations to strengthen Hawai'i's organic industry. New Organic Pastured Broiler Chicken FarmPunachicks Farm is happy to announce that we will be raising organic pastured broiler chickens for the Big Island community. We are trying to fulfill a need that we saw for more local, wholesome alternatives to factory farmed supermarket chicken. Our first batches of whole dressed broilers will be available for pick up at our farm in Keaau on August 24 & August 31. We plan on having them available on a consistent basis (twice a month) after that. Our chickens are raised in small groups in portable pens that are moved daily to fresh pasture, so that they can enjoy green grass, bugs, fresh air, and sunshine. We believe this is a much better model than that used on confinement "factory farms", including "big organic" brands available in the supermarket. We raise and slaughter our chickens respectfully, which produces a very high quality product. One taste and you'll be hooked! Please visit our website www.punachicksfarm.com to use our online order form, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Free Value-Added Guide for Hawai'i producers
New Hawai'i Agribusiness Guide PublishedCTAHR and the Oahu Resource Conservation and Development Council have just published a basic guidebook for starting or improving your small farm business. Called the Hawai'i Agribusiness Guidebook, it provides an overview of fundamental tasks for small farm businesses, especially in the area of finances, marketing and regulations. For a free downloadable copy of the 94- page guidebook, Click Here. Web ResourcesThis month's web site listings
Supporting OrganizationsSponsorsHawai'i People's Fund and the Hawai'i Community Foundation Founding sponsorsHawai'i County Resource Center, a program of the County of Hawai'i Department of Research and Development. Hawaii Agricultural Development Program in partnership with the Big Island RC&D Council. ![]() SubscriptionsNew subscribers: Subscriptions to this newsletter are free and welcome from the general public. You can unsubscribe at any time. We will not share your name with anyone without your prior permission. Click here to subscribe This newsletter is published by:Hawai'i Homegrown Food Network |