Newsletter 49 - March 2013
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Aloha mai! Among many of the exciting features of the Hawaiian Renaissance that began fifty years ago and continues today is the return of the "canoe plants." Though they never really disappeared, many of the crops to Hawai'i brought by the original indigenous people are experiencing a revival. Many are now commercially produced and consumed as vital components of our new locally-grown island diets. The standard-bearer is and always has been kalo (taro). Two years ago we at the Hawai'i Homegrown Food Network joined hands with The Breadfruit Institute and many other partners to encourage the planting and eating of 'ulu (breadfruit) through the Ho'oulu ka 'Ulu—Revitalizing Breadfruit project. Different groups around Hawai'i have revived Hawaiian 'uala (sweetpotato); have begun planting a thousand la'au niu (coconut palm); and are producing commercial juice from kō (sugar cane). Last year's Breadfruit Festival Goes Bananas in Kona emphasized locally-gown mai'a (banana). And several garden farmers have started growing old varieties of Hawaiian uhi (true yam).
Join us this Saturday, March 2nd, when we partner with Ho'oulu Lāhui and Kua O Ka Lā Public Charter School in Puna to present Ulu a me Niu—Breadfruit and Coconut, the 2nd Annual Puna 'Ulu Festival. You'll get a chance to experience and meet many of the cultural practitioners, small growers, and chefs who are leading this traditional food renewal. Mahalo nui loa, Craig Elevitch and Pedro Tama
EventsThursday, February 28, To Thursday, March 28, 2013, Puna Thursday, February 28, 2013, 08:00am, North Kona Thursday, February 28, 2013, 09:00am - 01:00pm, Puna Friday, March 01, 2013, 09:00am - 05:00pm, North Kona Saturday, March 02, 2013, 09:00am - 03:00pm, Puna Saturday, March 02, 2013, 10:00am - 03:00pm, Puna Thursday, March 07, 2013, 09:00am - 01:00pm, Puna Thursday, March 07, 2013, 09:00am, North Kona Saturday, March 09, 2013, 09:00am - 12:00pm, North Kohala Saturday, March 09, 2013,, Puna 01:00pm - 04:00pm, South Kohala Thursday, March 14, 2013, 09:00am - 01:00pm Saturday, March 16, 2013, 09:00am - 12:00pm, South Kohala Sunday, March 17, 2013, 12:30pm, North Kona Sunday, March 17, 2013, 12:00am - 05:00pm, Kaua'i Monday, March 18, 2013, 07:00pm - 09:00pm, North Kona Wednesday, March 20, 2013, 09:00am - 12:00pm, Hilo Thursday, March 21, 2013, 09:00am - 12:00pm, Kona Thursday, March 21, 2013, 09:00am - 01:00pm, Puna Saturday, March 23, 2013, 05:30pm - 10:00pm, South Kohala Wednesday, March 27, 2013, 09:00am - 12:00pm, Kaua’i Thursday, March 28, 2013, 09:00am - 01:00pm, Puna Thursday, March 28, 2013, 09:00am - 12:00pm, O’ahu Friday, March 29, 2013, 09:00am - 12:00pm, Mau’i Sunday, March 31, 2013, 02:00pm - 05:00pm, Hilo Thursday, April 04, 2013, 09:00am - 01:00pm, Puna Saturday, April 13, 2013, 09:00am - 12:00pm, North Kohala Saturday, April 20, 2013, 09:00am - 12:00pm, South Kohala View events calendarReportsWhen Pigs Fly Island Charcuterie
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. Kohala Farm-to-Fork Tour
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. The human elements of value-added enterprises
Diversification is key to success: Ken Love
Farmers' Markets and Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)Visit our comprehensive directory of Hawai'i Island farmers' markets and Community Supported Agricuture.
Value-added innovation workshop will help farmers become more profitableA workshop entitled "Value-Added Innovation for Hawai'i Growers: Making the Family Farm Profitable" will help growers hone their skills at adding value to their products and services. The free workshop will be held on March 20th in Hilo, March 21st in Kona, March 27th on Kaua'i, March 28th on O'ahu, and March 29th on Maui. Competing with cheap imported agricultural goods, many Hawai'i farms have a difficult time selling their products profitably as raw commodities. The workshop will show how Hawai'i farm enterprises can differentiate their products to become more profitable, and therefore viable businesses. 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.
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If you look behind the scenes at any successful value-added farm enterprise in Hawai‘i (there are many), you will find that their most important resource is people. Entrepreneurs are the "heart," "soul" and "brains" of the operation. The resourcefulness and tenacity to run a small farm comes from the people who run it. Here are a few characteristics of successful value-added farm enterprises.
