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Newsletter 65 - November 2014

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Aloha!

Farmers markets are a main driver of our local food economy. For many small producers, farmers markets are the perfect entry place for selling their extra produce and developing a product line for other retail or wholesale venues. Farmers markets are where consumers can connect face-to-face with producers, a connection we all know is integral to the nourishment of local food. Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) joins consumers directly with growers on a subscription or membership basis, another strong driver in our local food system.  

We have recently completely updated the directory of Hawai'i Island farmers markets and CSAs that we have maintained for the past 5 years. Sonia Martinez is our lead farmers market researcher, frequently visiting markets across the island. Sonia's tireless efforts have led to what we believe is the most complete and up-to-date farmers market page available. Additionally, Sonia's 19 in-depth farmers market and 5 CSA highlights can be found through the farmers market directory.

We wish you an abundant local and sustainable holiday season!

Craig Elevitch and Pedro Tama
for the Hawai'i Homegrown Food Network

Breadfruit tree in South Kona.


Reports

Again, Another Way

by Michelle Galimba

IMG 4089The trajectory that we are on was not developed in a year or a hundred years or a thousand years.  It is project of long millennia of choices and intentions.

Here is one of the challenges for civilized humankind: to learn (again!) from the animals and the plants, rather than use them like dead matter or animate machines for our needs and ends.  They can be sources of inspiration for adaptive techniques and technologies; they are keepers of a kind of quiet wisdom we are only beginning to appreciate.

The cow knows how to live on cellulose, the deer and the horse, too.  They know how to live outside, in all weathers, needing only the barest essentials.  They will still be here long after our fossil-fuel-driven civilization grinds slowly to a halt.

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Can I Grow a Complete Diet?

by Taylor Thornton

 MG 0740Yes, you can grow and enjoy a complete diet! Choose a wide variety of crops for each nutritional group to fulfill your energy, growth, and micro-nutrient needs.

Good nutrition is essential to human health, yet the complex details of human nutrition need not be fully understood in order to grow the foods you need to create a balanced diet.

When we consume food our bodies derive energy and essential nutrients from carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Carbohydrates provide energy through sugars and starches, proteins are necessary for growth and repair of the body, and fats provide a very concentrated source of energy. Additionally we benefit from vitamins, trace amounts of minerals, and an assortment of plant-derived molecules called antioxidants that help protect our bodies from disease and damage. The precise quantities required from each group are continually debated, however, as a general guideline the following numbers can help you to understand and plant for your nutritional need.

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Rotating your crop

by Glenn Teves

Hhu derkohlreift-cabbageCrop rotations can help reduce problems inherent to monocultures.

I’d like to make a bold statement that the majority of commercial farmers in Hawaii don’t practice crop rotation. By not rotating our crops, we create our own problems that can be the cause of own demise. Monoculture is the simplest form of farming because you only have to understand all aspects of one crop, so you can grow it well if you choose, but in the process, you create insurmountable problems for you, the farmer, and your crop.

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Farmers' Markets and Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)

Visit our comprehensive directory of Hawai'i Island farmers' markets and Community Supported Agricuture.


Web Resources

This month's web site listings

Other web resources


Sponsors


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This newsletter is published by:

Hawai'i Homegrown Food Network
PO Box 5
Holualoa, Hawaii  96725  USA
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