Newsletter 39 - May 2012
|
Aloha!Everywhere one looks these days, one sees new growth and vitality in gardens, small-scale farms, local food markets and restaurants. In the local and sustainable food movement, there's good news everywhere.
Enjoy eating locally & sustainably grown! Mahalo nui loa, Craig Elevitch and Pedro Tama EventsEvery Thursday, 9:00 am – 1:00 pm, Puna Saturday, April 28, 2012, 09:00am - 01:00pm, Hilo & South Kohala Saturday, April 28, 2012, 09:30am - 12:00pm, Hilo Saturday, April 28, 2012, 12:00pm - 04:30pm, North Kohala Sunday, April 29, 2012, 10:00am - 02:00pm, South Kona Sunday, April 29, 2012, 01:00pm - 05:00pm, South Kona Thursday, May 03, 2012, 10:30am, North Kona Saturday, May 05, 2012, 08:00am - 12:00pm, North Kohala Saturday, May 12, 2012, 11:00am - 05:00pm, North Kohala Saturday, May 12, 2012, 05:00pm - 08:00pm, North Kohala Monday, May 07, 2012, 05:30pm, South Kohala Friday, May 11, 2012, 05:30pm, Hilo Saturday, May 12, 2012, 09:00am - 04:00pm, Ka’u Saturday, May 19, To Monday, May 21, 2012, Maui Monday, May 21, 2012, 07:00pm - 09:00pm, North Kona Friday, June 08, 2012, North Kona Sunday, June 10, 2012, 01:00pm - 03:30pm, South Kohala Tuesday, June 26, 2012, South Kona View events calendarReportsWritten by Andrea Dean | 27 April 2012 
Volunteers spent Earth Day reviving the grounds of the Kohala High School Ag Program.
For 30 years Uncle David Fuertes was the agriculture teacher at Kohala High School. In its glory days the ag program made $25,000 per year by growing and selling its own products. The program emphasized entrepreneurship and leadership skills, as well as agricultural skills. They had a greenhouse, certified kitchen, four acres of vegetables and animal pastures. Many of Kohala’s leaders today were students who were mentored by David in the Hawai‘i Future Farmers of America (FFA) program—including High School principal Jeanette Snelling, and Adriel Robitaille, the new Ag teacher. After attending college it was Adriel’s dream to come back to Kohala and to revitalize the ag program. That dream is now becoming a reality. Written by Dave Jacke and Eric Toensmeier | 27 April 2012 
Nitrogen fixing plants have the ability to grow in poor soils and provide a source of nutrient-rich organic matter.
Part 2 of a 2-part series. For Part 1, click here This part continues the presentation of in-depth information on nitrogen-fixing and dynamic accumulator plants. Diversify the Leaf Litter to Aid Nutrient CyclingResearch has shown that diverse forms of litter on the forest floor aid nutrient cycling in the litter layer and topsoil. Diverse litter provides for better decomposition and diversity in the decomposer food web. Therefore, using various kinds of mulch and planting plants that provide diverse kinds of litter will improve self-renewing fertility. Written by Craig Elevitch | 26 April 2012 
Margaret Krimm holds up a photograph of her backyard being leveled by a bulldozer before she started her garden.
Getting to know the environment where you live is the best way to begin the process of growing food. Knowing about your soil, rainfall, elevation, wind direction, and other environmental conditions will help determine what to plant and what might need to be done to improve conditions for plants and animals. Written by Ken Love | 25 April 2012 An Open Letter to the Farmers Market Community
In order to be sustainable, prices must be set above the cost of production.
At farmers markets all over the state I see pricing structures on locally grown fruit and veggies that just don't compute. When I started a small farmers market adjacent to the Kona Pacific Farmers Cooperative on Napoopoo Road in the mid-1990s, avocados were $1.00 each and bananas were 5 for $1.00, as that was roughly what the prices were in grocery stores. Back then my Kaiser insurance was $680/month and gas $2.23/gal or so. My insurance is now $1300/month and you know what gas has gone up to. I'm sure you all have stories like this. Prices at grocers for avocados have gone from $1.99 to $3.99 at KTA for imported avocados, and at some stores from $0.69-$2.45/lb for local avocados. Why haven’t farmers market prices gone up too? Written by Andrea Dean | 26 April 2012 
Bernard Matatumua-Vermeulen prepares to harvest the first large bunch of bananas from the food forest he tends at Kona Seventh Day Adventist Church.
By day, Bernard Matatumua-Vermeulen is a Soil Conservationist with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA NRCS) in Kealakekua—and in his spare time he is one of the green thumbs behind a food forest project at the Kona Seventh Day Adventist Church. The church is adjacent to the Amy B.H. Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden in Captain Cook and is located in the kaluulu—a 18 mile-long breadfruit grove that was for centuries an abundant food producing region in Kona. Announcements25 April 2012 Kaiser Permanente will be hosting an advance screening of the HBO Documentary Film Series “The Weight of the Nation” on Monday, May 7th at the Parker School Theater and Friday, May 11th at the Palace Theater. Film begins at 5:30pm. Prize drawings, giveaways and expert panelists. Free. Reservations recommended at http://weight-of-the-nation-hawaii-island.eventbrite.com. Call 326-7284 for more information. View the trailer: http://theweightofthenation.hbo.com/trailer 16 April 2012 Amy B.H. Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden in South Kona has a small collection of Hawaiian banana varieties that require regular tender-loving care. We are looking for volunteers to care for the bananas to keep them vibrant, healthy, and tidy, especially for the next Breadfruit Festival on September 29, 2012, which will feature bananas. Guidance will be given in how to care for bananas. If you would like to become a volunteer caretaker, please call the Garden Director Peter van Dyke at 323-3318. Other announcementsFarmers' Markets and Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)Please visit our comprehensive directory of Hawai'i Island farmers' markets and Community Supported Agricuture.
Web ResourcesNew 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.
 New 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 |
