Newsletter 51 - May 2013

Aloha,

KawikaM200px David 'Kawika' MarquezOver the weekend, the Hawai'i Island sustainability community unexpectedly lost one of its strongest supporters, David 'Kawika' Marquez, President of Big Island Resource Conservation & Development. While we on the Hawai'i Homegrown Food Network team emphasize community, Kawika's loss reminds us that we are also distinct individuals, each of whom contributes uniquely.

With Kawika at the helm, BIRC&D helped dozens of Hawai'i Island grassroots nonprofits find funding for innovative projects that promote local self-reliance, natural resource conservation and food sustainability. At the inception of HHFN four years ago, BIRC&D eagerly provided the logistical support we needed. When we launched Ho'oulu ka 'Ulu—Revitalizing Breadfruit three years ago, Kawika joined our Planning Committee and volunteered with good humor for tasks that no one else took on, offering his full support for 'ulu. Whenever we asked Kawika for assistance, he responded with unflagging support. As an activist, a colleague, and a friend, Kawika will be deeply missed.

Craig Elevitch and Pedro Tama
for the Hawai'i Homegrown Food Network
http://hawaiihomegrown.net
visit us on Facebook

Breadfruit tree in South Kona.

Events

Friday, April 26 - Sunday, May 05, 2013, Ka’u
2013 Ka'u Coffee Festival

Thursday, May 02, 2013, 09:00am - 01:00pm, Puna
Permaculture Gardening: Compost Tea

Thursday, May 02, 2013, 09:00am, North Kona
West Hawai'i Master Gardener Monthly Meeting

Saturday, May 04, 2013, 09:00am - 12:00pm, South Kohala
Culturing Garden Vegetables

Saturday, May 04, 2013, 10:00am - 03:00pm, Puna
Beekeeping Bootcamp

Wednesday, May 08, 2013, 06:00pm - 08:00pm, South Kohala
Tax Workshops for Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers

Thursday, May 09, 2013, 05:30pm - 07:30pm, North Kona
Tax Workshops for Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers

Saturday, May 11, 2013, 08:30am - 05:00pm, South Kohala
Raising Heritage Poultry for Profit & Pleasure

Saturday, May 11, 2013, 10:00am - 12:00pm, South Kohala
Composting Workshop

Saturday, May 11, 2013, 02:00pm - 04:00pm, North Kohala
Composting Workshop

Thursday, May 16, 2013, 09:00am - 01:00pm, Puna
Permaculture Companion Planting and Guild Design

Saturday, May 18, 2013, 09:00am - 12:00pm, South Kohala
Mala'ai Free Community Workshop: Garden Tours of Waimea

Monday, May 20, 2013, 07:00pm - 09:00pm, North Kona
Hawai'i Tropical Fruit Growers Meeting

Wednesday, May 22, 2013, 05:30pm - 07:30pm, Hilo
Tax Workshops for Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers

Thursday, May 23, 2013, 09:00am - 01:00pm, Puna
Permaculture Gardening: Bananas & Papayas

Thursday, May 23, 2013, 05:30pm - 07:30pm, Ka’u
Tax Workshops for Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers

Saturday, May 25, 2013, 09:00am - 11:00am, North Kohala
Loving Local Foods: Discovery Garden

Sunday, May 26, 2013, 02:00pm - 05:00pm, Hilo
Let's Grow Hilo Edible Landscaping Beautification Day

Thursday, May 30, 2013, 09:00am - 01:00pm, Puna
Permaculture Gardening: Perennial Vegetables for the Tropics

Thursday, June 06, 2013, 09:00am - 01:00pm, Puna
Permaculture Gardening: Gardening for Food Security

Friday, June 07, 2013, 07:30am, South Kohala
Annual School Garden Network (HISGN) Summer Symposium

Saturday, June 08, 2013, 01:00pm - 04:00pm, South Kohala
Victory Gardening with Containers-1

Saturday, June 15, 2013, 10:00am - 12:00pm, Hamakua
Composting Workshop

Saturday, June 15, 2013, 01:00pm - 04:00pm, South Kohala
Victory Gardening with Containers-2

Saturday, June 15, 2013, 02:00pm - 04:00pm, Puna
Composting Workshop

Saturday, June 22, 2013, 01:00pm - 04:00pm, South Kohala
Victory Gardening with Containers-3

Sunday, June 23 - Saturday, July 27, 2013, Puna
Permaculture Design Course

View events calendar

Reports

Farm to Fork Tour at 'Iole

Peter Risley uses French Intensive methods on his farm and was named Farmer of the Year this year by the Mauna Kea Soil and Water Conservation District.On Saturday, April 6, the North Kohala Eat Locally Grown Campaign partnered with 'Iole Hawai'i to bring the Farm to Fork Tour series to the historic Bond district of North Kohala. The Hawai'i Institute of Pacific Agriculture (HIP Ag), Risley Farms and ʻŌhua O Nā Kiaʻi No Nā Keiki O Ka ʻĀina invited the Kohala community, Hawai'i Island residents and visitors to tour -- and taste -- what's growing at 'Iole.

All About Niu: Coconuts Forever

DSCN0044 Tim Head presents information about how to grow and harvest coconut trees at All About Coconut Day, April 13 at the Intergenerational Center."Grow your own future" was the theme of a coconut day program attended by sixty people at the Intergenerational Center in North Kohala on April 13th. The three-hour event offered information, demonstrations, a slide show, exhibits, coconut snacks, coco water, songs, dances, drumming and plenty of community networking about how to plant and use coconuts. Tim Head and Carolyn Mondress, co-chairs of "Coconuts for Kohala" led the event and Forrest Arnold served as group facilitator.

Hamakua Heritage Mushrooms Farm: Janice and Bob Stanger

Aliimushrooms5 Aliʻi mushrooms growing at Hamakua Heritage Mushroom Farm.Thirteen years ago, Bob and Janice Stanga bought property in the Laupahoehoe area of Hawai'i Island with the idea of creating a niche food for island chefs raising either mushrooms or edible snails. Mushrooms won and The Hamakua Heritage Mushroom Farm became a reality.

The enterprise started small and eventually grew to fill a 16,000 square-foot production building that houses their own sterile tissue culture laboratory, incubation rooms and six indoor growing rooms. The facility is equipped with automated specialty mushroom cultivation equipment and climate control installations, and is where they produce a variety of mushroom species of exceptional quality.

Take your time to develop new products: Desmond Twigg-Smith

MG 9544 Desmond Twigg-Smith rakes coffee parchment at his processing facility, which is open to the public.Desmond Twigg-Smith of Holualoa Kona Coffee Company grows certified organic coffee and processes from ripe beans through to roasted coffee for sale at his on-farm retail outlet. “We have control of all stages of production, which means we can maintain quality. It is very fulfilling to take our coffee all the way to a final product,” explains Twigg-Smith when reflecting on the wet and dry milling and roasting facilities he has developed over the years. For him, producing products that he can take pride in is much more than earning a living, it’s a lifestyle that gives satisfaction beyond what money can provide.

Farmers' Markets and Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)

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

Announcements

HTFG Annual Meeting - Schedule and Registration Posted

The 23rd Annual Hawaii Tropical Fruit Growers meeting will be held from September 26th through October 4th, 2013, starting on O'ahu, then continuing on the three main outer islands. Hawai'i Island dates are October 1-2. For complete information with schedule and registration links, Click Here.

Web Resources

This month's web site listings

Other web resources

Supporting Organizations

Hawai'i Organic Farmers Association

Hawai'i Tea Society

Hawai'i Tropical Fruit Growers

Kona Coffee Farmers Association

Kona County Farm Bureau
Kona Outdoor Circle

Slow Food Hawai'i

Sustainable Kohala

Subscriptions

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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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Web: http://hawaiihomegrown.net

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