Newsletter 57 - November 2013
Aloha
This newsletter's purpose is to keep local and sustainable food events, activities, and information in the spotlight. This is the time of year when the number of local events swells to a surprising number involving all segments of the agricultural community: individuals, educational organizations, crop interest groups, etc. And as you will see from the four new articles below, this is a good time to be immersed in the world of local food in Hawai'i.
Craig Elevitch and Pedro Tama
for the Hawai'i Homegrown Food Network
http://hawaiihomegrown.net
visit us on Facebook
Events
Sunday, October 27, 2013, 02:00 pm - 05:00 pm, Hilo
Let’s Grow Hilo Edible Landscaping Beautification Day
Monday, October 28, 2013, 09:00 am - Friday, November 8, 2013, 03:00 pm, North Kona
Permaculture Training Seminar
Monday, October 28, 2013, 09:30 am - 05:30 pm, North Kona
Growing Organics: Moving Hawai’i’s Organic Industry Forward
Friday, November 01, 2013 to Sunday, November 10, 2013, North Kona
Kona Coffee Cultural Festival
Friday, November 01, 2013, 09:00 am - 06:00 pm, South Kona
10th Annual West Hawai’i Seed Exchange and Arbor Day Events
Saturday, November 02, 2013, 09:00 am - 03:00 pm, North Kona
Holualoa Village Coffeee Tasting and Art Stroll
Saturday, November 02, 2013 to Sunday, November 03, 09:00 am - 03:00 pm, South Kona
Arbor Day Events at Amy Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden
Saturday, November 02, 2013 to Sunday, November 03, 09:00 am - 05:30 pm, Puna
Permaculture Design Course: Designing for Sustainability and Food Security
Saturday, November 02, 2013, 09:30 am - 03:30 pm, Puna
Permaculture Day Classes at La’akea: Utilizing Water on the Landscape
Saturday, November 02, 2013, 10:00 am - 03:00 pm, Hawaiian Paradise Park
Lilikoi Festival
Saturday, November 02, 2013, 06:00 pm, Hilo
Big Island Beekeepers Gala Dinner
Sunday, November 03, 2013, 09:30am - 03:30 pm, Puna
Permaculture Day Classes at La’akea: Plants in Our Landscapes
Monday, November 04, 2013 to Wednesday, November 06, 2013, Volcano
Community Cup Tea Hawai’i Tour: Global Relations in Tea
Tuesday, November 05, 2013, 08:00am - 12:00pm, Hilo
Sweet Potato Production
Saturday, November 09, 2013, 08:30 am - 01:30 pm, South Kona
Breadfruit from Tree to Table Workshop
Saturday, November 09, 2013, 02:00 - 04:00 pm, North Kohala
Unveiling North Kohala’s Permanent Seed Bank
Tuesday, November 12, 2013, 06:00 pm - 08:00 pm, Hilo
HIlo Natural Farmers Monthly Meeting
Saturday, November 16 2013 To Sunday, January 19, 2014, Puna
Permaculture Design Course: Designing For Sustainability and Food Security
Saturday, November 16, 2013, 09:30 am - 03:30 pm, Puna
Permaculture Day Classes at La’akea: Animals as Part of System Design
Saturday, November 16, 2013, 01:00 - 07:00 pm, North Kohala
4th Annual Kohala ‘Aina Festival 2013
Sunday, November 17, 2013, 09:30 - 03:30, Puna
Permaculture Day Classes at La’akea: Tropical Dryland Temperate Strategies
Monday, November 18, 2013, 07:00 pm - 09:00 pm, North Kona
Hawai’i Tropical Fruit Growers Meeting
Saturday, November 23, 2013, 08:00 am - 04:30 pm, South Kohala
4th Annual Hawai’i Island Landscape Management Conference: Sustainability in Landscape Design Maintenance
Saturday, November 23, 2013, 11:00 am - 05:00 pm, Hilo
3rd Annual Honey Festival and Honey Challenge
Sunday, November 24, 2013, 02:00 pm - 04:00 pm, Hilo
Let’s Grow Hilo Edible Landscaping Beautification Day
Every Tuesday. 09:00 am - 12:00 pm, Puna
Hands in the Earth Practicum
Every Thursday. 09:00 am - 12:00 pm, Puna
Permaculture Classroom & Field Studies
View events calendar
Reports
South Kona Green Market -- Revisited!
Written by Sonia R. Martinez
South Kona Green Market located at Amy B.H. Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden in Captain Cook. We first featured the South Kona Green Market (SKGM) in the December 2010 issue #23 of the HHFN newsletter. The Sunday market recently relocated to its original home, the Amy B. H. Greenwell Ethnobotanical Gardens in Captain Cook, and also celebrated its 5th anniversary.
Visible and easily accessible from Mamalahoa Highway and with plenty of parking all around, the number of vendors has grown from approximately 78 members and 35 vendors to 200 members and 80 vendors. The market is self-funded by membership participation and weekly vendor fees.
The Strategic Plan for a Local Food System in North Kohala
Written by Andrea Dean
In 2008, the residents of North Kohala stated a strong desire in its Community Development Plan to "Keep Kohala, Kohala." As a historically agricultural community, part of "Keep Kohala, Kohala," is to develop a community life rooted in sharing and bartering from individual homesteads that grow food and animals, as well as gathering from the communal mountains, gulches and ocean.
Most of the land in Kohala is agriculturally zoned. The sentiment of Kohala residents is generally that they would like to see agricultural land used for agriculture, not luxury subdivisions and/or "gentlemen estates."
In service of this sentiment, the community has a strategy to promote and support a community of diversified agriculture and the goal to "produce 50% of the food it consumes."
Our Surprising Week of Eating Local
Written by Rachel Laderman on Friday
Quiche with a purple sweet potato crust, perennial vegetables, herbs, and goat cheese worked for dinner and lunch.A few weeks ago, Lauryn Rego of Maui realized she was spending all her time focusing on things she didn't like. Her off-work hours were spent protesting pesticide spraying and fighting against genetically modified crops. She wanted to focus on something positive, and do something to support the "people doing it right" in Hawai'i - the farmers growing and selling organic food locally.
So Lauryn decided to start an eat local food week and challenged her friends (and anyone else) to join her. I saw it on Facebook and decided to jump on board.
Hey, Who are You Calling a Weed?
Written by Donna Marlatt
For what solid reason do I know this plant is not useful here? What do I know about this plant I am labeling a weed
Conversations with the Most Poisonous Plant in the World
Recently, I took part in starting a small agroforest on a section of cleared property. I prepared the newly excavated landscape, pulling any unwanted existing plants, then applied what I thought was a good layer of mulch. Next came the planting of young fruit trees, along with supportive shrubs and edible ground covers. Wiping dust and soil from my forehead and hands, I walked away crossing my fingers for a good combination of rain and sunshine. I revisited this area day after day, monitoring and watering as needed. Very quickly it was easy to see little green castor beans (also known as castor oil plant) sprouting all over, their dormant seeds having been awakened by the disturbed soil.
Farmers' Markets and Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)
Announcements
Peach-Palm seedlings & seeds available
John Mood has lots of PP seedlings available. $1.50/seedling unspotted, or $4.00 potted in 3 in. pot. Also they are going into the fruiting season, so seed will be available in large quantities. Contact John at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
New Rules for Shipping Hawai'i Avocados to the Mainland to Take Effect
The USDA Final Rule governing the shipment of untreated "Sharwil" avocdos from Hawai'i to the mainland will take effect on October 15, 2013. For all the requiremnts to satisfy this rule, see http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=APHIS-2012-0008-0036.
Farm Bill Conservation Benefits for Underserved Farmers: Hilo workshop
Web Resources
This month's web site listings
- Hawaiian Native Plant Propagation Database
- Guide to Going Local
- ONO Organic Farm - Maui
- How to Cultivate Indigenous Microrganisms
- Homegardens Illustrated
- Fermented Plant Juice
- Hawai'i Papayas
- Hanai'Ai - CTAHR Sust & Org Newsletter
Supporting Organizations
Sponsors
County of Hawai'i,Hawai'i People's Fund and the Hawai'i Community Foundation
Founding sponsors
Hawai'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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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