Newsletter 60 - February 2014
For nearly five years we at the Hawai’i Homegrown Food Network have written about, photographed, given workshops on, sponsored festivals about, and generally promoted and advocated the growing, selling, buying and eating of local, sustainably grown food.
In presenting “sustainable farming” to our readers and viewers, we’ve featured organic farmers, biodynamic gardens, permaculture trainings, and when appropriate, traditional Hawaiian agriculture and the value of integrating ancient Polynesian farming methods with contemporary, scientific sustainable agriculture.
We recognize that precontact traditional agriculture on these islands had always been “organic;” it had always embodied “permaculture” principles; and it practiced “biodynamic” methods long before those concepts were named. Moreover, it was an agriculture deeply embedded in, and growing out of, its local community.
Perhaps right under our noses, if we look long and hard and well enough with humility, there are traditional Pacific agricultural methods, being practiced here every day, that can provide us with the values, knowledge, wisdom, and spirit to regenerate a truly local and sustainable food system.
Craig Elevitch and Pedro Tama
for the Hawai'i Homegrown Food Network
http://hawaiihomegrown.net
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Events
Thursday, February 06, 2014, from 09:00 am - 04:00 pm, Hilo
Pollinator Conservation Short Course
Saturday, February 08, 2014, 08:00 am - 05:30 pm, Oahu
Grow Organic: A One Day Hands-On Organic Event
Tuesday, February 11, 2014, 06:00 pm - 08:00 pm, Hilo
Hilo Natural Farmers Monthly Meeting
Monday, February 17, 2014, 07:00 pm - 09:00 pm, North Kona
Tropical Fruit Growers Meeting
Sunday, February 23, 2014 02:00 pm - 05:00 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
Teeny Tiny Laupahoehoe Farmers Market
Laupahoehoe farmers market.The Laupahoehoe Farmers Market started in September of 2009 with two enterprising women setting up a tent and selling their harvest and that of their neighbors. They persevered for several weeks until another vendor, and then another, started setting up Sunday after Sunday.
From tree to nib: making a small batch of cacao
Cacao pods and seeds with pulp. One of the many lovely things about Hawai’i is we can grow our own cacao or find the pods fresh for sale. Although making chocolate is pretty complex and involves some expensive equipment (Champion juicer, Cuisinart or melanger, molds), you can get a great chocolatey result from just using the nibs. Here is how to select a handful of fresh cacao pods and then ferment, dry, roast, and winnow them to create bitter yet delicious and nutritious nibs, and a few ways to use those nibs.
Hyperlocal frozen dessert by OnoPops
OnoPops produces a variety of flavors depending on local ingredient availabilty.
In 2010 brothers Josh Lanthier-Welch and Joe Welch established OnoPops, whose flagship product line consists of ice pops made from local and organic ingredients. Profoundly inspired by the patela tradition of ice and milk-based frozen pops in Latin America, the brothers based their product line on a marriage of the Mexican patela and Hawaiian regional cuisine. The result is an endless range of creative flavor combinations that changes continually based on which ingredients are available from local sources.
Farmers' Markets and Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)
Announcements
Mayor Kenoi Signs Bill 113, restricts future GMO growing
On November 19th the Hawai'i County Council voted 6-3 in favor of Bill 113 (Council members Onishi, Yoshimoto and Ilagan voted Against), which restricts future cultivation of GMO crops on Hawai'i Island. Mayor Kenoi, who faced substantial political pressure to veto the bill, instead signed Bill 113 into law on December 5th with a strong statement advocating local control of agriculture in Hawai'i County: "With this new ordinance we are conveying that instead of global agribusiness corporations, we want to encourage and support community-based farming and ranching."
For the complete text of Mayor Kenoi's powerful position supporting Bill 113 and sustainable agriculture, CLICK HERE.
Web Resources
This month's web site listings
- Kona Hawaiian Civic Club
- Winter Sustainable & Organic Newsletter
- Agrochemical companies sue Kaua'i pesticide law
- Meat Goat Basics
- Non-GMO Sourcebook
- Interview with Andrea Dean
- eOrganic Webinars
Supporting Organizations
Sponsors
Current
Founding sponsors
Hawai'i People's Fund and the Hawai'i Community Foundation
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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Hawai'i Homegrown Food Network
PO Box 5
Holualoa, Hawaii 96725 USA
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Web: http://hawaiihomegrown.net