One of Island Naturals' many displays in support of locally grown produce and products.

—and interview with owner Russell Ruderman

With four organic food store locations around the island, Island Naturals owner Russell Ruderman says the stores support more local farmers and value-added food providers than any other store, supermarket or farmers market on Hawai’i Island.

Each of the four stores has a unique character and some unique products. Each store buys from many local farmers, some of whom do not distribute island-wide. All stores have customers interested in special diets, (Gluten-Free, vegetarian, or dairy-free) to which the stores try to cater. In all stores, the Deli and in-store prepared foods are very popular. Each store also reflects the customer base in its particular area.

In October, I was fortunate to attend Bioneers, a conference in San Rafael, California. The word "conference" is an understatement; I am not sure how to exactly describe the gathering of over 10,000 people. The many speakers—from Amory Lovins to Gloria Steinem to Paul Stamets—were top quality. The topics were fascinating: indigenous activism, food sovereignty, energy transformation. The mix was eclectic, including music, speakers, performance, and, active participation. I found that I was moved in both my mind and my heart. Thoughts about how to bring ideas home had my neurons firing on all cylinders.

Mountain apple is one of many fruits that are closely related to strawberry guava.

Letter to Hawai’i Homegrown Food Network

I was dismayed to read the article “Understanding Biological Control” in the Oct. 26th issue of the Big Island Weekly. It mentioned that the Hawaii Department of Agriculture (HDOA) entomologists have studied this control method for over 15 years and that they “know with certainty that it will slow the growth and spread of strawberry guava and that it will not feed on similar species such as ohia and guava.”

Guava belongs to the Myrtaceae family, which includes the genera Psidium, Myrciaria, Syzygium, and Eugenia. You might know them better as jaboticaba, mountain apple, wax jambu, water apple, rose apple, surinam cherry, grumichama (Brazil cherry) and a host of other edible fruit of great economic benefit to growers across our island and state.

Homegarden fruit trees in Samoan village, 'Upolu.

Residential area in North Kona, Hawai'i, an extreme case where fruit trees are banned by subdivision by-laws.

Food-producing Urban and Rural Agroforestry Landscapes (2011-2013)

Hawai'i Homegrown Food Network is developing a much-needed manual and statewide workshop series focusing on sustainable perennial food-producing landscapes. Integrating perennial food plants in private and public landscapes has many advantages, including:

• Increasing food production in urban, periurban, and rural areas where the food is consumed, avoiding reliance on the fossil-fuel dependent distribution systems.
• Reallocating some of the fertilizer, pest management, fuel, and labor resources that are currently consumed in ornamental landscapes to growing food.
• Providing opportunities to supply small, local farmers markets with produce.
• Expanding opportunities for value-added cottage industries such as preserves, baked goods, fermented products, and other specialty items.