Newsletter 35 - January 2012
Aloha!A new year begins. It’s an opportunity to reflect on where we’ve been and where we’re going. It seems to us that 2011 was a watershed year in which the local and sustainable food movement finally gained traction in our islands’ media and in Hawai’i’s collective consciousness. Most people have realized that our heavy reliance on conventionally grown and processed, imported food is unhealthy. Many are working on food policy changes at the county, state, and federal level to support local food production and markets. Indeed, local food is now on the radar of mainstream policymakers, distributors and retailers. On the other hand, shopping at any large Hawai’i supermarket is still a frustrating experience for those who would like to fill their baskets with fresh, organic, locally produced food. Realistically, it may take decades to transform our current food system. In addition to working on retooling our industrial food production and distribution systems, we are in favor of building a parallel and complementary food system from the ground up. Home gardens and orchards, nearby farmers and gardeners, community gardens, food clubs, and co-operative production and distribution are all avenues we can support directly. We create a healthy food system through our daily actions. Enjoy eating locally & sustainably! Me ke aloha, Craig Elevitch and Pedro Tama EventsEvery Thursday, 9:00 am – 1:00 pm, Puna Friday, December 30, 2011, 07:00pm - 9:00pm, North Kona Monday, January 09 To Friday, February 10, 2012, North Kohala Saturday, January 14, 2012, 09:00am - 2:00pm, South Kona) Saturday, January 14, 2012, 10:00am - 3:00pm, North Kohala Monday, January 16, 2012, 07:00pm - 9:00pm, North Kona Saturday & Sunday, January 21-22, 9:00am-3:00pm, North Kona Saturday, January 28 -Sunday, January 29, 9:00am - 4:30pm, Puna Wednesday, February 01, To Wednesday, February 29, 2012, Puna Saturday, February 18, 2012, 10:00am - 4:00pm, North Kona Saturday, February 18 To Sunday, June 17, 2012, Puna Saturday, March 03 To Monday, March 19, 2012, Puna Saturday, March 03, 2012, Puna View events calendarReportsWritten by Sandor Ellix Katz | 16 December 2011 
Live-culture veggies by Donna Maltz at Hawi Farmers Market.
Fermented foods are those that have been transformed by microbial action. Many very common foods are products of fermentation, including bread, cheese, yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchi, chocolate, coffee, almost all condiments, and much more. In Hawai’i, poi is a traditional staple that many people prefer after it has fermented for several days. By some estimates, as much as one-third of all food consumed by humans has been subjected to fermentation. Written by Shree Padre | 28 December 2011 
Growers learn about new commercial fruits at the 12 Trees Project, which hosted thousands of visitors 2005-2010.
The Mysore raspberry hails from Coorg in Karnataka, India. Dismissed as a thorny wild weed, no one would ever dream of cultivating it there. You would be laughed at if you had the temerity to make such a suggestion. But in picturesque Hawai‘i, the Mysore raspberry earns an income for small farmers and has a loyal fan following. “It was the number one choice of 54 chefs here,” says Ken Love, president of the Hawaii Tropical Fruit Growers (HTFG) and the moving force behind the 12 Trees Project, an agricultural programme launched in 2005 which has boosted the income of small farmers. Farmers in Hawai‘i’s Kona region grow one of the most expensive coffees in the world called Kona. It is their main crop but they hardly make any money out of it. Many farmers were abandoning their coffee farms, migrating to cities and selling their fields to developers. The 12 Trees Project sought to reverse this trend. It helped farmers diversify by growing unusual fruits which would find favour with buyers, chefs and consumers. Written by Colleen Carroll | 27 December 2011 Highlights from the first Hawai'i Public Seed Initiative workshop
Cleaning lettuce seed for replanting.
In the not so distant past, seeds were one of the most valuable currencies one could have. Just imagine for a moment no Home Depot, no Internet, and no seed catalogue sales. Where would we get our seeds? In years past, seeds were a strong commodity, and special varieties would be handed down from generation to generation, moving across time and across countries: Auntie’s beans, Uncle’s tatsoi, the yam from my grandmother’s garden, and the basil from my family in Italy. The first settlers to Hawai‘i brought with them canoes filled with vegetative propagation materials for bananas, kalo, and sweet potatoes, among many other Polynesian staples. Written by Andrew Benton, Lex A.J. Thomson, Peter Berg, and Susan Ruskin | 28 December 2011 
Bamboo can provide food, fodder, medicine, and a multitude of building and craft materials.
Bamboo has a range of benefits that make it excellent for developing small-scale productive enterprises. It is widely used throughout the Pacific for temporary building structures, rafts, harvesting poles, fishing rods, food and water containers, food tongs, and handicrafts. Bamboo species are most often harvested from the wild, such as secondary forests in Melanesia. In Hawai‘i, wild bamboo stands are commonly harvested for fishing poles, edible shoots, and some construction applications, as well as for some craft work and kadomatsu. It is little used for food except to small extent by Southeast Asian immigrants. AnnouncementsLive-Culture Foods Workshop in Kona and PunaThe Hawai'i Homegrown Food Network and Feed Hawai'i will sponsor a 2-day hands-on workshop on live-culture (fermented) foods in Holualoa, North Kona on January 21 and 22. For details and registration, click here. Early registration ends December 31st. The Dragon's Eye Learning Center is hosting a 2-day hands-on Fermented Foods workshop with Sandor Ellix Katz in Puna on Jan 28 & 29. Click here for details. Aloha Kona Residents,
To participate follow this link and complete the 15-20 minute survey. Mahalo nui, Noa Kekuewa Lincoln, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. The link below takes you to our survey about the formation of the Hawai'i Cacao & Chocolate Association. Please forward this link to Hawaii cacao farmers or chocolatiers who might not be on my list. Your participation is important to launch our new association. Skip Bittenbender, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/HVRSD3V Eastside Hawai'i 'Ulu (Breadfruit) FestivalThe Eastside Hawai'i 'Ulu (Breadfruit) Festival will be held at Kua O Ka La charter school on Saturday March 3. For more information, see 'Ulu Festival.Kua O Ka La Public Charter School is currently looking for mature breadfruit. The breadfruit will be lightly processed and frozen for use at the festival the Breadfruit Festival to be held there March 2-3, 2012. If you are willing to share your bountiful 'ulu harvest for this purpose, please contact Mariposa at 938-7903. Other announcementsFarmers' Markets and Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)Please visit our comprehensive page dedicated to Hawai'i Island farmers' markets and Community Supported Agricuture.
Web ResourcesNew web site listings
Other web resourcesSupporting OrganizationsSponsorsHawai'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.
 Agroforestry Net  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
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