Sustainable Initiatives by Andrea Dean

‘A‘ohe ‘ulu e loa‘a i ka pōkole o ka lou.
No breadfruit can be reached when the picking stick is too short.
[There is no success without preparation.]

Well… a few of our picking sticks were not quite optimal, but we adapted to the tools on hand and had a very abundant ‘ulu harvest. The Community Breadfruit Harvest was a part of the Ho‘oulu ka ‘Ulu project–a project of the Hawai‘i Homegrown Food Network and Breadfruit Institute of the National Tropical Botanical Garden to revitalize ‘ulu as an attractive, delicious, nutritious, abundant, affordable, and culturally appropriate food that addresses Hawai‘i’s food security issues.

Craig Elevitch and I were meeting with Chantal Chung of Kids of Kona. We were talking about the Breadfruit Festival (September 24th at Amy Greenwell Garden in South Kona) and she said “Lots of ‘ulu on the trees right now in South Kona. We better start harvesting and saving it for the festival.” A big light bulb went on over our heads–I think it may have been shaped like an ‘ulu. We knew immediately that Chantal was right. But…How? When? Where? Who?

A core group of people who are passionate about breadfruit, food security, Hawaiian culture, cooking and community came together to harvest, process and freeze about 300 pounds of breadfruit over two days! The breadfruit was washed, cut in half, core removed and then steamed. We allowed the breadfruit to cool and then bagged it in one gallon freezer bags and froze it. What will happen to all this breadfruit? Various chefs will use it to create delicious breadfruit dishes to be served up at the Breadfruit festival on September 24th at the Amy Greenwell Garden.

The Community Breadfruit Harvest was possible thanks to the coming together of many hands and hearts and it was a truly fun day.

A huge thanks to: Shirley Kauhaihao, Chantal Chung of Kids of Lona, Elaine Watai and Yvonne Naldoza of the Kealakehe Community Association, Kaipo Sheen of Makapueo Farms, Dianna DeRosa, Dru Kanuha and Kaeo Duarte from Kamehameha Schools, Cheryl Carden, Carolyn Machado, Anthony Savvis and the guys from Ke Kama Pono, David Fuertes of Ka Hana No’eau, Eddie Pollock, Lonnie King, Betty Saiki of the West Hawaii Culinary Arts Program and Ken Love of Hawaii Tropical Fruit Growers.

Got Breadfruit? Well, we wouldn’t mind doing this again! Let us know if you have excess breadfruit that you would like harvested and utilized.

HOLUALOA, HAWAI‘I – Hawaii Homegrown Food Network, the Breadfruit Institute of the National Tropical Botanical Garden and Amy B.H. Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden, are presenting the Breadfruit Festival at the Amy B.H. Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden in South Kona on Saturday, September 24, 2011 from 9:00 am – 3:00 pm. The Garden will also be holding a dedication for its new visitor center at 12:00 noon on the Festival day. The Festival and dedication are free and open to the public.


The Breadfruit Festival celebrates the rich culture of breadfruit (‘ulu) in Hawai‘i and the Pacific, raises awareness about the importance of breadfruit for food security and teaches about the many delicious ways to prepare breadfruit.


A highlight of the day will be cooking demonstrations by local celebrity chefs, food booths featuring breadfruit and other local favorites prepared by Hawai‘i Island’s finest chefs, and the “I Love Breadfruit” Cook-Off Contest where anyone may enter their favorite breadfruit dish to compete for prizes.


The Breadfruit Festival will also feature Hawaiian and Pacific Islander cultural activities including ‘Ulumaika (breadfruit bowling), talks on the culture and history of breadfruit, ‘Ōlelo No‘eau, woodworking, quilting demonstrations, tapa making, ‘ulu poi making and more.


Workshops on breadfruit propagation, tree care and maintenance, economic opportunities, the Hunger Initiative and other topics will be given by experts Dr. Diane Ragone and Ian Cole of the Breadfruit Institute of the National Tropical Botanical Garden.


An art exhibit will feature the finalists in a fine art contest which focuses on the beauty of breadfruit, and a youth poster contest. Breadfruit trees will be available for sale on festival day, but supplies are limited and advance purchase for pick up at the festival is encouraged by contacting hooulu@hawaiihomegrown.net.


In addition to the September 24th Breadfruit Festival in South Kona, an East Side festival spearheaded by project partners Ho‘oulu Lahui and Kua O Ka Lā Public Charter School will be held March 2-3, 2012.


Learn more about the Breadfruit Festival by visiting www.breadfruit.info.


The Breadfruit Festival is a program of Ho‘oulu ka ‘Ulu—Revitalizing Breadfruit, a project of the Breadfruit Institute of the National Tropical Botanical Garden and the Hawai‘i Homegrown Food Network to revitalize ‘ulu as an attractive, delicious, nutritious, abundant, affordable, and culturally appropriate food that addresses Hawai‘i’s food security issues. The Breadfruit Festival is sponsored in part by the Hawaii Tourism Authority’s Kūkulu Ola—Living Hawaiian Culture Program.