Sustainable Initiatives by Andrea Dean

The Breadfruit Institute of the National Tropical Botanical Garden and the Hawai‘i Homegrown Food Network are presenting a workshop entitled Revitalizing ‘Ulu (Breadfruit) from Root to Fruit on Saturday, March 12th at the Amy B.H. Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden in South Kona and Sunday, March 13th at Kua O Ka La Charter School in Puna (near Ahalanui County Park) – both workshops take place from 9:00 am – 4:00 pm. The content of the two workshops is identical.


Workshop participants will learn about the breadfruit tree from root to fruit, including: culture and history, propagation, planting, pruning, fertilizing, harvesting, preparing and eating.


Workshop presenters include Ian Cole, Craig Elevitch and Andrea Dean. Cultural practitioners from each workshop location will share about the culture and history of ‘ulu. Ian Cole is the Collection Manager and Curator for the Breadfruit Institute. He manages the breadfruit collections at Kahanu Garden in Hana, Maui and McBryde Garden in Lawai, Kauai. Craig Elevitch of Agroforestry Net and the Hawai‘i Homegrown Food Network will speak to the role of ‘ulu in traditional agroforestry systems. Andrea Dean, Co-Director of the Ho‘oulu ka ‘Ulu project, will discuss the statewide initiative to revitalize breadfruit.


Cost of the workshop is $40 per person or $70 for two. Space is limited and advance registration is required. Register by visiting www.breadfruit.info or by contacting Pedro Tama at pedro[at]hawaiihomegrown.net or 938-5618. Participants are asked to bring a brown bag lunch or food to share.


Revitalizing ‘Ulu (Breadfruit) from Root to Fruit is a program of Ho‘oulu ka ‘Ulu–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.

David Fuertes, Program Director of Ka Hana No’eau shows the mural on the wall of the Kohala Intergenerational Center which depicts the agricultural history and future vision for Kohala.

Ka Hana No’eau has another Kohala Style Lu’au on Saturday, February 5th, 9 am – 2 pm at the Kohala Intergenerational Center (Behind Hisaoka Gym in Kamehameha Park) in Kapa’au. Tickets are $45, call 884-5838 for reservations. The Kohala Style Lu‘au is a fundraiser for Ka Hana No‘eau’s 10 x 10 x 10,000 project, a taro growing project that addresses both food self-sufficiency and economic development in North Kohala. It was totally cool and I wrote an article about it for Ke Ola Magazine.


Ever been to a lu‘au and got to make your own lau lau? (Say that 10 times fast!) Ka Hana No‘eau and the Hawaii FFA Foundation have created the Kohala Style Lu‘au, where visitors and residents get mentored by Kohala locals in how to prepare all of the traditional lu‘au foods. And then, of course, you get to sit down and eat with your new mentors and friends. Funded by the Hawaii Tourism Authority, the Kohala Style Lu‘au brings visitors and new residents together to connect in an authentic way with the people and culture of the Kohala community. Read more, click on the picture below for the full article.

This is from Amanda Reiux at Mala’ai- The Culinary Garden at Waimea Middle School

Mrs. Robertson’s 8th grade Advisory class made a 100% local (from Hawaii) lunch. Eating locally grown and harvested food is sustainable. It is good for our local economy, good for our farmers (and friends), good for the environment, good for the land, good for our health, fun and tasty. Menu: Taro stovetop fritatta with leeks and herbs Cassava hash browns Guacamole Chili and lime dipping sauce sweet potatoes Watermelon Sweet coconut milk with kalo, sweet potato, and pandanas leaf coconut water