Going Green with Andrea Dean

Well… if you couldn’t be there (or even if you were) check out the highlights from our local restaurants, markets and night spots!

North Kohala Eat Locally Grown Day was on Sat, Jan 16, 2010. An initiative that came out of the North Kohala Food Forum (www.nkfoodforum.com), restaurant owners Joan Channon (Bamboo), Karen Rosen (Kohala Coffee Mill), Peter Pomeranze (Sushi Rock) and farmer Tom Baldwin (Uluwehi Farms) wanted to feature local, North Kohala grown food in our local restaurants to raise community awareness about our locally grown foods and to create new connections with local farmers. Well- we did it! Hawi and Kapa’au town were abuzz with local foods this past Saturday. The initial idea grew to include other local restaurants and markets- Bamboo, Sushi Rock, Kohala Coffee Mill, Luke’s Place, Kava Kafe, Pico’s, Fig’s Mixed Plate, Snack Shack, Hawi Farmers Market, Takata’s- all who rocked the local food, drinks, and music! North Kohala Eat Locally Grown Day started early at the Kohala Cofee Mill and the Hawi Farmers’ Market and ended late with local kava and local music at the Kava Cafe and Studio 54 at Sushi Rock! We ate, we danced, we raised awareness about local food and farmers!

Karen Rosen, owner of the Kohala Coffee Mill talking up the local specials- local roast beef sandwich, carrot ginger soup, asian wrap, local fruit smoothie and more!

Sushi Rock rolled up sushi rolls with local ingredients. Then they rocked Hawi at night with the Studio 54 dance party.

Visitors from California always eat at Bamboo when they come to the Big Island because they love the local flavors! When people come to Hawaii they want to experience the local flavors! Look out for the next wave- Hawi Regional Cuisine.

Takata's Store expanded the locally grown section and highlighted the local produce with signage.

Kukuipahu Ranch donated local citrus to Takata's Store- proceeds go to the North Kohala Community Learning Center. A great partnership!

Pico's was one of the restaurants who particpated in Eat Locally Grown Day. Taro chips, taro leaf spanikopita, sweet potatoe salad, and more...

Oliver & Tom Baldwin enjoying a locally grown lunch at Pico's. Tom helped coordinate the farmer's/buyer's market where restaurants ordered produce for Eat Locally Grown Day.

Local specials were highlighted at each restaurant.

In case you missed the signs coming into town!

LEARN MORE AT NKFOODFORUM.COM
“The North Kohala community will produce 50% of the food it consumes.” This is a stated goal in the North Kohala Community Development Plan. The North Kohala community has many existing and emerging commercial and community projects that could lead to increased food self-sufficiency, the goal of the Food Forum is to bring everyone together for information sharing. The sharing of information is the first step in building collaborative partnerships towards a stated community goal.


There will be invited participants in the forum and the public will also be welcome, with provision made for including public participation in discussion. Forum participants have been identified from the following sectors in North Kohala:

The members of Food Forum steering committee are Bob Martin, Forrest Arnold, Shannon Casey, Karen Rosen, Guy Kaulukukui, and Andrea Dean.


The goals of the North Kohala Food Forum are to:
• Share information by providing a forum for communication.
• Allow synergistic partnerships to form.
• Identify the key barriers to local food production and working together.
• Glean insight as to what the public is thinking about local food self-sufficiency.
• Begin to get a “lay of the land” with regards to who is doing what and why.
• Begin to track progress towards food self-sufficiency.


North Kohala Food Forum, Saturday, August 22, 2009, 9 – 4:30, Intergenerational Center. Save the date, ticket info coming soon- $10 for a locally grown lunch.