Sustainable Initiatives by Andrea Dean

Butter, baby: Day 5- My Experiments with Food Truth- 60 Days of Eating Locally Grown
It’s a good day on the local foods front when one scored LOCALLY MADE BUTTER! I saw local butter on Vivienne Aronowitz’s Eat Local Week Menu Ideas, but I didn’t know where to score it. A fortuituos meeting with Mala’ai Garden leader Amada Rieux brought me to the butter. Amanda led the way to Tropical Dreams Ice Cream at the Lalamilo Farms lots where I met Kevin Cabrera of Sandwich Isle Bread Company (No I didn’t eat the bread, although, believe me, I wanted it BAD). Kevin’s wife Kay Cabrera is making the butter, brand name Hula Cow, with Tropical Dreams. Tropical Dreams, by the way, makes delicious ice cream from cream from local dairies and local fruit! What better way to enjoy this creamy butter but on fresh local corn? (I admit I did eat a big glob off a butter knife first, it’s that good.)





You can buy the butter in Waimea on Saturday at the Parker School Farmer’s Market, Tuesday afternoon at Kekela Farms (down Mana Road on the left) and if you catch someone there at the Tropical Dreams office at the Lalamilo Farm Lots.

Want to have a painting of me (but looking younger, more exotic and with bigger boobs) hanging in your living room? Here it is:






My portrait is a part (small part!) of Peter’s new show in the Living Arts Gallery in Hawi. There will be an artist’s reception from 5 to 9 p.m. on Aug. 28 at Living Arts Gallery, which is located on the main street of historic Hawi, 55-3435 Akoni Pule Highway, No. 10. You can come see the show until mid-September- the gallery is open daily from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. For more information, call 889-0739.

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!