Ka‘ū News Briefs, Saturday, November 30, 2019

HAWAIʻI FARMERS UNION UNITED HELD A ROUND TABLE today in Kaʻū with expressions of interest in agriculture, from intense backyard food growing, to cannabis and mamaki tea farms on a larger scale.
     Richard Creagan, Chair of the state House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture, shared his views and ideas for the Hawai,i State Legislature, which opens in January.
     Creagan said he is interested in encouraging the forming of more cooperatives, each focused on a singular crop. He gave the example of the new Hawaiʻi ʻUlu Cooperative, which represents some 60 growers. He said the value of the cooperative approach is that with small family farms, it is

Hula from the hālau of the Kīlauea Military Camp luʻau each Friday night offered dance for the Floating Lantern Ceremony. Photo by Julia Neal

sometimes difficult to produce a consistent volume of fruit produce in order to become a reliable source for restaurants and stores.
     The cooperative can take in the produce from small and large farms, and establish a consistent market for buyer and grower. The cooperative, owned by its members, can help ensure quality of the product, cut out some of the middle man cost to direct more income to the farmers, and help promote the produce as Hawaiian grown.
     Creagan said that the ʻulu cooperative is a major success in this direction and is leading to more sales in markets and the use of ʻulu for dishes in numerous restaurants, where new recipes are being created, from entrees to desserts.
     Among Hawaiʻi Island schools serving ʻulu are Volcano School of the Arts & Sciences, with its ʻUlu muffins, salad, and pizza dough; Hawaiʻi Academy of Arts & Science; and Kona Pacific Public Charter School.

ʻUlu, breadfruit. Photo from the Hawaiʻi ʻUlu Cooperative

     Among dishes served at Hawaiʻi Island restaurants are an ʻulu hummus at the Four Seasons Hualalai; an ʻulu salad at Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort & Spa; an ʻulu risotto at Cafe Pesto; and ʻulu chocolate mousse and ʻulu jalapeno burgers and ʻulu hummus plates and sandwiches at Sweet Cane Cafe.
     Majic's Food Truck sells ripe ʻulu wedges, Fairmont Orchid sells ʻulu fries, and Hilton Waikola Village sells ʻUlu La Humms, while Westin Hapuna Beach resort offers ʻulu chips. ʻUlu can be found in Mauana Kea Beach Hotel's ʻulu maʻia bread, at Kaya's in its quiche, and at Kanaka Kava.
     The Hawaiʻi ʻUlu Cooperative sells online direct to customers and to grocers. It also promotes the healthy food value of ʻulu and celebrates its connections to Polynesia. Also available are young ʻulu trees for local farms and backyards.
     The ʻUlu Cooperative also offers for sale, "co-crop that grow well with ‘ulu in diversified agroforestry environments. Now you have even more ways to support Hawai‘i's farmers, the ‘āina, and local food security while adding more high-quality, nutritious, and delicious local produce to your menu!" says the website at eatbreadfruit.com.


     During the Farmers Union meeting, Morgan Eaton, whose farm is mauka of Hwy 11 between Waiʻōhinu and South Point Road, said he is producing products from land where the food is growing wild. He said he makes likikoi and mamaki tea, syrups, and vinaigrette, and plans to create a hot sauce. He also harvests papaya and mango from his property. He said he hopes to help incentivize local people to buy food grown here and asked how truth in labeling can be extended beyond the coffee industry. He said using the word lilikoi suggests that the passion fruit is grown in Hawaiʻi. He contended that people importing passion fruit products from outside Hawaiʻi should not be able to sell them as lilikoi.
      Bob Stock, of Discovery Harbour, said his half acre produces too much food for his wife and himself, and that he welcomes more outlets to give it away and sell it. The produce ranges from fruit trees, like soursop, to vegetables, including asparagus and a climbing spinach. He said he has to cut back branches in his well-growing food yard, just to walk through it, and that he would like to help others, by providing knowledge of how to grow and gifting starter plants.
     Adam Herron, Dustin Kegley, and Sam Richeson, of Wood Valley Ranch, said their team is helping to revitalize its mamaki tea, with vegetables growing between the rows. They also talked about the ranch becoming a larger habitat for the endangered King Kamehameha butterfly, which desires the native mamaki for its food. The team said the farm is being revamped to use more sustainable and organic practices.
     See more on the Kaʻū Farmers Union meeting in Sunday's Kaʻū News Briefs.