New Hawaii Kai Market To Keep Produce Local
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Del.icio.usIt all started with a vision by Haleiwa Farmers’ Market owners and operators Pamela Boyar and Annie Suite to create business incubators for small farmers, food manufacturers and artisans with the market on the North Shore. Now, Boyar and Suite will offer the same with a new Hawaii Kai farmers market, Makeke O Maunalua, opening May 22 at Kaiser High School.
“Haleiwa on the North Shore, where you find a bulk of remaining agricultural land, seemed a perfect first outlet - and Hawaii Kai with its dense population and deep agricultural roots naturally followed,” Boyar said.
More than 20 farmers so far have committed to sell at the market, including Otsuji Farm with its diverse vegetable and fruit crops, Mana Ai’s hand-pounded taro, North Shore Noni, Nalo Meli Honey and Naked Cow Dairy’s flavored butters.
There also will be prepared foods, such as grilled pesto pizza from Big Wave Flavors, curries and samosas from Bombay Indian, pasta from LBar Pasta, smoothies prepared with solar power from Universe Juice, and spring rolls from Happy’s Hawaii.
“We will have a cafe where patrons can gather with their market-purchased food and beverages, listen to live music and talk story,” Suite added.“The kids can play in Keiki Korner where there will be free arts and crafts every week.
“We have reached out to several nonprofits in the area offering them space to share their vision or sell items for fundraising,” she added. “Makeke O Maunalua Farmers’ Market is unique in that it creates a meeting place for the community - young, old and everyone in between. It’s a place of celebration.”
Boyar and Suite believe that Makeke O Maunalua can be a good complement to the Tuesday night market, founded by Linda Lau and already running at the high school. It’s mission is to raise funds for Kaiser’s PTSA.
“The community has embraced her efforts, and the farmers and other vendors seem to really enjoy the market,” Boyar stated. “We know that people eat every day, and having an opportunity to buy fresh local veggies and fruits at markets on Tuesdays and Saturdays gives everyone the chance to support locally grown agriculture - and that is what is truly important.
“If we don’t buy locally grown food, then our farmers cannot support themselves, and we’re in danger of losing important agricultural lands to more profitable venues.”
With more than 85 percent of our food being imported from across the globe, the women said, we can boost food security by buying local and keeping family farming viable. “It is fresher, tastier and healthier for the body and the planet,” Suite said.
“We reduce our carbon footprint exponentially when we choose an apple banana or a Williams banana over a banana grown in Ecuador, or pick a vine-ripened, island-grown tomato over a Mainland one. Every single item of produce sold at our market is grown in Hawaii - no exceptions.”
The market will be open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Saturday at Kaiser High.
For more information, call 388-9696 or visit http://www.MakekeOMaunalua.co m. You also can e-mail MOMFarmersMarket@gmai l.com.
(The city also sponsors a People’s Open Market from 1 to 2 p.m. Saturdays at the Hawaii Kai Park and Ride.)
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