Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 29, Number 4, 1 April 2012 — YOU SAY YOU WANT A (food) REVOLUTION? [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

YOU SAY YOU WANT A (food) REVOLUTION?

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When Hāmākua Springs Country Farms flips the switch on its hydroelectric plant later this year, it will be 100 percent off the grid and self-sufficient. The 600-acre farmabout 10 miles north of Hilo is an example of how Hawai'i Island is leading the state's food revolution and its quest to be more sustainable and more self-sufficient. Hāmākua Springs owner Richard Ha is looking forward to no longer having to write monthly checks in excess of $10,000 to the loeal utility company. "We need to develop some resilience. We need to feed our kids," Ha said. "Food security is about farms. But we are so tied to energy costs. We have to get that under control." Ha pointed out that oil prices have tripled in the last decade and "it's not coming down." Hawai'i, in general, he said must reduce its reliance on oil. Currently, he said, oil satisfies about 76 percent of the state's energy needs. By comparison, he said the mainland uses oil for just 2 percent of its needs. "That's really the whole story," he said. At least, it's the beginning of the story of true self-sufficiency and food security. State Department of Agriculture Chairman Russell Kokuhun, a Hawai'i Island native, said he has noticed more and more people thinking about where their food comes from. "It's something of a revolution. I would characterize it as community will. We're definitely heading in the right direction," he said. "People are realizing locally produced food is fresher, it's more nutritious and the money stays here. People don't mind paying a little more for loeal." As the 'breadbasket of the state,' Hawai'i Island should be leading the way, Kokuhun said. The island is home to 62 percent of the state's farms and employs more than one-third of all agriculture workers. Those farms grow about 60 percent of the state's crops and account for about one-third of the state's crop value. Growing the food is just the first step in the business of farming, Kokuhun said. Getting the food to the people also is crueial. "It's a positive that we are seeing so many farmers' markets popping up," he

said. "One of the early arguments against farmers' market was that it would take away from grocery stores, but everybody has thrived." Almost two dozen farmers' markets dot the island. Most are open only one or two days eaeh week, but they are steadily gaining in popularity. Karen Kriebl, who helped kickstart South Kona Green Market about five years ago, said she has been amazed at how quickly the market has heeome a regular Sunday stop for residents and visitors. "It's been fantastic," she said. "Our motto is 'from the land, by our hand' and it's just great that we farmers ean meet our customers every week. The biggest bonus is when spend their money with us, it stays right here on the island." The whole concept of farmers' markets also pleases Les Apoliona, Kamehameha Schools land asset manager for Kona.

"The general population is starting to heeome more aware, but we need more places available for farmers to market their produce," he said. "About 25 percent of my job is marketing, educating and communicating with farmers about promoting agriculture." Kamehameha Schools controls about 365,000 acres across the state, with 98 percent designated agricultural or conservation. Of that total, 181,373 acres are dedicated to agriculture, including 160,935 on Hawai'i Island. "The bulk of them are small farms," he said. "That's a person who lives on their farm and makes their living farming." Apoliona said he is delighted to see food festivals springing up across the island, bringing farmers and their products directly to the people. Entire days are dedicated to mango, avocado, taro and 'ulu

(breadfruit). "These festivals and events are crucial to raising awareness about products," he said. "At this month's 'ulu festival in Puna - whieh was the first year and 1,000 people showed up - you could learn how to grow it, how to eook it, get some great recipes." Just being aware of what is available helps change people's shopping and eating habits, he said. "When you learn how good dragon fruit tastes or how a loeal aquaponics lettuce lasts two weeks in your refrigerator, why wouldn't you pay a little bit more?" Apoliona is also encouraged that more restaurants and hotels are showcasing loeal products on their menus. "We're trending in the right way. The momentumcan only increase," he said. "It's just a matter of time and consistency." To keep plowing toward a sustainable food supply, Apoliona said, the next gen-

eration has to step up. "We need to grow farmers. That's one area we ean work on," he said. "How do you make being a member of the agriculture community something kids want to do?" he asked. "In pre-con-tact days, ka mahi'ai - the farmer - was very respected. We need to return to that thinking." Back at Hāmākua Springs, Ha, a member Puna's Kamahele family, has the respect of his 70 employees, who tend 40 acres of greenhouses that produce hydroponie tomatoes and crops of bananas, pineapple, lettuce, zucchini, ginger and other fruits and vegetables. Ha also leases land to a handful of other farmers and offers their produce under the Hilo Coast Farms lahel. All of Hāmākua Springs produce stays in the state, with daily distribution to Hawai'i

Island supermarkets and shipments twice weekly to Maui, O'ahu and Kaua'i. The farm has been moving toward total self-sufficiency for years, including using three streams and three natural springs to irrigate crops. Crews also raise īilapia in a series of bright blue tubs that feed the irrigation pond. Eaeh week, workers are weleome to take home fish and leftover produce. "We can't always give ourpeople raises," Ha said. "But we ean take care of them in other ways. We have to feed our kids." Hāmākua Springs farm manager, and

Ha's son-in-law, Kimo Pa said he's a country boy at heart and can't imagine not working to feed Hawai'i's people. "We just look at it as how ean we feed the Big Island and the rest of the state," he said. "We're a critical point. If we stay on the same path, I don't think there's a bright future. But if we head toward more abundant, cost-effective energy, then it'll be brighter and it'll help us be more sustainable as farmers. Farmers right now are being pressured." Pa said farmers' profit margins are being squeezed as energy costs rise, and there is no way to separate farming from fuel costs. "It costs more to grow our tomatoes and you have to sell for a good price to make money," he said. "It's just survival. It's hard work and high risk. And it's so dependent on oil." However, Pa said he is confident Hāmākua Springs is moving in the right direction. "We cannot be successful if costs go too high. And some things, like the weather, aren't in our control," he said. "But we're at a level where we ean kind of control our own destiny." Pa said he is concerned about getting youngsters interested in farming. "The only way kids will want to go into agriculture is if they see they ean make money," he said. "Some people will farm because they love it, but that's not enough

to feed everybody." Money might be the biggest incentive, but learning to love the land and grow your own food is a close second. That's where the Hawai'i Island School Garden Network comes in. Launched in 2008, the network helps schools build gardening and agricultural programs that contribute to the increased consumption of locally produced food by involving students, their families and school communities in food production. The network started with 20 schools and now includes 60 campuses across five islands.

"Schools gardens used to exist in just about every school until the 1970s. Children worked the gardens and it was incorporated into their lunches," said Nancy Redfeather, network coordinator. "Now most people buy their food at Costco. They don't make food at home and they aren't aware of nutrition." The gardens guide youngsters to make healthier choices, Redfeather said. Childhood obesity rates are hovering at about 30 percent and contribute to other heahh issues, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes. "These are things we've never seen in children before, certainly not in Hawai'i," she said. "Studies show whatever kids grow, they'll eat. "We're reconnecting them to the environment and what it takes to grow food and how you have to take care of the environment." Redfeather said the students will carry the "eat loeal" message into adulthood. "They seem like small ideas, but they really aren't," she said. "When you look at the future, whieh is very uncertain, we know we'U have to eat and if we take care of the land, the land will take care of you and we'll be good shape." Students also are reconnecting to traditional ways. "Hawaiian values are deeply ingrained SEE REV0LUTI0N ON PAGE 28

"It's something of a revolution. I would characterize it as community will. We're definitely heading in the right direction." — Russell Kokuhun, state Department of Agriculture Chairman

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At Hāmākua Springs, lilapia are raised in a series of bright blue tubs that feed the irrigation pond. Workers are weleome to take home fish and leftover produce eaeh week. LEFT: All of Hāmākua Springs produce stays in the state, with daily distribution to Hawai'i lsland supermarkets and shipments twice weekly to Maui, O'ahu and Kaua'i. - Photos: Baron Sekiya

REVOLUTION Continued from page 21

in the land and we've kind of forgotten that. Anyone born and raised here will remember their grandparents' backyard gardens. That's what we need to get back to," Redfeather said. "The momenīum ean only increase. It's just a matter of time and consistency." — Les Apoliona, Kamehameha Schools land asset manager for Kona, on seeing more restaurants and hotels showcasing loeal products on theirmenus "The Hawaiian-immersion schools are leading the way here. They are taking their crops - sweet potato, taro, coconut, bananas - and building the basis of a diet that keeps us all healthy," she said. JimLightner, hospitality division chairman at the Hawai'i Community College culinary arts program, said he is pleased to see younger students taking interest and expects more will consider the food industry as a career. "Growing the food is only part of the ehain. The preparation of food, in some ways, is a lost art," he said. "We're teaching skills that their grandmothers knew as 'just cooking.' If we weren't teaching it, I don't know if it would carry on to the next generation." Second-year students are tasked with seeking out 80 percent loeal food for their menus. "It's really tough to do. They can't just go to KTA and pull stuff off shelves," Lightner said. "Onee they understand the process, they ean be more creative. It's called culinary 'arts' for a reason." Cooking with loeal foods gives students a springboard into the industry. "Any student who ean handle loeal foods ean find loeal jobs," he said. "And they do. They stay here."

For Dennis Gonsalves, USDA Agricultural Research Service center director in Hilo, the primary goal is cutting the state's reliance on imported food. "People are realizing we rely too mueh on imports. People get it now. That thought trend is there," he said. "The Big Island has a ehanee to be the food basket for the whole state. We should be able to raise all our vegetables and fruits. Although I am not sure how many people would trade their rice for 'ulu and poi." Gonsalves said the way forward might be a return to the old ways. "Growing up Kohala, everybody had a garden. That was part of the culture," he said. "The tourism industry has taken over ag land on other islands. That's not the case for the Big Island. We know we need to take care of the land. In the old Hawai'i way, that was absolutely necessary. Making Hawai'i more

sustainable through those practices is very important." Apoliona, Kokuhun and Gonsalves believe Hawai'i ean reduce the amount of imported food from the current 85 percent to 90 percent to about 50 percent. As for OHA Trustee Robert Lindsey, who lives in Waimea and remembers growing up in an era where self-sufficiency wasn't a buzzword but a way of life - a time of backyard gardens and neighbors sharing what they grew - he is encouraged by what he sees happening on his home island. That is, a growing movement toward self-reliance. "It's going back to the future really," he said. "As the world runs out of oil, we need to be able to feed our people. It's getting people back to the land. In the next 10 years, if we could get that 90 percent of imported food down to 60 percent, and in the next 20 years, get it down to 25 percent, that would

be great." For Kokuhun, the state agriculture chairman, every seed sown is a giant stride toward a self-sufficient Hawai'i. ■ Karin Stanton, aformer reporter/editor at West Hawai'i Today, works for the Associated Press and Hawai'i 24/7.

"We just look at it as how ean we feed the Big Island and the rest of the state?" — Kimo Pa, Hāmākua Springs farm manager

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Even the youngest keiki ean make a difference in a school garden. Keiki from Pūnana Leo o Hilo help to rake the māla. - Courtesy: Naupaka Gouveia

Photo: Baron Sekiya