Slow Food Events

Past Events - 2007

• December 16, Holiday Potluck, at The Teahouse at Anna Ranch, Waimea (Kawaihae Road); noon to 2 pm.  Anyone have pictures?
• October: Our Eat Hawai'i Island Grown challenge Calendar
• October: Our Eat Hawai'i Island Grown challenge
• Hawai‘i Island Food Summit - October 5-6, Sheraton Keauhou
  This two-day Summit explored the visions, possibilities, ideas, and practical solutions to answering the question "How can Hawai‘i Feed Itself?"  More info at the Food Summit page at the Kohala Center.
  
• September 28, A Taste of the Hawaiian Range indulged our appetites as local chefs invented mouth-watering dishes that showcased the best Hawaiian agricultural products and the finest culinary talents of the Pacific Rim.
• September 9 was the Volunteer day at Mala'ai Garden at Waimea School
  
• August 25-26 - Slow Food Hawai'i Camp Out in Waipi'o Valley
  The long-awaited weekend in Waipi'o Valley at Jason and Alberta Mock Chew's. The Mock Chews invited us to share their wonderful home and farm for a fundraiser to benefit Slow Food Hawai'i's educational activities, including the Eat Hawaii Island Grown campaign in October.
  During our stay camped in tents on the Mock Chew's property. We prepared and served dinner on the 25th and breakfast and lunch on the 26th.
  The event began on Saturday afternoon and included a hike led by Alberta, lauhala bracelet weaving with Debbie (who made the hat auctioned at last year's Waipi'o event), as well as just kicking back and enjoying the wonder of Waipi'o.
• July 14 - Tour of the Original Hawaiian Chocolate Factory and cacao farm.  Twenty-nine SFA members and guests toured Bob and Pam Cooper's Keauhou mauka cacao orchard on a gorgeous day.  Bob provided a detailed explanation of cacao horticulture and processing, and took us on a walk through their orchard to see cacao on the tree,  the beans on their drying tables, and in the fermenting bins.  The "factory", which is probably smaller than your living room, is the only one of its kind in Hawaii, producing dark and milk chocolate made from 100% Hawaiian cocoa beans.  The samples of both were delicious.  After the tour, many members stopped by the Keauhou Farmers Market, where Ken Love had some of his exotic fruits for tasting.  Then we met at Fujimama's for lunch and lots of talk about food.
  
  For those of you who missed the live tour on July 14, here is a link to a video which provides much of the same information--even to the resident gecko licking the cacao beans!
• July 7 - GREEN FEST - HPA CAMPUS, WAIMEA
  Green Fest was inspired by "Live Earth", a global event which will host nine main concerts on seven continents on 7/7/07. The goal of the event was to help educate people about global warming and energy conservation. Green Fest was held on the Hawaii Preparatory Academy campus [...] over 20 information booths sponsored by local businesses and non-profits-- including Slow Food Hawaii--that promote and sell environmentally conscious products or practice sustainable energy policies.
  Nan and Shelby were in the Slow Food Hawaii booth to talk about Slow Food's support of local producers and sustainable agriculture.
• Culinary Garage Sale June 23.  Thank you for your generous gifts of time, energy, effort and culinary treasures for last Saturday's fundraiser for Mala'ai!  Over $1000 was raised to support the program- and a wonderful, convivial morning was had by all. We appreciate the opportunity to collaborate with Slow Food Hawaii and demonstrate our shared commitment to our farmers, to our youth, and to the well-being of our community - all while enjoying the bounty of our regional farmer's market. 
• Since the beginning of the year, Slow Food Hawaii has been staffing a booth at the Hawaiian Farmers Market (Kuhio Hale, Waimea) on First Saturdays. In April we featured poi, and handed out samples of poi biscuits (thanks Nan and Joan for making them!).  Alberta Mock Chew loaned us a beautiful taro plant to decorate our table, and we had free poi recipes.  Nan, Jeanne Oshima, Connie Francois and I had some great conversations with visitors to our booth about poi, taro, and Slow Food Hawaii.
  On Saturday, May 5, our booth will feature local honey, and will have handouts about our wonderful honey gatherers and processers as well as recipes featuring honey.  The theme for the Market will be "What the well dressed salad is wearing" and there will be tastings of various salads and dressings in the big tent.
  We are looking for volunteers to help staff the booth in May and for other First Saturdays.  You will see lots of your friends, meet new people, and have a good time talking about good food and local products.   Help us support our local farmers and food producers. Call Shelby at 885-1009 to volunteer and for further information.
• Luncheon at the Hawaiian Vanilla Company
  Saturday, March 31 ... Unfortunately, our luncheon at the Hawaiian Vanilla Company had to be cancelled. Matilda will be contacting each of you who previously reserved a space.
• Annual Meeting, Kahua Ranch
  Sunday, February 11, 2007
  Location: Kahua Ranch -- a beautiful site 3000 feet up in the Kohala Mountains!
  Program: Our guest for the luncheon, Monty Richards, the Chairman of Kahua Ranch, shared his ranching experiences since the 1950's and the challenges of keeping a cattle ranch alive on the Big Island. Also conducted our annual election of officers.  Pamela of Taro Dream gave us the story of her interesting poi concoction.
  Potluck luncheon with beverages provided by the convivium. A tasting of Kahua Ranch grass-fed beef. Potluck dishes using as many locally grown and produced ingredients as possible.
  Pictures from the event by Jackie Horne:
  

Past Events - 2006

• Dec. 10 (Sunday) ; Holiday Potluck at Shelby Floyd's and Bob Bonar's to welcome new members.
   
• Nov. 19 (Sunday) :Terra Madre Potluck Luncheon at Anna Ranch
  A potluck luncheon to hear about Terra Madre from our delegates.
  Pictures from the event:
  
   
• Terra Madre: October 26-30, 2006

  A total of 500 food producers, 100 cooks, and representatives from 30 universities are selected for the American delegation to Terra Madre 2006.  Slow Food Hawai'i raised funds to send a group of five Big Island farmers and producers and a chef to this year's Terra Madre.  This is a very important opportunity for delegates from Hawaii to meet similar individuals from all over the world.  The following individuals were nominated and attended Terra Madre 2006: Marie McDonald and Roen McDonald Hufford from Honopua Farm in Waimea Kanani and Kalai Mock Chew from the Mokuwai Piko Poi Factory in Honoka'a and Waipi'o Valley Peter Merriman from Merriman's Restaurant in Waimea and Richard Spiegel of Volcano Island Honey were also selected as delegates but were not able to attend.

  Pictures from the event, by Bob Bonar:

   

• Fall Harvest Market, October 14 at the Hawaiian Homestead Farmers Market was awesome -- venders came from as far as Hilo and Honolulu and did so well that there are plans to return again. Demonstrations from Mauna Lani's chefs added to the excitement, and the many people who attended had a taste of how a larger market feels.  Mahalo to Joan Namkoong who worked closely with the vendors to make this a success.
   
• A Taste of the Hawaiian Range - Slow Food Hawaii had a table at the 11th Annual Mealani Food and Agricultural Festival held at the Hilton Waikoloa Hotel on October 6, 2006.
   
• August 2006 - Third Terra Madre Fundraiser: The Mock Chew family invited us to spend a day at their property in Waipi'o Valley where we toured the farm, learned about growing wetland taro and the history of Waipi'o, did a tasting of different varieties of taro, and picnicked together on their beautiful land overlooking the river.  See photos from the event.
  
   
• June 2006 - Second Terra Madre Fundraiser: Marie McDonald and Roen Hufford offered a class in lei-making using materials gathered on their farm on June 3, 2006. Marie is the author of the two finest books about modern and traditional leis in Hawaii as well as creator of beautiful kapa using dyes and fiber from the farm. See Shelby Floyd's photos from this marvelous event.
   
• May 2006 - Our first Terra Madre Fundraiser was a Ravioli Cooking Class and Luncheon at the home of Judi and Jim Frazier on Saturday, May 13. Judi is a talented Italian cook who learned from her mother and nonna how to do awesome raviolis.
   
• March 2006 - Fundraiser held in Marin County, California last month brought in $3000!!!!
  Nan reports that she did a 2-day cooking marathon, including bringing in poi from the Mock-Chews in Waipi'o (our Terra Madre nominees), and leis from Marie MacDonald and Roen Hufford (also nominees).
   
• March 9, 2006 - Kona Brewing Company's Big Island Dinner
  The Big Island Beer Fest kicked off the famous Kona Brewers' Festival, with dinner held at the Outrigger Keauhou Beach Resort with commentary by our Slow Food member and brewmaster Rich Tucciarone.  Need pictures or report from this event.
   
• February 12, 2006 - Slow Food Hawaii Annual Meeting
  Nan writes: "Our meeting was a great success with almost 50 members attending. We dined on a wonderful array of local foods prepared by Aloha Monday's chefs, Kanoa and Kalei, and their ohana. In the smoothly run election, Shelby, Matilda, Jan and I were re-elected for another year as your officers. Richard Spiegel gave an inspiring talk about his experiences at the 2004 Terra Madre and we kicked off our fundraising drive for this year's Terra Madre by "passing the hat" and raising $416 from all those present. Thank you to John Romoa for his donation of plants that were auctioned off, Rich Tucciarone for the tasty beer, and to Rick and Jessica Habein and their boys for a wonderful Sunday afternoon on their ranch!"
  See Berkeley Fuller's photos from the event.
  
   
• February 4, 2006 - 13th Annual Waimea Cherry Blossom Festival.  See Deb Pun's gallery of photos from this event.  
• January 10, 2006 - Food gathering at the home of Kadie and Roger Harris in Waimea, subject of a Hawai‘i Island Journal article.
  Photos:
  
   
• 2004: Our first Terra Madre gathering.
  Our local delegates were Richard Spiegel of the Volcano Island Honey Company and Rich Tucciarone, brewmaster for the Kona Brewing Company.
   
• 2002 - Salone del Gusto, attended by Rich of Kona Brewing Company.