Contest, Tomatoes

It’s Contest Time Again! Fun Times! Great Prizes!

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Did you ever think Chef Alan Wong, who runs what Gourmet magazine calls the 8th Best Restaurant in the country, would sit down with a bowl of your grandmother’s spaghetti?

Here’s your chance to tickle some pretty famous taste buds: It’s the Second Annual Hamakua Springs Tomato Recipe Contest, and Alan Wong is one of the judges.

Dust off those favorite, original recipes, or come up with a new concoction, and send it in by January 30th for a shot at some great prizes. Contest categories are Entrees; Soups & Bisques; and Preserves & Condiments.

Three cash/gift certificate prizes will be awarded in each category. First Place awards in each category $350; 2nd Place $300, and 3rd Place $250.

Our judges will rate all recipes on a point scale, and the top five recipes in each category will go on to the finals. That means they will be turned over to Chef Allan Okuda and Chef Sandy Barr at the Hawai‘i Community College Food Services department, whose students will prepare the dishes for our panel of judges to taste and rate. That event will be televised on Kama‘aina Backroads, which airs on Oceanic Cable channel 16.

Our three 1st Place winners will also be invited to tour Hamakua Springs Country Farms, with roundtrip airfare to Hilo provided for Neighbor Island winners.

In addition to Wong, judges include Wanda Adams, food editor for the Honolulu Advertiser; Hawai‘i Community College Chancellor Rockne Freitas; UH Board of Regents Member Marlene Hapai; Food Writer Sonia Martinez; Food Writer Joan Namkoong; Hawai‘i Community College School of Continuing Education Program Director Randy Nunokawa; and Hawai‘i Tribune-Herald Food Columnist Audrey Wilson.

“We’re excited about seeing the interesting recipes people come up with,” says Hamakua Springs President Richard Ha. “Last year’s contest was a lot of fun, and having Chef Alan participate this year takes it to a new and exciting level.”

Please read full contest details and rules before entering. Submit recipes to contest@hamakuasprings.com, or by mail to Hamakua Springs Recipe Contest, 421 Lama St., Hilo HI 96720 by January 30, 2008.

Big Island, Community, Mauna Kea

Mauna Kea Meeting

Yesterday I attended a board meeting of the Office of Mauna Kea Management (OMKM). I was there because I am a member of the Hawai‘i Island Economic Development Board and a member of the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) sub-committee.

Also in attendance were University of Hawai‘i (UH) President David McClain, UH General Council Darilynn Lendio and Dawn Chang of the consulting firm Kui Walu.

Those three were there to present the University of Hawai‘i’s plan of action regarding Judge Hara’s ruling, which addressed the need for the Department of Land and Natural Resources to draw up a Comprehensive Management Plan (CMP) for Mauna Kea.

Besides the OMKM board members, there were perhaps 30 members of the public present.

I volunteered for this project sub-committee for several reasons: My dad was one of the bulldozer contractors hired to make the road to the summit of Mauna Kea. I was shocked to see video of him operating his bulldozer, because my family does not have many photos of him. It seemed like a good omen that when I sat there, wanting to do the right thing re: Mauna Kea, I saw Pop’s video.

Also, I used to help put on the Mauna Kea 200 motorcycle race and spent a good bit of time riding my motorcycle on the snow 30 or so years ago. Although it is not politically correct now to admit that, it’s true. I still feel an intense need to take care of the mountain.

And more than all that, I want to do what I can to make sure that if this telescope is sited on Mauna Kea it is done with respect and in consultation with the local Hawaiian community.

My involvement automatically led me to the community of Keaukaha, and specifically its elementary school, where so many Hawaiian people on the Big Island have cultural ties. It is not lost on me that while the TMT is potentially a $750 million construction project, and other telescopes on the mountains are also valued in the multiple millions of dollars, there is nothing tangible in Keaukaha—a nucleus of the Hawaiian community on the Big Island—that relates to, or is a benefit of, astronomy at the tip of the Hawaiian mountain Mauna Kea.

My friend Duane Kanuha and I did not think that was right and so we set out to do something. This turned out to be our Adopt-a-Class project.

Allan Ikawa, President of Big Island Candies, former chair of the UH Board of Regents and one of the first people who volunteered to get involved to protect the mountain, went first and gave a really, really good description of the early days—the passion, determination and selflessness of those original folks who stepped forward on behalf of Mauna Kea.

He described how difficult it was for them then to be cursed and yelled at, especially considering they were all volunteers trying to do the best they could. He made it very clear that UH had a lot of shortcomings—they tended to deal with paper and words, not so much with people. They were, then, mostly about power and control. The result is that, til today, people still do not trust the university.

Then Dr. McClain spoke. Ms. Lendio followed and gave a legal “lay of the land” and then Dawn Chang explained her involvement.

Dawn Chang assured everyone that she wants to do this right because her personal reputation is on the line—and in her business, she said, that is all she has. I kind of believed her.

She and her partner are doing the Comprehensive Management Plan. She assured us that she will consult and include the OMKM’s opinion in every facet of the CMP.

The board talked about transparency and Ms. Chang’s compensation and Ms. Lendio danced around the subject by quoting lawyer/client confidentiality. She did say it was based on hours.

Darilynn Lendio said that Judge Hara’s ruling specifies that the DLNR needs to have a CMP and that they would consult with DLNR ahead of time about the content of the plan—that it will be DLNR’s plan.

Members of the OMKM board were very wary. They expressed their desire to vote the final plan up or down when it is finally done. If the OMKM board votes the CMP down, it would not likely pass the approval of DLNR’s board.

Harry Yada, a former OMKM board member, made clear that it was not about the plan, it was about how it was to be implemented. It wasn’t the paper; it was the people. This sentiment was expressed in many different ways by different people.

I stood up and said: “The words sound good, but I’m not going home and call up my brother and tell him everything is going to be good.”

Barry Taniguchi, as chair, had the last word. He warned the University of Hawai‘i not to repeat the mistake of bypassing the Big Island people.

I cannot help but feel that most speakers there were very understated, so as not to be rude. I hope the UH does not misinterpret kindness for weakness.

So now, the ball is in UH’s court. Let’s hope they see the light, and consult and talk story with Big Island people before they develop their plan.

Readers of my blog know that I am very concerned about the drastically changing energy situation we are facing, and our island’s importation of more than 80 percent of its food. We need to come up with serious solutions to these problems, such as finding ways to produce food locally for all our residents.

We have a long way to go to address these problems, and outside money from new telescopes done in the right way will be very helpful as we work through the transition in order to take care of our island’s people.

This is, of course, in addition to doing the right thing in terms of taking care of the mountain Mauna Kea and respecting our local Hawaiian communities.

Contest, Tomatoes

Hamakua Style Tomato Pie

Our second annual Tomato Recipe contest is coming up! Stay tuned for details on how to enter.

Last year, the Overall Grand Prize went to Candace Ames of Hilo for her “Hamakua Style Tomato Pie.” The recipe follows if you’d like to try it.

HAMAKUA STYLE TOMATO PIE

4 firm, meaty Hamakua Springs tomatoes
1 9-inch pre-baked, deep-dish pie shell
2 stalks of green onions
salt

1 bunch of fresh parsley
2 cloves of garlic
¼ cup olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 small Hawaiian red chili pepper, seeded and deveined

Topping:
1-1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 scant cup mayonnaise
3 green onions

1. Slice tomatoes about 1/4 inch thick and sprinkle lightly with salt. Let drain in a colander for about 10 minutes.

2. Finely chop your two stalks of green onion.

3. Combine parsley, garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper and small, red Hawaiian chili pepper (seeded and deveined) in a small handichopper or food processor. Process for about 30 seconds or until you get a pesto-like consistency.

4. Sprinkle about 1/4+ cup of the shredded mozzarella cheese evenly on the bottom of your pie shell. Spread a little of your parsley mixture. Sprinkle a little of your finely chopped green onions. Top with your sliced tomatoes. Spread tomatoes with a little more of your parsley mixture and the rest of your finely chopped green onions.

5. Prepare topping: Finely chop just the white bulbs of the 3 green onions. Add to your shredded mozzarella cheese, shredded cheddar cheese and mayonnaise. Mix until well blended. Spread topping evenly over tomato filling.

6. Bake in a preheated, 350 degrees Fahrenheit, oven for about 30 minutes or until nicely browned. Let cool, but serve warm and enjoy.

Photography

A Photographic Smorgasbord

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Richard (left) and Chef Alan Wong (right)

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Our produce passing Chef Alan’s “aroma test”

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Our French Charentais melons

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A box of our Chef’s Select Living Lettuce

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Green onions

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Our “sampler plate”

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Our tomatillos, Anaheim peppers and jalapeno peppers; at bottom left, a round cucumber!

Health, Peak Oil

Me & T. Boone Pickens

While I was doing my exercises this evening, I thought about listening to T. Boone Pickens at the Association for the Study of Peak Oil & Gas (ASPO) conference I attended in Houston last month.

Peak Oil refers to the point where the total amount of oil extracted in the world starts to decline, for geological reasons. At that point there are still lots of reserves left, but it has become increasingly difficult to retrieve it. Here’s an up-to-date and unbiased overview of where things stand right now.

Pickens said the world cannot produce more than 85 million barrels per day (which was reached in 2005) yet present world demand is 87 – 88 million barrels of oil per day. By 2030, 22 years from now, total oil supplies will decline to 50 million barrels per day. That’s 35 million barrels less than is produced now.

Supply and demand being what it is, we can expect higher prices. How high? No one really knows. That whole subject is difficult to wrap one’s brain around.

T. Boone Pickens also said he was a great believer in exercise. I liked him right off. He related that many years ago his company (Mesa Oil) was one of the first companies to require that its employees take an exercise break.

He told us that even now, at 79 years of age, he still walks 40 minutes at 4 mph several times per week. I considered interrupting his talk and asking him at what heart rate, but decided not to. Now I regret that I didn’t. He was obviously the kind of guy who would know the answer. And I was truly curious.

Back in the Feeling Good post of April 23rd, I related the results of the treadmill test I’d taken a few days earlier. The test consisted of four three-minute intervals. By the last three minutes, which were set at 4.4 mph, I had reached a heart rate of 172-174 and had stabilized. I stopped at 2 minutes and 40 seconds.

I use that three minutes at 4.4 mph as a goal. I did 2 minutes 30 seconds yesterday. But I am also doing short bursts at 6 and 7 mph.

Although T. Boone Pickens is 6’2” or so and maybe he is just walking fast, still, 40 minutes at 4 mph is pretty good for someone who is 79 years old. I have to step it up.

Peak Oil

Matson Fuel Surcharge Increasing

In today’s business section of the Hawaii Tribune-Herald, the article “More to Ship” announces that “Matson is hiking surcharge further.”

Last month, Matson announced that on December 2 it was raising its fuel surcharge from 24 percent to 26 percent. But due to rising oil prices, Matson now says it will instead raise the fuel surcharge to 29 percent on December 14.

This is the single largest fuel surcharge hike since 1999. And the article says that the company may consider another rate increase in Jaunary if fuel prices stay at the same levels—which I think they will.

The article goes on to say that a 20-pound bag of rice will cost 3.9 cents more, a head of lettuce one cent more and an 8 ft. 2X4 will cost 2.7 cents more. This gives the impression that the surcharge is only a minor cost increase.

But Paul Brewbaker, Senior Vice President at Bank of Hawaii, added some perspective to the discussion. He said, “The cost of oil has gone up from $50 to nearly $100 per barrel over the last year….It’s too simple to say that the fuel surcharge will lead to higher prices at the supermarket…It may be more expensive to transport lumber, but it may also be that lumber is more expensive.”

I’m glad he mentioned that. We grow lettuce and we know that the cost of bringing a head of lettuce to the local supermarket is affected by oil prices from the very beginning to the very end. Fertilizer, cultivation, chemical, irrigation, cooling, packaging and transportation all uses, or is made from, oil.

For example, lettuce must be grown to get seeds. So as oil prices rise, seed costs rise. Similarly, the cost to grow that head of lettuce will rise with escalating oil prices. Costs all along the way, such as of cooling the lettuce and hauling it by truck to the docks, are influenced by rising oil costs.

The Matson transportation to Hawai‘i may cost only one cent more per head of lettuce. But hauling that head of lettuce from the dock to the wholesaler’s cooler, and further hauling to the store, all cost more as oil prices rise. Then the store lights and refrigeration costs go up as oil prices rise, too.

So as Paul Brewbaker points out, “It’s too simple to say that the fuel surcharge will lead to higher prices at the supermarket.” Lots of these costs take a little time to work their way through the system. But they will.

That’s what I was talking about when I wrote the blog post Frog in the Pot.

Community, Education, Hydroponics, Schools

Nawahiokalaniopu‘u

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Jimmy Naniole, of Nawahiokalaniopu‘u, the Hawaiian language immersion school in Kea‘au, brought some teachers for a tour of our farm the other day, so they could see firsthand what we do and how our farm operates.

We’re going to help Nawahi set up a hydroponic operation. We’ll provide help and assistance as needed, and if we can contribute used but functional equipment and supplies, we’ll do that. We like for youngsters to learn how to grow things.

When the Nawahi teachers were here, Kimo gave an orientation and told them why we do what we do. So now they have a good sense of what their plants will look like as they start producing a crop.

The teachers included Na‘ilima Gaison, Lei Franco, Poha Tolentino-Perry, Loke Rosequo and Pele Harmon.

 

Last week Jimmy took me on a tour of the Nawahi school grounds. I was last there maybe 10 years ago, when Jimmy was turning the outside area into a sustainable, organic operation. He was raising animals and plants and integrating them into the landscape. Water flowed from the roof of the school by a series of pipes above and underground, through a lo‘i (taro patch) and into a low spot, a pond. It was a real Hawaiian-style landscape.

At that time, Kimo took Jimmy some banana pulapula and now all of the bananas on the school ground are from those original plants.

Jimmy has retired since then, but the school has “called him back” to help with its nutrition program.

We’ve known Jimmy from his days at Hilo High School. One of his students at Hilo High was Henry Lovell, who is now our tomato field operation superviser.

When Jimmy was at Hilo High School, he taught by doing things in the old ways. He had students growing traditional plants, such as kalo and ‘uala, and even made an imu where the kids learned about roasting meat.

During that period, the Hokule‘a sailed from Radio Bay in Hilo to Rapa Nui, and Jimmy asked me if I could supply bananas for the journey. He pointed out that in just a few days the voyagers would be out of fresh fruit. So I set out to make the bananas last as long as possible by varying the maturity and variety we provided. We were happy to learn that the crew ate the last bananas as they crossed the equator.

We are happy to be working with Nawahi. The Hawaiians of old had a society that functioned well, and where trading and taking care of each other was part of the culture—and this is something that Nawahi teaches.

They are important lessons. We believe that as oil supplies decline and food prices continue to rise, people will need to grow more of their own food and trade with each other. As we move into a new era of alternate energy, and out of the “Era of Oil,” these are some of the things that we must again learn how to do.

This is why we are so pleased to be working with Jimmy again and with Nawahi.

Adopt-a-Class, Community

Adopted Class Excursion!

A beautiful packet of thank you letters just arrived from Keaukaha Elementary School. Its kindergarten students went on their first excursion sponsored by our Adopt-A-Class program — more specifically, sponsored by John and Linda Tolmie, who generously “adopted” the kindergarten students for the first semester of this school year.

“Mr. Ha and Mr. & Mrs. Tolmie,” wrote teacher Wendi Kimura and the kindergarteners in B1. “Words cannot express how thankful I am to have such special people like you in our lives. We would have NEVER been able to take our keiki on a field trip like this. This is a field trip that will not be forgotten. For myself, living in Hilo all my life, I have never pulled a carrot out of the ground or picked my own pumpkin from a patch. It was so heartwarming to see eyes light up with delight. I thank you for providing our keiki with these awesome experiences!”

Kindergarten teacher Sarah Uchida wrote, “Mr & Mrs. Tolmie and Richard Ha, Thank you so much for giving us this opportunity to visit Kahua Ranch. We had so much fun picking carrots, picking our very own pumpkin, and getting dirty. Your generosity is very appreciated.”

They and kindergarten teacher Ruth Jarneski took their students to Kahua Ranch in Kohala. “They learned about farming and were able to pick their own carrots and pumpkins, which was a big thrill,” says Principal Lehua Veincent. “Even as rainy as it was that day, the children learned and had fun.”

We are thrilled to see our Adopt-A-Class program in action!

Articles

The Kohala Center Newsletter

Linda Copman interviewed Richard recently and then wrote Moving Forward by Looking Backward for The Kohala Center’s newsletter.

The Kohala Center is a non-profit organization that “identifies, welcomes, and supports high quality teaching and research programs in the following academic areas: global medicine, ocean sciences, environmental studies, and alternative energy. From the Island point of view, these programs should contribute to the healing of the human community, the human spirit, and the natural environment.”

They do some really interesting work, including sponsoring the Food Summit that Richard spoke at recently.

Have a look at the article about Hamakua Springs Country Farms. It’s really quite a good overview, encompassing:

• the farm’s start
• food security
• rising fuel prices and how that affects farming
• making the switch to alternate energy sources
• Hawai’i Island residents’ nutritional needs and how we can meet them here
• the importance of buying locally produced foods
• legislation to help farmers with farm loans for alternative energy projects, and more.

I got tired just reading about all that Richard is thinking and doing! She did a great job of capturing the big picture.