Chefs celebrate local meats at Taste of Hawaiian Range

Meat lovers are invited to “graze” at Mealani’s Taste of the Hawaiian Range at the Hilton Waikoloa Village on the Big Island on Sept. 10.

Locally raised lamb, mutton, goat, pork and beef will be prepared at 30 food stations manned by premier Hawaii chefs. They will serve up dishes using a variety of meat cuts — everything from beef tongue to oxtail.

Also on display will be educational exhibits relating to agriculture and sustainability.

Brown tree snake detection workshop offered

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WAILUKU – Bring a flashlight to a workshop on Wednesday arranged to teach residents how to locate the invasive brown tree snake, which has overwhelmed parts of Guam.

Mayor Charmaine Tavares’ office, the state Department of Agriculture and Division of Forestry and Wildlife along with the Maui Invasive Species Committee are hosting the free event from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Kahului Community Center annex, at 275 Uhu St.

Live snakes and other prohibited species will be on display, and participants are asked to bring a flashlight for use in a snake-detection exercise that uses dummy snakes.

The session also will provide information about the snakes, including their biology and behavior and why people should be concerned about their possible introduction here. A key part of the meeting will involve what to do and whom to contact if a snake were sighted.

$12.8M to help protect lands across Hawaii

Several nonprofit organizations, a state agency and three local counties have been awarded $3.3 million from a state land preservation fund to protect 753 acres on the Big Island, Kauai, Molokai and Oahu.

The money from the Legacy Land Conservation Program will be matched with about $9.5 million from federal, county and private sources to acquire land or protective easements for public benefit.

Seven projects are being financed, including four land purchases totaling 25 acres and three easements covering 728 acres.

Laura Thielen, chairwoman of the state Board of Land and Natural Resources, said the fund provides an efficient way to protect land containing important natural, cultural or agricultural value. “By providing these grants as incentive, the state is utilizing mostly private and federal funds to protect these resources,” she said in a statement announcing the awards.

DLNR investigating incident involving hunter injured in fall

QUESTION: It was reported recently that a hunter was rescued after he fell several feet down an embankment of Konahuanui Stream in the Whitmore Village area of Wahiawa. He was hunting at night with two other men. Will the three be investigated for hunting at night?

ANSWER: The state Department of Land and Natural Resources’ Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement says it has opened an investigation “to verify the facts” of the incident.

Under Chapter 13-123-6 of DLNR’s Division of Forestry and Wildlife rules, “Hunting is permitted from one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset. No person shall hunt from one-half hour after sunset to one-half hour before sunrise, except where specified differently.”

According to DLNR’s hunting coordinator, hunters occasionally find themselves in the field after dark for one reason or another, such as lost dogs, lost partners, bad estimates of time and distance, etc.: “This does not necessarily mean that any hunting was taking place.”

However, we’re told the facts still were to be determined.

DLNR does allow night shooting of “nuisance animals,” under animal control permits specifying highly controlled and restricted conditions. This is not considered hunting.

DLNR investigating incident involving hunter injured in fall – Hawaii News – Staradvertiser.com

In Italy, a Battle Over Genetically Modified Corn

VIVARO, Italy — Giorgio Fidenato declared war on the Italian government and environmental groups in April with a news conference and a YouTube video, which showed him poking six genetically modified corn seeds into Italian soil.

In fact, said Mr. Fidenato, 49, an agronomist, he planted two fields of genetically modified corn. But since “corn looks like corn,” as he put it, it took his opponents weeks to find his crop.

The seeds, known as MON810, are modified so that the corn produces a chemical that kills the larvae of the corn borer, a devastating pest. Yet while European Union rules allow this particular seed to be planted, Italy requires farmers to get special permission for any genetically modified, or G.M., crop — and the Agriculture Ministry never said yes.

“We had no choice but to engage in civil disobedience — these seeds are legal in Europe,” said Mr. Fidenato, who has repeatedly applied for permission, adding that he drew more inspiration from Ron Paul than Gandhi.

The World Trade Organization says that general bans on genetically modified crops constitute an unfair trade barrier, because there is no scientific basis for exclusion. But four years after a W.T.O. panel ruled that European Union policies constituted an illegal “de facto moratorium” on the planting of genetically modified seeds, some farmers, like Mr. Fidenato, and seed producers like Monsanto complain that Europe still has not really opened its doors.

Garden teachers cultivate new ideas

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A single harvest of corn yielded many lessons for Sacred Hearts School students last week.

After picking hybrid Indian corn from the school garden, the students were counting kernels that came in yellow, blue, dark brown and a rainbow of other colors.

“Today we were doing math with corn. Corn math,” science enrichment teacher Ed Mahoney said Thursday.

The lessons also involved a discussion of genetics, the history of corn used by Native Americans as well as a taste test of their bounty – without the greasy additives found on movie theater popcorn.

Mahoney and three other Maui teachers were able to learn more about how to use school gardens in their daily curriculum, and shared ideas with other teachers from schools with garden programs, at the 3rd annual Summer School Garden Teacher Conference, supported by The Kohala Center, in Waimea on the Big Island in July.

Mahoney was joined by Kathy Becklin of Kihei Elementary School, Lisa Daily of Haiku Elementary School and Craig Eckert of Montessori School of Maui. The four were selected for the conference by Lehn Huff, University of Hawaii Maui College Sustainable Living Institute of Maui interim director.

SLIM was established by the college and Maui Land & Pineapple Co. as a center for gathering information, generating new knowledge, developing applications and validating appropriate technologies for eco-effectiveness and sustainable living.

Agricultural leaders sought for awards

The Agricultural Leadership Foundation of Hawaii is seeking nominations for its Heroes of Agriculture, Food and Environment Awards. The awards will be presented at the 2010 Hawaii Agriculture Conference, Sept. 23-24 at the JW Marriott Ihilani Resort and Spa at Ko Olina.

Awards will be given in seven categories: Hawaii’s oldest commercial farm; young family member or members taking over a farm operation; an employee or team that supports the owner and helps keep the farm in “top shape”; a farm entrepreneur who does business with excellence; a food business or school that does business with excellence; an environmental supporter who does their work with excellence; and a government, nonprofit or individual supporter of agriculture, food or the environment.

Nomination applications are due by Aug. 31 and are available online at www.surveymonkey.com/s/XNMW8ZL.

Business Briefs – Hawaii Business – Staradvertiser.com


Festival of Pineapples Featuring Haliimaile Pineapple Company & their sweet Maui Gold Pineapples – Saturday, August 21st, 2010

Hali'imaile Pineapple
EVENT DESCRIPTION
Festival of Pineapples Featuring Haliimaile Pineapple Company & their sweet Maui Gold Pineapples
EVENT DETAILS

Date: Saturday, August 21st, 2010

Time: 10:00 am to 3:30 pm

Categories: Food & Beverage, Mall / Shopping
EVENT LOCATION

Maui Mall

70 E Kaahumanu Ave

Kahului, HI USA 96732

Island Area: Central Maui

Website: mauimall.com
EVENT CONTACT INFORMATION

Phone: 808-877-8952 or 808-871-1307

Website: www.mauimall.com

Festival of Pineapples Featuring Haliimaile Pineapple Company & their sweet Maui Gold Pineapples – Saturday, August 21st, 2010