Maui Land and Pineapple (MLP) 02-19-2010 14.02% GAIN from the open on the 12th to the close on the 19th open 3.28 02/12/2010 close 3.74 02/19/2010
activity on the 19th was extraordinary
Continuing upon its commitment to providing customers with the highest-quality natural and organic products while supporting the local communities in which it works, Whole Foods Market Kahului will offer products from over 140 local producers, 60 of whom are based on Maui. The new Maui producers brought on to supply the Kahului store bring the total of local vendors whose products Whole Foods Market offers in Hawai’i to more than 205. Please Click Here to Purchase Maui Gold Pineapples Online.
This is the sweetest, best tasting, Pineapple in the world.
Grown on Maui by Hali'imaile Pineapple Co.
Please buy this product!!! PRIDE IN ISLAND!!!
"Whole Foods Market celebrates the great variety of local businesses and farms in Hawai`i that grow and make wonderful food, drink and body care products. We are delighted to continue to expand our selection of special local products for our shoppers’ enjoyment," said Claire Sullivan, Whole Foods Market’s vendor and community relations coordinator.
"Opening our first Maui store presents a particularly exciting opportunity to support and highlight Maui producers, especially those in the farming and ranching community who contribute to the unique beauty and agricultural character of this island." added Sullivan.
Pineapples are ripening in the former Maui Land & Pineapple Company fields but, due to layoffs, are going unharvested. The new owners, Haliimaile Pineapple Company has offered to let volunteers for Maui non-profit Waste Not Want Not pick the fruit for the Maui community. The crop will be distributed to the Maui Food Bank and other community service organizations.
Volunteers are needed to pick the pineapples for 3 hours on Mondays and Thursdays. To volunteer, Call James Mylenek at 874-8038 or email him at james@wastenotwantnot.org or go to the Waste Not Want Not website and click on Volunteer tab. James will then contact you with details about dates, times and locations.
Maui Land and Pineapple went out of business, Haliimaile Pineapple Company organization has hired back 65 workers but doesn’t have enough staff to pick the ripe pineapples. Instead of plowing under, agreed to let volunteers pick the fruit.
Waste Not Want Not gathers fruits and vegetables that would otherwise go unharvested and delivers them to food banks and other places that serve meals to the hungry. You can also help them win $250,000 to get unused fruit from the backyards of Hawai’i to the needy in the ‘Pepsi Refresh Project’.
Mayor Charmaine Tavares Delivers 2010 State of the County Address
February 11, 2010 Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WAILUKU, Maui, Hawaii- Mayor Charmaine Tavares delivered her fourth State of the County Address to a standing-room-only crowd this morning in the County Council Chambers.
In her 35-minute speech that included highlights of 2009 and touched on declining revenue, Mayor Tavares challenged the Governor’s administration and the Legislature to examine all other sources of state revenue, including the numerous State special funds as well as the State’s taxing authority before moving to take away the Transient Accommodations Tax (TAT) from the four Counties.
Drawing comparisons to the win by the New Orleans Saints in the Superbowl, Mayor Tavares spoke about the underdog team rebounding after odds were stacked against them.
“The people of Maui County have risen to the challenges of the economic downturn,” Mayor Tavares said. “The strength, determination and resolve of our people in times of adversity and great need have been seen time and time again.”
This is the sweetest, best tasting, Pineapple in the world.
Grown on Maui by Hali'imaile Pineapple Co.
Please buy this product!!! PRIDE IN ISLAND!!!
Mayor Tavares gave special recognition to the five founders of the new Haliimaile Pineapple Company- Darren Strand, Rudy Balala, Pardee Erdman, Doug Schenk and Doug MacCluer- thanking them for their efforts to continue pineapple farming on Maui following the shutdown of Maui Land & Pineapple Co.’s pineapple operations.
I used to pick up Maui Gold pineapples at Trader Joe’s every winter. The pineapple display often had the Maui Golds placed amongst the ones from Thailand or elsewhere and I’d carefully check for the Hawaii tag. I was trying to reclaim the amazing flavor of the freshly sweet pineapple I had in Maui years ago. Sadly, Maui Land & Pineapple, Inc., who retailed as Maui Gold, shut down their pineapple production at the end of 2009. Maui Land & Pineapple was the largest grower of the fruit in Hawaii. Dole Food still has some pineapple acreage in Oahu, but has most of its production elsewhere. Del Monte harvested its last Hawaii pineapple crop in 2008. However, not all is lost as Haliimaile Pineapple Co. Ltd has stepped in and purchased or leased the Maui Pineapple assets and fields, including the Maui Gold pineapple and brand. They plan to export a small percentage to mainland retailers where Maui Gold can command a premium price (I’m thinking that might not be Trader Joe’s).
It’s the last one standing, clinging to an antiquated "plantation" era, which is long gone. Current news has focused on many issues, but the most important one may be the ability of this company and its workers to diversify.
Visionary co-partners could provide capital and technology, while HC&S provides land, leases and the work force. Ideas for diversity could be some of the following:
Eliminate the middlemen and process locally the many varieties of confectionery and food sugars utilized throughout the world.
Eco-agricultural tourism; this is a huge, virtually untapped market for Maui visitors. Co-develop a plantation-era camp with the new Hali’imaile Pineapple owners, complete with country stores, bakery and museum. An immersion package would spotlight sugar and pineapple history, production, fields, museum and products.
Grow bamboo to manufacture construction products, high-end flooring, furniture and cabinetry, all produced in a local factory with Maui workers.
Develop least-productive lands into revenue-producing energy farms. Solar, wind and solar thermal energy would be harvested and space for future algae biofuels secured. Additional lands could provide light industrial tracts for local businesses to lease.
Become a Pacific region leader in agricultural food production. Vertical farming could be accomplished in glass, multistory hydroponic greenhouses with rotating produce beds. Units would be tied into the energy farms and water produced by atmospheric water generators.
HC&S is teetering on a fiscal precipice. The question is, are they willing and able to do something about it?
