By Carol Yurth
Enjoy a relaxed day of fun, food and celebration
Hamakua Alive! is this Saturday. This year’s theme is “From Plantation to Diversification.” Join in a relaxed day of fun, food and celebration from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the corner of the turnoff from the Belt Highway to Mamane Street in Honokaa.
Come experience the agricultural diversity found along the Hamakua Coast. This year’s festival has been expanded to include the Hamakua Farmers Market and local crafts. There will be tastings where chefs are paired with farmer/producers and prepare the foods grown in the area onsite. The tasting will be available to the general public for a minimal fee — usually just $2-$3 a plate or bowl! (Everything served with earth-friendly, compostable serveware).
Join the cooking contest with recipes using a large percentage of ingredients grown on Hawaii Island.
The Hawaii Island School Garden Network will have booths for agricultural education and locally grown products. There will be live Hawaiian music with Cyril Pahinui and John Keawe and kids’ games and entertainment. To find out more, visit http://www.hamakuaalive.com.
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Here are the last classes that will be offered in the Practical Agriculture for Hamakua 2010-Supporting Sustainable Agriculture series at North Hawaii Education & Research Center in Honokaa and local farms. The Saturday farm tours and events are free. There is a $10 cost per class, or the senior/student rate of $4 per class, with work exchanges available.
To register, or for more information, contact Donna Mitts at 936-2117 or ohanadonna@gmail.com. The classes are sponsored by Hilo Hamakua Community Development Corporation and the county Department of Research and Development.
The classes are as follows for the next few weeks: on Wednesday, Oct. 27, Scot Nelson will talk about “Plant Pathology” and on Wednesday, Nov. 3, Ted Radovich will talk about “Efficient Use of Local Amendments to Promote Plant Growth,” both from 6-9 p.m. at NHERC.
On Saturday, Nov. 6, from 9 a.m. to noon Mike Dupont will present “Raising Pigs using Korean Natural Farming” at the Kang Farm. On Wednesday, Nov. 10, from 6-8 p.m., Josiah Hunt shares “Improving Soil Fertility & Plant Growth with Biochar” at NHERC. Hunt will follow up with a farm tour on Saturday, Nov. 13, from 8 a.m. to noon at Jackie Prell and John Caverly’s Farm in Onomea.
The last event for the year is on Wednesday, Nov. 17, from 6-7 p.m. and 7-8 p.m. with Kyle Studer and Jenny Back on “Farming with Poly Cultures” and “Sustainable Pollination with Natural Bee Keeping Practices,” both at NHERC.
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Sen. Dwight Takamine and Rep. Mark Nakashima, on behalf of the Katsu Goto Memorial Service Committee, invite you to attend a commemorative 125th anniversary of Japanese immigration and Katsu Goto Memorial Service on Saturday, Oct. 23, at 11 a.m. at the Honokaa Hongwanji Mission.
Attending the memorial service will be descendents of Goto from Hiroshima Prefecture in Japan, Kiichi Kaya and Toyoko Saeki and their spouses. A luncheon in the hall will immediately follow the service.
Katsu Goto arrived in Hawaii on Feb. 8, 1885 aboard the “City of Tokio,” the first of 26 shiploads between 1885 and 1894 of “Kanyaku Imin,” or Japanese laborers, imported through formal arrangements between the Kingdom of Hawaii and Japan. Goto was assigned to work on ‘Ookala Plantation along the Hamakua Coast and after his three-year contract was fulfilled, he opened up a successful general store in Honokaa town.
Because of his leadership skills, knowledge of English and character, Goto became a liaison between the Japanese laborers and plantation management, facilitating mediation, serving as an interpreter and advocating for improved working conditions. Goto’s Hawaii immigrant experience is one of hardship, success, injustice and ultimate tragedy, and is a cultural legacy for all of us.
RSVP to either of the following offices with the number in your party by Wednesday: Nakashima: 974-4000, ext. 66680, or Takamine, 974-4000, ext. 67335.
