Andrea Dean/Special to Hawaii247

“The North Kohala community will produce 50 percent of the food it consumes” is one of the goals the community set forth in the North Kohala Community Development Plan. 

It is hard to know exactly how much of the food North Kohala residents consume is locally produced, but 10-15 percent is probably a good estimate.

(Photo courtesy Forrest Arnold/North Kohala Food Forum)

The “local food” movement has been gaining traction all over the world and in Hawaii. Data is now bearing out the fact that eating locally grown foods are good for your health, the community and the economy.

A recent study by the University of Hawaii-College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (UH-CTAHR) entitled Economic Impacts of Increasing Hawaii’s Food Self Sufficiency concluded that if Hawaii replaced just 10 percent of the imported food it consumes with locally produced food, this would generate $188 million in sales, $47 million in earnings, $6 million in tax revenues and more than 2,300 jobs. 

Without an economic study, it would be hard to know what the economic impact of purchasing more locally grown foods would be, but we know for sure that there is an economic “multiplier effect” – when money for food is spent in the community it multiplies in the community.

There is a lot of interest in North Kohala in food self-reliance and there are many new agricultural projects springing up. The Food Forum seeks to bring together all of the parties interested in community food self-reliance in North Kohala. 

The North Kohala Food Forum has invited 70 panelists – commercial food producers, food markets, wholesalers and commercial buyers, as well as people representing infrastructure (water, land, energy, processing facilities), government and education- to talk about what the challenges and opportunities are for meeting our community goal of producing 50 percent of our own food. 

The North Kohala Food Forum does not have a plan for achieving this goal- rather the idea is to bring people together to share information and see where collaboration can happen.

The North Kohala Food Forum is 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 22 at the Kohala Intergenerational Center (behind the gym at Kamehameha Park in Kapaau.)

The public is invited to the North Kohala Food Forum and tickets are $10, which includes a delicious all local (North Kohala) grown lunch prepared by local chefs. 

Tickets are available at the Kohala Coffee Mill, North Kohala Community Resource Center, Nanbu Courtyard Café, and The Kohala Center in Waimea.

The Food Forum is a project of the North Kohala Community Resource Center and is partially funded by the County of Hawaii- Office of Research & Development, Ulupono Initiative, Hoea Agricultural Park, Steering Committee Members, Starseed Ranch, Susan Barnes, and community donations.

Food Forum Schedule

9 a.m.: E Komo Mai

9:10 a.m.: Pule by Kaulana Scalise

9:20 a.m.: Why Are You Here Today?, facilitated by Forrest Arnold

9:40 a.m.: Aloha & Overview of the Food Forum: Bob Martin

10 a.m.: Interaction: Andrea Dean

10:05 a.m.: Defining & Measuring a Local Food Goal: Andrea Dean

10:10 a.m.: Panel presentations and discussions

* Retailers & Commercial Buyers, facilitated by Forrest Arnold;

* Commercial Food Producers, facilitated by Andrea Dean

* Planning, Government & Education / Infrastructure, facilitated by Bob Martin

12:25 p.m.: Morning Wrap Up: Guy Kaulukukui

12:35-1:15 p.m.: Lunch — Volunteer to host a round-table conversation; work on collaborations and solutions; make a connection with someone you don’t know

1:30-3:45 p.m.: Collaboration & Action: What do you need that helps you meet your business/project goals and moves the community forward toward achieving its goal of producing 50 percent of our food?, facilitated by Andrea Dean

3:45 p.m.: Wrap Up: Facilitated by Forrest Arnold

3:55 p.m.: Pule: Guy Kaulukukui

— Find out more

www.andreadean.com

www.nkfoodforum.com