Eating 100% local

It was a rainy morning in Hilo, and things were going slowly at the market. I did some of my own shopping instead of standing behind my table and I noticed that 80% of what I consume is farm fresh, local produce. But what about the other 20%? Why was I stopping short when it came to things like chicken, pork, beef and fish? Last week I purchased 4 Ahi fillets out of a man's trunk- they were the freshest fish I've had in a long time. So, why wasn't I purchasing fish from the fisherman on a regular basis? "Forget the fishmonger! Go straight to the fisherman!" I thought to myself. I brought this idea home to my husband- I want to eat completely local for 60 days to see if it is a feasible option for us and look at how accessible farm fresh produce is on the Big Island.  " Can you wait until you have a steady job?" my husband asked. But why does eating farm fresh have to be exclusive to a higher class of people? Everyone should have access to local  fresh produce including meat, poultry and fish.

Good Bye, Safeway
Despite what my husband thinks, I am going to set out on this journey.  Hopefully, I will have a few opportunities to work for food trade and meet a lot of inspiring people along the way.  We're going to finish up what's in the fridge now, but after that it is 100% local foods for this household. I already have great friends that are farmers so vegetables and fruits aren't a problem. Plus, my backyard supplies me with figs, oranges, lemons and herbs on a regular basis. Mostly, the worry is meat.  A quick fix for that would be to become a vegetarian but that just isn't going to happen. Chicken is a staple in the house and for that I've contacted Ohia Fields Farm.  Located in Honakaa, Ohia Fields Farm integrates their animals into the sustainability of their farm by using the manure and crop rotations. Their technique yields healthy veggies as well as happy healthy animals.

Fish is another go to item and I'm looking to Suisan  for just-off-the boat fillets. The Suisan building has a dock where boats frequently pull up to and unload the catch of the day. It is possible to purchase fish from fisherman down at the docks or at the market, however I've noticed that the fillets (or sometimes the entire fish) are very small which threatens the sustainability of our waters. Without the small fish, there will be no big fish. Besides, if I wanted a sheebee I'd go out and catch one myself. Suisan has an interesting history in Hilo much like that of HPM. Suisan was started by Japanese entrepreneurs, hit hard by 2 tsunamis and was virtually taken over by the US Navy during WWII. Many of the Japanese sugar cane workers turned to fishing as a profession instead of working the fields (mainly because they were given the lowest wages out of all the ethnic groups brought over to work) and they were given market price for their fish at Suisan. I like supporting local businesses that have a lot of history with the town.

Pork chops are on the menu about once a week. I am still trying to locate a small piggery on the island. We do not have a large freezer, nor do I really want one so I am not in the market for half or a whole pig. I just want some chops every now and again. If we still had the free standing butcher shop, instead of the meat counter at Safeway, I may be able to more easily locate some farm fresh pork. I may have to stop by George's Meat Market on Hoku to see what it is all about. From what I understand it is mostly frozen or marinated meats- the yelp reviews talk about the jerky as being heavenly- but maybe they can give me a local hook up for some chops!

Beef it's not usually what's for dinner.  I'll do burgers or a steak every once in a while but it isn't something I purchase regularly. This may change soon however, because the Big Island is a great place to raise cattle. There is an abundance of pasture land and with virtually no snow, steer can graze 24/7. Farmers on the Big Island seem to be behind the times in a good way when it comes to their cattle- not using hormones and allowing the cattle to graze uninhibited with frequent pasture rotation.  Grass fed beef has higher levels of Omega 3's, lower in fat, has more beta-carotene, and is loaded with Vitamin E. If you are going to eat beef it might as well be the healthy kind, right? Since I don't want to buy in bulk I am having difficulty finding the beef out side of the grocery store. Taste of Hawaiian Range has been a great resource for me and there is a list of stores that sell fresh Hawaiian beef. Maybe I can make an exception?

My mouth is watering right now! I've only touched on a few of the ways I am going to switch to buying completely local. Next blog will be dairy related with mouth watering goat cheese combinations and Big Island milk!

Forever Seeking Aloha,
Britt

Bamboo House

http://www.bambooliving.com/big-island-open-house.html

I was just moved to tears watching a video from Bamboo Living. My reservations about moving the the Big Island was mainly that I would get "stuck" living in a house that I didn't want to grow old in. Not that I will actually ever grow old... The house we live in now is great, we've really done a lot to bring the house up to date. Of course my favorite part of our current house is the reclaimed wood floor I had put in. Alas, I digress. 

The last time we were in Hawaii I looked at a great piece of land, which my mother in law hated! because it was right on the road. However she does not understand that we currently live right next to a HIGHWAY. I can live next to a road in Hawaii because I have lived one house away from a major interstate and have many a morning looked out my window at the sound barrier. But she is probably right, if you are going to live in paradise you better make sure you surround yourself in it :) 

Alas, I digress again. I started looking at eco-friendly housing materials, possibly to just occupy my time. There were a lot of ideas coming out of the UK and Germany- shipping container houses and big glass bubbles. They all look fantastic but I am not the "modernist" type. I am looking for some old Hawaii feel, a  1930's house with built in cabinets, or a rustic plantation hut. I stumbled upon bamboo housing by searching for "eco friendly building materials" on google.

 

Bamboo living seems to be the only place that I can find on the web that is building on the Big Island. Bamboo is not only completely sustainable, but its also incredibly durable. Bamboo homes can withstand hurricanes, earthquakes, termites, fungus and the list goes on and on. This is the best site I've found so far that shows "real houses" made out of bamboo and not high fashion architecture. The David Sands Collection Polynesian style is my favorite and at $80 per square foot it seems like I might be on to something :)

Bamboo Living is having an open house on the Big Island, by the lava tree park ( love that place). You should check it out, I know I would if I could. It isn't that I am an eco-friendly nut case, really there are plenty of things that I do that I am sure contribute to the death of our planet. I just can't help but be drawn to the idea of limiting the deleterious effects of our society on possibly my favorite place on earth. 

Time to leave work!

Forever seeking Aloha,

Britt

Big Island Open House

Saturday, February 20th 11AM - 3PM
Contact: Bamboo Living at 877-857-0057 or Josi on the day of the event, 612-812-1713
Directions from Hilo

• Take Hwy 11 south out of Hilo

• Turn left on Hwy 130 just before Keaau town

• Stay on 130 all the way to Pahoa, but stay on hwy until the first stop light (don't turn into Pahoa town)

• At the stop light turn left on Old Pahoa Rd

• Stay on Old Pahoa rd until you see Lava Tree park on the left then there will be a fork in the road and you go right onto Pohoiki Rd

• About 3 miles down Pohoiki Rd there's a sign that says single lane road and the yellow line ends in the middle of the road. Immediately after the yellow line ends there are two driveways on the left, it's the second driveway on the left with the number 13 spray painted on a rock.

Live like you're in a canoe

http://www.messageinthewaves.com/

Last night I caught the end of a documentary called Message in the Waves. It highlighted the effects of plastic trash in our oceans, now I only saw the last ten minutes but boy do I wish I had seen the whole thing. I don't want to ruin it for you if you do watch it, but let's just say I can never look at my toothbrush the same way again.
For those of you who will not get to see the thought provoking documentary, here are some facts on plastic trash:
+In June 2006 United Nations Environmental Program report estimated that there are an average of 46,000 pieces of plastic debris floating on or near the surface of every square mile of ocean.


+About four-fifths of marine trash comes from land, swept by wind or washed by rain off highways and city streets, down streams and rivers, and out to sea. Nearly 90% of floating marine litter is plastic.


+In the marine environment plastic bag litter is lethal, killing at least 100,000 birds, whales, seals and turtles every year. After an animal is killed by plastic bags, its body decomposes and the plastic is released back into the environment where it can kill again.


I started crying when I saw the pictures of bird carcasses with golf balls and brightly colored plastic toys revealing themselves through feathers and rotting flesh. To think that fish we may be eating probably are contaminated with the plastic they ingest. 


Work is busy so I must cut this short.
Forever Seeking Aloha,
Britt