Farmers Market in East Hawaii

 

Its always fun combining shopping for groceries, entertainment and eating and buying some new plants from growers all in a one place. That’s why I enjoy going to the farmers market at Maku’u in East Hawaii, there’s a lot of activity and colorful stalls filled with fresh produce, plants, food stalls and services like massage and tarot readings.

Farmers Markets and Local Grinds - Images by Noel Morata

This slide show from my website shows various scenes of what you can find at our local market here, it’s a great place to hang out and just enjoy the day….anyone up for a Hawaiian shaved ice cone?

A Trip Back to Makuu Farmer’s Market

I like to go to our Sunday farmer’s market for my weekly provisions, finding new plants and just bumping into old friends and vendors I have built a relationship with. Its a very festive environment filled with food venues, entertainment and they even teach free Hawaiian language and Ukulehe classes there.

Who wants some of these beautiful bromeliads, $5 each or 3 for $10…you choose any size!






I think I’m going to get some tomato starts and other starters today since the slugs ate most of my little seedlings…they are voracious here. I’m getting 10 starters for only $5 or 50 cents each…what a deal! Today, I’m getting some bok choy, thai basil, various lettuce, tomatoes and tatsui…now I need to find a way to get the slugs to stop visiting my garden…





How about trying a nice freshly made crepe,  this one is made with shrimp and fresh avocadoes, basil and other herbs.





Looks ono….eh???? (local expression for delicious)






I love seeing this guy do his work here and make these beautiful pieces of art, he also finds the most amazing trees to bonsai.




Isn’t this one just spectacular?






Boy, its getting hot and muggy today, time to get some fresh coconuts to drink and then scoop up the delicious creamy coconut meat, he will even make a little coconut spoon for you to scoop out the meat.





This is interesting, know why most of the vegetables are wrapped up?  There’s so many bugs, fruitflies that the vendors do not want their produced blemished and picky buyers here only want the best produce!



I hope you enjoyed our farmer’s market today, we always find some fresh and inexpensive things to bring back home….aloha!

To see other worlds today go visit http://showyourworld.blogspot.com/

Living a Green Life and Celebrating Earth Day

Here in East Hawaii, where over 90 % of Hawaii’s materials and food is imported, life takes on too much dependence on mainland lifestyle and practices.

Fortunately for myself and many of my earth minded citizens here in East Hawaii, we do make wonderful choices to live green and try to reduce our own footprint in the environment. We usually don’t get that many choices and most of those options and services are very expensive to the average consumer.

In East Hawaii, most of us rely on water catchment systems to catch rain from the roof to water our plants, take our showers and wash our laundry and all our water needs. Those that do not have catchment systems go to county water spigots to fill up large containers for their water needs. Fortunately, rainy days on the east side of the island are plentiful and provide adequate nourishment to our tropical plants and the food we can grow.
 

Since there is no garbage service in our area, everyone is responsible for going to  recycle centers (free) to sort out the greens, the bottles, the paper materials and re-use objects for the community centers… usually by this stage, I only have less than one small garbage bag of pure garbage to dump and thats about once a week.
 


This is the re-use/recycling center in our local district in Keaau, they recycle clothes, furniture, paint, toys, knick-knacks and other cast offs for re-use.


We have our typical container bins for glass, paper/cardboard, plastic and another section for green waste and lumber. Everyone here sorts out directly into each container, there is no such thing as recycling curbside pick up in Hawaii Island.






Mother nature is kind to us in East Hawaii and many do grow bountiful fruits and vegetables and have some small livestock and neighbors share their abundance with family and friends.

 

What we cannot grow ourselves can be found at a myriad of local farmers markets producing a variety of products and delicious take out meals, everything fresh and grown locally.



I believe in composting since we have minimal soil here,  and we have to build up beds above the lava rock to create fertile soil…leaves, grasses and kitchen scraps all go back to the compost pile to create fertile mulch and soil.

Electricity rates are the highest in the country in Hawaii and we do watch our consumption. I typically set my water heater only for a few hours in the morning and at night.  The laundry sits on a wire to be dried by the sun and all my electrical equipment is plugged together into jacks that can be switched off.  We open our window for the natural breezes and most homes actually do not even have HVAC systems for heat or cooling…at least here in East Hawaii where the temperatures are moderate year round in the 70’s to 80’s.

Gasoline is also the highest prices nationwide in the US with Unleaded typically averaging $3.50 per gallon. My rule to using the car is that I need to do at least 5 tasks of related driving activities within an area to be able to use my car. This has effectively made me consolidate trips and stop wasteful last minute errand runs. Hitch hiking is still cool here and I usually pick up some interesting travelers from around the world visiting our island and with nice stories to share.

As you can see, in our area we are only given a few choices: either pay a lot upfront for these services, import most of our goods and materials or we can be more creative and efficient with what we have. We can grow and share what nature provides. I have strived to live a simpler and better lifestyle that espouses my beliefs and my wallet thanks me for being conscious.

Thanks to Jan at thanksfor2day blog for sharing with bloggers about this special event, please do go visit the her site to see how other bloggers are making a green impact to their own environments. 
Mahalo to All for caring for the aina ( land )

To visit other Thats my World Tuesday go to http://showyourworld.blogspot.com/

A Plant Fanatics Discoveries at the Farmers Market

One of my favorite Sunday morning activities is to go visit our local farmers market here in East Hawaii called the Macuu Farmers Market outside of Pahoa town. It is packed with a variety of food purveyors, fruit and vegetable sellers, craft and souvenir stallss and then my favorite, the plant vendors.

You know a true plant fantatic like myself will always find new babies to take home and pamper.  I've made alot of good friends with the plant vendors, so I can get some great growing tips and of course better deals from these vendors. I actually end going direct to their greenhouse nurseries afterwards so I can pick up the best of their offerings outside of what they have at the farmers market.

Here are some of my current favorite vendors and amazing plants that I couldn't pass up on....

Amparo Castro runs Tikal Flowers and mostly specializes in exotic anthuriums and Obake types that she has been growing for over 20 years initially as a hobby and then mostly as a farmers market vendor here at Macuu Market.
She specializes in amazing variegated varieties and large flowered obake specimens.

Here's a beauty that I couldn't pass up on, its called Anthurium Pele, after the godess Pele....just amazing.

Here's another obake type Anthurium that is over a foot long in size, beautiful variegation.

Come and talk to Amparo at Macuu Market, she is extremely knowledeable and very friendly and will give you a good deal.



Kataua, runs Katua Industries and has been selling at the farmers market for over 5 years and even longer at the another market in Pahoa town. Her favorite sellers are usually flowers with a fagrance and her booth smells wonderful.

Here's one of my favorites that she was selling, its a Double Pikaki or double Arabian Jasminun called the Grand Duke of Tuscany...aaaaah, the scent is purely intoxicating!  A fantastic deal for $6, I'll take this one please.


I always buy my vegetable starts from Josie at Josie's Nursery, who can resist when you can get 10 healthy plants for under $5.00.

She also has beautiful exotics, I loved these two that she was selling that day.
Medinilla Cumingii, beautiful pink cascades, this grows very quickly in tropical climates.

Mendinilla Lalique, beautiful white cascades

Now Phil at High Point Tropicals really collects and sells everything exotic that he can get his hands on and he always shows plants that are blooming and ready for a quick indulgent purchase.

I loved most of the beautiful vireyas that he was showing including this Vireya named Calabar

Phil has a website that you can check out at http://www.hi-point.net/   He also likes to talk story at his stall, so drop by and say hello.

You know, orchids are snapped up fast at Macuu farmers market and Kalapana Tropicals does not disappoint. Denise at Kalapana mentions that they have been growing orchids for over 26 years and focus on beautiful orchids grown in Hawaii. They sell all their overuns here for $5 and there is alot of scented varieties that caught my eye right away.

Here's a Miltonia called Red Brick Road, sweet vanilla scent, like morning rain.

Here's a beautiful Paphiopedilum mix hybrid called Hana Makusum x Green Heron

Another dazzler called Paphiopedilum Black Buddy

Come and talk to Denise about orchids and get some great orchid tips from her when you visit, or go to their online site at http://www.kalapanatropicals.com/



Here are a few more plants that I couldn't pass up on....

Well that was a successful visit, now you'll just have to come over to the Macuu market when you are in East Hawaii to pick up some of these beauties yourself....