A few reflections after a busy day on the Big Island. I went out on the boat with Captain Nancy of Dolphin Journeys with high hopes to swim with a dolphin but came back with reflections on relationships:
This footage is not from Dolphin Journeys, but it is of dolphins swimming in Hawaii, so enjoy!
Video footage of dolphins swimming with the boat:
A brief intro to sustainability efforts on the Big Island at the Hawaii Gateway Energy Center:
Guess what I found on my way to the conference this morning?
COCONUT BASKETS!! So cool. I chatted with Ronnie as he wove baskets from coconut trees on the side of the street. He was kind enough to chat about coconut trees, his wild and unusual life, and of course…sustainability. Ronnie explained that coconut palms have incredibly strong fibers and that these baskets last for years. (He also told me he was able to build a house from coconut. If I disappear, you have 1 hint about where to find me.)
Ronnie went to explain the many uses of coconut trees:
When we started to talk about why I was here, (to explore sustainability issues in Hawaii), Ronnie explained the hot topic on everyone’s minds~ that Hawaii only has 3-5 days worth of food at any given time on the island. But then he went on to explain that there are plenty of ways to think about sustainability and living off the land, and that he is able to harvest plenty of fruit and food off of the trees just out of town.
Not a bad way to start the morning (and don’t let the cat out of the bag about what I’m giving my family for Christmas this year
Mark continues his eco-journey through Hawaii with a visit to the Honolulu Fish Auction. Mark takes us on a 4am tour of the fish auction and tour of how the tuna is cut and presented to the bidders.
You know the saying, “You have to get up PRETTY early in the morning to pull one over on me”?? Well, We DID get up at 4 AM to make it to the Honolulu Fish Auction before it started! And there was no way anyone was going to pull one over on Brooks Takenaka, the manager of the fish auction! This is one of the most unique experiences I had in Hawaii. Most people know that you can enjoy beaches, luaus and mai tais in Hawaii, but they may not know about this aspect of Honolulu which makes alot of the rest of the party possible. This is where the boats come into port and unload their catch every day, and starting a 5:30 AM, the buyers for all the restaurants in the city as well as wholesalers and reps from restaurants on the mainland and Asian countries put in their bids. Some days there are as many as 100 boats coming to port. On this morning, we had fish from just one boat, so it was clear that the prices would be dear for what fish they brought in. In this first Quick Bite, Fish Auction Manager Brooks Takenaka gives us an exclusive sneak peek behind the scenes before they let in the buyers. Brooks explains how the process has gone from a simple one to a highly technical and computerized one. That said, the basic process works the same as it always has. His staff unloads the boat and lays out all the fish according to species. For the Tuna, they cut a few core samples and lay them out so the buyers can see the color, fattiness, and general quality of each fish before bidding: After we get an exclusive sneak peek, the bell rings and they let in the buyers to do their work. We’re lucky to be there, and get to watch the action.
In today’s post by Mark Tafoya, he visits Hawaii’s largest organic farm. They grow everything from basil to pineapple – the only certified organic pineapple grower in Hawaii. In the videos below you will see how the organic farm is built, the future expansion of the Kapalua Farm, how the Maui Gold organic pineapples are grown (they take 18 months!), and finally he checks out Makawao Mushrooms which is the only sustainable oyster mushroom farm with a preview of a new post to come.
While visiting Maui, I was given a tour of Kapalua Farms by Gustavo Diaz, Operations Manager. He showed me many aspects of this diversified operation which is dedicated to sustainable growing of vegetables and pineapple. Although the farm is directly adjacent to the Kapalua Resort’s golf course, Gustavo explains how they maintain the integrity of the organic growing space:
Gustavo explained how the farm is overhauling their composting operation to be able to take on green waste from other areas of West Maui and turn it into organic fertilizer to feed their operation.
We ended our tour in the upper pineapple fields, where Kapalua Farms grows the famous “Maui Gold” organic pineapples. Gustavo explains the process, and how it’s a little more involved and labor intensive than so-called “conventionally” grown pineapple.
We then visited with Rocky and Paulette Chenelle of Makawao Mushrooms, the ONLY sustainable mushroom farm on Maui.
In Today’s guest post with Mark Tafoya, we are taken on a behind the scenes tour of the Big Island Abalone Farm on Hawaii’s big island, Oahu. Here, Mark learns the process of producing abalone. The production is completely sustainable and doesn’t produce any toxins back into the environment. Check it out!
One of the most interesting things I discovered in Hawaii was the Big Island Abalone Farm, an operation on the Kona coast which farms prized abalone using sustainable aquaculture supported by deep sea water from the NELHA project (Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority), a state supported “pipeline” which brings pure cold water from from than 2,000 feet below the surface. I spent the afternoon at the farm accompanied by Al Salomon, Facility Manager, who gave us a tour around their unique facility. In this video, Al explains the system and gives us insight in the sustainability of the process, which has added benefits in the form of an employee vegetable garden. I also got to go behind the scenes into the state-of-the-art sorting area where the adult abalone which are large enough for harvesting are sorted by size and weight. This system uses non-toxic CO2 to lull the abalone to sleep long enough to transport them through the sorting process and back into the cold water tanks so that they don’t react negatively and toughen up. The abalone are kept alive throughout this process and even in transport.
I interviewed Hiroshi Arai, CEO of Big Island Abalone, about the project, the process and the tremendous market demand for abalone in Japan and other parts of Asia. I’ll have that audio interview on an upcoming episode of the ReMARKable Palate Podcast, as well as a more in depth “Main Course” video. For now, these are just “Quick Bites”.
Today’s guest blogger is Chef Mark Tafoya, a world traveler and self-taught gourmand. Mark has learned about many world cuisines first-hand, and mastered many of his recipes at the source. As Executive Producer of the Culinary Media Network, Mark brings a unique specialization in micro-cuisines to our repertoire, expanding our flavor horizons ever farther as we explore foodstuffs from around the globe. Recently returning from Hawaii, Mark will be joining us as a guest blogger to share his eco eating finds.You can follow his podcast at: ReMARKable Palate.
While in Hawaii I spent the afternoon with Lani and Ali’i, co-owner of the Ali’i Kula Lavender Company in Maui’s Kula “Upcountry” area. They gave me a tour of their lavender farm, which looks more like a zen mediation garden!
Before heading off to Hawaii, I asked the good people of Current what they wanted to learn more about while I was there. The list was extensive. I won’t pretend, I got a bit stressed when trying to figure out how I was going to cover all of the topics and have enough time to have the experiences that would provide me the opportunity to speak to the topic I was most invested in: connecting to the land and people of that place.
As I write the title of this blog post, I hesitate. I think back to the high speed pace of my trip to Hawaii, and wonder how authentic I can be when speaking about my connection to that land. When I worked as a wilderness guide, I learned about connection, when I garden, I learn about connection, when I lived in the same valley in Nepal for three months, I learned about connection, and one of the prevailing themes I learned from each of these experiences is that it takes time, quiet time, to develop connection with a place.
So when Kelvin Ho sent me an email offering to facilitate a blessing at sunrise, I stopped worrying about if I was going to get enough interviews and see enough things, and relaxed into the idea that I was in good hands.
Kelvin met me at my hotel, and we headed out to the ocean. As we became acquainted, I felt instantly at ease. Kelvin was a kind and gentle soul who spoke with a slow cadence, and a reverence for the land and the traditions of Hawaii. We stopped for a moment to listen to the earth breathe. No really, look for yourself!
I couldn’t help but immediately open the can of worms and inquire about the role of the green movement and the surge of eco tourism. Kelvin shared, “The Green movement and eco tourism holds environmental sustainability as a guiding light for its awareness, action and interaction. The host culture here sees this as an awakening to a basic truth that the Hawaiian and all native peoples hold as sacred. That we as humans are not separate from the environments we live in. Recognizing and educating oneself of the huge impact that tourism has on these fragile islands is the first step. Realizing your presence here does make a difference, ask yourself what kind of difference you would like to make.”
Once reaching the ocean, we stood in the water, and faced the mountain. Kelvin explained that the process was similar to the tradition that might have taken place in Hawaiin communities: when a visitor entered a village for the first time, they would were introduced to the community elder or leader. In this case: that elder was considered the mountain. And so we stopped and acknowledged the mountain. Then Kelvin dropped me off a spot that overlooked the ocean to experinece what he called a “wind out.” I couldn’t resist pulling out my camera so I would be able to share the experience with you.
I loved the paradigm shift. After flying 2,460 miles across the Pacific, the process of stopping, placing my feet in the water, my eyes and intention on the land, brought me into the present. And before I could think or plan: I was doing exactly what I wanted most: taking time to connect to the land. I immediately sensed the difference: it wasn’t just the land, it wasn’t just the ocean, it was the island, it was the people, and it was the history and the stories of this place. I could tell that two days on this island was not going to be enough, and found myself wondering how I was going to break it to my boss that I wanted to start working remotely…permenentlty…
We parted ways, and the next morning I woke before dawn to meet Kelvin for an awakening ceremony.
We met just as the sun was rising and began our morning by shredding Ti leaves as a way of making Lei that we would then wear during the ceremony. Kelvin explained that different Lei were used in different ceremonies, and that we were making a kind that was used as a vessel for intention.
On our way back to the hotel, we chatted about Kelvin’s work with youth at risk and his efforts to reunite youth with traditional practices.
“The connection I offer here is to support the reconnection of youth at risk in the islands with the timeless wisdom and values of their native culture. To help them heal through the process of interaction with nature and learning the roles, skills awareness of conscious stewardship. Our program’s intention is to embrace the youth entrusted to our care, its cultural focus is to give a direct experience with and instill respect for unity.
In this time of economic recession it is tragic that everywhere our youths pay the price of having access to fewer services and opportunities. We (The Haleopip Organization) reach out for help and support from the green community and ecotourism to make a difference in the future of these sacred and fragile islands by supporting cultural sustainability.”
I didn’t have time to volunteer with The Haleopip organization because we headed to another island the next night.
But thanks to Kelvin, I did have the opportunity to connect with Kuai. So, do I get to eat crow? Is it possible to connect to a place when traveling at a high pace? Perhaps this is why people spend years of their lives meditating: so they can always be present (heh). The verdict is still out, but I can’t pretend that the time spent in consious refelction deepened my connection to that place. I can’t wait to go back.
“If the success or failure of this planet and of human beings depended on how I am and what I do,
Guess what I found on my way to the 
You know the saying, “You have to get up PRETTY early in the morning to pull one over on me”?? Well, We DID get up at 4 AM to make it to the 
Today’s guest blogger is Chef Mark Tafoya, a world traveler and self-taught gourmand. Mark has learned about many world cuisines first-hand, and mastered many of his recipes at the source. As Executive Producer of the 
On our way back to the hotel, we chatted about Kelvin’s work with youth at risk and his efforts to reunite youth with traditional practices.
