Category Archives: Community

Community

The Haps

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It was happening in downtown Hilo last Friday, when St. Joseph School held its “Hilo’s Happening” fundraiser to raise money for the school’s scholarship and tuition assistance program.

About 170 people attended the event held downtown at Restaurant Kaikodo. Hamakua Springs donated produce for the evening, which featured heavy pupus among other treats.

Room

Beforehand, the farm’s Charlotte Romo took the restaurant’s head chef a sampler box, which included some of our experimental crops like eggplant and baby squash.

Charlotte, who has two daughters at St. Joseph’s, attended the event with her husband Rodrigo.

“The chef created some really nice pupus from our produce,” she said. “There were crisped eggplant slices topped with sautéed mushrooms; there was a pasta with eggplant, squash and tomatoes; he made a delicious crostini with the cocktail tomatoes that had a hint of spice; and there were cucumber caps filled with a rich, smoky, cheese filling.”

Cucumbercaps

Plate

In addition to pupus, the evening included a wine tasting, live entertainment by Ted and Eric Young, a silent auction of art work donated by such artists as Henry Bianchini, Jane Chao, Macario, Ira Ono and others, and more.

Woodworker and bowl turner Syd Vierra brought some of his bowls in various stages of production. “There was a buzz around the bowls and the artist talked about how he makes them,” said Charlotte. “Some are colored; they are really gorgeous.”

Moms, teachers and some of the high school’s students participated in a fashion show, wearing fashions from local boutiques such as Hana Hou, Rainbow Jo, Diva’s Boutique, Love and Lace, Chi Chi La Fong and also Macy’s.

“Everyone looked very sharp,” said Charlotte, “and Mrs. Hoshide could easily be a supermodel instead of a first-grade teacher, but we’re glad she isn’t!”

Some St. Joseph’s high school students put on a trash fashion show, as well. Teresa Fuata, who has two children at St. Joe’s and is vice president of the school’s Parent-Teacher Guild—and who organized the event—described it. “They used recycled materials, creating, actually, stunning outfits,” she said. “One was coffee filters; there were old maps, plastic bags. It was a hit of the evening.”

Fashiontrash

Sharon Alapai of the Hilton Waikoloa prepared desserts, as did Penny Yu.

Charlotte called the elegant Restaurant Kaikodo the perfect setting. “Everyone was dressed Hilo style—from shorts and flip-flops to tuxedos. Also, St. Joseph’s is such a small school,” she said, “that it was fun to have a grown-up event and see everyone kick up their heels, including the sisters.”

Teresa Fuata says the event grossed nearly $10,000. “It was a very successful evening,” she said. “And it was very fun. People are already saying they’re looking forward to the second annual one.”

Community, Hawaiian Role Models, Science

Astrophysicist at Work

Richard and June recently took their grandson Kapono and granddaughter Kimberly to ‘Imiloa. That’s Hilo’s state-of-the-art, primarily NASA-funded, $28-million, 40,000-square-foot exhibition and planetarium complex, which strives to present both science—the world-class astronomy being done atop Mauna Kea—and the mountain’s highly significant cultural importance to Hawaiians. Most in the community seem to agree it does a good job at both.

The Has and their grandchildren watched the planetarium show, and afterward went up to see who was controlling the computers. “It turned out to be this very nice, confident UHH student working part-time,” says Richard. “Her name was ‘Ahia Dye.”

Twenty-six year old ‘Ahia, who grew up in Kailua, O‘ahu, is graduating this semester from the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo with a bachelor’s degree in Astronomy and a minor in Physics. She is also studying Hawaiian Studies, and will continue on at UHH after graduation to complete her undergraduate degree in that field as well.

“The more I get into the professional field,” she says, “the more I realize the importance of knowing both your culture and the science together. It’s an important background to have. I’m finding it very very helpful, and fun too.”

I asked ‘Ahia how she became interested in the sciences, and she told me about her elder brother, a physicist, who always talked to her about their natural environment. “We would walk down to the beach and he would explain to me that the moon rises about an hour later every night,” she says, “and how the sun changes its position along the horizon as it rises throughout the year.”

‘Ahia’s job at ‘Imiloa is an internship she got through participating in UH Hilo’s Keaholoa STEM program, an NSF-funded program that supports Hawaiians in the sciences. Coincidentally, Richard is a new advisory board member of the program.

“There are about 20 interns now,” says ‘Ahia. “Besides going to school full time, they all participate in internships in their fields. That’s what kept me in astronomy, this internship, and given me an edge. Getting into the field is so different from studying the books. And being surrounded by so many Hawaiian kids; seeing all of us striving and moving forward in fields where we’re not so well-represented.”

Now that she’s graduating, she has been offered a position at ‘Imiloa.

Richard says, “I’m sure she doesn’t realize how important it is, what a role model she is, as a female native Hawaiian astrophysicist. It blows me away.”

‘Ahia is a role model in another way, too. She overcame a learning disability to get to where she is today. “I’m very dyslexic and I was failing out of 9th grade,” she says. “I was a good student, but I just wasn’t doing well.” Her parents enrolled her at Honolulu’s Assets School.

“They focus on what you can do there,” she says, “and push you in that way. They pushed technology and math and sciences. It was really fun. It’s different for every person, but what Assets did for me is they taught me how to interpret information and how to more quickly absorb it using different mediums.”

Richard was not the only one impressed with ‘Ahia; she also had a major impact on his grandson Kapono, who is 17. “He’s the kind of kid that has had no trouble with advanced math,” says Richard, “but he had not found his calling. Seeing ‘Ahia in action just blew him away. It gives me chicken skin to talk about it. Now he wants to volunteer to work at ‘Imiloa, and she said she would try to help him get in there.”

‘Ahia has only positive things to say about Kapono. “I think he’s going to be just outstanding,” she says. “He already has that mentality. He knows enough about computers, he’s going to learn a lot about astronomy, he already has the people skills, and he’s very nice and also motivated.

“My boss Shawn Laatsch, the planetarium manager, has been working in planetariums since high school,” she added. “I can see the same look in Kapono; the same ‘ano [nature] as Shawn. I think he’s going to be really great.” — posted by Leslie Lang

Community, Tomatoes

Fire Engine Red

Richard Ha writes:

We have a contingency plan in place in terms of who to give our excess tomatoes to when we have an unexpected spike in production. So when we did recently, we were ready. We had already decided that we would give extra tomatoes to teachers, public safety personnel and caregivers.

Recently I wrote about taking cocktail tomatoes to several elementary schools for them to distribute to their students, staff and teachers.

This week, for the first time, we were able to give to public safety personnel. We had enough cocktail tomatoes that we were able to give one container to every firefighter and EMT on the Big Island.

Ff_paramedics_jesse_wayne
Paramedics Jesse and Wayne

Okinaka
Firefighter Okinaka

Medic3_marvin_grant
Medics Marvin and Grant

Dispatchers_dori_penny_capt_lum
Dispatchers Dori and Penny with Captain Lum

They told us they were really grateful that someone from the community felt moved to so such a thing. I told them our workers are happy to work for a company that can do it. It’s a win-win situation for everybody.

We appreciate all that fire personnel do for our community. Mahalo from all of us at Hamakua Springs County Farms.

Books, Community

Exploring Historic Hilo

Richard Ha writes:

This past Saturday, June and I went to a book signing at the Book Gallery in downtown Hilo. Leslie Lang was autographing her new book, Exploring Historic Hilo.

With the Hilo Farmers Market bustling with activity around the corner, parking was hard to find. We parked several blocks away, across from the East Hawai‘i Cultural Center at Kalakaua Park, and walked over.

It was appropriate that it was a busy day in small town Hilo. It lent excitement to this special event.

We had never been to a book signing before and it looked exactly as I imagined it would. People were chatting animatedly with Leslie, she was wearing a nice flower lei and her books were arranged on the table around her. She was the focus of attention. We bought a book and asked for her autograph, and then: “On second thought, can you also sign another one?” We chatted for a short while and then had to move on.

Leslie_book_signing_002

From the first time Leslie interviewed me for an article in the Hawaiian Airlines in-flight magazine Hana Hou, I knew she had a special talent. We sat down for a short time and she was all business. No wasting of time.

When I saw the story, I was floored. She got so much information out of me in such a short time and it was expressed accurately and in just the right tone. Just the right tone. That’s a luxury in many cases.

Since then, I asked her to develop a website for us. When it was done, I told her, “That’s the first time someone’s ever captured exactly what we are all about.”

Later I asked her to help me put together a blog. For almost a year now we’ve written three posts per week, every week. Sometimes she writes the post, and other times I do. When I write it, she edits and offers suggestions for additions or clarifications. But when she’s done with it, it is still me. She keeps my personality intact, warts and all. She also writes press releases and puts together various other written materials for the farm. I’ve told her before: “When it comes to writing, you are like a master wood carver and I am like a carpenter.”

So it was a thrill for me to stand in line and get her autograph. Exploring Historic Hilo is a pictorial history of Hilo, with archival photographs and captions that detail the town’s history. It’s a great book to give as a gift. We’re going to go to her next signing and get a few more.

You can read more about Leslie’s writing at her website. And if you would like to talk with her about writing for your company, I’m sure she’d be happy to talk with you. Email her at leslie@leslielang.com.

Leslie writes: Just as that post where Charlotte and I called Richard “ethical” made him uncomfortable, so, too, does it make me squirm a bit to post this. But I thank you, Richard, for all your very kind words. It is truly a delight to work with you.

Community, Tomatoes

Thank You’s, continued

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Richard Ha writes:

We recently received some great thank you letters from students in Emma Kato’s 4th-grade class at Hilo Union School, after taking some surplus tomatoes to that school, as well.

Ms. Kato wrote: “…We always ask our students to reach out to others to make lives better. You certainly did that to us.”

And her students wrote some very interesting, impressive and fun letters. A sampling:

Hilounion5

Dear Mr. Ha,

Thank you for the extrodanary tomato. It tasted magnificent.

I learned hydroponics is a way to grow plants without soil. You get about 130 inches of rain a year and that you’ve been working 30 years from your website.

I used them for a nori, tomato, viniger mix but I ate one plain.

Aloha, Trent

Hilounion2

Dear Mr. Ha,

Thank you for donating your delicious tomatos at Hilo Union School. I’m sure every student was pleased.

This tomatos is very sweet and has just the right amount of acidity. My family and I enjoyed eating it for dinner. Once again I would like to thank you for the tomatos.

From, Crystelynn

Hilounion6

Dear Mr. Ha,

Thanks for the great tomatoes that you donated to our school.

It was good and sweet in our lomi and salads.

I gave it to my mom and she made salads with it. My family and I enjoyed your delicious tomatoes.

Once again I would like to show my appriciation.

Thank you, Kyson

Hilounion7

Dear Mr. Ha,

Thank you Mr. Ha for donating tomatoes to Hilo Union School. The school really appreciate the tomatoes that you donated.

We went to the computer and type your website and I found out you grow banana before you grow tomates.

I gave the tomates to my dad because I know how much my dad loves tomates. Cause he makes tomates with every meal. And we enjoy it.

Thank you, Kawehionalani

Hilounion3

Dear Mr. Ha,

Thanks for donating the cocktail tomatoes to our school. They were delicious!

We went to our computer lab and went to your website and learned about the benefits of growing with hydroponics. It avoids pests and diseases that can come with growing plants in soil.

I gave it to my grandma and she made saled and we ate it for dinner. And I ate a little and it was the best tomatoe I’ve ever eaten.

Aloha, Chaycelyn

Hilounion9

Dear Mr. Ha,

Thank you for the tomatoes. It was de-licious. It was juicey and sweet. It was like healthy candy in my mouth.

I just ate the tomatoes for lunch, plain like a fruit.

Aloha, Alohi

Hilounion1

Dear Mr. Ha.

Thanks for the fantastic tomato’s. When we went on the computer I learned that the benefets of growing with hydroponics are they avoid pests and deaseses. And the energy costs are lower. And I also learned that your farm grows award-winning tomatos, bananas, lettuce and cucumbers that are available throughout Hawaii.

When I brought the tomatos home, my grandpa from Phillipines made some kind of tomato sauce that taste good with rice and fish.

Aloha, Patrick

Hilounion10

Dear Mr. Ha,

Thank you for the great tomatoes. On your farm, your company grows a lot of other products. Like bananas and lettuces. My mom use the tomatoes in a salad.

Blaire

Hilounion4_2

Dear Mr. Ha,

Thanks for giving us the tomatoes, it was good. I ate my tomatoes and gave some to my parents. Thank you for thinking about Hilo Union and giving us the tomatoes to eat. That was a nice thing to do. So good luck and plant some more tomatoes.

Joseph

Community, Tomatoes

Thanks!

Richard Ha writes:

A couple months ago we had a short, sharp spike in tomato production, so we decided to give some of our surplus to the Keonepoko Elementary School students, their teachers and the rest of the staff. Keonepoko is a large school, and we were looking to give out several hundred 1-lb. containers of cocktail tomatoes.

We received thank you notes from the students in the mail. I read every one. The most interesting part of giving tomatoes to students is reading the notes they send back.

Here is a small sampling:

Mr. Richard Ha and Hamakua springs thank you for donating the tomatoes to the school. I really enjoyed the tomatoes, it tasted delicious. My family enjoyed it too. We ate it for dinner with rice, and sliced meat. The tomatoes tasted really ono with shoyu. And also hope you have a Happy Easter, and take care. From, Zaira

Keonepoko_1


Dear Mr. Richard Ha,

Thank you for the tomatoes. I loved them. My dad even loved them he made tacos with them. Everybody was washing them at the sinks and then they ate them. Almost the whole school ate them. Thank you for donating us delicious tomatoes.

Sincerely,

Ibrahim

Keonepoko_4


Dear Mr. Richard Ha,

Thank you for the tomatose. The tomatoes is very good. My family love the tomatse. Some time we play tomato fight. Then we plant the seed to grow more tomato.

Sincerely,

Kaysen


Keonepoko_6


Thank you Mr. Richard Ha for the tomatoes. I liked there nice taste it went well in my mothers salsa. It was the most nicest thing a guy like you could do for all the kids at Keonepoko Elm.

Crystal

Keonepoko_3


Dear Mr. Richard Ha,

Thank you Mr Richard. I liked the tomatoes. I really liked it. I throw a tomato at my fraind. Do you plant the tomatoes? My dad used to plant them when he was working with plants.

Sincerely,

Savannah

Keonepoko_7


Hi Mr. Richard Ha and Hamakua Springs, I thank you for the delicious tomatos and thank you for donateing.

Sincerely, Jensen

P.S. Please come again.

Community, Water

Water Works

Richard Ha writes:

Our farm is neighbors with Andrade Camp, a small neighborhood whose residents are working to transition from its private water system, developed in the sugar plantation era, to a modern municipal system.

It’s a complicated effort that brings together the residents’ Representative to the legislature, the County Board of Water Supply, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the County Research and Development Department, the County Planning Dept and Senator Inouye’s office.

Andrade_camp_1_1

I’ve been very impressed with how these government agencies, and especially Representative Dwight Takamine, Board of Water Supply manager Milton Pavao and USDA’s Ted Matsuo, work in the best interest of the people. It gives a person renewed faith in government.

Andrade Camp consists of approximately 20 sugar plantation-style homes located 11 miles north of Hilo, mauka of Highway 19. The houses, built by the Hilo Coast Processing Company, are owned by former company employees. Today most of the residents are in their late 70s or even in their 80s. They are accustomed to the sugar plantation taking care of their needs.

We at the farm got involved because our neighbors, the residents of Andrade Camp, are members of the previous generation who helped make Hawaii what it is today. They are uncomplaining and trust that someone is going to do the right thing. It is the least we can do.

A few years back, when C. Brewer sold all of their former sugar lands, they informed Andrade Camp residents they would need to take over the private water system and start paying the county for their water use. We helped the residents form an association which could bill each household for its water usage. The association is given a bill based on the reading from the county’s master meter. Residents are then billed by the association based on their individual meter reading.

Andrade_camp_2_1

The water system was originally served by a pipeline that went down to the Pepe’ekeo sugar mill, and residents were charged a flat rate for their water use. They paid $8 per month, and the sugar company took care of all maintenance. Just prior to leaving, the sugar company replaced all the old lines with a plastic 2-inch pipe that passed by each house, and new water meters were installed at each house, which made it possible to determine how much water each house uses.

Several years ago, Dwight Takamine held a series of information gathering meetings with all the interested parties, and the process to upgrade the water system began. A budget was developed, and then the plan to upgrade the system was brought before the Board of Water Supply for approval and funding. The project was approved for funding and the formal process began. A contractor was hired to develop the plan and submit the application to the Department of Agriculture for grant approval. It is going through the process right now.

It is heartwarming to see how all the parties involved are doing everything they can to help the residents of Andrade Camp. I wish everyone could see their government in action as I am seeing it. It would make them feel good.

Alan Wong, Community, Contest

Partnerships

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Richard Ha writes:

Sometimes Hawaii Community College is overlooked in favor of the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo, but it shouldn’t be. The school gives students some excellent opportunities not otherwise available here.

My son Brian took the community college’s carpentry and electrician courses and now he’s an Apache helicopter pilot. The machine he flies costs more than our entire farm.

Several years ago I mentioned to Allan Okuda, director of the Community College’s food service program, that we were starting hydroponic vegetable production and wanted to do something with his culinary program. He was very receptive to the idea.

The Hamakua Springs Tomato Recipe Contest is our first opportunity to work with the culinary school. When I called Allan Okuda about doing something with them re: the tomato recipe contest, he said he’d been waiting for us to get back in touch. He liked the idea of having the program’s students prepare the recipes for final judging. Students will get the opportunity to use the skills they have learned to prepare the recipes for judging, he said.

Foodland Super Markets helped to make this event a reality by publicizing the Hamakua Springs Tomato Recipe Contest in their mailouts, as well as with point of purchase instructions next to their tomato displays.

As an added bonus, internationally renowned chef Alan Wong, who often visits us at Hamakua Springs and who treats us farmers like his partners, said he’d be happy to talk to some of the food service students.

In addition to being an internationally acclaimed chef, Alan Wong is a teacher at heart. He makes people comfortable and he also makes everything seem possible. I truly believe that for some of the students it could be a pivotal moment in their lives.

I asked Allan Okuda if he would select a few students to meet with Chef Alan, and he was happy to do it. He thinks this will be a unique opportunity for students to meet one of the best chefs in the world.

In Hilo, the “culinary backwoods” where we live, we will be so happy to help bring something like this about.

Community, Tomatoes

A Shiny Red Tomato For The Teacher

1 Comment

Richard Ha writes:

Our philosophy of sustainable farming means we are always concerned about our workers, our community and the environment.

An example of this is when we sometimes have unexpected spikes in production of our hydroponic tomatoes. We asked ourselves, What should we do when this occurs? And we came to the conclusion that we wanted to support our community. But how?

We thought about teachers, and the important role they play in our community.

So we planned what we would do when the inevitable spike in tomato production occurred. Depending on the number of tomatoes we had available, we would find a school with a similar number of teachers. But we wanted to go a step further. We didn’t want to leave anyone out, so we decided we would give to a school only if we could give something to everybody on the staff.

Last week we had one of those spikes, so we went into action. We donated 97 boxes of Hamakua Springs cocktail tomatoes (that’s 776 individual “clamshell” containers) to teachers. We gave one clamshell to everybody on staff at the following schools: Kalaniana‘ole School, Waiakea Elementary, Waiakea Waena, Kea‘au Elementary and Middle Schools, Mountain View, Pahoa and Kaumana Schools.

We put a note in each container saying how much we appreciate the work they do for our keiki. We feel so good about being able to recognize these important members of our community.

Community

Old School

At Kaumana Elementary School’s 100th Birthday Bash a couple weeks back, kindergarten teacher (and Hamakua Springs daughter-in-law) Kris Cabreira said it was “chicken skin” to see the two daughters of the school’s first principal and hear their story.

Kaumana School

“We found out that their father used to ride his horse to school,” she said, “and that he decided to find another profession after he wanted to get married but his salary only allowed him to feed his horse.”

Kris, who is married to Richard and June’s son Brian, talked about watching a 70-year-old former student bowing down to his 95-year-old principal. Seeing the composer of the school’s alma mater. Having the Cera family there, who used the event as a family reunion.

She said the day was packed with more people than they expected. There were former and current students, parents, teachers and stuff as well as the community.

Hamakua Springs donated bananas, tomatoes, cucumbers and lettuce to the celebration, and the kindergartners and first graders sold them in their produce booth to raise funds for classroom supplies and field trips. They sold out of five cases of each product.

There was also a history of Kaumana School memory room, games, food booths, craft booths, a rummage sale, a plant sale, and 100th birthday commemorative t-shirts. Entertainment went on all day with Taishoji Taiko, Dru Kekaualua and friends, and Ho’okoa. In the afternoon, students put on a talent show. The principal, Lloyd Matsunami, a counselor and Gumby took turns in the dunking booth.

“We were surprised at how much this meant to so many former students,” said Kris. “You could see the pride in their eyes. It was a very humbling experience.”