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One of the major benefits of living in Hilo, Hawaii is the availability of locally grown fruits and vegetables, fresh caught fish, grass-fed beef, local chicken, pork, and eggs. The availability of locally grown food, green energy (wind, solar, and others), and low population gives the Island of Hawaii a high probabiliy of becoming completely self sustaining. Here is what we have discovered about Hawaii's local food products. Hawaii Self SustainabilityHawaiian Fruits and Vegetables Fresh Hawaiian Fish Grass-fed Hawaiian Beef Hawaiian produced Eggs and Dairy products Other Hawaiian food products and what is missing Health food stores in Hilo Fresh food is everywhere in Hilo; we have bananas in our backyard; Hilo and the surrounding area have numerous farmer's markets, and the grocery stores support the local farmers and fisherman by carrying local produce. Eating locally grown food is healthier than processed foods and cheaper than foods shipped in from the mainland. KTA grocery store's Mountain Apple Brand consists only of Hawaiian grown and made foods. Hilo's fresh foods combined with clean water and unpolluted air has greatly improved our health and energy. Hawaiian Fruits and Vegetables Every day farmers and enterprising locals bring their produce to the Hilo Farmer's market. They bring papayas, bananas, tomatoes, ginger, avocados, lettuce, sweet potatoes, oranges, lemons, garlic, onions, peppers, cucumbers, jack fruit, bread fruit, pineapple, coffee, mac nuts, lychee, rambutans, and more. Many of the tastiest fruits are not even available on the mainland.
We go to the market several times a week to get vegetables and fruit.
Here is the food we just bought from a Farmer's market shopping trip.
The prices can vary, but these 6 papaya, 8 tomatoes, 2 cucumbers, romaine lettuce, bag of ginger, 8 bananas, a grapefruit, and 3 maui onions cost $17 (Jan 2008). Bring lots of one and five dollar bills; everything is paid in cash at the local markets. You can get Hilo grown produce in the super markets as well under the Mountain Apple brand and at other stores from great local producers such as Hamakua Springs.
Even in our backyard we are overflowing with lemons and bananas. Fresh Hawaiian Fish
Fish is a favorite to us because it is full of healthy oils, it is low calorie, and it tastes great. Suisan fish company has a retail store in Hilo next to a dock where the fisherman unload their catch every day.
Fish caught by Hilo fisherman is flown all over the world from Hilo; it is prized for sushi in Japan and served in five star restaurants in New York City. Right now (Feb 2009) fresh fillets of ahi tuna are available at $7.99/lb. Sashimi grade ahi is available at $18/lb. This is incredible after paying up to $48/lb (when we could get it) for yellow fin tuna from Vietnam and the Philippines in Northern California. Hilo fisherman also catch Mahi Mahi (Dophin fish), Opah (Moonfish), Ono (Wahoo), Red snapper and many other varieties of Pacific fish. The availability is dependent on the season. Grass Fed Hawaiian Beef The Big Island is a great place to be a cow. Abundant grazing land, due to the island's sparse population and abundant rain, has resulted in ranches on the Big Island raising free roaming, hormone-additive free, grass fed cows. The taste is very different from cows raised in feeding lots. When cooked, the fat is clear, like water. We paid up to $13/lb in California for grass fed beef, when we could get it. Lean grass fed beef raised on the Big Island is $5/lb. It is sold at KTA under their Mountain Apple Brand. 
Research shows higher levels of Omega 3 oil in grass fed cows. Aside from the positive benefits of eating beef from cows free to roam and eat grass there is the downside of eating beef from cows fed grain and substitutes in crowded feedlots. Jo Robinson has written numerous articles about why grass fed is best and her findings about the diet of feedlot cows. 
Hawaiian produced eggs and dairy products Hawaii has farms where chickens, pigs, and sheep are raised without being pumped with antibotics and hormones. We find the products taste better than their counterparts on the mainland. The chickens here are small, since they have no growth hormones; the breasts can be mistaken for thighs. The taste reminds us of what chicken tasted like when we were kids. We buy Hawaiian chickens and eggs from KTA.  
Other Hawaiian food products and what is missing Other foods that are locally produced include breads, cookies and baked items (though the wheat must be shipped in), nuts, honey, vanilla, oils, sugar, coffee, chocolate, tofu and tempeh (from imported soybeans), chips, noodles, etc. Below are pictures of the shelves at KTA in Hilo filled with Hawaiian baked goodies.
We love the coffee from the Big Island and are in the endless pursuit of trying them all. Our current favorite is from the Hamakua coast. 
We support local products by buying them often and the goal of the Big Island become self sustaining. Here is a list of Hawaii Big Island Brands available to buy. We still buy products shipped in from the mainland. Some of the food products we need that are not available in Hawaii are rice, corn products, olive and canola oils, vinegars, maple syrup, and wine to name a few. We wait for sales and buy mainland products then. Health food stores in Hilo Hilo has two great health food stores that carry items not available in the grocery stores. Island Naturals in the Walmart shopping center next to Borders Hawaii's Self-Sustainability There are efforts by individuals and organizations on the island to promote the self sustainability of Hawaii by eating locally grown foods and using renewable energy. The prospects of not needing or minimally needing to import products to our island is exciting. Self sustainability would allow Hawaii to weather the economic storm and minimize the pollution of and destruction to the fragile marine and rain forest ecosystems. Here are some blogs, groups and organizations working on sustainability for Hawaii:
Copyright 2008, 2009 |
