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Big Island Business News
July 24, 2000
Food events feature Big Island products, help local charities

By K. T. Cannon-Eger

Big Island Business News
A couple of days ago, the mere mention in friendly conversation of last month's Taste of the Hawaiian Range in Waimea set my mouth to watering again. And if you missed Taste of the Range, there are two more events on the horizon!

The Carmen Miranda-themed Gala Food Bank Headdress Ball and the American Culinary Federation Sunset Tea will be discussed momentarily, but first a few Taste of the Range memories.

Consider if you will titles of some of the dishes: Crispy pu`uwai ravioli with raspberry laced chili sauce and coconut lemongrass (Outrigger Waikoloa Beach Hotel), Veal loin with Jamaican jerk marinade (Hilton Waikoloa Village), Thai stuffed Kamuela cabbage (Hualalai Beach Resort) and poi stew (Alan Wong's Pineapple Room, O`ahu).

The fifth annual collaboration among farmers, ranchers and chefs packed the Cooper Dining Commons and tents outside at Hawaii Preparatory Academy with more than 1,500 eager eaters.

"There are a lot of happy faces here tonight," said Milton Yamasaki of the Mealani Research Station. "There are all kinds of people here. It's a very diverse crowd with one thing in common - they're all enjoying the local products."

Monty Richards of Kahua Ranch described everything he had tasted that evening as "tenderly raised, tenderly cooked and tenderly eaten."

Fiascos' chef Royden Ellamar prepared Kahua Ranch mutton with smashed potatoes, Kamuela tomato relish, Kahua Ranch whole bulb onions and pak choy.

"These are very good products," Ellamar said. "We're very pleased with the quality and enjoy participating in this event."

Maha Kraan of Maha's Cafe in Waimea has participated in all five Taste of the Range events, but it was her first year with a lamb loin. She prepared the lamb from Paul Bryant with pinto beans and garlic vinaigrette and served it with green leaf lettuce, Chinese cabbage, tomatoes and red cabbage from Nakamoto Farm, Nakano Farm and Okada Farm.

Parker Ranch cowboy Gary Rapozo attended for the third time. "I didn't get all the way around yet, but it's all good."

Getting all the way around the Taste of the Range was perhaps the biggest challenge of the evening. Nearly 30 chef stations, serving forage-raised products from crayfish to beef, were complimented by salads, beverages and desserts. Zachary Gibson of Pu`u`ala Farm & Ranch near Honoka`a offered samples of `awa, neem and noni teas.

"The farm and ranch have been in the family since before statehood," Gibson said. "Since we are living there, we decided to go organic. I have a cooking background and my mom wanted to grow Hawaiian medicines."

Patti Cook and Mary Lou Foley served up bites of fudge cow pies from Cook's Discoveries while across the room Cathy Smoot-Barrett of Kailua Candy Company offered Rincon Farm strawberries dipped in chocolate.

"These were picked yesterday," Smoot Barrett said. "We started dipping at 2 p.m. today and drove right up here."

The Mauna Lani Bay Hotel & Bungalows had a real team effort both with beef from Hawaii Natural Meats and vegetables from Nakano, Kawamata, Wagatsuma, Hirayama, Hori, Hirako, Okada, Hori and UH-CTAHR farms and with a second table featuring the smoothest dessert of the evening.

"The Flowers pudding cake with fried lumpia and coffee ice cream is one of James Alpiche's recipes," said pastry chef Clyde Tobias.

Perhaps the biggest display of locally grown products was prepared by Earl Yamamoto, production manager of BEST Farms, and Kalei Fujioka, floral designer for Events, for the Farm Bureau. The Kamuela Grown display included strawberries and onions from Rincon Farms; Romaine and artichokes from Kawano Farms; bell peppers and tomatoes from Kawamata Farms; tomatoes, cucumbers and ginger flower from Richard Nakano; beets, celery, iceberg lettuce, and Napa cabbage from Roger Hirako; red cabbage and celery from Royce Hirayama; carrots, beets and radishes from Russell Onodera; red leaf and green leaf lettuce and baby bok choy from Larry Nakamoto; fingerling potatoes, icebox watermelon, cantaloupe and mango from BEST Farms; daikon and eggplant from Roy Hori; gobo and Korean daikon from Mineo Honda and red cabbage and gobo from Alex Okada. Other produce and flowers came from Hirabara Farms, Kahua Ranch, Sunrise Farm, Adaptations, Roy Honda Farms, STT Farms, Wagatsuma Farms, J&D Farms, Watanabe Floral and Green Point Nurseries.

Another treat was a display of the entrants in the fourth annual tomato tasting contest held at Merriman's in Waimea. Among 29 entries, first place in red slicing tomatoes went to Erin Lee and Susan Welch of Lokelani Gardens in Waimea and second place to Terry Shintaku or Hau`ula Tomatoes on O`ahu. Hau`ula Tomatoes also took third place with specialty tomatoes.

If you missed this grand gathering, put mid-June on your calendars for next year. The committee already is hard at work making plans for the sixth annual Taste of the Range.

Meanwhile, there are a couple of events on the horizon that offer other opportunities to taste locally grown products prepared by great island chefs. The second annual Carmen Miranda-inspired Gala Food Bank Headdress Ball will be held Saturday, August 19, in the Grand Ballroom of Hilton Waikoloa Village.

The hot, south-of-the-border music of Rolando Sanchez and Salsa Hawaii plus the mellow swing of Three on Hand along with Ken and Natasha Delmar, exhibition Argentine tango dancers, will spice the evening along with culinary creations by six premier Kohala Coast executive chefs.

Glenn Alos of Kona Village Resort, James Cassidy of Four Seasons Resort Hualalai, Peter Merriman of Merriman's in Waimea, Willie Pirngruber of Hilton Waikoloa Village, Corey Waite of Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel and David Brown of Hilton Waikoloa Village are hard at work on preparations.

The Ball is a benefit for Hawaii Island Food Bank, which distributes food to Big Island agencies that in turn distribute food to people in need.

At least 20 contestants will participate in a Carmen Miranda-themed headdress contest. Emcee Lyman Medeiros and radio and television personality Pat Batchelor will conduct a live auction. The ball begins at 5 p.m. and continues until 10:30 p.m. Tickets are $50 per person and tables of ten are available. Call 935-3050, extension 106. Out-of-town ball goers get courtesy hotel room rates at Hilton Waikoloa Village by calling 886-1234.

For further information, e-mail Connie Erger at oconger@webtv.net or telephone 885-0018.

Sensational food and dazzling desserts are promised at the elegant Sunset Tea at the Water's Edge in Hilton Waikoloa Village Saturday, September 2, from 5 to 7 p.m.

Sunset Tea is sponsored by the American Culinary Federation Kona-Kohala Chefs de Cuisine and will benefit nutritional education for the young child through the organization's "Auntie Akamai and the Good Food Tree" program. This video and the food pyramid activities have been presented to hundreds of pre-school and kindergarten children by chefs and teachers.

Sunset Tea will showcase the culinary skills of pastry chefs, bakers and chocolate and ice cream makers.

"As you graze through the mouth-watering savories, pupus and desserts, you also will be able to roam about to taste champagne, wines, cordials, Hawaiian water, lilikoi wheat ale, all-natural teas and 100 percent Kona coffee.

The designs created by floral designers of Hawaii will be auctioned off. Bread baking demonstrations plus floral arranging demonstrations will be presented. Personalized cooking classes with the chefs also will be available at the silent auction.

Tickets, $40 for adults or $15 for children ages three to 12, may be purchased at Kona Wine Market, Cook's Discoveries in Waimea, Kathryn's of Kona, Borders Books and Kailua Candy Company.

For more information, call chairperson Jean W. Hull, 326-2350.

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Big Island Business News is a series provided by Cannon & Eger Public Relations on business in Hawai`i County with an emphasis on agriculture. Readers with announcements or questions are invited to write to K.T. Cannon-Eger, HC 1 Box 5164, Kea`au, HI 96749-9511 or phone (808) 966-8565. E-mail to kt@hawaii-island.com

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By K. T. Cannon-Eger

Big Island Business News
Contents this issue: Hawai`i livestock industry turns to forage-fed meats; hay and silage projects; Hawai`i Natural Meats; Kona Specialty Meats; Forage Field Day; Taste of the Range; Big Island dairies; and Hawai`i Agricultural Statistics Service reports on livestock and dairy industries.

Several years ago, when sugar plantations were closing on O`ahu, Kaua`i and Hawai`i, local producers sought ways to expand the livestock industry. Success was found with improving forage and that success will be celebrated next week with the fifth annual Taste of the Range.

Rick Habein of Hawai`i Natural Meats said, "We needed to develop an economic replacement for imported feed, to improve production to guarantee a consistent supply to the marketplace, and to construct slaughter facilities."

When sugar plantations reduced production or phased out entirely, thousands of acres became available for the first time in more than 120 years. Sugar cane is a type of grass. It seemed only logical to some that land that had grown one kind of grass for sugar and molasses could grow another kind of grass for cattle, sheep or goat pasture. In an ironic twist, some of the grasses sugar growers considered weeds now make some of the best pasture.

Rich Bader of Hawai`i Haylage at Pepe`ekeo went to a farm supply business and asked for a fertilizer for California grass.

"The fella said 'Oh, you mean Roundup,' and I answered 'No, I want to fertilize it and make it grow better.' I got a lot of funny looks.

"Burt Smith, former pasture specialist with the Cooperative Extension Service, told me I'd be better off if I could find a locally adapted plant. Other growers have had problems with alfalfa, for example. On the other hand California grass has been here 60 or 70 years. We can get protein levels of 20 percent with fertilizer and the cattle love it."

Bader's firm produces fresh cut grass and silage, a fermented product like kim chee or sauerkraut.

"Silage allows us, in wet climates, to make a product that can be stored. The cut grass ferments with anaerobic bacteria and is stored in plastic. Some folks look at the big white bales along the coast highway and call them giant mushrooms or marshmallows.

"One guy from the mainland asked me what our harvesting season is. I can cut and bale the same day any day that it's not raining more than one inch. It takes two to three weeks for the fermenting process to take place. I can harvest the grass with a machine or with four-legged critters and sell the beef."

Bader pointed out that it takes seven pounds of grain to make one pound of beef. "One of the advantages of forage-fed livestock is it's a local product. Other is no hormones are used. As long as we can produce a tender cut of meat, the customer will be happy."

Bader is among ranchers selling cattle to Habein for marketing under the Hawai`i Natural Meats label, available in local markets and resort restaurants. Habein is convinced forage fed livestock will be a success in Hawai`i.

"Hawai`i Natural Beef has been working at this, seriously researching it for eight years. We are absolutely committed to a quality product at the consumer level. We are putting a superior beef and lamb product on the table. Even the fat from grass-finished beef is better for you because it is higher in omega 3 fatty acid. We've got a couple of naturopath doctors that endorse us. They want their patients who eat meat to eat the local, all natural meat."

Habein is processing through Hawai`i Beef Packers, now run by Joe Azzaro. "He is very pro local industry."

One offshoot of the local livestock industry is new products. Lani Cran Petrie of Kona Specialty Meats said, "The best thing I ever did was marry a butcher. Turns out he's also an excellent sausage maker."

Kona Specialty Meats started five years ago. They market pipi kaula and beef jerky under the trademarked Paniolo Provisioners label as well as selling ribs, steaks, ground beef, and sausage to local markets and restaurants.

Another offshoot of all the effort in grass-fed livestock is the annual Forage Field Day seminar followed by a food event - Taste of the Range - that connects chefs, ranchers, farmers and consumers. The fifth annual Taste of the Range will be held Friday, June 16, in Waimea and will feature more than 33 chefs working with products from more than 100 ranchers and farmers.

"Ticket sales are limited to 1,000 this year," according to Gene Erger of the planning committee. "Tickets are $20 if purchased before Friday, June 16, and $25 if there are any left at the door."

Tickets are available at Cook's Discoveries and R.R. Olson in Waimea, at the Kona Wine Market, and at the Cooperative Extension Service offices in Kona, Hilo and Waimea.

This is the third year the extremely popular event will be held at the Taylor Commons Dining Hall at Hawai`i Preparatory Academy.

Forage Field Day will be held from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Mealani Field Station in Waimea. On the agenda are author Jo Robinson, who will speak on why people should eat forage-raised meats, and Will Page of Page Marketing in Honolulu, who will discuss how to put together a marketing plan and sales materials.

For more information on the Forage Field Day program, contact Glen Fukumoto at the Cooperative Extension Service, 887-6183.

Merriman's Restaurant in Waimea will join in the festivities with a blind "tomato tasting" on Friday and the unveiling of 12 portraits of Big Island farmers by Cathy Shine.

According to the Hawai`i Agricultural Statistics Service, the total number of cattle and calves on Hawai`i's ranches on January 1 was 164,000 head, 9,000 below 1999 and 16,000 below 1998.

"A prolonged dry spell and drought-like conditions in several major grazing areas of the State drastically reduced available forage feed supplies in 1999," the annual report, issued in early March 2000, said. "As a result, many cattlemen were forced to reduce the size of their herds resulting in increased marketings, but fewer head on hand at the end of the year.

"The island of Hawai`i, with nearly 70 percent of the State's inventory, recorded a 5,400-head decline from a year earlier to 114,400 head."

In an effort to economize, especially on the high cost of shipping in grain for cattle feed, ranchers began exporting calves to the U.S. mainland for finishing, then shipped some of the beef back to the islands. A study by PingSun Leung, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, and Burt Smith, who recently retired from the Department of Agronomy and Soil Science, University of Hawai`i College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, in 1997 prepared an estimate of the economic impact of this practice.

This short paper provided "a rough estimate of the overall economic loss in terms of business sales, employment, and household income to the State resulting from the current practice of shipping calves to the mainland for finishing and slaughter.

"The losses to the state, based on an average of 40,000 head exported per year, are an overall loss of 172 jobs; an annual loss of business sales of $17,749,000 and a household income loss of $5,965,000."

If 1,000 calves were retained for two years, raised on forage feed and marketed locally, Leung and Smith estimated a positive economic impact on the State of about $445,000 in business sales, four jobs and $149,000 in household income.

In the HASS monthly livestock report issued in May, March marketings were reported at 50 percent above last year.

"Cattle marketings during March 2000 totaled 6,300 head compared with 4,200 a year ago and 4,000 during February. An increase in out-shipments accounted for the 50 percent increase in marketings as local slaughter declined seven percent from a year earlier.

"Cattle and calves shipped out-of-State totaled 4,900 head compared with 2,700 a year earlier and 2,700 during February."

The HASS monthly livestock report issued in June reported quite a different story for April. "Cattle marketings during April 2000 totaled 3,300 head, compared with 11,000 a year ago and 6,300 during March. A decrease in out-shipments accounted for the 70 percent decline in marketings as local slaughter remained unchanged from a year earlier. "Cattle and calves shipped out-of-State totaled 1,900 head compared with 9,600 a year earlier and 4,900 during March. "Commercial beef production (local slaughter) during April totaled 713,000 pounds compared with 712,000 pounds a year earlier. Average live weight per head, at 957 pounds, was two pounds heavier than a year ago." Milk production for the state totaled 119.1 million pounds in 1999 compared to 129.0 million pounds in 1998. Much of the state's milk supply is produced on O`ahu, but the combined neighbor island total increased during the 1990s.

The dairy industry is ranked fourth among Hawai`i's agricultural sectors with a statewide farm gate value of nearly $30 million.

"Big Island milk is an all natural product," said Ed Boteilho of Cloverleaf Dairy in Kohala. "Nobody here is using BST (bovine somatotropin)."

Ernest Souza of S & S Dairy in Na`alehu said, "With the drought we had a real bad time. Now it's looking pretty good. Hopefully everything will turn out for us. We've got some rain now."

The Na`alehu brand is S & S Dairy milk. Souza has been in the business 16 years on the Big Island and 20 years before that on O`ahu.

The livestock and dairy industries, while not employing great numbers of individuals, do keep large areas open and in productive use.

-0- Big Island Business News is a series provided by Cannon & Eger Public Relations on business in Hawai`i County with an emphasis on agriculture. Readers with announcements or questions are invited to write to K.T. Cannon-Eger, HC 1 Box 5164, Kea`au, HI 96749-9511 or phone (808) 966-8565. E-mail to kt.eger@gte.net

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By K. T. Cannon-Eger

Conferences on Hawaiian native plants are hot tickets and this one is no exception.

The Kona Outdoor Circle annual Pua Plantasia will add a full day conference to festivities this year. The conference - Hoike Na Pua: Gathering the Flowers - will focus on the use of native and Polynesian-introduced plants in four areas: landscape, crafts, culinary and medicinal. The information presented will be practical, specific and immediately applicable to anyone interested in Hawaiian plants.

All participants will receive a binder with additional reference material, which is included in the conference registration fee of $125. There also will be displays of books, featured items and plants.

Speakers include: Raylene Lancaster, kumu hula of Halau O Ha`alelea and president of the Kohala Hawaiian Civic Club; Hannah Kihalani Springer, Hawai`i Island trustee of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and a lifelong student of natural and cultural history; Maurice Majors, archaeologist at the Bishop Museum and Hawai`i State Parks; Marie Leilehua McDonald, author and teacher on the cultural significance and creativity of the traditional lei; Paul Weissich, former director of Honolulu Botanical Gardens; and Heidi Bornhorst, author, columnist and current director of Honolulu Botanical Gardens.

Other speakers include: Greg Koob, publisher and editor of Hawai`i Horticulture Magazine; Jelena Clay, basket maker and teacher; John DeFries of Native Sun Business Group; Kai. K. Kaholokai, herbal practitioner; Dennis Kim, landscape architect; Barrie Moss, co-owner of Aikane Nursery specializing in native plants; Peggy Nelson, chief of resources management at Pu`uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park; Pam Barton, award-winning artist; Tai Lake, woodworker and president of the Big Island Woodworkers Guild; Ed Johnston of Alia Point `Awa Nursery and Jerry Konanui, president of the Association for Hawaiian `Awa.

The conference begins at 7:30 a.m. at the Aston Keauhou Beach Resort ballroom and continues through an `awa ceremony outdoors at 3:30 p.m.

Pua Plantasia continues with a gala sit-down dinner Friday evening.

The traditional plant sale will take place Saturday, April 8, from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. Garden tours will be offered of Norm Bezona's Kaloko Cloud Forest, Amy Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden, Sadie Seymour Botanical Garden with narration by Hannah Springer. Box lunch is included.

For questions and reservations, contact the Kona Outdoor Circle koc@aloha.net or telephone 329-7286.

Wood workshop

The Hawai`i Forest Industry Association, Hawai`i Craftsman and Industry Network Corporation will offer a woodworking seminar with Curtis Erpelding of Port Orchard, Washington.

"Erpelding's seminar will deal with design and techniques related to small production runs," said HFIA education committee chairs Marian Yasuda and Alan Wilkinson. "This will include vacuum press and compressed air veneering, bent lamination including form design, use of thick veneers, glue-spreading arrangements, jigs for machining parts, and joinery."

An overview of Erpelding's work was featured in the fall 1995 issue of Home Furniture. Seminars will be held on the islands of Hawai`i, Maui and O`ahu. The Hawai`i island seminar is set for Saturday, April 8, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Matthew D'Avella's new shop at Kaloko Industrial Center. Contact D'Avella at 326-5452.

The Maui workshop will be held Thursday, April 13, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at John Wittenburg's shop. Contact Wittenburg at (808) 244-4917. The O`ahu workshop will be held Saturday and Sunday, April 15 and 16, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Martin & MacArthur on Kahai Street. Contact Yasuda (808) 538-0448 or Wilkinson (808) 456-1006.

There is a registration discount for HFIA members. Pre-registration is a must as spaces are limited.

Forest work

HFIA is looking for a part-time laborer to work at its dryland forest restoration project in Kona. Work includes clearing fountain grass and other noxious weeds, planting native species, fence repair, rat control, and irrigation system maintenance.

Contact Andie Gill at the HFIA office in Hilo, 933-9411.

Papaya Jam

The Papaya Administrative Committee, the Hawai`i Papaya Industry Association and Hawai`i County's Department of Research & Development present Papaya Jam 2000, a battle of the bands and karaoke challenge, on Saturday, April 8, from 1 to 6 p.m. at the Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium.

For application forms and further information, please contact the PAC office at 230 Kekuanaoa Street in Hilo, 969-1160.

Ag cookbook

The Focus on Agriculture Cookbook now is available from the College of Agriculture, Forestry & Natural Resource Management at the University of Hawai`i at Hilo. Call 974-7393 if you are interested in picking up a copy for $10.

The book also may be mailed statewide for $12 a copy. Make check payable to Dean Jack K. Fujii and mail to UHH College of Agriculture, 200 W. Kawili Street, Hilo HI 96720-4091.

The cookbook is a result of the 1999 fall semester Thursday evening "Focus on Agriculture" class that featured restaurant chefs demonstrating preparation of various dishes using locally produced agricultural products.

Also included in the cookbook are recipes contributed by students enrolled in the course.

Ag Day cancelled

The Hawai`i Ag Day Festival that was scheduled to be held Saturday, April 8, at the University of Hawai`i Urban Garden Center in Pearl City has been cancelled.

The annual daylong event benefits the Agricultural Leadership Foundation of Hawai`i, a non-profit organization that provides leadership training for individuals in agricultural and rural communities.

Efforts by the organization and co-sponsors Hawai`i Farm Bureau Federation and UH-CTAHR will focus on Hawai`i Ag Day 2001.

Town meeting

The Waimea Community Association town meeting Thursday, April 6, begins at 5:30 p.m. and will deal with the planned Parker Ranch Center renovation.

"This project will have a HUGE impact on the future of Waimea -- visually, economically, culturally, socially," said Peter Young. "Community input is imperative. Expect discussion on a full range of issues -- from the overall scheme as it fits into the ranch's long-term town center vision, to traffic flow, parking, visual design, landscaping, signage, interface with Kahilu Theatre, Kahilu Town Hall, Waimea Post Office and Waimea School. We are very happy to learn that all Parker Ranch Trustees will be on hand and will participate in the presentation."

Coming up

The annual Merrie Monarch Festival will soon be upon us. The weeklong celebration begins on Easter Sunday. Thursday, April 27, the USS Salvor will arrive in Hilo Harbor. The Hilo Council of the Navy League will join Merrie Monarch personnel and the Royal Court for an official dockside greeting with Tahitian dances Friday, April 28, at 11 a.m.

Anyone wishing to assist the Hilo Council in hosting a sailor, helping with transportation to the parade or community service projects or other activities is encouraged to contact vice president Neal Herbert, 935-1946.

The first ever Hawai`i Island Writers' Conference will be held Friday through Sunday, May 5-7, on the Hawai`i Community College campus. Registration forms will be available in early April. Contact Alice Moon at Borders Books in Hilo for more information.

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Big Island Business News is a series, provided by Cannon & Eger Public Relations, on business in Hawai`i County with an emphasis on agriculture. Readers with announcements or questions are invited to write to K.T. Cannon-Eger, HC 1 Box 5164, Kea`au, HI 96749-9511 or phone (808) 966-8565. E-mail kt.eger@gte.net

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By K. T. Cannon-Eger

Contents this issue: Cisco Systems and Hawai`i high schools and college; gourmet dinner at Canoes in Hilo; Integrated Pest Management for macadamia nuts; Hawai`i Island United Nations Association; Tahiti Fete; Hawai`i Ag Day "Cisco Systems, the networking giant, distributes much of its $1 billion worth of software and services to its worldwide client base via Digital Island's network," wrote Bruce Benson recently in Hawai`i Global-Tech News, a supplement of Island Business Magazine. Digital Island was founded in 1994 by Punahou School graduate Ron Higgins. The distribution of Cisco Systems' software through a Honolulu-founded, Santa Clara-based company with regional data centers in New York, London and Hong Kong isn't the only connection Cisco Systems Inc. has to Hawai`i. Cisco network academies are available at high schools and colleges throughout the state.

"Cisco Systems approached the community college chancellor's office on O`ahu," said Jim Yoshida of Hawai`i Community College. "The program officially started on the Big Island with the fall semester of 1999."

Some of the high school programs on the Big Island started earlier through agreements with Honolulu Community College.

Worldwide, the Cisco program has more than 3,185 academies in all 50 of the United States and the District of Columbia plus 60 other countries. The most recent additions include Angola, Bhutan, Bolivia, Egypt, Fiji, Israel, Nepal and the Republic of Moldova.

What are people saying about the program?

"Especially in this time of crisis in Thailand, educating Thai students in networking and Internet technologies is all the more crucial to the long-term survival of the country," said H.W. Suwit Khunkitti, Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand and Minister of Science, Technology and Environment.

"Cisco's Networking Academy program gives kids a first-class ticket to a high-skilled, high-pay job," said Vice President Al Gore.

On the Big Island, courses are offered at Honoka`a, Hilo, Kealakehe, Konawaena and Pahoa High Schools and at Hawai`i Community College. The first four courses available here are: general introduction to computer networking, fundamental router configuration, intermediate router configuration and advanced router configuration.

The Cisco Networking Academy Curriculum, described on the company's web site, "provides course work for a complete range of basic through advanced networking concepts - from pulling cable, through such complex concepts as subnet masking rules and strategies.

"The format for the classes reflects the content: interactive lessons are stored primarily on the classroom's own Cisco Web server."

Career counselor Bob Williams at Pahoa High School said, "About two years ago Jack Little, our technical advisor and teacher, told me about this golden opportunity. We wrote a School-to-Work grant to get the program going here and put together a PC lab specifically for the program.

"Our first dozen or so students are due to graduate this summer. We suspect at least half of them will get certified. Others have become excited about continuing technical courses at local colleges."

Career pathways offered at Pahoa High School include: arts & communications; business management and technology; human services; health services; industrial, engineering and technology; natural and environmental resources.

Career pathways are further subdivided into clusters. For example, in business management and technology, clusters include technological and clerical support, executive administrative and management, finance marketing and sales.

"The Cisco Systems networking academy program is a natural for both business management and technology and industrial engineering and technology career pathways," Williams said.

Jack Little first learned about the program from friends in the San Francisco Bay area.

"We heard of a meeting being held on O`ahu and just jumped on a plane and went over there because we knew we wanted to do it.

"It's a great opportunity for the kids. One of my students, a senior when we were putting in the network, went off to California and is making more than $120,000 a year now.

For more information on the Pahoa High School programs, contact Jack Little or Bob Williams at 965-2160.

Jim Hunt at Honoka`a High School said, "We got started at the same time as Jack Little at Pahoa. We pulled together a federal grant that enabled purchase of six computers to begin the program at Honoka`a. In the second year group there are nine students and in the first year group there are 12.

"Last year we wired the entire campus. We went through 6,000 feet of Cat V (category five) wire. Those are the lines that go from the hub to the workstations. That's a lot of wire!"

Hunt estimates that students who complete such courses and are certified can probably walk into a job on the mainland that pays $35,000 to $40,000 to start. "It will take a while to get such jobs here."

For more information on Honoka`a High School's program, contact Hunt at 775-8810.

Wil Murakami, principal at Kealakehe High School since it opened in 1997, is enthusiastic about the program.

"This is a great partnership with Cisco Systems. They have the curriculum and students who pass will be eligible for certification as Cisco routers. It's a four-semester course. They learn about hubs and switches, LANs, how to wire infrastructure. They get hands-on experience."

Murakami said the teacher Rik Fujioka anticipates getting graduates out into the community on an intern basis in the spring of 2001.

For more information about Kealakehe High School's program, contact Fujioka or Murakami at 327-4300.

Classes also are offered at Konawaena and Hilo High Schools.

For information on Hawai`i Community College programs, contact Yoshida, jamesyos@hawaii.edu or telephone 974-7338.

Other schools in the Cisco program include high schools and colleges in `Aiea, La`ie, Honolulu, Mililani, Pearl City, Waipahu, Lihu`e, and at Hickam Air Force Base.

For information on Cisco Systems, refer to the company web site http://cisco.com

Gourmet dinner

Canoes Cafe in the S. Hata Building in Hilo is trying something new on Saturday nights. Saturday, Jan. 22, a gourmet five-course prix fix supper will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. The first in a series will feature modern southwestern cuisine.

On the menu are lime cilantro seafood skewer, southwest painted soup, roasted corn and pinto bean salad with fresh island greens, painted desert salmon or chili crusted stuffed pork tenderloin with sweet potato and fresh grilled Puna vegetable relish and Jalapeno cheddar rolls. Spiced crème brulee and spiced Mexican mocha latte round out the evening.

Reservations are a must. Call (808) 935-4070.

Macadamia nuts

An introduction to integrated pest management (IPM) will be offered by the Hawai`i Macadamia Nut Association and UH-CTAHR Wednesday, Jan. 26, from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Komohana Ag Complex in Hilo.

IPM, a method of producing high quality products with a minimum impact on the environment, benefits growers by retaining or increasing yields, while reducing input costs and farmer health and safety risks.

This free workshop will give growers an introduction to the program designed to establish the best management approach for the production of macadamia nuts in Hawai`i.

For more information and reservations, contact the association at (808) 322-0935.

United Nations Association

The Hawai`i Island Chapter of the United Nations Association will hear from Rose Nakamura Friday, January 28, at the Hawai`i Naniloa Hotel sandalwood room at 6 p.m.

Nakamura is administrator for the Dana Project, an interfaith cooperative effort providing support services for frail elderly and disabled persons on a volunteer basis.

Nakamura formerly was director of student personnel at UH-Hilo (1959-1963), and an instructor in physical fitness in the Peace Corps (1962). She chairs the United Nations Day Committee.

For more information and reservations, e-mail hhh@interpac.net or telephone 959-7423.

Tahiti Fete of Hilo

Dance companies and halau from California, Mexico, Kaua`i, Maui, O`ahu and Hawai`i are scheduled to participate in the first annual Tahitian dance competition set for February 18-20 at the Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium in Hilo. Hilo's own Halau o Ka Ua Kani Lehua, kumu hula Johnny Lum Ho, will perform at Tahiti Fete of Hilo.

Drumming workshops with Heikura Nui of Papeete, Tahiti, and entertainment from Brother Love of the Cook Islands round out the full schedule.

For more information, contact Pua Tokumoto, PuaTahiti2@aol.com, telephone (808) 935-3002 or write Pua Tahiti Productions, P.O. Box 10688, Hilo HI 96721.

Hawai`i Ag Day

The annual Hawai`i Ag Day Festival will be held Saturday, April 8, at the University of Hawai`i's Urban Garden Center in Pearl City.

The festival will include exhibitors featuring fresh and manufactured product displays and sampling while top chefs prepare tasty dishes during live demonstrations.

Also scheduled are a country market, petting zoo, pony rides, children's maze, plant sale, garden tours and local entertainment.

Proceeds benefit the Agricultural Leadership Foundation of Hawai`i. For more information, visit the web site www.hawaiiag.org or telephone (808) 532-7483.

Big Island Business News is a series provided by Cannon & Eger Public Relations on business in Hawai`i County with an emphasis on agriculture. Readers with announcements or questions are invited to write to K.T. Cannon-Eger, HC 1 Box 5164, Kea`au, HI 96749-9511 or phone (808) 966-8565. E-mail to business@hawaii-island.com

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By K. T. Cannon-Eger

Successful national and international efforts to balance economic development, lifestyle preservation, and environmental stewardship will be explored at the National Extension Tourism 2000 conference to be held at the Royal Kona Resort April 30 through May 3.

The National Extension Tourism conference is held biannually. This is the first one to be held in Hawai1i. More than 300 extension agents and specialists, tourism researchers and educators, members of the visitor industry, small business owners, community planners and resource managers are expected to attend from out of state in addition to Hawai1i participants.

"Tourism has been Hawai1i's economic mainstay for decades," said organizer Linda Cox. "Collaborative efforts in agricultural, educational, nature- and culture-based tourism are being initiated across the state to complement the traditional visitor industry."

The conference - titled "The Journey is the Destination" - is sponsored by the National Extension Tourism Design Team and is organized by the University of Hawai1i College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources Extension Service, UH Sea Grant Extension Service and the UH-Hilo Conference Center.

For program information, contact Linda Cox, UH-CTAHR, lcox@hawaii.edu or telephone (808) 956-7602.

For registration information, contact Judith Fox-Goldstein, UH-Hilo, foxgolds@hawaii.edu or telephone (808) 974-7555.

The conference website is http://www.soest.hawaii.edu/SEAGRANT/

Farmer research grants

The Western Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program announced that grant applications for the year 2000 are due by Saturday, Jan. 15.

The Farmer Research Grants are up to $5,000 for individual farms to $10,000 for a "hui" or joint venture. Approximately $120,000 is available for a 13 state area for crop production applied research with an additional unspecified amount to be scheduled for agroforestry projects.

These grants have been an excellent source of funding for Hawai1i farmers through the former Low Input Sustainable Agriculture (LISA) program. For applications, check the SARE website http://wsare.usu.edu/2000 to telephone the Hawai1i Island Economic Development Board, (808) 966-5416.

Focus on Ag

The UH-Hilo College of Agriculture spring semester televised course "Focus on Agriculture" begins Thursday, Jan. 13, at 7 p.m.

The class is broadcast live on channel 4 in East Hawai1i, channel 13 in West Hawai1i, channel 55 in central O`ahu, channel 21 in Hawai1i Kai, channel 10 on Kaua`i and channel MCCTV on Maui.

"The purpose of this course is to provide students and the community an opportunity to become acquainted with the many aspects of diversified agriculture in Hawai1i," said dean Jack Fujii, professor of entomology.

"This semester Focus on Agriculture will focus on cooking emphasizing local agricultural products."

In January, scheduled guests are Ricky Bathe, manager of Surt's at Volcano Village (Jan. 13), Annie Carpenter of Vietnamese Restaurant and Lounge in Wailuku Maui (Jan. 20) and Soon Burnham of Aunty Soon's Hot Stuff in Honoka`a (Jan. 27).

For more information, especially if you'd like to register to take this class for credit, contact Fujii jfujii@hawaii.edu or telephone (808) 974-7393.

Hilo Orchid Society

The Hilo Orchid Society annual banquet will be held at the Hawai1i Naniloa Resort Sunday, Jan. 16. Social hour begins at 2 p.m. followed by a buffet at 3 p.m. New officers will be installed for the coming year. For further information, contact banquet chair Leonard Gines (808) 966-4550.

Kona Coffee Council

The Kona Coffee Council annual meeting and election will be held Saturday, Jan. 22, at Teshima's Restaurant. Cost of the luncheon is $10 and reservations are due by Saturday, Jan. 15.

Contact Merle Wood konagrnben@aol.com or telephone (808) 328-948.

Puna shopping center

A proposed "Gateway to Puna Shopping Center" will be discussed by Bob Saunders, president of W.H. Shipman, Ltd., at the Hawai1i Island Chamber of Commerce Economic Development Committee meeting Wednesday, Jan. 19, from noon to 1 p.m. in the Mala Ikena Room at Hilo Hawaiian Hotel.

For more information and to make reservations, contact the Chamber at hicc@interpac.net or telephone (808) 935-7178.

Pesticide training

UH-CTAHR Cooperative Extension Service offers a pesticide applicator training program at the Komohana Agricultural Complex Tuesday through Thursday, Feb. 8 to 10. The deadline to apply for the course is Friday, Jan. 21.

The 16.5-hour short course is designed for people who want to prepare for the Hawai1i Department of Agriculture's certification exam for restricted use pesticides or for those who wish to be better informed about handling pesticides properly.

The registration form is available via the internet at http://pestworld.stjohn.hawaii.edu/studypackets/form.pdf or from the Agricultural Diagnostic Service Center. For more information, contact the instructor Charles Nagamine charlie@hpirs.stjohn.hawaii.edu or telephone (808) 956-6007.

Multicultural Hawai`i

"From Bento to Mixed Plate: Americans of Japanese Ancestry in Multicultural Hawai1i" will open at the Lyman Memorial Museum and Mission House in Hilo Saturday, Jan. 22.

The exhibit debuted at the Bishop Museum in 1997. It comes back to Hawai1i from the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C. where it was on display for seven months.

Following its four-month showing in Hilo, the exhibit moves to Maui and then to the Shuri Prefectural Museum in Naha, Okinawa, where it makes its international debut.

For more information, contact Lyman House at (808) 935-5021.

Vireya seminar

An exotic group of plants known as vireya rhododendrons have come to Hawai1i from moisture-laden slopes of the Malay Archipelago, the Philippines, Borneo, and the highlands of New Guinea.

"Vireyas come in every brilliant color and color combination except purple and blue," said enthusiast Mitch Miller of Volcano, "and breeders are hard at work to remedy nature's oversight.

"Flowers are borne in clusters ("trusses") and range in size from less than an inch to more than three inches. Leaf and plant size also are widely varied. Some vireyas have an uptight habit and are almost small trees while others can be grown in hanging baskets."

Vireyas are easy to propagate from cuttings and seeds. The Hawai1i Chapter of the American Rhododendron Society is busy testing species and hybrids at differing elevations, using varied cultural techniques, growing media, fertilizer, and so forth for its vireya database.

Members of the society participated in the annual Hilo Orchid Show and have volunteered their labor and plants to enhance the Panaewa Rainforest Zoo in South Hilo.

A two-day series of workshops and garden tours is planned for Friday and Saturday, March 17 and 18. Speakers will include E. White Smith of Portland, Oregon, Keith Adams of New Plymouth, New Zealand, and a panel of UH-Hilo professors.

For more information, contact Sherla Bertelmann tropical@interpac.net or telephone (808) 966-9225.

Big Island Business News is a series provided by Cannon & Eger Public Relations on business in Hawai`i County with an emphasis on agriculture. Readers with announcements or questions are invited to write to K.T. Cannon-Eger, HC 1 Box 5164, Kea`au, HI 96749-9511 or phone (808) 966-8565. E-mail to kt@hawaii-island.com

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December 26, 1999
Hawaiian forests examine progress and future from 1992 Akaka law

By K. T. Cannon-Eger

It's easy to take Hawai`i for granted. Soft winds, fragrant flowers, misty cliffs, endless beaches and our surrounding ocean are so powerful and pervasive that they seem inevitable. Have an island and they will be there, or so it seems.

But there remains one element of our natural landscape that we couldn't do without. If it were lost - and it could be - then all the rest that we love would have no meaning. For it is true that without the forests we would have no water, no life worth living on any island, from Pu`uwai, Ni`ihau to South Point, Hawai`i.

When Sen. Daniel K. Akaka wrote and passed his Hawai`i Tropical Forest Recovery Act in 1992 he had this necessity in mind. That and - most believe - much more. That federal law reveals the complexity of our forest lands. It displays the importance forests have for each living being on our lands. Best of all, the law provides ways for individuals, groups and communities to pitch in and take responsibility for the health and productivity of those mighty trees that make Hawai`i home.

Next month the Act will be given a comprehensive check-up. For two days a broad representation of those interested in keeping our forests healthy will gather in Honolulu. First they will review what has been done in the seven years the Act has been law. Then in workshops and study sessions the process will begin to shape schedules for improvement, to set timetables for 'what's next' and set out new ideas for actions that need to be taken but were somehow left out of the original plans.

"So much has happened in Hawai`i since Congress enacted the Hawai`i Tropical Forest Recovery Act," Sen. Akaka said this week. "The Forestry 2010 Conference will be an excellent opportunity to review the accomplishments of the Act and identify what more can be done to promote sustainable forestry."

Tim Johns, chairman of the State's Board of Land and Natural Resources praised the cooperative efforts represented by state and federal agencies through the Hawai`i Forestry and Communities Initiative.

"I'm excited about the progress we've been making and I'm grateful for the help of the congressional delegation to help us move forward," Johns said. "Everything we can do to nurture the growing forestry industry will help our state's economy."

The 1999 legislature created a new mechanism that allows revenue gained from state forest leasing to be put back into repair of forests that have been neglected too long. In the tropics, forests need care. They require protection from alien species whether its banana poka or miconia or wildlife killing tender surface roots and allowing the pests to spread.

Those are powerful elements in the Act which devotes many parts of its nine fundamental concepts to stewardship, taking care of our forests so they can thrive and continue their vital role in capturing and releasing rain on what could otherwise be land as parched as Kaho`olawe.

Hannah Kihalani Springer who wrote the first words in the 1994 Action Plan will have the first words again at the conference Jan. 12-13 at the Radisson Waikiki Prince Kuhio Hotel. She will provide the same spirit of preamble she spoke in 1994 when she recognized the "spirit of interconnectedness" that pervades all Hawai`i.

Patrick McGarey, legislative director for Sen. Akaka's Washington office, provides a keynote, the overview of an act so broad that it has ideas for all who wish to participate in healing the forests on each island.

A special guest, Dr. Lawrence Waukau, president of Menominee Tribal Enterprises, which manages the Menominee tribe's 243,000-acre forest in northern Wisconsin - site of their traditional homelands. Some say the Menominee have been on those lands for more than 10,000 years.

For the past 150 years, the tribe has managed their forest - a $12 million per year, 300-employee business - as a source of sustainable income while maintaining cultural respect for the environment in which they live.

Other speakers represent private and public forestry interests, woodworkers, tax policies, nurseries, the science community and traditional uses of forests. Cost of the two-day conference has been kept as low as possible, $105 - the actual cost of materials, two lunches, and the breaks and reception for networking.

"I see this conference as a watershed event," Sen. Akaka said. "An event for those committed to the health and productivity of Hawai`i's forests.

Extensive information is online at http://hawaii-forest.org or you can phone (808) 587-0166 in Honolulu for general information, or (808) 933-8303 in Hilo for registration.

Aloha -- A hui hou!

(Farewell - Until we meet again!)

In July of 1991, I took over writing responsibilities for this column - which used to be known as "Focus on Agriculture" - from the late Lynn Thomas. Focus was started by the Agriculture Committee of the Hawai`i Island Economic Development Board in 1984.

During the past eight and a half years, the emphasis of the column shifted to cover a broader range of economic activities in Hawai`i County and throughout the state. Distribution was expanded to include all major print media in the state, e-mail and website availability.

Today is the last column in which I have the honor and privilege to serve you. It has been a wonderful experience. I treasure the friendship of those I have met all over, from the ocean to the mountaintop. Please keep in touch by e-mail to kt@hawaii-island.com or telephone (808) 966-8565, as I will continue to write for other venues.

Next week, the Hawai`i Island Economic Development Board begins an expanded communications and public relations program with another public relations company. Future suggestions and comment on "Focus on the Economy" should be directed to the HIEDB office by e-mail to clipper@interpac.net or telephone (808) 966-5416.

May the peace and joy of Christmas be with you all year long. Aloha and mahalo.

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December 19, 1999
Research a key factor in continuing growth of diversified agriculture

By K. T. Cannon-Eger

Research and technical centers providing services to our expanding diversified agriculture sector, as well as to established farmers with traditional crops, are becoming increasingly important to the economy.

Not only are they providing employment and selling their services, they are making possible the success of agricultural enterprises, large and small. This is the story of one research and technical center that's been around since the late 1890s.

The Hawai`i Agriculture Research Center (HARC), formerly known as Hawaiian Sugar Planters' Association, is an internationally recognized research center offering agricultural and environmental services.

HARC Experiment Station laboratories, library and administrative offices are located in the Robert L. Cushing Building in `Aiea. A large field substation is maintained in central O`ahu for diversified agriculture. Field substations exist on the islands of Hawai`i, Kaua`i, Maui and O`ahu. The O`ahu substation with a greenhouse for plant breeding and variety development is on the windward side. The Hawai`i substation specializes in forestry.

The high quality research and technical services offered by HARC impact a great many crops grown in Hawai`i County.

The Hawai`i Coffee Growers Association and the State of Hawai`i support a breeding program to produce uniquely Hawaiian coffees. Dr. Chifumi Nagai collects pollen of coffee varieties from around the state and makes crosses at HARC's Kunia field station.

John Cross of C. Brewer's Hawaiian Pacific Kava Company has utilized HARC's services to analyze kavalactone content in `awa. Six different kavalactones are credited with giving `awa its unique relaxant qualities. HARC's Dr. Mel Jackson recently was elected a director of the newly formed industry association, the Hawaiian `Awa Council.

Forester Nick Dudley has experimental plantings at Pepe`ekeo. Selections are made for yield and quality, cloned and placed in advanced field trials.

Dudley is also involved with extensive research on koa genetics seeking improved seed sources for the many variants in color and figure produced naturally in the popular wood.

Dr. Susan Schenck and Dudley have studied pepeiao (mushrooms) grown under koa trees. Agroforestry might provide cash flow while waiting for the forest to mature for harvest.

Under contract with the Papaya Growers Association with funds matched by the state, HARC produces the new ringspot virus resistant papaya seed developed by the University of Hawai`i.

Research and consulting services available at HARC include plant breeding and selection, crop production, integrated pest management, forestry services, environmental services, energy technology and quality assurance.

In the plant breeding and selection sector, breeding and variety trials, micropropagation, genetic transformation, and disease resistance evaluation are available.

In the crop production area, services include new crop evaluation, crop grow-outs and testing, winter nursery production for a wide range of crops, seed production, soil preparation, planting, nutrition, pest and disease control, weed control, and drip irrigation.

In the integrated pest management sector, services include classical biological control, augmentative control, chemical control, and cultural control.

Forestry services include tree improvement, assessing existing forests, forest management planning, development of silvicultural practices, and pest, disease and weed control.

Environmental services include pesticide residue analysis; plant metabolism studies; field, processing, and laboratory studies for pesticide registration under Good Laboratory Practices (GLP); and environmental assessments.

Energy technology concentrates on biomass energy crop production.

Quality assurance provides inspections and audits to verify compliance with EPA's GLP provision of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act.

Training and workshops are available and can be tailored to meet specific client needs.

Technical and information services include monitoring environmental regulations; literature searches; weather and soil information services for Hawai`i; independent data interpretation; and statistical analysis.

HARC's modern laboratories are equipped with state-of-the-art instrumentation and equipment to meet the needs of agronomists, entomologists, weed scientists, pathologists, physiologists, molecular biologists, horticulturists, plant breeders, sugar technologies, chemists, and environmental scientists.

Among HARC staff are native speakers and others who speak, read, and write many languages such as Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, Spanish and German.

The HARC library is one of the most extraordinary collections in the state. Nearly every crop ever grown in Hawai`i is covered in literature available to staff scientists and outside researchers.

On April 2, 1895, Dr. Walter Maxwell arrived in Honolulu to serve as the first chemist and director of the former HSPA Experiment Station. During the last century, the experiment station grew to become a premier center for agricultural research.

The staff's broad-based agricultural expertise was applied to developing improved sugarcane varieties, determining optimum agricultural inputs, and conducting research to advance the industry.

This research has been instrumental in making Hawai`i's sugar industry world renown for producing high quality sugarcane. The name change in 1996 to Hawai`i Agriculture Research Center reflects the expanding scope of agricultural research to encompass forestry, forage, vegetable crops, tropical fruit, and many other diversified crops.

For further information, contact director Stephanie Whalen by e-mail at swhalen@harc-hspa.com or telephone (808) 487-5561.

Other activities

A continuing series of computer education will focus on "Filing Your Taxes Online" Tuesday, Dec. 28, from noon to 1 p.m. at Bytes and Bites at the corner of Kilauea and Ponahawai.

The free program is offered by the Hawai`i Island Chamber of Commerce. Space is limited. Call HICC to make a reservation for this session in Brown Bags to Cyberspace, 935-7178.

The Hawai`i Island, Portuguese and Japanese Chambers of Commerce will host "Chamber Night with the Vulcans" Thursday, January 6, at the Afook-Chinen Civic. The University of Hawai`i at Hilo Vulcans' basketball team will face Hawai`i Pacific University. A tailgate party starts at 5 p.m.

For more information, contact the Hawai`i Island Chamber of Commerce, 935-7178.

Nominations are being sought for the Hawai`i Island Chamber of Commerce and Hawai`i Motors Athena Award for 1999-2000 Business Woman of the Year. Nominees will be evaluated on excellence, creativity and initiative in their business or profession; service to others in the community; and assistance to women in reaching their full leadership potential.

Previous winners include: 1989, Sharon K. Scheele; 1990, Irene Nagao; 1991, Donna Saiki; 1992, Gerry Rott; 1993, Dorothy Pung; 1994, Lani Kahawaii; 1995, Janice Higashi; 1996, Deanna Bauman Sako; 1997, Margaret Pahio; and 1998, Judith Fox-Goldstein.

For a copy of the form, contact HICC or Hawai`i Motors.

The Hawai`i Island Chamber of Commerce general membership meeting will hear from Tom Driskill, CEO of Hawai`i Health Systems Corporation, on Monday, January 10. Hawai`i Health Systems may be the largest state agency to begin the privatization process. The company has more than 700 employees in East Hawai`i.

The meeting begins at 11:30 a.m. in the Kilohana Room, Hawai`i Naniloa Resort, and there is a charge for luncheon.

For more information and reservations, contact HICC.

The Waimea Community Association holds town meetings the first Thursday of every month from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in Kahilu Town Hall at the Parker Ranch Shopping Center. The next meeting will be Thursday, Jan. 6.

View the Waimea community calendar at http://Kamuela.com

Send the Waimea Community Association e-mail WCA@Kamuela.com

Sunday, Jan. 16, the Hilo Orchid Society will hold its annual installation dinner at the Hawai`i Naniloa Resort starting at 2 p.m.

For more information, contact Alex or Eileen McKyton, 969-6720.

Last minute shopping

Hawaiian Host makes available both its line of chocolates and macadamia nuts as well as fresh papayas.

For chocolates and macadamia nuts, refer to the on-line store at http://chocolate.hawaiianhost.com or call toll free 1-888-529-HOST.

For papaya, e-mail hhpapaya@interpac.net or fax (808) 961-3695 or call toll free (888) 268-3594.

Take it easy this busy week and smile at everyone you meet.

Merry Christmas.

Focus on the Economy is a weekly column on science, technology, business and agriculture provided by the Hawai`i Island Economic Development Board, which receives partial funding from the Hawai`i County Department of Research & Development and GTE Hawaiian Tel. Readers with announcements or questions are invited to write to K.T. Cannon-Eger, HC 1 Box 5164, Kea`au, HI 96749-9511 or phone (808) 966-8565. E-mail to focus@hawaii-island.com

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December 12, 1999
Workshop explores major expansion of Hawaiian herbal marketing

By K. T. Cannon-Eger

A business workshop to organize and significantly increase the market for herbals from Hawai`i, sponsored by the Hawai`i Small Business Development Center Network (SBDCN) and the Rural Economic Transition Assistance Hawai`i (RETAH) program was held recently at the Aston Keauhou Beach Hotel in Kona.

The workshop - directed at processors, manufacturers, marketers, distributors and retailers - attracted more than 70 people from throughout Hawai`i plus attendees from Fiji and California.

"Represented were businesses promoting kava (`awa), noni, medicinal ginger and `olena, aloe vera, neem, kukui nut oil and `inamona, green papaya enzyme, herbal teas, Echinacea, taro, and culinary herbs, all grown in Hawai`i," said Bob Chase of SBDCN.

The Hawai`i Agricultural Statistics Service recently released the annual report of fresh production, farm prices and farm value showing "an estimated production of fresh herb sales at a record high 2.4 million pounds for 1998, up 9 percent from 1997's 2.2 million pounds. The record output, in turn, led to record farm revenues of $4,289,000, up seven percent from 1997."

Sweet basil, also called Italian basil, was the largest crop at 1.2 million pounds, up nine percent from 1997. Asian basil followed with a half a million pounds. Together, Italian and Asian basil represented a total of $2,730,000 farm value. Basil has shown steady growth in production since 1994 when 290,000 pounds of Italian and 230,000 pounds of Asian were produced.

Parsley, cilantro or Chinese parsley totaled $256,000 and $203,000 farm value respectively and with mint, rosemary, thyme, lemon grass, spearmint, dill and other herbs totaled a half a million pounds. The farm value of the other herbs was $1.1 million.

Farm values in the HASS reports are what the farmer receives for the crop. The value of the industry to the state is far in excess of the wholesale value of the crop when employment, seed, fertilizer, and services purchased are considered.

The SBDCN/RETAH workshop dealt with medicinal and culinary herbs grown in Hawai`i.

"This workshop targeted the individuals and businesses that drive the need for production and provide the product to the consumer," Chase said. "However, both the producer and the consumer of the marketing chain were represented on the panels."

Four presenters discussed the herbal industry from different perspectives.

Jerry Konanui of Pahoa, president of the Association for Hawaiian `Awa, discussed the importance of herbals to earlier societies when chemical medicines were not available.

"Mankind's existence has included a constant search for natural products to help improve and safeguard life," Konanui said. "Native cultures like the pre-contact Hawaiian's, were based on the harmonious interdependence of all the elements of nature, including man. Medical arts concerned themselves with maintaining this harmony.

"Through trial and error, (herbal preparations) were tested, improved upon and perfected over many generations and the knowledge was passed down through the generations. It was basic survival that motivated advancements.

"Today with international travel, e-mail and internet service, the world is not as large and isolated as it used to be. When we produce and market abroad, we are not only allowing access of herbals to others that don't have them, but we also are making them available to our families scattered throughout the world."

Contact the Association for Hawaiian `Awa by writing P.O. Box 636, Pepeekeo HI 96783. Contact the Hawaiian `Awa Council by e-mail hawaiiawacouncil@aol.com or telephone Konanui at 965-8394.

Tane Datta, co-owner of Adaptations Inc. of Kona, emphasized the importance of protecting plant resources and the benefits of developing a local market for medicinal herbs.

"Responsibility for any industry means making it work for all people involved and affected by it," Data said. "Each segment of the industry bears responsibility for its area of involvement. The herbal industry is large and affects people from all parts of society. Our approach to herbs as food and medicine influences the culture in which we all live.

"Some person brought a stick of sugar cane to the islands and forever changed the people and the land. I believe the same thing is happening now with the herbal industry potentially being a major part of the new diversified agriculture economy."

Datta spoke of the responsibility of growers and wildcrafters to maintain and increase the strength and health of plant populations, the responsibility to wholesalers to maintain distribution and marketing systems, and the responsibility of buyers to provide a consistent supply of a wide range of herbs in a timely fashion.

"If the herbal industry pays attention to the local market, it will develop a long lasting stable base," Datta said. "In the process of doing that, all the benefits from herbs that people are gaining across the country such as health and enhanced well-being will be available to people in Hawai`i. `Awa and noni are just the beginning of our recognition of how valuable our special climate and plants are. They help show the value of having a diverse and healthy environment and provide an opportunity to develop a diverse and healthy society based at least partially on developing botanical resources and supporting our health practitioners.

"If this industry responsibly and consciously leads this change, it will be as significant as the planting of sugar."

Contact Datta at 328-9044.

Dr. Eileen O'Hora-Weir, coordinator for Hawai`i Organic Farmers Association's certification program, gave a clear outline of what organic certification means and what is required to obtain it.

"Unlike most other agricultural commodity standards, organic certification certifies the production process not the final product," O'Hora-Weir said. "As such, the certification system is based on maintaining a specific level of production integrity. A product that bears a certified organic tag provides the consumer with the information that the product was grown in strict accordance with a clearly defined set of standards."

O'Hora-Weir noted a consumer trend to seek more information on where and how the food they purchase is produced. She also noted rapid growth in demand for certified organic commodities for value-added processed products.

"Development of more processed or value-added products is an area where Hawai`i needs to expand its production. If more of the processing could occur in the state, more of the value-added dollars will remain in our economy."

The gross sales of organic foods have expanded by more than 20 percent each year since 1990, according to O'Hora-Weir. The industry is expected to gross $6.6 billion this year. In 1997 there were approximately 80 certified organic producers who contributed an estimated $7 million to the state's economy. The largest increase in 1998 was in certified acreage for coffee and medicinal herbal products.

Contact O'Hora-Weir by e-mail eileenohora@cs.com, write the certification office at P.O. Box 6863, Hilo HI 96720, telephone 969-9282 or write to HOFA, P.O. Box 984, Ha`iku HI 96708. The HOFA voice mail number is 322-1478 or toll-free inter-island 877-674-4632.

Dr. Linda Cox. University of Hawai`i Cooperative Extension Service economist, discussed the necessity of organizing the herbals industry.

Tip and Penny Davis grow herbs and root crops in Hakalau and have been in the business since 1981. They were among participants at the conference.

"We sell some of our herbs direct at the Farmers Market in Hilo on Wednesdays and Saturdays, some to brokers, some to restaurants, and some we use in value added products," Davis said.

Among the value added products in the Broke the Mouth label line are Magado sauce, Hinges of Hell spicy sauce, and a salad dressing using basil, macadamia nut oil, garlic and Romano cheese.

"We are having some success growing the elephant garlic now, but the hardest problem is we have to harden it off (dry) like onions. This weather is challenging.

"The future for export is in medicinal herbs, as compared with culinary herbs. It seems to have a potential better value per pound. There is a lot of market interest in medicinal herbs.

"The conference brought together people in their infancy in this industry with some people who have more experience. The enthusiasm level very high, and that was the best part. The industry will succeed if that enthusiasm can continue."

Contact Davis through the web site www.brokethemouth.com or telephone 963-6277.

For more information on the commercialization of herbals from Hawai`i, contact Chase at SBDCN in Hilo, 969-1814.

Last minute suggestions

We are approaching the U.S. Postal Service priority mail deadline, which is Saturday, Dec. 18.

If you are still looking for something special to send away, you might want to look in on Sig Zane Designs at 122 Kamehameha Avenue in Hilo. New women's fashions and men's shirts just arrived, as did the softest polo shirts you'll ever find.

Congratulations to the Sig Zane Designs family for more than a decade of quality products and exceptional customer service in Hilo. The store has expanded to Maui with a location at 53 North Market Street in Wailuku. Hours at the Wailuku store are Monday through Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The Mauna Loa Plantation Gift & Craft Center at the entry to Hilo harbor continues to expand their product lines, showcasing the best of the Big Island. Ira Ono, one of Volcano's many artists, will assist the Center with the addition of 20 booths in January. The booths will be available on a daily, seasonal or share basis.

Artists and crafters who are interested should contact Ono at 967-7261 or Center manager Patrick Edie at 933-2625.

Cook's Discoveries in Waimea is another one-stop shop for the best of Hawai`i's jewelers, clothing designers, woodworkers, authors, coffee growers and jam makers to name just a few. You'll find them at Cook's Corners or telephone 885-3633.

Is there a child on your list who is adventurous? How about a gift certificate for donkey riding adventures on Kapapala Ranch! Gift certificates are available for two-hours or longer. Contact Kapapala Trails by e-mail pre@bigisland.net or telephone 968-6585.

How about that certain someone on your list who wants to learn more about computers? You might try a gift certificate from Bytes and Bites at the corner of Kilauea and Ponahawai in Hilo. Contact Dave at bytes1@hotmail.com or telephone 935-3520.

How about giving a gift to the island? You could give a donation to Big Island Friends of Public Radio in your friend's name. Everybody wins with classical music, All Things Considered, Prairie Home Companion and the many other features of public radio.

Sen. Daniel K. Inouye heads up the fundraising effort. More than $35,000 of the necessary $50,000 already is in hand. Contact Ron Wilson by e-mail Ronaldwilson@hibr.com or leave a message on their voice mail 334-3808.

All happiness to you this holiday season and always.

Focus on the Economy is a weekly column on science, technology, business and agriculture provided by the Hawai`i Island Economic Development Board, which receives partial funding from the Hawai`i County Department of Research & Development and GTE Hawaiian Tel. Readers with announcements or questions are invited to write to K.T. Cannon-Eger, HC 1 Box 5164, Kea`au, HI 96749-9511 or phone (808) 966-8565. E-mail to focus@hawaii-island.com

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December 5, 1999
New California shipping rules to impact Hawai`i nurseries

By K. T. Cannon-Eger

Grower sales of Hawai`i's flower and nursery products bring more than $70 million wholesale value to the state's economy each year, according to the Hawai`i Agricultural Statistics Service. More than $13 million, wholesale value, is in potted flowering plants, ornamentals and trees many of which are exported.

According to JoAnn Johnston, executive director of the Hawai`i Export Nursery Association, "Nurseries are about a $30 million dollar a year business in Hawai`i when everything is counted. You have to consider employment, supplies and services purchased."

More stringent inspection requirements in the state of California will have an impact on Hawai`i growers. Nurserymen and exporters of potted plants or potted flowers should attend an informational meeting regarding the new Master Permit Program and nematode control.

The master permit program relates to burrowing nematodes. Speakers will address the free gathering Tuesday, Dec. 7, starting at 6 p.m. in the Komohana Agricultural Complex, 875 Komohana in Hilo.

"The state of California apparently is going to get stricter in its controls," said Kelvin Sewake, county extension agent with UH-College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources. "There are a lot of questions that have come up on what this means to our growers. It impacts everything shipped in growing media."

Joseph Booth of Great Exportations Hawai`i is the incoming president of the Hawai`i Export Nursery Association.

"Actually, California for the past two years has been very, very strict. They've been collecting sample data on plant rejections. We have a lot better record (for acceptable plants) than Florida," Booth said.

"The master permit program is an agreement between California and Hawai`i that the state departments of agriculture worked out together in which they set up a protocol to certify plants as being free of burrowing nematodes. Benches have to be 16 inches off the ground, use sterilized media, and other requirements. The new master permit allows pavement or concrete instead of benches, a great improvement. We may have to steam sterilize cinder and that will be discussed at the meeting.

"I hope we also will have an update of the compliance agreement with California. That is an enhanced quality assurance, quality management protocol. The benefit to nurseries in participating in this voluntary program is once you've established a track record of clean shipments then California will relax its sampling protocol.

Booth said, "The new agreements should have a very positive effect on us."

Speakers on Tuesday's program include Dr. Lyle Wong, Hawai`i Department of Agriculture Plant Industry administrator, with an update on the master permit program and negotiations with California; Dr. Don Schmitt, CTAHR nematologist, with a nematode sanitation program for nurseries; and Dr. Marcel Tsang, UH-Hilo agricultural engineer, with results of research on hot water treatment for nematode control. In addition, Dr. Charles Kinoshita, UH-CTAHR agricultural engineer, will discuss possible media sterilization treatments for nematodes and Dr. Robert Hollingsworth, USDA Agricultural Research Service research biologist, will address USDA-approved treatments for nematodes.

For more information, contact Sewake at 959-9155.

Pests of potted foliage plants and what to do about them are the subjects of several new informational bulletins from Arnold Hara, entomologist and extension specialist with CTAHR. The work was supported by the Hawai`i Department of Agriculture in collaboration with the Hawai`i Association of Nurserymen.

"Pests of Potted Foliage Plants" concentrates on palms and dracaena species. Each pest, from aphid to spider mite, is listed with its common and scientific names, symptoms of damage and four control methods: cultural, chemical, biorational and natural enemies present in Hawai`i. An accompanying list of insecticides and miticides for floriculture crops is sorted by trade name, common name and chemical class. Another listing of insecticides and miticides includes information on registered crops and sties, target pests and comments.

Coffee root mealybug (Geococcus coffeae Green) and Rhizoecus root mealybug (Rhizoecus hibisci) are covered in detail in two insect briefs. Coffee root mealybug was first recorded in Hawai`i in the early 1900s. Rhizoecus root mealybug was introduced much more recently, spreading to major potted foliage production areas since 1990. Symptoms for both mealybugs include slow plant growth, lack of vigor and subsequent death. There are no known natural predators of either mealybug here in Hawai`i.

"Because the root mealybug is very difficult to detect and control, every effort should be made to prevent its spread and establishment," said Hara.

He offered seven recommendations:

1) Inspect roots of newly purchased plants by removing the pots.

2) Inspect roots of suspected plants, especially slow-growing plants such as potted palms.

3) Avoid pot-bound plants by re-potting when necessary.

4) Use a barrier between soil and pots. Raised benches or plastic film prevent infestation from the soil beneath.

5) Do not allow water from infested areas to drain into clean areas.

6) Remove or treat alternate hosts in ground outside of greenhouse.

7) Use clean pots and soil; if infested, wash pots with soap and water. Clean greenhouse of plant debris.

Hara has been working in pest management here for 17 years. With Dr. Brent Sipes and Dr. Marcel Tsang he developed a hot water dip for cut flowers and foliage. They are working on a hot water drench for potted plants and planting media, which Tseng will discuss at the Tuesday program featured above. Test results discussed by Hara at the HENA horticultural conference in late September indicate drenching potted plants or planting media with water at 120 degrees for 15 minutes kills burrowing nematode, and 12 minutes for mealybug.

For more information or copies of entomology informational bulletins, contact Hara by e-mail arnold@hawaii.edu or telephone 974-4105.

The CTAHR website, recently redesigned and expanded, is www2.ctahr.hawaii.edu/

Correction

My fumble fingers threw in an extra "h" last week. The correct web site for the University of Hawai`i at Hilo Computer Science Department is http://cs.uhh.hawaii.edu/

Buy local on-line

For the procrastinators out there, Christmas is 20 days away. The U.S. Postal Service recommended deadline for mailing packages by priority mail is Saturday, Dec. 18.

If you want to send some goodies from Hawai`i to friends and family on the mainland or in foreign countries and have access to a computer, several local companies and organizations maintain web sites. Many also offer toll-free telephone numbers for those on the mainland homesick for a touch of Hawai`i.

"Hale Kuai Cooperative is an economic development initiative of Ka Lahui Hawai`i," according to cooperative executive director Rebecca Luke. "Our intent is to contribute a portion of net earnings to Ka Lahui Hawai`i, the Hawaiian nation."

Hale Kuai has a store location at 54-040 Kamehameha Highway in Hau`ula on O`ahu open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. through 6 p.m. A second location recently was opened at Kokua Market, 2643 South King Street in Mo`ili`ili on O`ahu. Hale Kuai is at Kokua Market the first and third Saturdays of each month from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., which leaves Saturday, December 18, as the last shopping day there before Christmas.

The web site and store offer a wide range of goods most of which are made in Hawai`i by native Hawaiians. The list includes apparel, jewelry, books, herbs, tea, body and bath products, stationery, gourds, musical implements, ornaments and fresh lei among others. Go to the web site www.halekuai.com or telephone the Hau`ula store (808) 293-4477 for more information.

Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Corporation has a most enjoyable web site filled with all kinds of information, maps and recipes. Directions are included to the Mauna Loa Plantation Craft & Gift Center at Hilo Harbor. The toll-free telephone for Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut is 1-800-832-9993.

Go to www.maunaloa.com or telephone the center at 933-2625 for more information.

A Hawai`i retailer since the 1960s, Hilo Hattie recently expanded to the mainland and to the internet. This year's Governor's Exporter of the Year, Hilo Hattie can be found at www.hilohattie.com or in Kona and Hilo.

For outstanding tropical flower and foliage assortments, gift baskets and lei, http://hawaii-island.com lists Alika's Tropical Flower Farms. Contact Alika or Gino toll-free at 1-800-32FARMS.

Happy shopping, happy holidays and be safe out there.

Focus on the Economy is a weekly column on science, technology, business and agriculture provided by the Hawai`i Island Economic Development Board, which receives partial funding from the Hawai`i County Department of Research & Development and GTE Hawaiian Tel. Readers with announcements or questions are invited to write to K.T. Cannon-Eger, HC 1 Box 5164, Kea`au, HI 96749-9511 or phone (808) 966-8565. E-mail to focus@hawaii-island.com

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November 28, 1999
Training available here for a million high tech jobs

By K. T. Cannon-Eger

Nationwide in the next five years, more than a million new information technology jobs will need trained workers. UH-Hilo degree programs and the Hawai`i Community College workforce training programs are set to do their part.

Information technology workers include computer scientists, computer engineers, systems analysts and computer programmers. Recent UH-Hilo computer science graduates are working for IBM, Andersen Consulting, Motorola, GTE, Maui High Performance Computing Center, Lawrence Livermore Labs, Verifone, and KTA Super Stores.

"All of our students get hired right out of school," said Chancellor Rose Tseng. Several UH-Hilo computer science graduates have gone on to graduate school at the University of Wisconsin, Baylor, University of Southern California and UH-Manoa.

"The UH-Hilo computer science degree is offered statewide through a distance education program primarily implemented through Maui Community College," said Dr. Judith Gersting. "In addition to the new IT jobs, there is an expected increase of 118 percent in demand for database administrators, computer support specialists and computer scientists."

The computer science major at UH-Hilo requires 124 semester credit hours for graduation. Very few electives show up on the list, which concentrates heavily on physics, calculus, data structure, file management, operating systems, linear algebra, computer architecture, probability and software engineering. One requirement in the freshman year is speech to assist students in communication skills.

A two-year information technology program began at Hawai`i Community College in the fall this year, according to Sandra Sakaguchi.

"The program prepares people to function in an entry-level position in computer support, networking administration or systems development," Sakaguchi said. "The electronics program was revised to focus less on consumer electronics, such as television repair. Instead it prepares people with broader-based knowledge to enable them to repair electronic equipment ranging from general business equipment to more specialized equipment, for example that found in hospitals."

Hawai`i Community College is a CISCO regional training center with a 2+2 curriculum from high school to community college leading to certification as a network technician.

"An Associate in Technical Studies degree enables the College to customize training to target emerging career areas that cross traditional boundaries, such as combining courses from electronics, electricity and computer science."

The Community College has offered computer skills classes in Pahoa, Hilo, Laupahoehoe, Honoka`a and Kailua-Kona. Training also has been offered for in-service training at Kohala hotels.

In the past three years, Hawai`i Community College has offered 265 non-credit computer skills classes enrolling 2,340 people.

UH-Hilo has 120 students majoring in computer science. The department services not only those majoring in computer science but also other students wishing to acquire computer skills. More than 1,400 credit hours were offered this semester in all computer science courses.

Matt Mountain, director of the Gemini Observatory, said, "We require a high level of previous experience in everyone from secretaries to administrative assistants. They have to be computer literate, able to handle e-mail and video conferencing, handle word processing and spread sheets."

"The University is very willing to add programs," said Chancellor Tseng. "UH-Hilo is determined to reduce the brain drain situation. We are keenly aware that the world is shrinking through telecommunications and the internet. UH-Hilo can be a focal point for uniting the world through education, culture and technology."

Harvey Enga of Penncro Associates Call Center, said employee qualifications include the ability to use a computer keyboard and mouse.

"We are hiring full time employees," Enga said. "We also are looking for people willing to learn and able to talk easily."

Penncro handles inbound and outbound calls. They currently have 107 work stations in 6,000 square feet of space on the second floor at the Ben Franklin Crafts building with the option to expand to 18,000 square feet.

Eight T1 lines plus one spare provide the ability to link with two other call centers in Pennsylvania. They purchased more than 100 computers from a Hilo business. "We've got service one-half mile down the road," Enga said.

"Hilo gives us disaster recovery capability. We are able to handle Pennsylvania call center business when the weather shuts them down. One of the attractions to our company in choosing Hilo is the computer science program at UH-Hilo."

For more information, visit the UH-Hilo web site at http://cs.huhh.hawaii.edu or telephone the computer science department at 974-7450.

Christmas parades

Pahoa's annual Christmas parade and ninth annual Ho`olaulea will be held Saturday, Dec. 4, starting at 9:30 a.m.

The Ho`olaulea is a fundraiser for the Pahoa complex of schools and is open to community vendors whose merchandise is compatible with the schools'. For more information on the parade or the Ho`olaulea, contact Bob Williams or Michelle Hendricks at 965-2160.

Saturday, December 4, the 39th annual Waimea Christmas parade will begin at 5:30 p.m. from the Keck Observatory lawn to the Parker Ranch Shopping Center.

"This is Waimea's last parade of the century, so we're urging Waimea churches, clubs, organizations, families and businesses to celebrate their roots," said organizer Lani Olsen.

There is no charge to participate in the parade, but everyone - parade participants and spectators - is asked to bring canned food items or other non-perishables to one of the three reviewing stands as a donation to the Salvation Army for Big Island families in need.

For more information, contact the Waimea Community Association, 885-4200.

Parker School's 16th annual Gingerbread House Bazaar will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Parker Ranch turns on the lights on its giant Norfolk Island pine tree at twilight Saturday.

The Salvation Army Thrift Store in Waimea starts its Christmas sale from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.

The Parker Ranch Shopping Center craft fair will be held Saturday before and after the Waimea parade.

Waimea Country School's third annual Santa's Workshop will be held at Waimea all day Saturday.

Hawaiian Christmas Nutcracker will be held Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 4 and 5, at Kahilu Theatre. Times are 8 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. Kumu hula Michael Pili Pang's Hula Halau Ka No`eau and several Waimea and Kohala halau and dance groups will perform, including the women from Kamuela Hongwanji.

Punana Leo O Waimea Ho`oaulea Kalikimaka will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday at Kuhio Hale. Activities include live entertainment, crafts, games, door prizes, Christmas wreath contest, vegetable and plant sales, a Hawaiian cultural center, miniature horse cart rides, face painting and a visit from Santa Claus.

It's time to visit downtown Hilo and see the Christmas windows, especially the traditional extravaganza at Koehnen's Interiors.

Saturday, Dec. 4, Carolyn Han will sign her new children's book Kalapana at Basically Books at 2 p.m.

Ergonomics project

The University of Hawai`i School of Public Health has developed an ergonomics awareness training program for small businesses in Hawai`i.

In today's Hawai`i workforce, there has been an increase in injuries and illnesses due to disorders associated with cumulative trauma disorders, such as repetitive motion, and overexertion resulting in lost workdays. Also. Workers compensation costs are approximately twice the amount of medical costs because workers compensation costs include payment for lost workdays and compensation for disabilities.

The UH School of Public Health hopes to collaborate with small agricultural and horticultural businesses and wish to pilot test the training protocol with local companies and their employees.

They offer your company up to one hour of free training at your worksite and at your convenience. They wish to emphasize that their role would be to train, not enforce. The program can help your employees by facilitating the changing or modifying of work practices in order to decrease injury and strain.

During the one-hour group session, they will discuss examples of the 12 principles of ergonomics. All discussions will be kept strictly confidential.

If you are interested in participating, in Hilo please contact Dwight Sato dwights@hawaii.edu or telephone 959-9155. On O`ahu, contact Randy Hamasaki rth@hawaii.edu or telephone (808) 247-0421. On Moloka`i, contact Alton Arakaki ARAKAKIA@AVAX.CTAHR.HAWAII.EDU or telephone (808) 567-6833. On Maui, contact Robin Shimabuku shimabukur@AVAX.CTAHR.HAWAII.EDU or telephone (808) 244-3242.

Please provide your name, business name, address and phone number, and indicate your first and second choices of the day of the week and time of day when it would be convenient for project personnel to come to your place of business.

Sea Grant specialist

James P. Szyper, former visiting associate professor or marine science at the University of Hawai`i at Hilo, is Sea Grant's new aquaculture specialist for East Hawai`i.

"Szyper will provide farmers with the latest information on aquaculture technologies, design, and will conduct educational workshops and courses, and coordinate the development and operation of aquaculture demonstration and teaching facilities at UH-Hilo," said the November issue of Makai, UH-Sea Grant College program's newsletter. "He also will identify new areas for expansion of the aquaculture industry in Hawai`i and the Pacific."

Szyper may be best known for his book, Backyard Aquaculture in Hawai`i: A Practical Manual, published in 1989.

Focus on the Economy is a weekly column on science, technology, business and agriculture provided by the Hawai`i Island Economic Development Board, which receives partial funding from the Hawai`i County Department of Research & Development and GTE Hawaiian Tel. Readers with announcements or questions are invited to write to K.T. Cannon-Eger, HC 1 Box 5164, Kea`au, HI 96749-9511 or phone (808) 966-8565. E-mail to focus@hawaii-island.com

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November 21, 1999
Christmas gifts take center stage with a strong 'Buy Hawai`i' theme

By K. T. Cannon-Eger

Christmas trees have started to arrive -- more than 115,000 by the time the last Matson shipment reaches Hawai`i on Dec. 5. The scent of pine and fir is one more reminder that it's time to get a move on and get those holiday presents for far-flung family and friends in the mail.

A lot of attention is being paid to "Buy Hawai`i" efforts this year including the cover story on Aloha Airlines in-flight magazine. The emphasis is on gifts for Christmas that can both bring delight to the receiver and help our sluggish economy.

I don't know how it is in your family this year, but our far-away friends and family seem particularly hungry for Hawaiian grown and processed products. This is especially true for our son, a captain in the Army whose first request for a care package after he enlisted back in 1985 was, "Can you send me some poi and kalua pig?" His most recent request was for more Aunty Soon's Hot Sauce.

Lucky for all of us, food items are easy requests to fill here.

Poi English muffins with coconut butter from Cook's Discoveries in Waimea would bring Hawaiian sunshine to any snowbound pals.

"The butter is made by a nurse who works at Kaiser in Hilo," Patti Cook said. "She reduced her working hours to spend more time with her family."

Diane Kanealii of Liko Lehua said, "The whole family is working with me now. The fruit butters are made with real fruit and real butter. For the guava, we pick all our own. The lemon comes from my mom's Meyer lemon tree in Volcano. The lilikoi, mango, coconut and pineapple are all locally grown."

Several suggested uses include using the butters to top pancakes, waffles or ice cream. Once opened, the jars do need to be refrigerated.

"I've been working at these recipes for 15 years. March two years ago we made it a business and use a certified kitchen."

Kanealii may be reached by e-mail kanealii@ilhawaii.net or telephone 959-9434. Other food items at Cook's Discoveries include an outstanding papaya ginger jam, spicy mango bar-b-que sauce, Maui onion mustard and estate coffees from Fike Farms and Yamasawa Farms in Kona.

Stop in to their new location at Cook's Corner, e-mail Cookshi@aol.com or telephone 885-3633.

Waimea Coffee at Parker Square carries several estate coffees and macadamia nuts. The Sweet Lava Marinade from Sunshine Kitchen and Pele's Fire Macadamia Nut Oil infused with chili from Oils of Aloha will interest cooks who like that hint of hot. Contact Waimea Coffee at 885-4472.

Made on the Big Island Products in the King Kamehameha Kona Beach Hotel is another place for one-stop shopping for all kinds of treats.

Hula Girl Shortbread Cookies, organic honey from Honoka`a, wines from Volcano Winery, MacFarms of Hawai`i macadamia nut oil, Mauna Loa roasted or candy covered nuts, Mac Pies by Sheila Everitt and a huge assortment of Kona coffee are only a few of the many items in the food section of the former Liberty House location.

"Grocery items are our best sellers volume-wise," said manager Roy Galigo. "We ship and we're always looking for new and unusual products."

Contact him at 326-4949.

There's a section in the Suisan market on the Hilo Bay for Hawai`i-made products.

"We went to the Hamakua incubator kitchen," said foodservice sales manager Darrin Amador.

Steve Keawe, retail manager of the market, located in the same building where the fish auction is held, said, "Mama Alice Cookies, Waipio poi, Big Island Delights, Mauna Loa macadamia nut products, Amano fish cake, Keoki's lau lau, kim chee and local produce are among our many products plus of course fresh fish."

The new Mauna Loa Plantation Craft & Gift Center at the entry to Hilo Harbor offers a variety of macadamia nut products plus jams, jellies, cookies, Hawaiian salt, and sauces among other items. All of the products are made on the Big Island or by someone from the Big Island.

Jean Hull's salad dressings, 100 percent Ka`u coffee, Punalu`u baked goods, hot pepper jelly, Atebara chips, and Kanealii's fruit butters are among other items. Three new flavors of macadamia nuts will be on the shelves this week: cinnamon, Cajun and smoked.

Contact store manager Patrick Edie at 933-2625.

As for getting packages in the mail, the Postal Service recommends you allow six weeks for surface-class parcels from Hawai`i to the continental United States and we are already past that deadline.

Priority packages to the mainland should be mailed before Saturday, Dec. 18, and the deadline for express packages is Tuesday, Dec. 21.

Inter-island letters and cards should be mailed by Friday, Dec. 17, to assure delivery before Christmas. The inter-island package deadlines are: surface packages Thursday, Dec. 2, priority Monday, Dec. 20, and express Tuesday, Dec. 21.

Two other opportunities Thanksgiving weekend offer opportunities to find something special.

The 24th annual Hilo Christmas Fair will be expanded to two days at the Edith Kanaka`ole Stadium. Hours are Friday, Nov. 26, 3 to 8 p.m. and Saturday, Nov. 27, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

More than 100 crafters, artists and nurseries will participate.

An art tour and sale takes place in Volcano Village Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visit nine artists in three studios, an easy walk, but remember your sweater.

Featured are fiber artist Pam Barton, jeweler and ceramicist Zeke Israel, craftsman Ira Ono, photographer Mary Walsh, clothing designer Cynee Wenner, potter Ron Hanatani, sculptor Randy Takaki, painter and sculptor Hans Ladislaus and fabric artist Dina Kageler.

Christmas parades

Pahoa's annual Christmas parade and ninth annual Ho`olaulea will be held Saturday, Dec. 4, starting at 9:30 a.m.

The Ho`olaulea is a fundraiser for the Pahoa complex of schools and is open to community vendors whose merchandise is compatible with the schools'. For more information on the parade or the Ho`olaulea, contact Bob Williams or Michelle Hendricks at 965-2160.

Saturday, December 4, the 39th annual Waimea Christmas parade will be held by starlight. For more information, contact the Waimea Community Association, 885-4200.

Hawai`i historical display

>From Bento to Mixed Plate: Americans of Japanese Ancestry in Multicultural Hawai`i continues at the Smithsonian's Arts and Industries Building in Washington DC through November 30.

After it closes, Bento will return to Hawai`i for showings at the Lyman House Memorial Museum and Mission House in Hilo and the Maui Arts and Cultural Center in Wailuku. The Lyman House exhibit, partnered with the Japanese American National Museum, will open on January 22.

Bento traces the evolution of Japanese Americans in Hawai`i, from the arrival of the first immigrants in 1868 to the present generation, shaped by life in multicultural Hawai`i. The exhibit was developed by the Japanese American National Museum and debuted at Bishop Museum in 1997. It features more than 200 photographs and 200 artifacts, collected mainly from Hawai`i residents.

"Bento also celebrates Hawai`i's special multiethnic and multicultural mix. It's a story of sharing and of adopting and adapting," said Big Island Advisory Council co-chair Barry Taniguchi, president of KTA Super Stores. "It's a story filled with aloha."

The Big Island Advisory Council includes co-chair Elaine Sugai and members Larry Isemoto, Albert Nishimura, Roberta Chu, Yash Y. Deguchi, Frank Fuchino, Alice K. Fujimoto, Midori Fujimoto, Ron Furukawa, Douglas Higa, Janice Higashi, Harris T. Hirata, Irma K. Ikawa, Patsy Nakayama Iwasaki, Edwin Kaneko, Karl K. Kawahara, Hideo "Lefty" Kuniyoshi, Alan Kusunoki, Clyde T. Nakasue, Dan I. Sakai, Herbert Segawa, Laura K. Shiro-Suehr, Gladys Sonomura, Margaret Torigoe, Lynne Wolforth, and Iwao Yonemitsu.

"This is the kind of exhibit you'll want your entire family and all your friends and neighbors to experience," said museum director Paul Dahlquist.

History book published

A Concise History of the Hawaiian Islands by Dr. Phil Barnes covers major events and personalities in Hawaiian history from the first human landfall through the sovereignty movement of the late 1990s.

"This book is the beginning of a wonderful, intriguing journey into the past," said Sen. Daniel K. Inouye. "Hawai`i is unlike any other state in the union. Those who seek to understand it will find its story of hope, hardship and happiness transcends age and race."

A Concise History was published by Petroglyph Press in Hilo. For more information, contact Christine Reed at Basically Books, 961-0144.

Health food exports

The health food industry in China is growing, according to the Kona-Kohala Chamber of Commerce export center, even though the market is somewhat unpredictable and existing regulations are quite ambiguous.

A report on current market trends, improving regulatory measures, market profile, domestic product, import product, competition and distribution is available by requesting it by e-mail to tradeinvest@dbedt.hawaii.gov.

Pacific Business News carried a story on Friday, Nov. 19, of a Chinese-language magazine outlining investment, trade and tourism opportunities in Hawai`i.

Andrew Beach wrote: "The magazine - Islands of Aloha - is a publication of the Hawai`i Visitors and Convention Bureau and is published by a Honolulu company Network Media. "It combines information on tourism opportunities with sections on other industry sectors, along with education and health care."

The 58-page publication will be mailed to 10,000 business members of China's semiofficial international trade promotion council this week.

For other business news, check out PBN's site http://www.amcity.com/pacific.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Focus on the Economy is a weekly column on science, technology, business and agriculture provided by the Hawai`i Island Economic Development Board, which receives partial funding from the Hawai`i County Department of Research & Development and GTE Hawaiian Tel. Readers with announcements or questions are invited to write to K.T. Cannon-Eger, HC 1 Box 5164, Kea`au, HI 96749-9511 or phone (808) 966-8565. E-mail to focus@hawaii-island.com

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