Let’s start the year off with a bang!  We look forward to having our first market on Saturday, January 16th.  The specific location is yet to be announced.  We have not obtained proper permission to use the Waimanalo School grounds again but hopefully there will be no problem continuing to use that space.  We will let you know as soon as permission is granted.

We continue to advocate for the use of the land in front of the Bellow’s AFB gate.  In my last conversation with Captain Pelzl he seemed to think that obtaining our non-profit status would help a great deal in having our request granted.

As a priority and a goal this year - we need to secure a permanent place for our market.  We would appreciate any help in attaining our goal as we work toward furthering our commitment to buying local, living healthy and giving back to our community.

On January 21st we will hold our first annual membership meeting.  At the meeting we will be ratifying the amended Articles of Incorporation so that, hopefully, we will be considered a non-profit cooperative.  As we are mission driven, it seems logical that we should be a non-profit.  We also will be electing a Board of Directors to guide our co-op forward.  If you would like to become a member of the co-op please send an email to kehau@waimanalomarket.com

We look forward to seeing you at the market.  Please consider putting your orders in early so that you can be assured your order will be filled.

Mahalo Nui Loa for your continued support!

Who:  UH Manoa College of of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR)

What: Will host it’s 20th Waimanalo Research Station Field Day

When: Saturday, September 26, 2009 9a.m. to noon

Where: Waimanalo Research Station, 41-698 Ahiki Street

Visitors will have the opportunity to see:

• corn field trials
• Kapi’olani Community college’s Culinary Program
• organic pepper and eggplant field trials
• biotechnology outreach program.
• taro varieties collection (over 90 varieties).
• plumeria tree collection.
• cacao project.
• biofuel project.
• USDA erosion control project.

The public is encouraged to bring water and wear appropriate footwear, sunsreen, comfortable losse fitting clothing and hats for sun protection.

The Waimanalo Research Station Field Day has grown from the popular Waimanalo Corn Field Day, which was founded by Dr. James Brewbker.  he originally created the event to showcase new corn hybrids that were bred to combat maize mosaic virus.   Brewbaker also co-founded Hawai’i’s seed corn industry in 1966.

The 128-acre Waimanalo Research Station is one of 22 active research field facilities statewide managed by CTAHR.  In addtion to corn, many other vegetables such as tomato, and eggplant varieties have been bred at the station.  Seeds from CTAHR’s vegetable breeding research are available through the college’s Seed Lab.

Waimanalo was fortunate to have a few students from the Univerity of Hawaii School of Architecture design a community complex that would bring Waimanalo residents together within walking distance. The map they created details a green, inviting, self-sustaining, convenient, multipurpose development that would service and support our community. The students surveyed all ages of the community to find out what our needs, strengths, and wants were and came up with a synergistic analysis to create a Koolaupoko Sustainability Plan. It includes a green-belt by taking back the streams and creating open areas to enjoy, recreation areas, a connection to the Waimanalo District Park on Hihimanu St, a botanical garden/heritage-education area, buildings that blend in with the environment for small businesses, a space for the Waimanalo Market, possibly a Kupuna Center/Housing, extra wide streets for bikes and pedestrians, and possibly a small, outside amphitheater to showcase local talent. There are many possibilities , and the community would have to decide what types of businesses, arts and educational components would be involved, but isn’t it a great vision? The good thing is, if and when the Bellows land is returned to the community, this would be a positive plan we can build on to utilize this key area in a way that the whole community would benefit-not just a select few. Let’s keep envisioning a beautiful, prosperous, culturally valued, sustainably healthy, more livable environment.

Click Here to view the map