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Slow Food O'ahu News
Number 2012-2
Mailed January 17, 2012

Table of Contents
Slow Food O'ahu Annual Meeting - Re-Cap
Gnocchi Making Class- February 5 (Slow Food O'ahu event)
Monsanto in Hawai'i- Panel Discussion - January 18
The Rain Follows the Forest: TV Special - January 19, 22, 25, and 28
Ingredients Hawai'i Part One: Movie World Premiere - February 4
Volunteers Need for Hawai'i Chocolate Festival - February 25
Announcement: U.H. Food Innovation Center Funds Released
Slow Food O'ahu Annual Meeting Re-Cap

Our Slow Food O'ahu Annual Meeting on January 15 was a delightful opportunity to share time and food among like-minded friends.  Approximately 30 people gathered at The Waldorf School in Aina Haina (on the water, no less) to discuss our accomplishments from 2011, toss out ideas for 2012, and - of course - eat well and local.

Board members re-capped some highlights from 2011.  Our 25+ hosted events included farm tours, farm work days, cooking events, restaurant dinners, movie screenings, lectures, and in-home food sharing with Slow Suppers at Home.  We had a successful year with our beef sales from Moloka'i, selling cow #13 in December, as we continue our efforts to bring sustainable beef to our members. We partnered with Cinema Italiano by sponsoring several Slow Food International movies in September.  This year we expanded our merchandise to include new t-shirts, cards, and bumper stickers, all of which have sold very well at several locations on O'ahu.  From what we hear, our t-shirts are a big hit with tourists from Japan, so don't be surprised to see an 'ono and pono shirt if you visit Japan.  In cooperation with town Restaurant, we developed and sponsored two series of educational ads in The Honolulu Weekly supporting good, clean, and fair food.   Our membership continues to be stable at 160 members, though we would like to increase our numbers in this coming year.  We sent out 18 issues of this e-mail newsletter to approximately 520 recipients, including our 160 members, and started our Facebook page.  Our activities, events, and merchandise are priced to pay net cost with a slim margin to help us raise money to support delegates to attend Terra Madre in Italy.

For 2012, we hope to offer a similar array of activities and events - with many great suggestions from those in attendance.  We intend to sponsor more educational and advocacy-oriented activities, including being part of The Capitol Watch of the Hawai'i Chapter of the Sierra Club to provide testimony at the Legislature on food related issues (support for farmers, use of local food in the school system, fees on sugar-sweetened beverages, etc.).  We hope to develop relationships with appropriate local establishments to offer discounts to our members on food or merchandise.  2012 is a Terra Madre year and we will again support individuals financially to go to Terra Madre in October.  And, look to an improved website in a few months.

That's a wrap-up of the business part of the Annual Meeting.  We won't re-cap the eating part, except to tell you that you missed the best food on the island if you were not there.

We are proud of our efforts, especially as an all-volunteer organization.  We still want to do more and need more people and ideas to get involved, especially in the advocacy arena or by attending community events and staffing an informational booth. We collected cards with ideas from those present - but if you have an idea and were not there, please don't hesitate to e-mail us at [email protected].

We are looking forward to 2012.  Good, clean, fair, and all volunteer!

Your Executive Committee
Gnocchi - Making Class: A MEMBERS-ONLY EVENT
Sunday, February 5, 2012  10 a.m. - Noon

Dirce Carmi, our favorite Slow Food member from Torino, Italy is back in town and has generously offered to teach another class on gnocchi making to Slow Food O'ahu members!   Dirce will teach the traditional method of making gnocchi with potato, eggs and flour. When we're pau with the hands on lesson (limited to 6 people) we will cook up the gnocchi and have lunch together. The lunch will include gnocchi with sauce(s), a salad of local ingredients, and bread. In case you aren't aware, Dirce taught the staff at town Restaurant in Kaimuki the fine points of making and serving gnocchi.

To register for this event, please RSVP to Michelle at [email protected]  by January 31.  Please include in your RSVP your name and phone or email.  THIS CLASS IS LIMITED TO 6 PEOPLE AND YOU MUST BE A MEMBER TO ATTEND. The cost of the class will be $30, including the lesson and lunch, and will be held in a private home in the Waikiki area.  Please note:  Due to the nature of this event and the necessity of purchasing ingredients beforehand, if cancellations are required after the RSVP date and we are unable to fill your spot, you will be held responsible for payment.  Payment information and directions will be sent to you following your RSVP with the address. Final details will be sent to all confirmed guests a few days prior to the event.
Monsanto in Hawai'i  - Panel Discussion
Wednesday, January 18, 2012,  7:00 - 9:00pm
Hawaiian Studies Halau o Haumea, UH-Manoa, 2645 Dole Street, Honolulu
     
You are invited to attend a panel discussion that directly affects the quality of our food system in Hawai'i - a discussion of the role of Monsanto in Hawai'i.   The panel will feature Kamuela Enos of MA'O Organic Farms, Trisha Kehaulani Watson of Honua Consulting, and long-time Moloka'i activist, Walter Ritte. Professor Jon Osorio will moderate.

Attendees are encouraged to read the cover story in a recent issue of Honolulu Weekly on GMO Seed in Hawai'i at http://honoluluweekly.com/cover/2012/01/boss-gmo/
 
Television Special -- "The Rain Follows the Forest"
January 19, 22, 26, and 28 see times below 

DLNR has produced a half-hour television special, "The Rain Follows the Forest," with Jason Scott Lee setting out on a journey to learn about sustainable life in our island home.  Through interesting conversations, he learns about Hawai'i's fragile fresh water supply and shares ways in which we all can contribute to protecting our watersheds. Why is this important to food?  Because food sustainability is not possible without a protected and well-managed water supply. 

Air dates in January are as follows:
KGMB Thursday 1/19/2012 6:30-7pm
KGMB Sunday 1/22/2012 at 4:30-5pm
KHNL Thursday 1/26/2012 at 6:30-7pm
KHNL Saturday 1/28/2012 at 6:00 - 6:30pm

For additional information, you may find "The Rain Follows the Forest: A Plan to Replenish Hawai'i's Source of Water" which was released by Governor Abercrombie in November 2011 on the DLNR website at www.hawaii.gov/dlnr .
"Ingredients Hawaii Part One" - Movie World Premiere 
February 4, 2012 
Mamiya Theater on the St. Louis High School campus

5:30/7:00 VIP showing; 9:00 second showing
 
Grab this rare opportunity to meet people instrumental in creating Oahu's new local food community, and see the world premiere of the highly anticipated follow up to the acclaimed documentary, "Ingredients". The film by Bob Bates features Ed Kenney, the interns of Ma'o Farms, Mark Noguchi, Jay Maddock, the Ahupua'a of Ko'olaupoko, Sweet Home Waimanalo & Farm Roof, Waikiki School, Aloha Harvest & Foodscapes Hawaii.

"Ingredients Hawaii Part One" illustrates O'ahu's emerging local food community as an alternative to imported and processed foods. The film illustrates the ways we are reclaiming our agriculture and local food traditions in light of an uncertain food future.

The event is sponsored by Whole Foods, the Hawaii State Department of Agriculture, Kamehameha Schools, and the Hawaii Council for the Humanities.

* 5:30pm VIP Reception & World Premiere and 7:00 p.m. World Premiere - $45
Includes food, cocktails and after film discussion on the future of sustainable agriculture in Hawaii. 
 
* 9:00pm Second Screening, and after-film discussion.  $10 pre sale, $12 at the door, $5 students (at the door with valid student ID)

FOR TICKETS - Visit the website: ingredientshawaii.com

SHARE the new trailer: http://vimeo.com/34576230
Volunteers Need for Chocolate Festival on February 25
Dole Cannery Noon - 5:00 p.m.
 
Now that we have your attention with the words "volunteer" and "chocolate" in the same sentence...  Slow Food O'ahu is seeking 4 members to volunteer staff an information booth at the Hawai'i Chocolate Festival on February 25 at the Dole Cannery from Noon - 5 p.m. We would like to have 2 volunteers each from Noon - 2:30 p.m. and 2:30 - 5:00 p.m. Those of us who volunteered last year had a terrific time, not to mention enjoyed the chocolate.  If we are able to secure volunteers then we will have a booth again.   Please check out the site at http://hawaiichocolatefestival.com/ and if you are interested in volunteering, let us know at [email protected].  Look for more information about the festival in our next newsletter.   
FYI:  U.H. Food Innovation Center on Maui to be initiated

Governor Neil Abercrombie has released $1.255 million to the University of Hawai'i for design, planning and a portion of the construction cost to transform Maui College's former cafeteria into the new UH Food Innovation Center.  The center will serve as a research and development production facility to help local farmers turn their fresh produce into value-added food products, such as frozen foods and dried, preserved or canned goods. Examples of food-based products currently produced on Maui include Maui Jelly Factory Sweet Onion Jelly, Pau Vodka (which uses pineapple), Surfing Goat cheeses, and Ali'i Lavender Honey. The Food Innovation Center will create opportunity for research and development on Maui. The center will ultimately help local farmers and entrepreneurs turn excess crops into profitable value-added food products, creating jobs in the process and giving residents more options to buy local goods. The center supports on-island operations and cultivates homegrown expertise in the preservation of food, which can be essential should outside sources become temporarily cut off after a natural disaster. For more information, contact: Donalyn Dela Cruz, Deputy Director of Communications, (808) 586-0012.

Slow Food Leadership

 

Slow Food O'ahu Officers:

Laurie Carlson, President;  Mae Isonaga, Treasurer; Rike Weiss, Secretary; Michelle Phillips, Events Coordinator; Francine Wai, Newsletter Editor; Nina Bermudez, Membership and E-mail correspondent.

Web master: Martha Cheng
Facebook manager: Brilana Silva

Quick Links
 

Slow Food O'ahu Convivium website Slow Food Hawai'i Convivium website 

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