Sunset Beach Elementary School’s ‘Aina Kine Market

Perusing the first Student Farmer’s Market at Sunset Elementary, one could find a colorful assortment of fresh fruit, veggies, herbs, flowers, and lots of excitement!

Students and parents alike asked their peers questions about the produce and their market. By the looks on people’s faces, everyone was pleased. Children, teachers, parents, & community volunteers planned & worked together to kick off the first ‘Aina Kine Market on Friday, February 20th. School families and community members donated produce and flowers from their backyard gardens or farms to help the group raise funds for wellness programs at the school. Great work Sunset!

In starting a student farmers market, one thing that is very important is hygiene and food safety. Take a look at this publication from UC Davis for ideas.

Edible Landscapes for all?  Yes, We Can!

Have you ever wanted to get more out of your garden? You can, by landscaping with edible plants. Edible landscaping, especially when paired with organic gardening practices, enhances any yard, garden or landscape.

Let’s take a step together to promote healthy food systems!  Plan, create, and eat edible landscapes.  You can:

1. Identify a landscape near you that can be transformed.  Start with your own yard, community, or schoolyard.

2. Join and support an effort to plant an organic garden on the White House lawn. “Eat the View!” is a campaign to urge the Obamas to replant a large organic Victory Garden on the First Lawn with the produce going to the White House kitchen and to local food pantries.

Are you Plastic Free yet?

The month of January marked the one year anniversary of the Plastic Free Hale’iwa Coalition. Over 55 of the businesses in Hale’iwa are loyal partners in the movement and have been making the great choice to go plastic free. We are excited to now offer Klean Kanteen stainless steel water bottles along with our very popular reusable bags! They are available online at the Kokua Hawai’i Foundation store and in Hale’iwa at Food For Thought, The Growing Keiki, Kai Ku Hale, and many other Plastic Free Hale’iwa businesses.

Click here to make your Plastic Free Commitment! The site will track all of our commitments and measure their impacts. You can also fill out a commitment card in person at one of our Coalition members stores or restaurants and be entered to win great prizes! 

Remember to bring your own bag to the store…and now your own bottle too.

Great News!

Several farm to school bills have been introduced at the Hawai’i State Legislature. Here’s a list of related bills and links to their status. For now, let your representatives and senators know that you support farm to school in Hawai’i!

SB1179 and HB1434: Directs the University of Hawaii, in cooperation with other public and private entities, to study the feasibility of introducing the farm to school program in Hawaii’s public schools.

HB992: Establishes a farm-to-school nutrition program in the public schools.

SB507 and HB1416: Establishes the farm-to-school program in the department of education to increase the procurement of locally-grown fruits and vegetables. Establishes the Hawaii-grown fresh fruit and vegetable program to increase schoolchildren’s access to Hawaii produce. Establishes the farmers to food banks program.

SB803 and HB794: Requires the department of health, in collaboration with the department of agriculture, department of education, and Hawaii school food service, to develop nutritionally-sound public school menu plans that give students the option of a vegetarian school lunch meal.

SB813 and HB797: Requires public school cafeterias to serve fresh local produce at lunch at least once each week.

SB829 and HB1101: To expand and modify the Hawaii products preferences to create a class IV preference for agricultural products raised, grown, or harvested in the State.

Another Bill for Healthier Schools:
HB1538 Requires public schools to use environmentally-sensitive cleaning and maintenance products. Directs the department of health to establish guidelines and specifications for the products. Requires the state procurement office to maintain a list of vendors who produce, manufacture, or sell environmentally-sensitive products.

Kokua Calendar Art Contest

Clean Up a Beach and Create a Masterpiece! Organize a beach clean up to help Hawai’i become Plastic Free!  Use the found objects to create a piece of art!  Integrate paint, crayons, pastels, fabric, collage, or mixed media for your creation.  You can even include words or photos* in your artwork—the possibilities are endless!

Guidelines:
Who can participate?  This contest is open to Hawai’i public, private, & home school children grades K-12 (This includes Hawai’i school groups, home schools, clubs, individuals, and families)

Format: Collage.  Pieces cannot exceed 8.5 x 11 inches, but can have depth to them.

Entries should include:

Deadline:  All collage submissions must be photographed and submitted (300 KB) via email to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) by February 20, 2009.

Late submissions and/or files larger than 300 KB will not be accepted.

Criteria: Artwork will be judged on theme, beach clean-up summary, visual appeal, originality, and creativity.

*For a PDF flyer with more info.,click here.

This example features a piece with items collected from a beach in West Sussex, UK by Artist Elaine Woodhead.