KCC holiday event ‘connects’ people

PUHI — Melissa McFerrin, coordinator of the first-ever Kaua‘i Grown Kaua‘i Made holiday celebration, said her phone was ringing off the hook Friday night and Saturday morning.

That provided an indication of things to come at the event which combined the Kaua‘i Grown and Kaua‘i Made programs, spiced liberally with demonstrations from Kaua‘i Community College culinary arts students, community experts such as Neill Sams of Orchid Alley, and a sprinkling of entertainment.

“People have been calling like mad, trying to get in,” McFerrin said, juggling with a checklist of vendors and the security guards who maintained order in the parking lot Saturday.

Shoppers arrived early and streamed through the opening, the flow remaining constant throughout the morning and into the lunch hour.

Overall, more than 15 Kaua‘i Made members offering a variety of items from jewelry to artwork, two food wagons, and more than 25 market vendors offering a wide variety of fresh produce, fruit and value-added products sparked the shoppers.

“This is wonderful,” said Beth Tokioka, originator of the Kaua‘i Made program. “We definitely need to sit with Melissa after this is over and see if we can offer more of this throughout the year.”

Hannah Huang, a Kaua‘i farmer who frequents both the county’s sunshine markets and the Community Market, was so busy she did not have time to chat. In anticipation of the Saturday crowd, she enlisted the aid of three other helpers to help vend her fresh produce and fruit, one being a Kaua‘i-grown persimmon.

Ken Yasutake, a Kaua‘i County Farm Bureau member and a regular vendor at the county’s Sunshine Markets, said he had persimmon trees growing as well, but was waiting for the crop to ripen.

Instead, he introduced Kaua‘i-grown protea to an eager buying public, several varieties selling out within an hour of opening.

“If they can grow it on Maui, why can’t we?” Yasutake said.

Gini Kapali, the community relations director for Kukui‘ula, had relatives from O‘ahu visiting and found items they could send away as gifts to other friends and relatives on the Mainland.

“People want a sense of place,” McFerrin said as a possible reason for the burgeoning shopping crowd. “Buying Kaua‘i Grown, or Kaua‘i Made connects them here.”

Sonia and Eddie Topenio made several trips to their car with bargains they found at the Kaua‘i High School Future Farmers of America program.

“They’re trying to stay low key,” Sonia said. “But they’ve got some produce and poinsettia. The cucumbers are just 50 cents each.”

On one of the trips, Eddie announced they had bought out the students, his purchase being planned for pickles such as namasu for the holidays.

“The county is proud to support the Kaua‘i Made and Kaua‘i Grown programs,” said Kaua‘i Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. “These programs support local businesses and local families and that is so important right now. Mahalo to the Kaua‘i Community College and the Kaua‘i County Farm Bureau for coordinating this great event.”

Charlie Perreira of Moloa‘a sat above the crowd, his net-weaving serving as a transition from the shopping area to the demonstration area set up outside the One Stop Center.

“I’m going to be in the Honolulu magazine,” he announced. “They invited me to go show them the Kaua‘i-style net making. Notice how all the knots line up? Next thing I know, they said I going be in the magazine.”

McFerrin said the event would not have been able to take place without the help of sponsors who stepped up to the plate.

These include the Kaua‘i County Farm Bureau, who partners with KCC and Kukui‘ula Village to offer weekly markets, Moloa‘a Bay Coffee, Kaua‘i Shrimp, Aunty Lilikoi who was recently recognized as Exporter of the Year, Salty Wahine, and the Kaua‘i Community College.

McFerrin said she would like to see this event become part of the annual four-day Kaua‘i County Farm Bureau Fair.