KOLOA — If it is Monday, the markets are at the Anne Knudsen Park in Koloa and the Monday Market at the Kukui Grove Center. Terry Phillips, the county’s sunshine market monitor, told a growing crowd of eager shoppers at
KOLOA — If it is Monday, the markets are at the Anne Knudsen Park in Koloa and the Monday Market at the Kukui Grove Center.
Terry Phillips, the county’s sunshine market monitor, told a growing crowd of eager shoppers at the Koloa market that avocado is in season and plentiful, and star fruit is just beginning to appear.
“I can give them background on some of what they’ll find, but I don’t know how to do the pule the way Brudda Branch Harmony does,” Phillips said.
Phillips said the Kaua‘i County Council already passed the ordinance which would allow value-added products at the county’s sunshine market, but final approval is needed before anything can be done.
At the sound of Cora Asuncion’s whistle, the crowd surged forth through the network of vendors set up in the Anne Knudsen Park back parking lot.
“They need to change this around,” said Steve Ruiz, a Kalaheo farmer. “If there is need for an ambulance, they cannot come in because of all the people and the narrow road. And, if we need to leave because we’re sold out, we have to wait.”
Ruiz said he worked with several other people and presented a plan which would move the vending area to the front parking lot and use the back parking lot for parking, but apparently that plan went nowhere.
“We’ll just hope no one needs to have an ambulance,” he said.
Among the shoppers, Glenna Ueunten of Ueunten Farms, a finalist in the Kaua‘i Coffee Agricultural Business Plan competition coordinated by the Kaua‘i Economic Development Board, reached back to ready a supply of warabi, or fern shoots, as she spotted Merriman’s Executive Chef Mark Arriola threading his way among the shoppers.
“He comes every week,” Ueunten said. “He’ll buy the warabi. Or, is he going to surprise me and get something else?”
But there were no surprises: Arriola was stopping by for a supply of warabi, although he also added some turnips. Arriola’s shopping at the sunshine market is part of the Merriman’s farm-to-table program where the chef acquires locally grown items to fulfill the restaurant’s menu offerings.
Ueunten said the Menehune Mart in Lawa‘i also started offering the warabi salad, the sought-after fern shoots being offered at the sunshine markets and smaller grocery stores, but rarely found at the larger grocery stores.
As the crowd started dwindling, Ueunten and other vendors prepared to make the trip to the Monday Market at the Kukui Grove Center.
The county offers sunshine markets at the Kalaheo Neighborhood Center on Tuesday afternoons starting at 3 p.m. where Ueunten is joined by about six other steady vendors.
“Right now, we’re up to about 10 vendors at Kalaheo,” she said. “But usually, it’s the steady six vendors.”
On Wednesday the sunshine market moves to the New Kapa‘a Town Park starting at 3 p.m.
The Thursday market is at the Hanapepe Park starting at 3 p.m. and also at the Kilauea Neighborhood Center starting at 4:30 p.m.
The Vidinha Stadium parking lot is the site for the Friday sunshine market which starts at 3 p.m. and the Saturday market is at the Kekaha Neighborhood Center starting at 9 a.m.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@ thegardenisland.com.
