LIHUE — Two studies intended to promote production and consumption of local foods and products were updated for the Kauai County Council on Wednesday. The message was that locally produced and processed foods feed more than just people; they also
LIHUE — Two studies intended to promote production and consumption of local foods and products were updated for the Kauai County Council on Wednesday.
The message was that locally produced and processed foods feed more than just people; they also feed the economy. Backing this up, local cattle ranchers and producers of value-added products came to the council chambers in support of a meat processing facility and a commercial kitchen and agri-business incubator.
A few years ago, a mobile/modular slaughterhouse and a community kitchen business incubator were among several projects selected for a feasibility study.
The mobile slaughterhouse could be a multi-species processing facility, which would receive slaughtered animals from the island’s two slaughterhouses (likely three in a few months) for further processing.
Consultant Joel Huesby, who prepared the study for the meat processing facility, said that with some initial assistance, the business would grow into a sustainable model.
“I set this up in such a way that it will hold its own weight,” he said. In its fifth year, the facility would start turning a profit of around $46,000.
The multi-species processing facility would address some of the increasing demand from local markets, and increase financial return to producers and processors, Huesby said.
After a decade of existence, the estimated annual balance for the facility would be more than $1.4 million, according to the study.
Consultant Chuck Wolfe, president of Claggett Wolfe Associates, investigated the financial and operating viability of commercial kitchen to serve as a business incubator for island residents.
The mission of the agri-business and food-production incubator, he said, is to promote and fast-track creation and growth of businesses based on agricultural and food manufacturing, which would support job growth, economic diversification, sustainable agriculture and food safety.
The program would also seek partnerships with existing and future commercial kitchens on the North Shore and the Westside, and a proposed new commercial kitchen in Lihue.
Wolfe said it would take about six years for the business incubator to become financially sustainable. Until then, he said, the financial shortfall would be about $250,000.
“A critical part of this entire process is the capacity to secure grants,” he said.
‘Terrific’ hamburger
The majority of cattle raised on Kauai is sent to the Mainland, where it is fed a corn diet to fatten up before being slaughtered.
Huesby said it’s not economically viable to finish off cattle with corn on this island. That leaves us with grass-fed cattle.
Chef and restaurant owner Mark Oyama said the meat from cattle finished with corn is a bit more tender, but the taste of meat from grass-fed cattle is considered better among his culinary students at Kauai Community College.
Councilman Ross Kagawa said he ate hamburgers made from local meat, and “they’re terrific.”
But how would a county-backed program affect already established retailers of local products?
Oyama said promoting more local products would only bring more awareness and increase business. When new restaurants get established near his business, he said, it brings more visibility and customers to the area.
Karen Carswell, manager and co-owner of Princeville Ranch, said some of her cattle is slaughtered here and some is sent to be finished on the Mainland. Cattle sent off-island fetches around $1 per pound, she said. Cattle slaughtered here sells for above $2 per pound.
And then there is that feeling of hearing from local residents they really enjoy the product, she said.
“It’s a lot more rewarding to see the cattle through here than to ship them off,” Carswell said.
However, she said Princeville Ranch does not have enough locally processed beef to meet a growing demand from local markets.
“We need to have a processing facility here at some point,” Carswell said.
Value-added treats
Sandi Kato Klutke, who recently retired from the visitor industry, brought a box full of value-added products to each council member.
Kato Klutke wasn’t there to bribe council members with her Kauai-made mango butter, taro pastries or muffins.
What she really wanted was to show support for a place where residents and visitors could shop for Kauai-made products at any given time, and not just at local farmer markets.
She also supported a commercial kitchen where budding businesses could create value-added products.
Laurie Cardinez, of Auntie Lilikoi Products, said when she first bought her business more than a decade ago, she had only five recipes. In order to grow, she had to establish a commercial kitchen. As her business grew again, she was forced to increase her commercial kitchen.
It would have been easier for her business to succeed if there was a community commercial kitchen around when she first needed to expand, she said.
Earlier this year, George Costa, director of the county Office of Economic Development, proposed using the old Big Save building as a potential site for a food hub complete with a meat-processing facility, a commercial kitchen and a Kauai-made store. The building has been empty since July 2011.
Council Vice Chair Nadine Nakamura said, “just to clarify,” there has been no feasibility study on the retail or handling components of a food hub, and there has been no site-selection discussion or studies on the concept of a food hub.
“That was what we put in the budget for this next fiscal year,” she said.
