PUHI — Cade Kaneshiro and Kristie Bigno worked steadily through the rapidly-warming morning at the Kaua‘i Community Market Saturday at Kaua‘i Community College.
“He’s a new vendor,” said Melissa McFerrin-Warrack, market manager. “He was just approved, and today is his first day at the market.”
Unfortunately, Saturday was the last Kaua‘i Community Market for at least the next three weeks, if you count the Garden Fair that was deferred from its April 4 scheduling, McFerrin-Warrack said.
Vendors to the market were notified through a letter from the Kaua‘i County Farm Bureau of the closures earlier last week.
“The Kaua‘i Community Market will be closed for the next two Saturdays — March 21 and March 28,” the letter states. “It is very likely that this closure may remain and, if so, we will notify you.”
The advisory also announced the closure of the Kaua‘i Culinary Market that is held on Wednesday afternoons at The Shops at Kukui‘ula.
“The Shops at Kukui‘ula Wednesday market will also be closed to KCFB vendor sales for the rest of the month, (effective) March 14,” the letter states.
“We stopped our vending effective Friday,” said Greg Askew of Ono Pops, a vendor at the Kaua‘i Community Market who was fulfilling his obligation at the Waimea health fair.
“We opted not to participate in the Saturday market. That means we won’t be at places like the Friday Night Art Walk (in Hanapepe) or other locations. We are here in Waimea because we obligated to this a long time. Now, we have 4,000 pops to get rid of.”
The Kaua‘i County Farm Bureau markets join the ranks of the county’s sunshine markets that are closed efective today until further notice due to public health concerns surrounding COVID-19.
“Many of our Sunshine Market vendors and customers fall into the high-risk category for COVID-19 whom we want to protect,” said Nalani Brun, acting director of the county Office of Economic Development that oversees the Sunshine Market network. “We are receiving positive comments from farmers that this move is warranted despite the economic impact.”
The time off due to the closures allows Kaneshiro to fine-tune his business offerings.
“He has really good food,” McFerrin-Warrack said. “I couldn’t help but eat while delivering the accounting slips. It’s amazing how Cade is rising to face these challenges. And we have another interested vendor who just dropped off food for tasting. We’ll be back.”
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
