LIHU‘E — The theme is green on Saturday at Grove Farm Market, said Paul Loizeaux of the University of Hawai‘i Master Gardener program.
“That means we’ll have a lot of green leafy vegetable seeds,” Loizeaux said. “All kinds of arugula and mustard seeds. What’s this red one?”
Rudy Sina interrupted.
“We even have a Japanese squash in there,” Sina said.
The Master Gardeners will be one of the community partners available with free seed giveaways, when the collaborative efforts of the Kaua‘i Farm Bureau, its many community partners, and Kukui Grove Center combine to celebrate National Agriculture Week and the arrival of seasonal festivities.
That includes Saint Patrick’s Day on Sunday with its color of green and a preview of the Easter Bunny and his entourage of characters testing the water for next week’s spring festivities and egg hunt. Kukui Grove will also host its monthly Movie Night featuring Willy Wonka when the Easter sneak previewers appear when the Bunny House (it used to be Santa’s House across from Jamba Juice) opens.
Tying the entire day together, the K+M Craft Fair opens from noon and runs through 8 p.m. with a variety of crafters mixing up the day’s offerings.
Laurie Ho, president of the Kaua‘i County Farm Bureau, said there will be a lot of activities connected with free giveaways taking place when the farm bureau and the community takes time to pay tribute to all of the farmers and ranchers on Kaua‘i who spend hours toiling to keep locally produced food on people’s dinner table.
Some of the stations spread out throughout the shopping center will feature plant giveaways and seedlings produced by the three public high school students.
“There’s even Moloka‘i Pumpkins grown by the Kapa‘a High School students to go along with the Japanese squash seeds,” Ho said. “And, for fun, there’s always the Unusual Fruit and Vegetable Contest where people can vote for the ones they think is the most unusual.”
Elvrine Chow, of Heavenly Haku, will be helping people with lei, and Mayette Loseto will be demonstrating floral creations using some of the tropicals. Other stations will feature information on Rapid Ohia Death, the threatening Coconut Rhinoseros Beetle and more.
Chef Steve Nakata, of the Kaua‘i Community College Culinary Arts Department, will have his culinary arts students demonstrating a dish featuring Kaua‘i Shrimp and vegetables supplied by Aloun Farms, which recently provided heads of cabbage for the Samuel Mahelona Memorial Hospital community health fair.
“We have to get ready for August,” Ho said. “We won’t be having the farm fair, but Kukui Grove Center has arranged a space for us to bring back the very popular Food & Vegetable Show.”
In future please have you your Ag presenters be located where we can talk with them- Kukui Grove stage entertainment was so loud we could not talk with the people behind the tables with Ag knowledge.,..