LIHU‘E — The Kaua‘i County Farm Bureau’s annual Farm Fair opened with a splash Thursday night, and continued its long-weekend run on Friday night. Mamuro Kaneshiro and his family were honored for their contributions to both the farm bureau as
LIHU‘E — The Kaua‘i County Farm Bureau’s annual Farm Fair opened with a splash Thursday night, and continued its long-weekend run on Friday night.
Mamuro Kaneshiro and his family were honored for their contributions to both the farm bureau as well as the community, and in the audience of supporters that flocked in from the Kalaheo Missionary Church, a gentlemen found his family connection after a 100-year search.
Laurie Ho did the honors of presenting the Hawai‘i state legislature’s proclamation since the Kaua‘i state representatives were tied up with business off-island.
Kaua‘i Mayor Bryan Baptiste personalized the county’s mayoral proclamation with the presentation of a bag of poi to “go along with all the kalua pig that the Kaneshiro family eats,” and the county council honors were done by councilman Daryl Kaneshiro, who just happens to be Mamo’s nephew.
Roy Oyama, who was only recently honored as one of Kaua‘i’s Living Treasures for his personal commitment towards advancing the agricultural and farming cause on the island, lived up to his billing as he announced that he was going to be off-island on Friday and Saturday due to a large statewide meeting of the Hawai‘i Farm Bureau to discuss the changing tide of Hawai‘i agriculture.
But, on a more timely note, Oyama said, “I’m Farm Bureau, first,” waylaying fears that the recent honor would detract from his agricultural commitment, and in welcoming people to this year’s fair, noted that all of the food concessions were connected to nonprofit community groups as a demonstration of the farm bureau’s support for the community.
Oyama’s tribute to Mamo Kaneshiro centered around an incident he recalled when the fair was still being held at the convention hall.
While taking down the fair one year, Oyama said that Kaneshiro sustained a major gash from the fencing that they were working on.
Refusing any medical help, Kaneshiro pushed on with the group so the task of tearing down would be done quickly.
Oyama said that to this day, Mamo wears the scars of that incident and serves to remind people of the individual’s commitment to his farm, family, and community.
Bob Crowell was busy settling in some of the Kaua‘i High School cheerleaders into the Meadow Gold ice cream booth normally occupied by Miss Kaua‘i.
The booth was sandwiched between the Lihu‘e Pop Warner booth cranking out malasada, and the Red Raider athletic booster booth that dispensed a variety of food highlighted by the Pedro’s pork sandwich.
Crowell was happy as he noted that the people from the Pop Warner side would be transferring to the Red Raider side in the future.
Anchoring the west wing of the food court was the click-clack of the Kapa‘a Pop Warner Association who were busy cranking out an endless supply of Flying Saucers, a delicacy made popular during the bon dance season that wrapped up two weeks ago.
On the east wing, Kurt Toma of the Kekaha Pop Warner Association noted, “We got chicken, chicken, chicken!” while his crew were busy working up a batch of chicken katsu in deep fryers located in the back of the booth.
Adjacent to them were the Koloa Pop Warner Association, and the entire lane was anchored by the ono aroma of Hawaiian food emanating from the Naumu ‘ohana booth.
A group of nine long term care clients from the Samuel Mahelona Memorial Hospital was among the first people through the gates, and both clients and volunteers worked through the culinary offerings before venturing into the Mid-way. Jose Pable, the long term care activities coordinator, explained that the number of patients attending is dependent on the number of volunteers she can get. When they attend the fair, the ratio between client and volunteer is one-to-one.
Ed Terui was the minister from Kalaheo Missionary Church who performed this year’s opening blessing, adding yet another reason for a large contingent of supporters from the Kalaheo church.
It was among this group that Chiaki Ito, an English teacher from Japan, had only discovered a link to his family culminating a 100-year search for the whereabouts of his great- great-grandfather, a contract laborer who arrived on Kaua‘i in the 1890’s.
That connection made, it was time to enjoy the events of the fair that will run through Sunday night. Gates open at noon on both Saturday and Sunday with special features highlighted on each day. The fair closes at midnight.
