Farmers Market

[nana valley]

Hey everyone, don't forget Smiley's little fruit/vegetable/plant stand down at Kapoho (Green Lakes turnout) every Friday. She gets it fresh.

[Greg]

Support ALL the local "Farmers Market" venues. I like the Maku'u market because of it's size, diversity, entertainment, and restroom facilities.

Tools and toasters?
recycling!

Idaho potatoes (from Costo)?
Try and find some locally grown spuds cheaper and without driving to Hilo.

Locally produced Arts and Crafts?
STONEFACE (blatant self promotion)

[]
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[csgray]

I recently found tasty red potatoes grown in Volcano at Malama Market for cheaper than mainland grown, but last time I checked they were all gone, so that may have been all of that harvest.

Carol

[idiglava]

Try the Kinoole Farmers market Saturday mornings only. Its not very big, around 20-30 vendors of locally grown produce from Hamakua farms and other small growers around. It's in the parking lot where the Kawate Seed/Hilo Rice/Unemployment office are. Go early tho, they run out of stuff pretty quick.

[mary blonde]

Hey, don't forget the Farmers' Market behind Luquin's every Sunday! I sell organic veggies & herbs there & sell out EVERY week! Just look for the Made in Hawaii Gifts booth behind the Orchid Lady. No GMOs, no chemicals, just healthy food. Right now I'm featuring Kale (3 kinds) parsley, leeks and different varieties of dried basil.
I also sell handmade bags, potholders, etc. I source 95% of my materials from this island (no big box stores either!)

mary blonde

[Chuysmom]

It's nice to be able to go to one huge gathering like Maku'u Market and get produce...and I do ask whether it's local...not sure if the answer is the right one though.

So many people that I know sell their handcrafted, artisan soaps and food stuffs at the market...and it gives them their livelihood...one gal I know who has been selling at the Hilo and Maku'u Markets has been thriving off her beautiful wares for over 7 years.



Carrie

http://www.sapphiresoap.etsy.com
http://www.septemberspirals.etsy.com

"Even the smallest person can change the course of the future..." Galadriel LOTR

[Cagary]

I cannot understand what your disappointment is about.

The fact is that Farmers Markets are businesses that need money to run successfully.

A place like Maku'u takes X amount of dollars to run successfully each week. From the costs of porta potties to security; from renting the land to after market clean up, each one of these do not come cheap. If there are 20 vendors, each one of them has to pay a fee that adds up to that X amount of dollars. The more vendors, the lower the space fees. The lower the space fees, the more local farmers (and others) can afford to be vendors.

If one doesn't like the products that a particular vendor is selling, go on to the next one. The person behind you just might be looking for a toaster or maybe that used toaster would be better off in the landfill. Let's all get together and limit other people's choices! How dare they want something that we disapprove of.

But I guess in an utopian world Farmers Markets would be free of hammocks, Mexican food and non organic produce from faraway Oahu. Vendors would only be able to sell produce that they and they alone grew. And there would be no fees and no costs to running the market. Everything would be free and we would all live happily ever after.

[Carey]

The UH-Hilo Plaza Market seems to fit your market request, link to the plaza market info:
http://hilo.hawaii.edu/news/view/8792

& the HIlo COffee Mill market. link from Hawai`i Homegrown:
http://hawaiihomegrown.net/reports-23/3-...t-the-mill

I haven't seen anything on the Kino'ole Farmers Market that was on Saturdays.... but they were a local market, Link to article on Hawai`i Homegrown:
http://hawaiihomegrown.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=100:the-kinoole-farmers-market&catid=3&Itemid=23

[dayna]

I would not want to "rent" a spot at Makuu not because of whats sold there but the fact that vendors start showing up at like 330 in order to get a spot. I'd rather just pay a monthly fee to insure I get a spot so I don't have to get up at some unholy hour.

I do however like shopping at Makuu. There is a lady there I buy local organic produce from that she grows herself. Her supply is limited but always of the highest quality. I love her kale!

Dayna

www.E-Z-Caps.com

[kalakoa]

Yes: Makuu is not strictly a "farmers' market", because it's not regulated as such -- most other markets fall under County zoning, which has a narrow definition of "Farmers' Market".

I tend to think the randomness of Makuu makes for a richer experience; there are awesome deals to be had, and the occasional "how did THAT end up HERE?" can be very very fun.