Jeno Enocencio picks Hawaiian chili peppers at his farm, Kalalau Ranch and Victory Garden. - Photo: Courtesy Jeno Enocencio.

Enjoy farm products around a culturally diverse table

By Jimmy F. “Jeno” Enocencio

In mid-October, I enjoyed the company of many small business ranchers and farmers both from the organic and synthetic world. Most of them came to the Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort & Spa to participate in the Food Summit conference. There were a lot of speakers and panelists who talked about producing safe foods, prohibiting genetically modified crops on agriculture lands, and supporting the concept of developing “slow foods” by organic means of composting and manure mix rather than chemically enhancing fast growing produce that would readily meet market demand.

There were all kinds of folks there — from the Honolulu businessmen of Whole Foods to the barefoot haoles living off the land in upper Kona coffee fields, to dudes from Puna practicing perma-culture on pahoehoe lava, to entrepreneurs well-placed in the organic atmosphere. They brought with them an abundant crop of homegrown lettuce, cabbage, bananas, tomatoes, eggplant, sugar cane, yams and sweet potato; including exotic fruits like rambutan, lichee, longon, soursop, dragon and jack fruit. And then there were vegetables that you would see growing in plantation camps that the Filipinos and the Japanese grew like warabi, paria leaves, marungay, pipinola, daikon, gobo and other ethnic produce.

These were all good to see, taste and enjoy. The bummer part was I neva' got to see people of color. There were a few, like noted taro and 'awa specialist Jerry Konanui, who shared his values on food sovereignty and safety. There was Manu Meyer who presented herself as a well-defined servant of the Hawaiian people. And then there was me, locally grown Hilo boy taste-testing everything in sight and indulging in the tastiest home-grown lunch prepared by Sheraton's chefs. And then, that's all I saw; not very many locals and no mo' Hawaiians. Hopefully tomorrow, more Hawaiians would show up at the annual Hawaii Organic Farmers Association (HOFA) meeting.

Because I didn't want to go back to Hilo and waste diesel and I couldn't afford the luxury suite at the Sheraton, I slept in the Ram in the resort parking lot. It was all right, I was able to stretch out in the mega cab and enjoy the ocean and mountain breeze, but befo' even thinking about sleep I had to feed my face one mo' time. I went to KTA at Keauhou and picked up some smoked marlin, a sub and some drinks. I also forgot to mention that KTA was also at the food summit encouraging folks to support their Mountain Apple brand label for locally grown foods that includes grass-fed meat and fresh fish, and value-added products like poi, kūlolo, haupia, smoked meats and fish, tofu all prepared by local folks.
At the HOFA meeting, I was there along with Juanita Kawamoto and 'ohana of Fresh from the Farm, extending her services to the pro-organic group. As the meeting progressed I could not help but wonder why there weren't any more people of color. Don't get me wrong, these appeared to be nice and caring folks concerned about the current methods used for poisoning the land, and our food and water source. The bad part was there were no people of color voicing those same concerns.

Once the meeting was pau, they asked if anyone had anything to share; and like a good Hawaiian I raised my hand and mentioned that I attend lots of conferences presented by CNHA, HTA, OHA, KSBE and others who share similar views as theirs, including the preservation of culturally significant lands, important agricultural lands, food sovereignty and environmental concerns, etc. As each participant turned their heads to the back of the large patio I was sitting in, I could see their faces with concern (and some lack of) when I asked, “By the way, how come I don't see any Japanese and Filipino folks here? In fact, I don't see any Korean or Vietnamese farmers here. Where are the Hawaiian farmers?”

As I addressed this question to the president, I could see the stunned and paralyzing effect that question had made. It was blunt force trauma to some, numb to others. The president mentioned that they do have farmers enrolled but they don't participate. The association notifies them by making announcements in newsletters and email, but to no avail. When I asked if they ever met with any of these farmers and visited their farms and got to know them better by introducing themselves with a firm handshake, for the most part the answer was no.

I expressed my feelings concerning the lack of participation from people of color and the need for diversity, not only those intended for vegetables, fruits, flowers, trees, but in people too. I expressed that to be an effective organization leaders need to be sensitive not only to its kind (mono-cropping) but “culturally sensitive” to a wealth of skills, knowledge and abilities (diversification) that combines the human factor link toward continual positive progression.

In essence, without this strength in cultural diversity of humans focused on issues toward the betterment of the life we so love, we are doomed to fail in whatever the endeavor may be. We, the Haole, the Hawaiian, the Filipino, Korean, Japanese, the Portuguese and others need to sit knee-to-knee at the kitchen table and wala'au. If we are to survive in these islands, we somehow need to get along. There's no better way to get along, then by sharing culturally prepared safe, healthy foods artistically created by loving hands of all colors.