Hawaii Community College EDvance:
Do you have a desire to take your culinary products to the next level? Then you should register to attend a series of courses offered by associate professor Chef Paul Heerlein. After winning first place with his 6-Peppered Ahi at the Hawaii Seafood Culinary Excellence Competition, Chef Heerlein has created, marketed and distributed his season line. If you would like to take your recipe idea to the marketplace, these courses will provide your with the knowledge and skills to launch a profitable product.
Part 1: Food Business Start Up
Feb. 1-March 14, 2024
Learn the basics of launching a successful food business and foundation for a systemic approach towards developing a profitable food business. The course is suited for food manufacturers, restaurateurs, food truck operators and farmers/chefs interested in creating value-added food products. This course is suited for beginners thinking about or just starting a business and product thinking or just starting a business and product concept.
BUS1822/$99/Online and In-person/16 hours
Part II: Food Product Concept to Consumer Incubator
March 15-May 10, 2024
Have a food product idea or recipe consumers would love? The Concept to Consumers Incubator Program is an in-depth class that teaches food industry best practices for taking your recipe idea or concept and turning it into a viable value-added food product for the retail marketplace. A certificate of professional development is awarded upon completion. This course is suited for individuals who have a product prototype and basic recipe.
BUS1821/$299/Online &In-person/30 hours
Christmas with the Chefs awards six scholarships
The ACF Kona Kohala Chefs Association recognized six recent scholarship winners at their recent Christmas with the Chefs.
Recipients are all local culinary students who are continuing their education at Hawaii’s Community College-Palamanui Campus. They include Trinity Tavares, Exon Pimentero, Nina Stuart, Minnie Pira, Shanley Tabios and Mallory Javillonar.
The annual event has two goals to further West Hawaii’s culinary industry. First, it raises money to fund scholarships for culinary students attending HCC Palamanui and local high schoolers wishing to enter culinary school for the first time.
Second, the event’s silent auction is a benefit for the HCC-Palamanui culinary program through the ACF Kona Kohala Chefs and the Jean Hull Endowment Fund. The fund, set up in 2015, finances guest speakers, travel to student competitions and purchase of the latest culinary equipment and supplies for students.
Food hubs
If you are looking for a consistent supply of locally-grown fruits and vegetables, and also support our local farmers, then look into food hub. Located in Kona, Kohala and Hilo, six food hubs are working behind the scenes to distribute to grocers, restaurants and resorts.
Hawaii Island food hubs include Adaptation in Kealakekua, Hawai‘i Ulu Cooperative in Honalo, the Kohala Food Hub in Hawi and Hilo’s OK Farms. Ho‘ola Farms and The Food Basket.
Adaptation is the state’s oldest good hub. It operated both a certified organic farm and a food hub when statewide distribution to Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) subscribers, restaurants and grocers. The for-profit company carries an average of 450 local food products that vary seasonally, sourcing from 180 small the medium-sized farms and this island and on Maui. For more information, check out their website at: https://adaptationsaloh.com.
Hawaii ‘Ulu Cooperative connects numerous local farmers with consumers, but in a different way.
The 150-member cooperative focuses on starch or staple crops — ulu, kalo, sweet potato and kabocha squash —and manufactures them with little processing. Their homepage is: https://eatbreadfrut.com.
The Kohala Food Hub offers locally-grown product and value-added products from 103 producers to island restaurants and services in North Kohala, Waimea and Waikola residents through its weekly multi-farm CSA subscription and online marketplace. Their website is:konalafoodhub.com.
Ok Farms in Hilo has a mission to perpetuate sustainable agriculture in Hawaii. The Keolanui family farms nearly 1,000 acres alongside the Wailuku River and their main crops include lychee, longan, coffee, citrus, heart of palm and spices. The farm sell its produce to a variety of food hubs while also operating the OK Farms food hub, on-site farm store and agriculture-themed tours through their Hawaii eco experience. For more information, check out their website: hawaii-eco.com.
Ho‘ola Farms was founded in 2015 as Ho‘ola Veterans Services with the mission to support military vets and their families entering agriculture. This non-profit operated an agribusiness incubator kitchen with storage rental and the Hawaii farm-to-car online farmer’s market. Their website is:www.hoolafarms.org.
The Food Basket, Da Box CSA, in addition to providing food assistance to those in need, does island-wide distribution of produce, working with 55 different farmers. Da Box offers a buy one, get one free model, or matches each bag purchased with SNAP benefits with a free bag. Da Boxes are conveniently distributed at the hub’s Hilo warehouse and at multiple pickup points around the island. Call at (808) 796-3091 or check out their website: hawaiifoodbasket.org/da-box.
Email Audrey Wilson at audreywilson808@gmail.com.