What is the dirty dozen? The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has compiled a list of analyzed food samples with detectable pesticide residues-even after they have been washed or peeled.
Choosing produce and vegetables on the list below that are non-sprayed/organic will reduce overall pesticide contamination according to EWG. Our FoodWyse series uses this list as part of our Healthy Food Choice Philosophy but takes it even further. We expanded the list marked by (*) to include papayas, corn, soybeans and alfalfa to the organic list (unless you know the farmer and the seed source) since these foods are predominately genetically modified.
The most contaminated fruits:
*IslandWyse expanded list:
The most contaminated vegetables:
*IslandWyse expanded list:
EWG has added two crops to the list so its important to download their Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce. check their site here to learn more:
]]>As our intent is to share Hawaiian Taro through our gluten-free products we wanted to be mindful of our branding and packaging. We wanted the Taro plant to have the stage on our packaging rather than single photos of the end-products like pancakes, soups or muffins like other baking products.
Mike Carroll, the famous Lanai-based artist, painted this image from one of our Taro plants to show the source of what Taro powder is and where is comes from.
The native Hawaiians cultivated over 300 Taro varieties for food, medicinal applications and spiritual uses.
We aim to utilize a number of different Hawaiian Taro varieties and believe that a healthy food system includes growing a variety of crops-not just one or two.
Some varieties we have used are Moi, Haokea, Maui Lehua, and Mana Keokeo. Learn more about these varieties and more at some of the resources we use:
If you are interested in attending or hosting a workshop where we deep dive into each chapter, reach out to us on this form.
From the storied kingdom days in Hawaii and subsidized by Hawaii's last sitting King supporting his culture, Taro Powder reclaims its revival.
Touted as a digestive remedy and a food replacement for babies in the early 1900's, Ancestral Taro Powder is revived today by Voyaging Foods, a gluten-free, artisan milling company and bakehouse.
Part historical homage, part cookbook, Voyaging Foods offers a variety of allergy-free meals and treat ideas for the home chef.
This cookbook offers an alternative view of taro, the beloved heritage crop, while empowering the home chef to utilize beneficial starches, such as Ancestral Taro Powder, in meals today.
Taro is completely different. It’s been a source of nutrition for centuries.
]]>
See the interview below where I interview the founder of Biomats.com and an authorized Richway Distributor, Ron Guerra. Recognized as a subject Matter expert, able to speak to the FDA approved benefits of the Biomat and the many Holistic components that are built within it. He is one of the top Distributors in North America and is skilled in helping Wellness professionals and others successfully become distributors as well.
Beyond Ron's passion for the Biomat & now the New BioAcoustic Mat, he has served 20 years in the Navy, as an Electronic Warfare Specialist & Cryptologic Technician. Where he intercepted radar emissions and Signal Intelligence to identifying potential threats to help protect lives. Ron Loves the Biomat and truly enjoys sharing it with anyone who wants to experience the benefits it can make in their lives.
This is state-of-the-art light technology, using specifically tuned frequencies of infrared and I'm excited to share what has worked for me in the hope that it can help someone else also. What if you could replace pain management through this holistic way rather than spending money on medication?
Here is another source of information from Kathy Ireland as she interviews Ron about the Biomat below.
These videos featuring Dr Lee Bartel's TED talk on Sound Medicine (aka VibroAcoustic) is great background on the man who helped Richway Create the BioAcoustic Mat.
Every year, billions of dollars are spent by food manufacturers to move water in and out of food products. As a food maker it is important to know what constitutes processing food in a safe way, natural ways to extend shelf life and how to operate as you own lab!
Working with food scientists such as Zachary Cartwright, Ph.D. Lead FOOD Scientist at METER Group , we are on a mission to understand how this can be done better.
Podcast hosted by Zachary Cartwright, Ph.D. Lead FOOD Scientist at METER Group
]]>The Microbial Secret Society Podcast delves into the subject of microbes!
microbial secret society podcast from brynn foster on Vimeo.
Take a listen as Drake kindly share's this podcast from the membership side of the program talking to Brynn about her inspiring work to bring local starches to the people in forms they are used to.
]]>See what we are doing along with the Aloha Connects Innovation.
]]>It takes grass-roots organizing to pivot quickly when disaster strikes and with the support of a community with island values, Hawaii has all the ingredients for a positive solution to this pandemic.
The Aloha Connects Innovation (ACI) is a new initiative led by the Economic Development Alliance of Hawaii (EDAH) to nurture and grow knowledge-based work opportunities in Hawaii and fuel our emerging industries and innovation sectors.
Voyaging Foods is participating as a Host Company as part of the solution in supporting meaningful employment provided by this statewide program.
We work in emerging industries within the Aloha+ Challenge sectors such as conservation, agriculture and entrepreneurship. The Aloha+ Challenge is a statewide commitment to achieve Hawai‘i’s sustainability goals, and locally driven framework to implement the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
We contribute to greater local opportunities for Hawaii’s kamaʻaina economy to build more regenerative enterprises which is ultimately needed for the short-term survivability and the long-term prosperity of Hawaii.
We are collaborating with other like-minded companies supporting healthy eco-cultural systems and individuals to build the Hawaii we want to live in.
Voyaging Foods is excited to partner with 'Ulu and Kalo Bakery to bring about a Regenerative Enterprise called Canoe Plant Collective that values people, culture and place in the belief that all prosperity follows this model. Follow along @thecanoeplantcollective on Instagram.
"We dream of a Hawaii where our economic measurement is not our belongings but how we use and share what we have to inspire belonging and lives lived well."
Our Mission: The mission of the Canoe Plant Collective is to bring like-minded businesses and individuals together to increase Hawaiʻiʻs food sovereignty through producing value-added products with canoe plants.
Project: Weaving like minded people with food sovereignty to forward Hawaii into interdependence.
Here's the Team:
'
"After the birth of her son, Brynn Foster, created an allergy-free teething biscuit using home-made taro powder from Hawaiian taro root as a healthier alternative to the overly sweet and fiber-empty gluten-free snack foods on the market.
'Our Native Hawaiian ancestors fed poi (cooked & pureed taro root) to their babies as the first food. Continuing that connection to this healthy root, I started preserving it in the form of a flour for our allergy-free meals.
I couldn't find a healthy teething biscuit for my toddler so I decided to make my own. When my mom started sneaking my toddler's snacks, I knew I had to create healthier snack options and access for everyone, not just family.'
What began as one mother’s attempt to supply her children with nutritious gluten-free meals has evolved into the artisan milling company to support both the economic and health stability for her island community that is now Voyaging Foods. Voyaging Food produces flours from canoe plants such Hawaiian-grown breadfruit, taro and sweet potato as a beneficial fiber, natural gum and thickener for use in baked goods, dry mixes, soups, stews, smoothies, or oatmeal.
Voyaging Foods merges Brynn’s culinary interests with her Hawaiian ancestry.
'When I started to eat more taro, make more taro powder, plant my own taro-I reconnected with my memory as a seven-year-old eating my first poi cookie that my great-grandmother gave me. I believe my great-grandmother planted a "seed" through that purple-colored treat and connected me to my culture that is now the basis for all I do.'
Founder of 'Ulu and Kalo Bakery: "Several years ago, I began the journey of health. I decided to get physically fit, but little did I know that diet is equally or even more important. Upon realizing the importance of food, I began a lifestyle switch. As a result, I had more energy, clearer skin, and achieved better grades. It was amazing! I knew my next step after graduating from the University of Portland was to attend culinary school at Kapiolani Community College. After KCC, I gained experience at Kokua Market, The Nook, Fete, Fresh Box, and Eugene's in Bronte, NSW, Australia.
Throughout the years and these experiences, I developed an understanding and deep love for Hawaiian canoe crops. They connect me to Hawaiian culture and are so nutritious. I knew there had to be a way to bake with ʻulu and kalo while keeping it healthy and delicious. Several years after my journey began, I am so excited to be able to share with you now, my baked goods that integrate ʻulu and kalo with health-focused dietary lifestyles."
]]>Heritage and landrace grains are important for a healthy food system. The concept of feeding ourselves is essential and reducing imports to the state of Hawaii is imperative. Voyaging Foods' outreach and education arm will be joining in the Hawaii trials so please stay tuned to this exciting project.
Being an administrator and part-time grower in this project has personal importance to me as someone who is "gluten-intolerant". I haven't eaten wheat in over a decade. I started Voyaging Foods as a way to create more access and availability for alternative flours such as the underutilized canoe-plant flours. Learning how plants and food is grown has been the silver lining to starting a food company. The plants and food are only as healthy as the soil it is grown in so if you aren't tending to the soil first, then the food will suffer in nutrients.
I learned that I had a glyphospate poisoning and that vilifying wheat was the band-aid to the wound. Growing wheat you can eat starting with the heritage varieties is where this project will start. The ending will be the first wheat I'll eat in over a decade.
The focus of the heritage grain trials will be on a diverse array of grains and we have been part of a trial with the intention of assessing their performances in various climates and weather conditions. Some of these varieties have proven in early trials to be more adaptive than others.
The goal is to get broader yet more focused data on specific traits of adaptation, which will help educate and encourage more garden and farm growing of these grains. Next step will be nutritional and flavor analysis of the leading contenders. The varieties we are trialing here include soft white and hard red spring wheats, which offer options for tasty whole wheat breads, tortillas, and pies-great varieties for the field and in the kitchen!
For 2020, we are at it again! This time Thrive Farm is our collaborator in this trial. This partnership brings increased transparency and connection, neighbor to neighbor and community to community, helping develop locally adapted, resilient, and relevant varieties for our present and future.
The stewardship of seeds is a basic human responsibility that we, as a modern society, have been disconnected from. With the increase in food allergies and sensitivities to gluten, it is time to reclaim wheat-the wheat you can eat!
To be able to grow and share seeds is a gift. I want to keep the reciprocal relationship growing, so to speak, therefore have taken part in another year of the Rocky Mountain Seed Alliance Heritage Grain Trials-yet in Hawaii!
My intention is also to be able to grow wheat that you can eat. I've eaten a gluten-free diet for over a decade and plan to eat wheat again when I am able to grow, harvest, process, ferment and bake my own bread.
Most of the seeds I'm planting with Thrive Farms are in very limited supply so our trials are very small scale.
This video below shows the record keeping system the seed growers are communicating our findings and trials. Wouldn't it be great if there were more ancient wheat varieties grown with regenerative farming practices and flour was plentiful in everyone's pantry.
Friday, September 11 5 pm Jason of Thrive Farms prepped the soil with fish bone meal and compost for the grain. The beds are 130 feet long and 30" wide and the irrigation is with drip tape on an automatic feeder. We plan to dose heavily with water the first 10 days.
We planted two rows with two different varieties in each row.
Here's our breakown of seeds and how we planted them: Ancient Wheat: Emmer, Einkorn, Iraq Durum. Heritage Wheat: Jammu, Sonoran White, Pima Club.
Our objective is to use organic practices! From 100 seeds we plan to produce up to 1/2 lb of seeds for next year's trials and send at least 200 seeds per variety back to the RMSA seed share to disperse to other farmers.
]]>There are accelerators for every kind of project you can think of and fortunately that means support for getting your project to the next level in the form of mentors.
I personally have been in about three accelerators this year and have learned so many helpful tools to use in my daily leadership responsibilities and when building community.
Here is an overview of 2019's accelerators I was accepted into:
Purple Prize: "We accelerate excellent teams with ideas for innovative technology products to start and launch mission-driven companies that amplify community and regenerate our ecosystems."
Mana Up: "Our vision is to fuel an economic growth engine for Hawai'i that can generate success for the local economy, support the high cost of living in Hawaii, and create well-paying, interesting jobs for locals.
Our goal is to create Hawaii's next 100 product companies earning over $10 million in annual revenue, and based here in Hawai'i. We support products rooted in Hawai'i that elevate authentic Hawaii stories through their brands."
Women's Earth Alliance: The 2020 U.S. Grassroots Accelerator for Women Environmental Leaders is designed to catalyze the critical efforts of women and women-identified leaders who have stepped forward to protect our families, communities, and ecosystems from environmental and climate threats. This Accelerator supports a diverse group of women leaders from across the country to deepen their strategies for change, build powerful alliances within and across movements, and scale their solutions for environmental protection,
health, and justice.
As an entrepreneur working in a historically, predominately male environment such as agriculture and food, I've been able to scale my ideas and reach through having mentors and learning best practices in these accelerator programs.
Step 1 to gaining mentorship is highlighting a company or person you consider successful or an attribute you admire. Learning from mentors or successful entrepreneurs who share their stories and best practices can save you a lot of time and even mistakes. Learning from other's mistakes means you aren't costing time and money on issues that could have been avoided. I have many mentors that I've had the opportunity to work with over the past few years while in leadership at Voyaging Foods. Choosing new mentors based on up-leveled challenges is something I do annually. I usually highlight a new business or person who has an idea that has resonated with me and then I will learn more about their methods and models.
This year I'm learning more about The Hirshberg Entrepreneurship Institute to deep dive into financing, marketing, organizational challenges, finding personal balance, managing change, and the many other areas that are fundamental to growing an enterprise.
Aloha,
Brynn
]]>Ever since I started eating gluten-free I have felt better. I loved bread and hope to want to add it back to my diet although I want better bread. I want real wheat, the wheat that was historically digestible and had a time-honored process to it. The "land race" type that grew for decades before machines and governments transformed it into a cheap mono-cropped commodity.
Gluten-free doesn't mean healthier and with all the additives, refined gums, natural flavors and "empty starches" gluten-free is actually looking not so great.
Personally, I wanted to learn more about the gluten-free debate not through baking but by growing grains. Grains? The "anti-food" of the billion dollar gluten-free industry? Yes, because essentially, gluten has taken the bad rep for too long and it's time to upgrade grain the conversation.
Inspired by Chef Dan Barber's book, The Third Plate, talks about "land-race" and other grains that aren't typically in commercial products. This heirloom grain conversation became more real at the Food For Tomorrow at Stone Barns listening to Chef Barber talk with Kimbal Musk about soil health.
Thankfully, the Rocky Mountain Seed Alliance locates heritage grain varieties of the past and is returning them to active production in farmers’ fields.
The future of regenerative agriculture includes incorporating poly-cropping with a rotation of cover crops and legumes. As an ecological system, grains, thus bread creates new, resilient economies by region. Our region is piloting this trial growing uncommon grains to learn the process from seed to flour.
Hawaii imports over 80% of our food and the last flour mill closed several years ago. To be sovereign includes feeding ourselves. Local food economies based on a diverse variety of plants is always a good idea.
Go Farm is hosting these special seeds in their plots and is a living example of their mission to enhance Hawaii’s food security and economy. Here's our journey so far.
Step 1: Identify and collect the seeds. We picked a wide variety in our search for grain varieties. The Seed Alliance focused on what Glenn Roberts, the visionary behind South Carolina’s Anson Mills, calls “pre-industrial, low-input, drought-tolerant, deep-root, tall-straw landrace grains.”
Seeds for the most interesting varieties were available only in very small quantities. This meant farm-scale trials (which require 20 lbs of seed or more) were going to be impossible until their seed supplies are increased. Thanks to Monica Spiller and her Whole Grain Connection network (wholegrainconnection.org), there is a road map and timeline to increase their precious seeds. By the spring of 2019, they expect to make available 25 lb bags of seeds for farmers of the best varieties that emerge from these forthcoming evaluations and increases through this project. Until then, these “garden-sized” trials will be for seed increase.
Step 2: Weekly we are looking out for the “field effect.” The field effect refers to changes in the success of crops due to environmental variations across the fields. These differences could be variations in temperature, wind, water, soil fertility, etc. There is only enough seed this year for what is called “observational trials.” We planted 50-100 seeds for each variety together in a single row between other crops.
Stay connected through our Facebook page for weekly updates.
.Step 3: Trial goals will be to increase seed of the varieties that adapt to Hawaii and practice observation and data recording skills.
]]>The Future of Food Conference by New York Times at Stone Barns Center for Food & Agriculture in New York was a conference that added a new perspective on my journey into the regenerative agriculture learning process.
My "field notes on the future of food" has taken me across the nation, alongside some of the thought leaders in the food movement and within some of the longest running farming communities in Native country. Travel outside of my food culture has increased the interest in place-based food knowledge for the region and people that came before.
Food sovereignty is the ability to feed yourself and indigenous knowledge includes the best practices that came before "the experts".
The Third Plate by Dan Barber has sparked an interest in "land-race" and heritage grains that have been marginalized due to commercialization and commodification in the wheat industry. Including a rotational crop with wheat and other grains benefits the soil and the people. I got to see how this healthy soil at Stone Barns was built from rotational grazing and polycropping.
Future of Food Conference Highlights:
I listened the story behind the seed that started the Bread Lab and Chef Barber's collaboration and you can read about it in his book, The Third Plate.
Some of the conference attendees were shocked that this piece of bread alone on the dinner plate was all there was for the course. I was excited that it would be the first time in years I would not turn away the bread!
Walking through the acres of vegetable fields, four-acre mixed grain ley rotation, and soil-based four-season greenhouse this is a dream realized.
]]>
This Po'alima we are starting a new project to show how easy it is to grow a food most commonly purchased in a store-potatoes!
In Hawaii, potatoes are one of the top 10 imported foods. When you realize how easy it is to grow, and in a small space such as a bin, eating what you grow is something everyone can try.
I've heard about growing potatoes in a trash can and like the idea of simple yet effective ways to grow your own food.
Low tech-high yield is a good thing for beginning farmers and food garden enthusiasts who want to go beyond voting with their dollar.
Here's how we are planting these sweet potatoes in a bin:
1) I added compost and soil amended with algae to the bottom 1/3rd of the bin. These potato bins are 10 Gallon and 35x50cm.
2) Place a slip in the soil and add more soil to about half full. I was able to add about 7 to 9 slips in each bag.
Notice the Velcro flap to "harvest" the potatoes? This was the real selling point for the kids to get involved!
There are many bins, bags and options to grow root crops without a farm or large space. I like these bins because of their lightweight and waterproof material but the kids are excited to harvest the potatoes through the little flap.
Po'alima Friday's from the Farmstead-
We are in the process of transforming our farm to include a variety of trees and plants in an agroforestry system, with multi-purpose windbreaks, to include green manure and natural inputs for a regenerative symbiosis on our island homestead.
]]>
Every year, buyers and food industry analysts anticipate food trends. This year, Whole Foods listed their top 10 trends for 2018. We see canoe plant flours such as Taro Powder and our canoe plant-based mixes offering what consumers and the market is looking for.
* Super Powders *
Powders are transportable with extended shelf life, we like to add Taro Powder into oatmeal, smoothies, granola bars, soups and our baked goods..
* Transparency 2.0 *
Did you know Hawaiian Taro is the only food in the world to have a moratorium from being genetically modified? Talk about GMO transparency! Voyaging Foods believes telling our farmer’s stories is the upmost important to consumers and supporting farming as a thriving industry in Hawaii.
]]>A few months ago on my way to the Food Tank conference in Chicago, I flew over the Missouri River and got an overhead view of a site that had been showing up on my social media feed (and maybe yours too) for the past several months. What I saw in real-time was a lesson in interconnectedness. After all, there wasn’t much conventional news covering water security at the Standing Rock controversy so one must search this news out on your own, or be bombarded with it on social media.
On my seat’s video monitor showed a long river snaking through several states. I wondered if this river was connected to the social media posts as seen in clashes over the pipeline and the water protectors? Who hasn’t searched out the ancient prophesy about the black snake? Now, it was underneath my airplane and while still miles away it was closer to my reality than through my cell phone screen back in Hawaii.
As I flew over the storied area, I understood the Dakota Access Pipeline will snake through the headwaters of the Missouri River. According to Huffington Post, this pipeline will stretch across Lake Oahe, go 1,172 miles to Illinios and stretch across a life-giving source of fresh water for millions of people who live downstream. Looking at the map, then looking out my window, there are numerous rivers that could potentially be at risk for an oil spill. The water protectors look like they have a good reason to protect the sacred lands and drinking water at the head of river-for the sake of those at the end. Water security should be a priority for everyone, not just the native American Indian’s problem.
The state’s capital had these exact concerns so the pipeline’s original route, planned to pass near Bismarck, (its capital) was abandoned.
To anyone doubting the protesters' claims that oil pipelines will threaten their water supplies, the Gold King Mine incident at the Animas River, heavily contaminated Native American waters and food sources.
That's just the thing about marches, issues and controversies---aren't they most often objectified as "other people's issues" and "it doesn't apply to me?"
What stuck out in my mind was the water security issue with the pipeline at Standing Rock is located in an area with the most poverty and is getting national attention. Where in our island community are we having some of the same issues? Are “they” like “us” in any way?
The same day that the water protectors are defending Standing Rock, there was a bill introduced to Hawaii’s legislature about our island’s own water security. Did you know?
The glaring difference to me is while Oahu’s primary drinking water aquifer at Red Hill, (at grave risk for contamination) ironically, is feeding the most affluent residents, luxury hotels and tourists and is going virtually unnoticed.
According to Sierra Club of Hawaii, Oahu’s drinking water aquifer at Red Hill is just 100 feet below 187 million gallons of fuel stored. There has been multiple spills (the last one was in January 2014) and chemicals detected in the groundwater that continue to threaten public health and water security.
Why are we so removed from important parts of life such as water, air and soil? Is water viewed as a commodity that “somebody else” is responsible for in all their good conscious to protect the citizen’s best interest? Where are our “water protectors” with signs, campouts and social media? Are the affluent at more risk for being bamboozled because some of them are more apt to having their assets managed for them? Is water, food and health considered an asset?
Someday it will be your land they come for. The place you cherish most and have worked hard to protect. That will be the day you’ll hope that people will stand with you and raise their voice with yours.
-Chris Burkhart
For example, North Dakota is one of the driest states in the United States. Water cannot be taken for granted. On the opposite spectrum, Kauai is one of the wettest spots on earth. Water still isn’t being taken for granted.
This letter I write to my community but also as a to-do list for myself so we can collectively look at our responsibility for:
Keep engaged:
]]>An open letter to Alexander & Baldwin Hawaii:
This week, after 146 years of sugar production, the last sugar mill has closed. The time of large-scale sugar production has faded with history. The cheap access to water and the virtual perfect growing conditions in Hawaii was no match for cheap labor and lower production costs in other countries.
This closing wasn’t sudden, nor was it a surprise. We’ve been talking for years how our agricultural system has been broken.
It’s important to note, the movement we have seen recently in politics and environmental literacy is happening in agriculture. Communities and conscientious groups, such as the millenials, are requesting transparency away from big business that disregards the impact on people and the planet.
I have attended many food conferences with leaders in the ag and food industries over the past two years that have identified both the pro’s and cons of large-scale agriculture. When lower production costs, resulting from irresponsible labor conditions being the driving factor, there is nothing benevolent about old-school, large-scale ag.
Today’s emerging markets value people over profits. We are interested in how food is grown and what the nutrition benefits are to what we are consuming. Yes, we are smarter in our consumption and asking more questions. Convenience is not the single driving factor as it once was.
The expiration date on the exploitation of nature has expired. The new paradigm is a partnership with nature.
We are learning the hard lessons of how the practices of big business provides little regard for people and the planet. Growing food (or experimental seed on food-growing lands) for export isn’t the best idea for the most isolated islands in the world.
Tapping into Hawaii’s rich agricultural lineage is the imperative in consumerism’s sea of change.
The recent International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) was held in Hawaii for a reason. This worldwide conference was a spotlight on Hawaii as an island model central to the Pacific Rim, the fastest growing region in the global economy. Hawaii is poised as a leader in conservation with best practices in sustainability as drafted in the Aloha + Challenge 2030. Learn more here.
These challenges are some of the most progressive in the United States.
Hawaii has set the goal of doubling its locally-produced food supply by 2030. Achieving 100% renewable energy by 2045 is a top priority for Hawaii and one of the most aggressive energy goals in the United States.
The challenges we face as an island bring many opportunities. Endings bring new beginnings.
This ending for sugar includes 36,000 acres of land that will be fallow next month.*
Alexander & Baldwin: I wonder if….
It’s evident our conducting business as usual is out of step with the conscientious food and consumer movement growing rapidly through social media and other viral media.
Young people don’t want to farm…..
Not many people these days really want to work the earth, you know?
-Maui Rep. Joe Souki
With all due respect Mr. Souki, the conscientious food movements in agriculture include our influential millenials, mommy bloggers, families and this generation of change makers.
"The movement has begun. You know us, we are the members of your family, your friends, and neighbors next door. We strive to make mindful choices, dedicated to modeling conscientious perspectives, avoiding divisive issues that draw attention away from meaningful connections with people and the planet."
There’s a new surge of youthful vigor into American agriculture — at least in the corner of it devoted to organic, local food. Thousands of young people who’ve never farmed before are trying it out
-NPR’s the Salt (Who Are The Young Farmers Of ‘Generation Organic’? by Dan Charles)
]]>The Young Farmers Conference at the Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture has been going on for 9 years and is always sold out.
A shift is happening where there are women getting involved in agriculture. See the Forbes article here The Female Farmer Project also is documenting the rise of women in agriculture by chronicling the stories of women who are creating change in our food system. Get connected with these stories here.
Hawaii is the first state in the nation to implement an organic foods production tax credit and the Industrial Hemp Pilot Project that will allow for the cultivation and distribution of seed for industrial hemp.-via www.joesouki.com
These two recent breakthroughs for agricultural production in Hawaii should be highlighted and could ignite a passion in the youth being that organic and hemp are two big passions for this specific demographic.
Let’s talk more about these opportunities and plant food for the fallow.
*The End of Sugar by Michael Keany, Honolulu Magazine pg 68
In the third and final workshop of the series, Cooking Kalo, we tried out some healthy recipes made with taro, including some delicious and healthy breads! Participants brought huli (plantings) home from the first and second workshops to plant in their backyards. By the third workshop many shared pictures and observations of their kalo!
“I was nervous to try using different types of flour for baking. After today I am inspired to incorporate kalo flour in all of my cooking!”
MAHALO to Brynn Foster with Voyaging Foods for sponsoring this workshop series and sharing how to transform kalo into flour and how to use that in our day-to-day cooking.
-Malama Learning Center
Also a HUGE MAHALO to Uncle Eric Enos from Kaʻala Farm for hosting and teaching us at their incredible learning center- we all learned so much and were inspired.
]]>
I’ve been thinking more about Seasons in the Hawaiian Islands. Why do people say there are no seasons? They must miss the leaves turning colors, falling to the ground and snow perhaps. I see more changes in nature in these islands than anywhere else.
In the Hawaiian Islands, we feel a difference when going into the ocean after Halloween. It’s more chilly and you think ahh, winter is here!
Knowing when the mangoes drop or when the whales come to give birth and the Kolea birds come are other signs of changes in nature. Warmer water, rainy weather and wind are signs consitent with certain types of fruit, vegetables growing and animals showing up in our islands. It is all synched and consistent. Learning more about the moon phases shows the consistent changes in nature and is cyclical. How to harness these changes and energies is fascinating.
As in nature, setting intent to harness these specific energies, a holistic balance for a regenerative, give and take relationship
The Summer Solstice is a great time to place intent into the season. It is a period of time when you can see nature change. The sun stays out longer, the plants show signs of growth, certain trees start to grow fruit. What are you working towards? What would you like to see come to fruition?
Here are some thoughts that have come up for me for this season:
Some of my personal goals are to create more consistent self-sustaining strategies surrounding healthy eating.
Learning different recipes on making dinner from scratch (without any boxes or plastic) then becomes more about the ingredients than anything else.
I recently went to The Chopra Center for The Perfect Health Program. Is it about living until you are 100? Nope, it is about the health in your years. Outlook is a choice. Wellness is a tool to handle the chaos and stress everyday life supplies. The receptacle is my job. Do I store the stress or release it? Now that the awareness is there, life’s ups and downs, twists and turns are more manageable.
]]>Resilience can be a strength but also needs an outlet. My Chopra experience was key in learning how to keep resilience but allow movement .
After trading city life for seven acres of red, volcanic-soiled-agricultural land, my family and social enterprise is embarking on new territory and gaining a new sense of place in Waialua.
This new territory, in the ahupua’a of Waialua, is not only incubating my social enterprise that is Voyaging Foods, but teaching myself and my family all about the pride of place and those that came before.
New posts, labeled 1/6, etc. will be dedicated to the awareness of these natural resources that my Permaculture Design Certificate course opened my eyes to and what I learned from this experience. My goal is to help transform the agricultural estate that we now live on to become an organic homestead farm, wellness site and company flagship location, all with principals in permaculture and Vedic natural laws.
This course was one of the most important classes I have ever taken and I highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in viewing the world with productive eyes.
My lead instructors were Matt Lynch and Hunter Heaivilin through the Asia-Pacifc Center for Regenerative Design, (@APCRDity Facebook) whom held outdoor “classrooms” taught in a different moku (i.e., section of the island) in order to experience the different environments of the island, and gain practical understanding of how permaculture design principles can be adapted & applied to different contexts.
I was fortunate to meet some of the leaders & innovators in the local agriculture & food movements, and immerse myself into an experiential learning process.
These two-day per month sessions was a mix of classroom, group work, site visits, hands-on practicums, and real-life design exercises.
The first class homework was to learn more about the place we live in. Here is what I learned about the moku of Waialua.
Consult the Genius of the Place in all That tells the waters or to rise or fall Or helps the ambitious hill the heavens to scale or scoops in circling theaters the vale calls in the country, catches opening glades joins willing woods and varies shades from shades now breaks or now directs the intending lines paints as you plant, and, as you work, designs. – Alexander Pope
KAWAIHAPAI, was a mystical AHUPUA’A, or subdistrict in Waialua, O’ahu, that gave Hawaiians a special feeling for their ‘aina (land) that connects them to the near and distant past. -(Roy Kakulu Alameida)
Place names describe not only the beauty of the land but also the importance and use of the named places. These names often make a direct connection to the present and past “Hawaiians used songs or chants to describe various elements of a place—its winds, plants, sea colors and so on. . . as well as its customs, history, legends and religious spirit.”
Kawaihapai means “carried or lifted water” and is said to have been carried here by a cloud in answer to the prayers of two priests. (ULUKAU: THE HAWAIIAN ELECTRONIC LIBRARY )
Mary Kawena Pukui, Hawaiian cultural expert said:
A drought once came there in ancient times and drove out everyone
except two aged priests. Instead of going with the others, they
remained to plead with their gods for relief. One day they saw a cloud
approaching from the ocean. It passed over the house to the cliff
behind. They heard a splash and when they ran to look, they found
water.
Because it was brought there by a cloud in answer to their prayers,
the place was named Kawaihapai (the carried water) and the water
supply was named Kawaikumu’ole (water without source).2
The Hawaiian Journal of History, vol. 30 (1996)
Kawaihapai was known for its large lo’i (irrigated terraces) and sweet potato fields as well as excellent fishing grounds. Small terraces, or mo’o ‘aina, also referred to as mo’o, were usually planted with wet-land taro and often extended along streams and ditches. Source: The moku, or districts, of O’ahu (Patrick V. Kirch and Marshall Sahlins,Anahulu: The Anthropology of History in the Kingdom of Hawaii, vol. 1 [U of Chicago P, 1992]
The naming of Waialua has several derivations. In one tradition, Waialua was named for Waia, son of Haloa and Hinamauoulu’ai and grandson of Wakea. (Samuel Manaiakalani Kamakau, Tales and Traditions of the People of Old (Honolulu: Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum P, 1991)
Other sources refer to lua as meaning the two rivers, Kaukonahua and Poamoho, that flow into Kaiaka Bay. Waialua was named after the lo’i (irrigated terrace) near Kaukonahua Stream and
close to the former Halstead residence and sugar mill. (Paul T. Yardley, Millstones and Milestones: The Career of B. F. Dillingham (Honolulu: UP of Hawaii, 1981) 193.
Connect in the comments below or on Voyaging Foods Facebook:
What is the history of where you live?
What is the meaning behind the name of the street or town that you live in?
]]>These farmers are not only growing food but growing soil.
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Instead of talking about gluten-free flours we like to introduce beneficial alternatives to wheat flour.
Transitioning to a gluten-free lifestyle can be daunting, especially if you have no experience or knowledge of gluten-free living. It can be difficult to figure out what you should buy, what you can make, what you have to order, and on top of that, it can be really expensive.
I have lived a gluten-free lifestyle for several years now and have some insight as to what works for my family, and I would like to share some of my findings.
The first major thing to change when going gluten-free is flour. Most of the flour used in the United States is wheat flour–which is exactly what gluten intolerant people cannot have. This wheat flour can be found in bread, crackers, soups, sauces, pizza, protein shakes, cookies, pastries, and many more food items that you may not even know have flour in them!
So to help with the transition, we have included a list of some of our favorite foods that can be made into flour to replace the wheat flour in your diet.
Enjoy!
Flour |
description |
Almond |
(Prunus amygdalus) Sweet edible nut ground may be used alone or in combination with other flours. |
Amaranth Flour |
(Amarnathaceae) Made from the seed of the amaranth plant. It is high in protein making it a nutritious alternative. It is also known as African spinach, Chinese spinach, Indian spinach, elephant’s ear. |
Arrowroot Flour or Pia |
(Maranta aruninacea) Flour is ground from the root of the plant and is very useful as a thickener. It does not contribute flavor. The fine powder becomes clear when it is cooked. It can substitute for corn starch. In Hawaii, Pia is best known for its fine nutritious starch, which is extracted from the round tuber, the underground root |
Jerusalem Artichoke |
(Cynara scolymus) Dried and ground into flour, it can be combined with rice flour for production of baked foods. |
Brown Rice Flour |
(Oryza sativa) Flour is milled from unpolished brown rice, so it has higher fiber content than white rice flour. It has a grainy texture and a slightly nutty taste. Due to its heavier nature, it is often used in combination with other ingredients. |
Buckwheat Flour |
(Fagopyrum esculetum) Flour is made from the small seeds of the plant. It has a strong nutty taste, so it needs to be combined with other ingredients to avoid it from being overpowering. It is also known as beech wheat, kasha or sarracen corn. |
Chestnut |
(Castanea dentate) Smooth-shelled, sweet, edible nut can be milled into flour. Does not bind well. |
Chickpea Flour |
(Cicer arietinum) Flour has a strong nutty taste. It can be used on its own. It is also known as gram, besam or garbanzo flour. |
|
|
Corn Meal |
(Zea mays) Ground from corn, meal is heavier than corn flour. |
Flaxseed |
(Linum usitatissimum) Seed of ancient medicinal herbs can be ground into a meal or used in whole seed form. |
Kudzu |
(Pueraria lobata) Roots of a leguminous Asian plant yield a starchy powdered thickener. Leaves and stems are also edible. |
Legumes, Leguminous Plants |
This family includes peanuts, lentils, peas, soybeans, channa and chickpeas. These can be ground into flour and combined with different ingredients. |
Potato Flour |
(Solanum tuberosum) Root vegetable yields a heavy flour with strong potato flavor |
Potato Starch |
(Solanum tuberosum) Fine white powder has a light potato flavor that is generally undetectable in the final product |
Quinoa Flour |
(Chenopodium quinoa) Plant belongs to the spinach and beet family. It has been used as a cereal in South American traditional products for more than 5,000 years. It is a good source of protein. |
Sago |
(Cycas revoluta) Starch is extracted from tropical plants and pressed into flour. Can be used as a thickener. |
Sesame |
(Sesamum indicum) Seeds can be ground into flour. |
Sorghum Flour |
(Sorghum sp.) Flour is ground from the sorghum grain. Sorghum is an important staple in Africa and India and is generally used to make flatbreads. |
Sweet Potato or ‘Uala |
The tuber is a carbohydrate. A good source of Vitamin A, calcium and phosphorus |
Tapioca Flour |
(Manihot esculenta) Light, soft, fine white flour is made from the root of the cassava plant. |
Taro Flour |
(Colocasia esculenta) Flour is processed from a starchy tropical root that is the only crop in the world with a ban against it being genetically modified. Good source of fiber, iron, vitamin B6, and vitamin E. the least allergenic of majority of food crops.
*Ancestral Taro Powder from Voyaging Foods is a certified gluten-free beneficial starch from Hawaiian varieties. |
White Rice Flour |
(Oryza sativa) Milled from polished white rice, it has a very bland flavor and light texture. |
*Ancestral Taro Powder
*adapted from from BakingBusiness.com; the grain-based foods information site.
Regenerative. What does this mean?
There are a lot of buzz words and trends in food and agriculture right now. Some say the food industry is seeing a similar “gold rush” type of hype.
Everyone has an opinion about what diet is better than another and what type of food to avoid. Interestingly, many food entrepreneurs have popped up around these issues. Problems or “gaps” in the marketplace have created much opportunity. And there are certainly a lot of problems in the business of food – which means there are a lot of new food products and companies popping up.
All this attention on diets, GMO’s and how food is made brings the awareness back to the root of the issue and that is to the place and person growing your food.
Learning to grow food wherever you live is a viable option today. There are many “living wall” and container gardens that allow food to be grown in small spaces and urban areas.
I started growing taro in planter boxes and herbs in pots as an urban dweller to get a better understanding on what it means to grow your own food.
Now that we’ve moved onto a 7-acre agricultural estate, this desire to grow our own food just got real.
We’ve started with a “kitchen garden” planned for vegetables and fruits to feed our family. The kids are encouraged to participate in every step. They shoveled the organic soil that will be used to grow their food.
Tomatoes, both purple and orange sweet potatoes, taro, eggplant, green onions and basil are planted for now.
I’ve started incubating some Dinosaur Kale seed from Seeds of Change since a critter has been eating our kale in the kitchen garden. These seedlings will be transferred to raised beds in the planned greenhouse to eliminate the slugs and unknown kale muncher.
This regenerative way of planting and growing food includes “processes that restore, renew or revitalize their own sources of energy and materials, creating sustainable systems that integrate the needs of society with the integrity of nature.”-Wikipedia.
The idea to work with the laws of nature has been a no-brainer. Learning from my mentors at The Sustainable Living Department at Maharishi University of Management see link here (https://www.mum.edu/sustainable-living) has taught me to go beyond sustainability and how to create new growth using a Deep Ecology holistic approach. They are currently the #4 ranked Environmental Science University in the US (link).
Next on our list is to plant fruit trees, test our soil and get the larger part of the property ready for planting canoe plants! I’ve signed up for a Permaculture class and will be writing about my journey from an urban dweller to caretaking this agricultural estate.
This IslandWyse editorial space has been a way to document bridging our lifestyle between the rugged allure of an upcountry agricultural estate without some urban conveniences. The process of learning how to be more self-sustaining has always intrigued me….Watch us grow.
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Explore the outdoors to learn more about ourselves. This quote says it best:
Nature reminds us what it means to be human, what we are connected to rather than what we are separate from.
Over the past few months, there has been many people, places and things that have inspired me. I plan to take this space to reflect on what I have found and learned from these experiences and what action I put forth from thought.
My intent as a social entrepreneur is to be a light to others either interested in starting a holistic business or making better health and wellness choices. Be true to who you are in all things.
I didn’t grow up in Hawaii nor did I know I had Hawaiian ancestry until I was 7 years old. But, there was always a rumbling inside to feel self-reliant, something the native Hawaiians excelled at.
Being aware (not perfect) has been my lesson over the past few years. Specifically, to reconnect to a culture I wasn’t privileged to grow up with. I have been on a life-long journey to access those memories and stories of ancestors before.
Why are these stories and memories important? Why be so sentimental?
There is no one race or culture superior to another. We all must connect with a strong sense of our own individuality. In that connection we realize familiarities and see we are not separate.
How do you move beyond the fact that the native Hawaiians had a vast and sophisticated knowledge of the land’s natural resources and not tap into that resource?
The Hawaiian knowledge is passed down by song, chant and even dreams and is accessible to those that seek it. Reconnecting to this ancestral knowledge and memories of old holds many keys to the future. I choose to use this resource as a foundation for my holistic business based on wellness for our community and for my family.
Here are some of the work I have become aware lately of on this process of redefining what a holistic, passion based-business means to me:
1. Notice the details and the process. Place the emphasis on the journey rather than the destination. Celebrate the small steps and redefine what success looks like.
2. Strive to be outside of normal comfort zones to open up new ideas and opportunities. Getting outside into unfamiliar scenery can put a new perspective on old ideas, allowing to see things in a new way and “stuck thoughts” become free.
3. Set up a support system of like-minded individuals. Search out inspirational people you know (or even ones you don’t know) and put into practice what is working for them until you find what works for you. For example, I recently attended a workshop at The Chopra Center. Through this resource, there is a connection of people interested in learning more about life in balance, the same ideas that frame my interests.
4. Don’t take anything too serious and always enjoy the view.
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Are canoe plants the ancient grains of Polynesia?
Canoe plants can be likened to the ancient grains of Polynesia because similarly to ancient grains such as teff and quinoa, they are the traditional crop that has sustained an island nation for thousands of years.
Ancient grains have been the nutrition buzz word and the food trend added to cereals, breads and pasta products seen the last few years. The term “ancient grain” refers to a group of grains and seeds grains such as quinoa, amaranth, spelt, millet, teff, sorghum, and buckwheat and have been staples in their native cultures for centuries. Utilizing nutrient-dense food is healthier and it’s important to consume food from a variety of sources.
Canoe plants, like grains, are also nutritious as well as naturally gluten-free. Our goal is to make canoe plants more available to consumers.
From a nutritional standpoint, canoe plants are high-fiber starches, tubers, plants and seeds and rich in plant-based protein and a variety of minerals such as iron, manganese, magnesium, vitamin B6, and potassium.
Try using sweet potato in mashed potatoes or Ancestral Taro Powder in gravy {see recipe here}, soups or stews {recipe here}.
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Charcuterie cheese boards are a simple “no make” yet perfect appetizer to serve at any meal times or parties.
Offering alternative food items for guests with allergies such as goat cheese, vegan cheese, and gluten-free crackers are just as tasty as most wheat and dairy counterparts.
Cheese and charcuterie boards are a “no-make” yet do-it-yourself dish that are easier than you think.
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Every first week of the month, a new artisan, creative or healthy & local food enthusiast will be taking over our social media to show us a week-in-their-life.
This May, Susie of @longrunergy is taking us to places we’ve never seen! Check out Voyaging Foods social media accounts here and here to get in on the conversation.
Hi, I’m Susie and I write about running and yoga, on my website.
But it’s more about ‘the long run lifestyle’ and how we can work towards staying happy & healthy for more than a few days, weeks or months, but for the long run.
Yoga and running are both free and accessible forms of exercise that enable us to celebrate, explore and live creatively, energetically – building strength, health and fitness so we can get the best out of life. In the words of Tao Porchon Lynch, the world’s oldest yoga teacher:
“There is nothing you cannot do.”
In addition to feeling fitter and healthier personally, LRY is also about giving something back to our support system, the environment. Once we feel connected internally, maybe after a spot of running & yoga, we can connect externally with everything outside around us – and yes, I’m sounding like a hippy now. But seriously – do what you can – get outside, recycle & reuse, be a wise consumer and breathe deeply. LRY is simply about moving and doing, so we can meet the full potential of each & every day.
At the time my naïve self would have told you I was a swimmer. But with just one look at my shoulders you would have known otherwise. Luckily, I loved running and it seemed to like me. As an undergraduate student at Newcastle University in England I discovered yoga – and basically have been doing a mixture of the two ever since. I spent two great years as a graduate student at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff from 2000-2002, running competitively with the cross-country and track programs, but then took a few years off from serious running to travel and work. In 2011 I started a blog about yoga and running as I started marathon training, which in turn developed in to a website. This site is where I now share a few insights from the world of running and yoga, which combined have helped me to stay sane, learn, travel and meet incredible people!
Taro was first introduced to me in the spring of 2011, during a work trip to the island of Tutuila, American Samoa. My husband and I stayed in a village where our neighbors would share their Sunday meal with us. The spread included baked chunks of taro covered in a savory coconut sauce served with fish and bananas that had all been cooked in an ‘umu’ or earth oven. To me, it was the Pacific version of an English Sunday lunch, just replace the meat, potatoes, vegetables and gravy with your tropical alternative et voila!
Prior to my Samoan experience of taro I had discovered the root vegetable in Hawaii – where taro – Kalo – is a symbol of life’s inherent connectedness. The first Polynesians to settle the islands carried kalo in their voyaging canoes – and Hawaiian legend tells the story of how every person of Hawaiian descent is related to the kalo plant.
Samoa had piqued my interest in taro, and when we landed back on Hawaii in the fall of 2011 I was determined to learn more. I had also started running on the trails of the Ko’olau mountains of Oahu, which, being very demanding, required extra energy in the form of sugary energy gels and bars. Harking back to days of cold cross-country running in the UK, I remembered how my Mum would bake a type of granola bar, which we called ‘Flapjacks’ that fuelled many a growing teenager, and adults alike. And so, working on the theory that taro was a simple carbohydrate (with a yet chocked with vitamins and minerals, I decided to try and make a Hawaiian version of the flapjack – using a taro flour. A period of trial and error began, but it was great fun – experimenting in the kitchen with various ingredients – some more traditionally ‘Hawaiian’ than others, such as pineapple!
I began making not only taro based energy bars, but taro cookies, and mixed taro with mashed banana, spirulina and also added it to bread recipes. Fast forward to 2015 and I now bake with taro at every opportunity!
The point is that taro is a versatile, easy-to-use and incredibly ‘good-for-you’ product. I know this is not ‘news’ to Hawaiians, and people who have never stopped using taro, or eating pa’i’ai or poi. But it was news to me – an implant from England with an interest in everything life has to offer.
When I found Voyaging Foods taro flour I was stoked! Here is a company who grow taro and mill flour on a small-scale, are locally owned and managed – and have a similar outlook on the importance of non-imported, home-grown products. I can’t wait to start testing more Voyaging Foods products to create recipes and make nutritious, energy packed goods that I can take out onto the beaches and trails.
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