Kona Farmers Grow Some of World's Largest Fruit

  This month we’ve been focusing on a number of groups celebrating big milestone anniversaries.

For the Bamboo Ridge Press, this marks its 40th year.

We sat down recently with Gail Harada to talk about the milestone for this local group and the community support behind its success. and a new book it launches tomorrow.

Tis’ the season to buy local. Campaigns encouraging holiday shoppers to support local businesses are in high gear. But for one of Hawai’i’s few remaining locally-owned grocery chains “buy local” is a year-round effort, and has been for nearly three decades. What started out as a strategy to help the local workforce transition after sugar plantations started shutting down has now become one of the most successful buy local campaigns in the islands. HPR reporter Ku’uwehi Hiraishi has this story.

Denise Yamaguchi is Chief Executive Officer of the Hawai‘i Food & Wine Festival, which has events across the state. She has helped to raise more than $2 million for culinary education and agricultural programs. The festivalʻs mission supports future chefs and helps to create markets for local crops.