If you know Oʻahu farmer Gabe Sachter-Smith, you know he’s bananas for bananas. He started studying the fruit when he was 14 years old.
After growing up in Colorado, he attended the University of Hawaiʻi and earned his master's degree in tropical agriculture with a focus on — you guessed it — bananas.
Today, he's the owner of Hawaii Banana Source, an organic farm on the North Shore.
He is the featured speaker at the Banana Festival in Waimea Valley on Saturday, Oct. 21. He'll share his knowledge of banana culinary lore, botanical history, banana diversity, and best-growing practices.
Did you know that about 50% of the bananas grown in the world are Cavendish bananas?
"Even here in Hawaiʻi, where we have the opportunity to grow a lot, the majority of bananas consumed in state are imported Cavendish. For local production, Apple, also called Brazilian or pome or prata, is a really popular one," Sachter-Smith said.
"I'm an equal banana opportunist. There's a place for Cavendish. But really, we're going to show everybody the world of bananas."
Sachter-Smith is also an expert at helping people plant the best type of banana tree for their needs whether that's fruit production, wind protection or medicinal use.
"I like to think that for every banana out there, there's a unique, highest purpose for it. And I want to find out what it is and kind of be a matchmaker," he told HPR.
This interview aired on The Conversation on Oct. 19, 2023. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. on HPR-1. Sophia McCullough adapted this interview for the web.
