Ige Declares May 23 “Edible Hawaiian Islands Farm Day”

By Vanessa Wolf

A bowl of mangos. Photo by Vanessa Wolf

Governor David Ige has declared May 23 edible Hawaiian Islands Farm Day.

More than just a feather in the award-winning magazine’s cap, the public is invited to “jump on the proverbial ‘farm wagon’ by visiting a farm and tagging any and all social media posts with the hashtag #eHIFarmDay15.”

The individual efforts give Hawaiian farmers their 15 minutes by creating a common  (cyber) space where they can be identified, recognized and supported.

“Supporting local agriculture has gained traction over the years resulting in more ag tours on farms to educate the public and keep them connected to agriculture,” remarks Hawaiʻi AgriTourism Association Executive Director Lani Weigert, ” More and more, local & global communities want to know their farmer, know how their food is grown and how to prepare it.  Farm fresh food is a major part of this movement and Farm Day showcases this as well as the talents of our Hawaiʻi chefs too. I hope many will visit farms or shop at local farmers markets in celebration of Farm Day in Hawaiʻi. I know I will!”

Just a year old, the inaugural 2014 edible Hawaiian Islands Farm Day social media event saw nearly three million impressions of images depicting everything from “cradling a just-plucked mango to inhaling the refreshing fragrance of lavender.”

“True to eHI’s mission, Farm Day is a celebration of our family farmers and food producers, including their dedication to providing us with the highest quality of fresh and seasonal foods,” remarked edible Hawaiian Islands Publisher Dania Katz, “because the variety of micro-climates in Hawai’i enables year-round cultivation of both tropical and temperate plants, we’re excited to see a connection in the diversity of subject matter linked to the diversity of our eHI community. Watching these posts come in is such a thrill.”

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If you’d like to participate in giving Katz a thrill,

• Pick up the Spring issue of edible Hawaiian Islands magazine or download the Farm Guide for a listing of agricultural producers from across the islands.
• Shop at a farmers’ market, visit a farm, take a farm tour or work on a farm on May 23, 2015.
• Share your experiences on Facebook, Instagram and/ or Twitter using the hashtag#EHIFarmDay15.

Just like looking at pretty pictures of farmers and their wares? Now you know.