‘Taste’ Offers Lineup of 13 Classroom Activities

The Taste of the Hawaiian Range is just around the corner and classroom activities have been planned to educate Big Island residents about different subjects such as:

• What’s being done to combat invasive species?
• How does Smart Yields help growers?
• What do you need to know about the Food Safety Modernization Act?
• Why does organic matter matter in soil?

Find out these answers and more during indoor classroom presentations Saturday, Sept. 29 at Taste of the Hawaiian Range in Waimea. The 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. seminars with questions and answers, demonstrations, an exhibit and movie screening, cover a wide range of agricultural and culinary topics in the Mana Christian ‘Ohana classroom facility.

Taste of the Hawaiian Range. Courtesy photo.

Presentations are open to the public and also geared to members of the agricultural and culinary industry. All are free, with the exception of the Cooking 101 demonstration with sampling.

Seminars run concurrent to the 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Taste of the Hawaiian Range Agriculture Festival at the adjacent YMCA Minuke Ole Park, located behind Parker Ranch Center. The daytime educational activities culminate with the evening Taste of the Hawaiian Range Gala, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Mana Christian ‘Ohana Hall.

Other classroom topics include the latest in federal worker protection standards for proper pesticide use and safety, cutting-edge GMO research and technology involving CRISPR-Cas 9, Hawai‘i tea production, best-use practices for beef carcass utilization, University of Hawai‘i research involving locally produced organic fertilizers and organic matter in soil.

In addition, there will be an all-day exhibit of invasive species and the screening of the movie, “Food Evolution.” Find the full lineup and times of seminars posted online.

During the Cooking 101 demonstration, Chef Edwin Goto of The Village Burger and Noodle Shop will share how to use an immersion circulator appliance for the technique known as sous vide cooking. He is preparing beef flank steak and pork belly. Tickets, which include sampling, are $10 and can be purchased at the door or online.

Tickets for the evening Taste of the Hawaiian Range Gala, featuring 20 culinary stations 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Mana Christian ‘Ohana Hall, are $50 online and at Parker Ranch Store; $60 at the door if available. For ticket info, visit online.

Mana Christian ‘Ohana is located behind Parker Ranch Center at 67-1182 Lindsey Road. For more event information, visit online or contact Gina, (808) 322-4892.

Taste of the Hawaiian Range and Agriculture Festival provides a venue for sustainable agricultural education, plus encouragement and support of locally produced ag products. The quality and growth of this event are rooted in business participation, sponsorship and in-kind donations. It is supported by the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo; College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa; County of Hawai‘i Department of Research & Development; Hawai‘i Community College; UHH College of Agriculture, Forestry & Natural Resource Management; Hawai‘i Beef Producers; Hawai‘i Cattlemen’s Association; Hawai‘i Cattlemen’s Council; Hawai‘i Farm & Food magazine; Hawai‘i Farm Bureau; Kamehameha Schools Land Asset Division; Kulana Foods; and Pacific Media Group – KBIG, KAPA, The Beat.

Volunteers and sponsors are welcomed; contact Dr. Russell Nagata at rtnagata@gmail.com. For more information, visit online.