‘Digging Deeper’: Fruit growers, Food preservers to host back-to-back annual conferences in Hilo

Two statewide organizations that promote the production and use of local produce are “Digging Deeper,” as their theme says, during separate back-to-back annual conferences — which are open to the public — at Hilo Hawaiian Hotel.

Hawai‘i Master Food Preservers debuts its first conference Oct. 23, with the 35th Hawai‘i Tropical Fruit Growers Conference to follow Oct. 24-26.

“The food preservers conference is a great opportunity for budding entrepreneurs to discover our evolving local food cottage industry,” said Hawai‘i Tropical Fruit Growers Executive Director and Hawai‘i Master Food Preservers President Ken Love in an announcement about the upcoming events. “Those wishing to sell their canned, pickled, fermented, dehydrated and frozen products to retail stores, online and farmers markets should attend.”

The 1-day Hawai‘i Master Food Preservers gathering will include PRESENTATIONS AND INFORMATION ABOUT:

• Value-added product development and food safety.
• New state cottage industry laws.
• Updates from U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center and Maui Innovation Center.

Headlining the gathering is National Center for Home Food Preservation Director Carla Schwan and Derek Kurisu of KTA, who is a champion of fostering Hawai‘i food sustainability.

A panel will also discuss current successful preserved food products.

The 2025 Hawai‘i Tropical Fruit Growers Conference offers a full lineup of educational offerings, including growing dwarf trees and creating healthy soil and quality crops.

A trade show and the popular fruit tasting will be joined this year by discussions covering agricultural theft, new local research and legislative updates.

Yoshimi Yonemoto will present the keynote: “Pruning, Pollination and Predictions to Produce More Fruit.”

Yoshimi is from Kagoshima, Japan, and the former director of the Japanese Government Tropical Fruit Research stations. He will show how these three practices are the creating points that enable more fruit production for any species in Hawai‘i.

Attendees are then invited Oct. 26 to tour a selection of local farms.

The fruit growers annual gathering is geared toward farmers, educators, orchard managers and proponents of sustainable agriculture.

Visit Hawai‘i Master Food Preservers online and Hawai‘i Tropical Fruit Growers website to view speaker lineups and activities for each conference.

Hilo Hawaiian Hotel is located at 71 Banyan Drive in Hilo.