Honolulu Weekly

Ono Mao Mark your calendars and get your tickets now for Mao Farms’ 5th annual fundraiser at the Hawaii State Art Museum, September 5th from 6pm–9pm. Tickets are $125 ($100 is tax-deductable). Silent and live auctions, local cuisine by Ed Kenney and company and music by Kupaaina are all included in the tab. Mao is expanding with an additional 11 acres of prime ag land, which will provide room for new facilities and more dirt to increase fruit and veggie yields. This event usually sells out early, so reserve your tickets now. Contact [email: wei] for more information or get your tickets at [bit.ly].

Signs of the times… Cafe Laufer is now closed two days a week, Monday and Tuesday. Try JJ’s down the block for great sweets if Laufer is closed. Donato’s Basta Pasta at Restaurant Row has moved to dinner just two nights a week–Friday and Saturday.

Yeehaw The 37th annual State Farm Fair at Bishop Museum was a hopping success with huge crowds, good local grinds, cute chicks and pigs. Over 13,000 people attended. Coffee tastings were a big hit, along with Kauai taro. Parking continues to be the limiting factor–here’s to hoping that that can be resolved before next summer.

Upping the ante Slow Food USA is pushing for changes in the national Child Nutrition Act, which provides funds for school lunches. The goal is to get better, fresher, local food in our public school cafeterias. A series of Eat-Ins and petition drives have been set up for Oahu and in most of the 49 other states. Kokua Foundation is taking the lead locally and plans to have at least two big Eat-In events over the Labor Day weekend. If you would like to take part, please contact [email: kaliko]. –