Honolulu Weekly

MAO Organic Farms / So you’re jumping on the eating-local bandwagon. You support your favorite local restaurants, you buy only fruits and veggies that were grown in Hawaii and you wouldn’t be caught dead near any place with a drive-through window.

What about taking it a step farther–and investing in local food and local agriculture before the crops are even harvested? That’s the intent behind a new community-supported agriculture program at Waianae’s MAO Organic Farms.

Due to the rise of urbanization, importation and the use of pesticides, communities around the world have formed cooperative partnerships to fund farming. CSAs, or community-supported agricultural programs, are popping up across the United States.

How it works

Typically, a consumer purchases a “share,” which could be a month or even a whole season’s worth of products, from a particular farm. Each week, the consumer receives a box, bag or basket, full of fresh products. These products vary depending on what is seasonally available on that farm and can even include meats, bread, baked goods and honey.

CSAs have been thriving in cities all over the U.S. since the 1980s, with thousands nationwide (and possibly more, as they aren’t regulated by the government). Even in areas with short growing seasons, consumers are ready and willing to fork over their dough to participate. Here in Hawaii, we are blessed with arable land and perhaps the world’s most temparate climate, which produce the some of the best quality organic fruits and veggies available.

There is also some shared risk involved. If a swarm of insects decides to visit the farm that week, customers might not have a whole lot to work with. On other hand, if conditions produce an unexpected bounty, boxes will be correspondingly flush.

The local angle

As articulated by Robyn Van En, a leading CSA advocate, “The main goal…of these community supported projects is to develop participating farms to their highest ecologic potential and to develop a network that will encourage and allow other farms to become involved.”

This concept benefits the farmers who rise before the sun to pick these products. Financial stability allows the farmer to really focus on quality and planning. It allows the farmers and consumers to connect and get to know each other as well. The consumer gets the freshest possible product available, which in turn is tastier and healthier.

MAO Organic Farms has begun a CSA box share and has been running a beta program with a small customer base since late last year. Starting February 1, the full-scale program will be launched, with a minimum eight-week subscription for $256 plus tax, with price discounts for long-term dedication. There is also a one time, non-refundable “box fee” for a reusable plastic box that your goodies will come in. An e-commerce Web site will handle all the subscribers activities and payments.

According to MAO’s Wei Fang, boxes will be delivered every Monday to two different pick-up locations, one in Waianae and one in Honolulu. Depending on the growing season, boxes may contain some of the following certified organic fruits and veggies: arugula, baby romaine, oak leaf lettuce, mizuna, mustard greens, tat soi, bok choy, basil, cilantro, curly Swiss chard, rainbow chard, beets, daikon, radish, turnips, Italian and Japanese eggplant, Haden and Kiett mangos, Meyer lemons, Tahitian limes and assortments of baby lettuces like MAO’s famous “Sassy Mix” of baby greens.

In September 2008, Fang says, MAO purchased an additional 11 acres of land on its Waianae farm, where it plans to expand its operation with the growth of crops like: beans, peas, fennel, cucumber, tomato, pumpkin, sweet potato, corn and bananas. Included in each box will be an insert detailing each week’s contents, recipes and any new and exciting things happening on the farm.

A personal touch

I was lucky enough to be a guinea pig for the first four weeks of glorious produce, each day experimenting with new recipes. Because everything was fresh- picked, it lasted much longer than grocery store produce. I had such an abundance that I was able to share with friends and family members. My favorite dish involved using almost all local products: whole wheat toast topped with sautéed zucchini and garlic, arugula, poached Ka Lei egg and a Meyer lemon hollandaise.