Best farmers markets on the Big Island - Hawaii (HI) -The Island of Hawaii - Page 2 - City-Data Forum

JoDan · 03-08-2011, 05:21 AM

Thanks for the wonderful info. We're growing more excited each day as our travel gets closer. Glad to hear the market in Naalehu is a good one. We'll be staying nearby.

Dreaming of Hawaii · 03-08-2011, 11:11 AM

JoDan, I live near Naalehu. If you have any specific questions about the area, feel free to send me a private message.

OpenD · 03-08-2011, 12:10 PM

D o H, here's another one for your list... a friend just sent this to me, I haven't been yet. It's on Highway 11 in Puna, halfway between Hilo and Volcano...

SATURDAYS, 8 AM - NOON, HILO COFFEE MILL FARMER'S MARKET AT THE 13-MI MARKER OF HWY 11 (VOLCANO HWY) IN MOUNTAIN VIEW. A small market with BIG Aloha and great farm-fresh breakfasts. Check their website to see their vendors and specials: Hilo Coffee Mill - Paradise in your cup!

Vaedrem · 03-08-2011, 09:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OpenD

Yeah, and I'd say if you've only seen the Hilo Market (which seems to have at least some stalls open every day now) you find unexpected treats at some of the smaller markets. Fresh local rambutans and raw cocoa nibs, for instance. Macadamia nuts from the growers. Fresh nutmegs! (You have to ripen them and dry them before grinding) Pastries with passionfruit icing. Wildharvested poha berries. "Perfume flowers" to dry and place in clothes drawers to make them smell nice. Pink lemons! Orange limes! Asian fruits and veggies you never saw before... or even suspected!

Another thing i like about the local markets is that over time you get to know the vendors and learn which ones are for real, and which ones are shucking and jiving... like the vendor who claims his mangos are local, when you can see the shipping cartons under his table that prove they're from Costa Rica.

It is good to know who is an actual vegetable farmer, who harvested the bananas you're buying as opposed to just reselling items which, yes, might not even be from the islands. The farmers have better more interesting products, care about their food more, and I've found that when you revisit weekly, you get to know them and they give you special discounts sometimes.

I'm sure it is also a must to be sure of where the baked goods are coming from.

hotzcatz · 03-08-2011, 10:00 PM

The Hilo Coffee mill farmer's market is pretty adamant about the items being locally produced.

henry1 · 03-08-2011, 11:14 PM

So with the big island beening a bigger island of the chain do they have a larger meet up with all the vendor's on the island get togerther do a market set up ..

OpenD · 03-09-2011, 01:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by henry1

So with the big island beening a bigger island of the chain do they have a larger meet up with all the vendor's on the island get togerther do a market set up ..

No, it's a big enough island that most vendors tend to stay in their own district. With a 2 - 2 1/2 hour transit time, for the most part Puna side doesn't go to Kona, and vice versa, although there is obviously some swapping going on. For instance, two guys that locally grow and sell fresh herbs (yeah, right) like basil, mint, cilantro here in my nabe also sell tomatoes from Waimea. Suits me fine. They go well together.

henry1 · 03-09-2011, 11:48 AM

Thank's for the info there

hotzcatz · 03-10-2011, 01:47 PM

Yup, gas is so expensive and places are so far apart that we don't get to the other side of the island very often at all. Haven't been to Southpoint yet this year. Got as far as Volcano, that's within fifty miles of it, though. Some years we won't make it all the way around the island at all. So farmers who are trying to sell things at a profit don't have enough production to support driving a farm truck several hundred miles away to get the produce to market.