Agtourism in Hawaii Conference 1999
August 1999
Keauhou Beach Hotel, Kona, HI

While Hawaii has offered various ag-related tourist attractions over the years, the conscious development of a real agtourism industry has taken place in the past two years, starting with the first Agtourism in Hawaii Conference held in August, 1999. The excitement and momentum generated at this conference resulted in the Kona Spring Blossom Festival and the development of a map of the Big Island featuring agtourism attractions.

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Agtourism Workshops Featured at "Agriculture Conference 2002"

The recent Agriculture Conference 2002 on October 24 on Oahu included two panels on Hawaii Agtourism. Approximately 300 people attended the conference at the Sheraton Waikiki, titled "Changing Times: Creating Opportunities in Agriculture." The conference was presented by the Agricultural Leadership Foundation of Hawaii, the Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation and the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources.

For more information on the conference, see http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/ctahr2001/AgConference/

The conference included two breakout sessions on specific agtourism topics: farm visits and making the farmer-chef connection. Both sessions included well-known panelists who shared their experiences and encouraged participants to look differently at agriculture-- to think of new and innovative ways to reach consumers.

"Agtourism: Creating On-Farm Experiences"
With the appropriate entrepreneurs, the right circumstances, and good planning, agtourism can succeed, reported some farmers in the business. More...

"Farmers and Chefs: Savor the Taste with a Sense of Place"
Explored the development of a strategic marketing alliance between the Pacific Asian Cuisine and Hawaii’s farmers and chefs for their mutual economic benefit. More...

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The Slow Food Movement Comes to Hawaii

The Slow Food movement, a powerful and fast-growing international movement promoting the appreciation of locally-grown food, the desire to support diversity in food ingredients, and other related philosophies, is gaining ground in Hawaii.

Many of its ideas are in alignment with agtourism. The philosophy behind Slow Food is best described by the organization's article Our Philosophy at http://www.slowfood.com/eng/sf_cose/sf_cose_filosofia.lasso. The movement began in Italy and has spread across the globe, and Hawaii is now beginning to explore its own relationship to the Slow Food Movement. For more information on the Slow Food movement, see www.slowfood.com. For the USA site, see http://www.slowfoodusa.org/.

Slow Food Hawaii

Slow Food Hawaii is the statewide chapter of Slow Food. For more information, contact Nan Piianaia, Slow Food Hawaii Convivium Leader, at nap2@flex.com or at 808-885-6085.

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The Kona Spring Blossom Festival 2000 and 2001
With the theme "Gifts from the Land," the Spring Blossom Festival in April 2000 and again in 2001 celebrated Kona's natural beauty and local-style cuisine with a month long series of events kicked off by an Art and Photo Competition its first year.For full reports, see the Spring Blossom Festival 2000 and the Spring Blossom Festival 2001.

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