Haleiwa Farmers Market marks one year of green living, community collaboration

HALEIWA—Over 3,000 visitors attended the Haleiwa Farmers Market (HFM) last week in celebration of the market’s first birthday. Vendors and shoppers alike wore lei in the spirit of celebration, and birthday cake donated by Turtle Bay Resort was enjoyed as the feeling of aloha circulated through the crowd on the sunny Sunday. The market’s first anniversary was marked with a Hawaiian blessing and several new vendors who said they were “testing the waters” for their products.

“We are just so grateful for the support, so so grateful,” said Pamela Boyar, market co-founder and manager. “We’ve grown so much in the last year thanks to community support.”

Marking the one year anniversary of the “green” market, which doesn’t permit vendors to hand out plastic bags and provides recycling bins for customers to dispose in, meant recognizing the movement in green consciousness for Oahu residents. “I think that a market this big is really representative of a change in people’s attitudes,”  said Lynn, a regular market-goer. “People are making a choice to support local producers, bring a reusable shopping bag, and still get pretty much everything you need in one place.”

According to Worldwatch.org, Americans throw away roughly 100 billion plastic bags each year, something HFM is making an effort to reduce with their no-plastic-bag policy, inspiring customers to bring their own reusable shopping bags. “Sometimes people ask me for a bag and are a little shocked when I tell them we don’t give out plastics here,” said one vendor, adding, “I see women walking around with bunches of greens sticking out of their purses. It’s pretty cool.”

There was a time when farmers markets offered only vegetables and ready-to-eat food, but HFM is referred to by several North Shore residents as the “mall of farmers markets.” On the roadside property owned by Kamehameha Schools, a visitor can buy veggies, homemade bread, grass-fed beef, organic chicken, coffee, honey, freshly pounded poi, jewelry, aloha wear, crepes, locally made pasta, and even get a massage while they get their scissors sharpened—along with a whole lot more.

“We have between forty-five to fifty vendors every Sunday,” said Boyar. The number is quite an expansion from the several “founding vendors” a year ago, which includes Island X, Lovan Farm, Sea Asparagus, Twigg Farm, Tan’s Farm, the Tin Roof Ranch, Honey Girl Organics, Le Crepe Cafe, and Doggystyle Biscuits.

Keiki Corner, a weekly section dedicated to children, is a place for the many little ones who come every Sunday to hang out and socialize. During the market’s birthday party, the corner featured a bounce house, petting zoo, face painting, and pony rides. “The jump house will be a regular thing from now on,” Boyar said.

Boyar told The Hawaii Independent that she and fellow founder Annie Suite will be opening their second farmers market in Hawaii Kai located at Kaiser High School every Saturday. The market, which is named Makeke O Maunalua, will be a “green inspired, zero waste, solar powered market.”

The new market will debut on May 22 to provide the Windward community with what the founders describe as their “vision to create a business incubator for small farmers, food manufacturers, and artisans by creating a supportive and nurturing environments, which cultivate economic growth, community health, and cultural awareness.”

An awareness of green living, sustainability, and supporting local businesses is growing in the islands and farmers markets are becoming a key element in the path to living green and buying local. Oahu residents can find and obtain a lot of their needs at the island’s many farmers markets. Below is a list of Oahu’s farmers markets from Green Magazine Hawaii, which can be picked up at the Sunday HFM.

KCC Farmers’ Market
Kapiolani Community College Campus, Parking Lot C
Saturday, 7:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

Haleiwa Farmers’ Market
Hawaii 83 & Joseph Leong Hwy., at the traffic signal on the old Kamehameha Highway at the Bypass Road on the Waimea side
Sunday, 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Honolulu Farmers’ Market
Neal S. Blaisdell Center, Ward Avenue and Kapiolani Blvd.
Wednesday, 4:00 - 7:00 p.m.

The Kailua Thursday Night Farmers’ Market
Kailua Road, Kailua Parking Garage behind Longs
Thursday, 5:00 - 7:30 p.m.

The Mililani Sunday Farmers’ Market
95-1200 Meheula Parkway, Mililani High School parking lot
Sunday, 8:00 a.m. - Noon

The Waianae Farmers’ Market
86-260 Farrington Highway, Waianae Coast Comprehensive Center
Saturday: 8:30 a.m. - Noon