Waipa Foundation
In ancient Hawaii ahupua’a were sustainable communities of land, water, and people. Waipa, on the North Shore of Kauai, sustained a significant community of Hawaiians who grew kalo and other crops. Several ‘auwai systems (water irrigation) were used for kalo growing in the Waipa valley through the 1860′s. Rice was then grown and milled between the 1860′s and 1940′s, followed by ranching through the 1980′s.
The Waipa Foundation is restoring these 1,600 acres as a learning and community center for the preservation, perpetuation, and practice of Hawaiian culture. It is a place where Hawaiians can renew ties to the ‘aina (land), and to restore the health of natural resources and native ecosystems of the ahupua’a. The land is rich with resources, including 1,400 acres of lowland conservation forest, 120 acres of agricultural land, 22 acres of coastal land along Hanalei bay, and its own perennial stream.
The non-profit foundation envisioned a valley in which streams would always flow uninterrupted from the mountains to the ocean, allowing migrating native fish to flourish. They dreamed of ‘ohana returning to farm native crops, gather medicinal plants, and support their families from the land. They imagined children learning their culture, and ‘olelo Hawai’i (Hawaiian language) would be spoken throughout the valley.
The Waipa Foundation welcomes lifelong learners to participate in various cultural and ‘aina based programs and projects, and to share what they do, and how they do it. They also provide various programs for keiki on farming, cultural practice, vegetables, and poi. They feed families from all over Kaua’i, and welcome customers and vendors to a weekly farmers market. They are managing and restoring native forests, a fishpond, wetland, native plant communities, kalo farming areas, and a stream. Waipa is an example of the perpetuation of Hawaiian culture, lifestyle, economy, and ‘ohana by just doing it.
Paepae o Heeia
Paepae o He’eia is a fishpond on the Island of Oahu that was constructed over 600 years ago by the residents of the He’eia ahupua’a. It is a loko kuapā (walled fishpond) and is unique because the 1.3 mile wall completely encircles the pond. The 88 acre pond is fed by He’eia Stream and Kāne’ohe Bay with a depth of two to five feet and six sluice gates (mākāhā) that control the flow of both fresh and salt water into the pond. These mākāhā are divided equally between the mauka (mountain-side) and makai (seaward) sides of the wall, to bring in salt and fresh water to a brackish environment, ideal for the cultivation of fish.
Fishponds were originally created by ali’i (chiefs) as stocking ponds to raise fish and provide for easy access to fish during the winter months when deep sea fishing was dangerous. Kua (from kuapā) means backbone or support, and is fitting since this 1.3 mile wall also ranges in width from 10 to 14 feet. It was constructed using pōhaku (basalt rock) and ko`a (coral) obtained from adjacent reefs. This unique natural resource provides fish, including pualu, moi, ‘awa, kaku, papio, ‘ama’ama, and crabs like sāmoan, mo’ala, kuhonu, ala’eke, ‘alamihi, and limu (seaweed) gracilaria salicornia, acantophera spicifera.
The friends of Paepae o He’eia are dedicated to the return of sustainability using this ancient fishpond which was considered an engineering feat in its day. If you would like to be a part of preserving this fishpond, they are always looking for volunteers to help in their restoration efforts – from scholarship recipients working off service hours to researchers to employee staff development participants. The best way to educate students about the fishpond is to involve them in the process of bringing it back to life through activities like rebuilding the wall, removing invasive limu, predator fish, and mangroves, aquaculture activities, native plant propagation, lo‘i (taro terrace) restoration, and stream restoration.
Hawaii Organic Beer
Hawaii’s first and only certified organic beer makes its debut. Kona Brewing Company’s Oceanic Organic Saison will begin appearing in 22-ounce bottles. The organic beer is a Belgian style ale that was brewed with all organic malt, fermented with a custom blend of Belgian yeast strains and spiced with an abundance of organic hops, organic coriander and grains of paradise. The straw-colored unfiltered beer has a crisp, dry, quenching flavor and distinctive spicy aroma balanced by a rustic hop flavor. The Hawaiian fish hook (makau) on the label symbolizes power, prosperity and good fortune.
Kona Brewing Company received certification to brew the organic beer from Hawaii Organic Farmers Association. Organic beer ingredients can be challenging to find and get to Hawaii, not to mention much more expensive. Brewing this organic beer is roughly six times more expensive than most of Kona Brewing Company’s more conventional beers, which are already approximately 50 percent more expensive to brew in Hawaii. Nonetheless, it has become one of their most popular pub beers. “Beyond the taste, our fans really love the fact that it’s organic!”
Kona Brewing Company was started in the spring of 1994 by a father and son team that had a dream to create fresh, local island brews made with spirit, passion, and quality. It is a Hawaii-born and Hawaii-based craft brewery that prides itself on brewing the freshest beer of exceptional quality, closest to market. This helps to minimize its carbon footprint by reducing shipping of raw materials, finished beer, and wasteful packaging materials. The company is headquartered where it began, in Kailua-Kona on Hawaii’s Big Island.
Kauai Restaurant – Roy’s Poipu Bar & Grill
Roy’s Poipu Bar & Grill on Kauai features fine seafood with a focus on delicacies from the oceans surrounding Hawaii. Nowhere else will you find a dining experience with the flavors, textures and colors found in Roy’s Hawaiian Fusion Cuisine. Combining the freshest local ingredients with European sauces and bold Asian spices, each creation leaves you with the feeling that you’ve just found paradise.
Each evening you’ll find a tantalizing range of appetizers, salads, fresh fish dishes, and desserts… Sushi appetizers like Auntie Lei’s Aloha Roll, spicy tuna topped with hamachi, salmon, avocado & ginger ponzu. Maui Wowie Shrimp Salad with capers, sweet onions, crumbled feta cheese and caper lime vinaigrette. Fresh fish dishes like Roasted Macadamia Nut Crusted Mahi Mahi with lobster cognac butter sauce. And, of course, desserts such as Melting Hot Chocolate Soufflé, a flourless chocolate cake with a hot, molten center, served with raspberry coulis and vanilla ice cream.
Their menu features a selection of classics as well as uniquely designed offerings created in Roy’s signature exhibition kitchen in full view. At Roy’s Poipu Bar & Grill there are two things of equal importance – food and the “aloha” spirit. The blending of these two dynamic principles is how Roy’s Hawaiian Fusion Cuisine was born. Fresh ingredients, assertive flavors, deliciously wrapped in a Hawaiian state of mind, where the “aloha” style of service comes straight from the heart.
BizAid Tweetup WinWin
The BizAid Tweetup is a win-win event. If you are a small business owner you can tweet to win thousands of dollars worth of products and services to grow your business. Or, if you have a product or service to help small businesses you can become a sponsor. BizAid Tweetup is a global Twitter-based event to provide participating small business owners a stimulus of free resources and awareness of quality services that will help them grow. The event lasts thirty days from October 1st to October 30th. Small business owners should go here to enter BizAid Tweetup.
Sponsorship of BizAid is perfect for most small business vendors. These would include accounting, hosting, design, marketing, business education, training, advertising, eCommerce, software, banking, programming, virtual assistant services, etc. By sponsoring BizAid, you will get massive exposure to a targeted audience of small business owners. There are three levels: Automatic, Premium, and Grand Prize. The Automatic prize goes to everyone who enters with a minimum value of $20. Every day during the event there will be two Premium prize drawings with a minimum value of $300.
At the end of the event there will be one Grand Prize with a minimum value of $3,000. Sponsorships will be featured prominately on the event landing page. Follow this link to Sponsor BizAid Tweetup.
Kauai Restaurant The Beach House
The Beach House Restaurant on Kauai has a spectacular oceanfront setting along the island’s south shore. It is just steps away from the ocean and the nightly ritual of watching spectacular sunsets. This restaurant combines a dreamy ocean view with gracious Hawaiian service and innovative Pacific Rim Cuisine. Few Kauai experiences are more delightful than sitting at one of the outside tables and savoring a delectable meal while the sun sinks into the Pacific. This is the epitome of tropical dining.
A few signature dishes that appear regularly are macadamia nut crab cakes, wasabi-crusted snapper, mint-coriander lamb rack, lemongrass and kaffir-lime sea scallops, and seared macadamia-nut-crusted fresh local fish. For a decadent finale there is the irresistible molten chocolate desire, a flour-less chocolate mocha tart, baked to order and served hot, with vanilla bean ice cream and espresso crème anglaise. And let’s not forget their majestic mai tai, or tikitini – a coconut rum martini.
This winning formula of creative twists on Pacific Rim Cuisine, Hawaiian hospitality, and a slice of paradise with its unbeatable location make it a favorite for visitors and locals. It has won Honolulu Magazine’s Hale Aina Gold Award for Best Kauai Restaurant, Garden Island Reader’s Survey for Most Romantic Restaurant on Kauai, and awards from Wine Spectator and Bon Appétit Magazines. All of this makes The Beach House Restaurant a very popular dining experience. Share your experience.
