State Farm Fair gets agricultural

Bad move, should have kept the rides.

Three strikes ...
1) bad parking
2) no rides
3) no carnival
... low attendance.

I agree with the above posters. True county and country farm fairs are a mix of family friendly events. Go to any fair on the mainland in farm country and they look like the farm fair did when it was held at McKinley HS. There are rides, 4H animal judging, baking contests, friendly contests to see whose horse or mule team can pull the most weight, sideshows, cotton candy, they have it all! The farm fair is a chance for city kids to get up close and personal with farm animals, and a time for farm families to cut loose and have fun with the contests and rides. By separating the farm from the fun, and choosing a poor location, you will ruin it.

It's about time we return to a grass roots type of fair. We need to promote our local vendors and support them as much as we can. The Bishop Museum is the perfect place for this.
Thank you.

I support anything having to do with local ag and produce. These islands once fed a thriving people, supplied the seagoing traders and whalers, exported produce to the west coasts of North and South America and China, sent honey to Germany before World War One, in addition to sugar and pineapple. What we did once we can do again, if we have a partnership between business and government. We need an ambitious politician who is not afraid to take on some well-entrenched interests, like shipping, the docks, and the supermarkets. Hey Duke, or Charles, any takers?

Hawaii needs to support the future of food in Hawaii. Hawaii imports too much of our produce. Hawaii needs to grow more food we can eat. GMO mutant corn growing in Waialua, Ewa, and Kunia is produce no one can eat. The GMO scientists and GMO workers don't even eat this Mutant corn crop.

Good but, is there sufficient parking and traffic control in that busy area?

I agree with having a mixed venue. Ag has completely fallen out of picture. They need to bring it back. Kids these days don't know where the produce comes from. I remember when Castle HS had their fairs in the 70's with all kind of livestock, produce, rides and games! Ah...those were the days!!

"This year's Hawaii State Farm Fair will go back to its roots with an emphasis on local agriculture."

I love it. I love it!

My only concern now is like Observer said above: Parking and Traffic.

You have to work on that, but otherwise you have my support.

Go for it. It's about time.

I think it is a nice change.
With all this talk about sustainability, with Aloha Air going out of business and there are more limited flights coming in to support tourism, not to mention fees for luggage, and who knows what else, it will be a good way to educate people about how to garden edibles in pots or in the back yard.
Bishop Museum seems as good a place as any to me. I'm not concerned about parking since I have a buspass which is waayyy cheaper than buying gas, no carnival rides also means that I have more money in my pocket, and if this change of venue means that those who want to attend the carnival aren't going, I'm a little bit glad, since I don't like having people knock me or my kid when they're rushing to get to the line for whatever ride, or having such loud music blaring so that I can't even hear a conversation when near by that ride. After the Farm Fair stopped being at McKinley, I attended a few, but found them too commercial in the sense that it's not so much about farming as it is about giving people attending some overstimulation on rides with loud music, poor food, and smaller and smaller produce selections to choose from.
There is still the 50th State Fair, and the other fairs around to do the carnival, cotton candy, and side shows (but now the side shows are likely to be the attendees walking around): Ala Moana Beach Park, Sports Fair.
There are established and upcoming events around that encourages local sustainability: Betty Green of the Green House in Pauoa does workshops all the time, and upcoming show at Marks Garage called ECO/LOGIC on July 29 - Aug 6, Mad About Science and Grow Hawaiian Festival in April 2009 at the Bishop Museum, and of course, there are all kinds of grass roots efforts going on for Earth Day everywhere.

I think they will make this work. Remember Iolani Carnival? They got rid of the rides and still have a successful fair every year. Everyone is all about being green and this is a great opportunity to educate young and old about what they can do to protect our natural resources.

Lack of parking is the killer.

Good job Dean Okimoto. I think you're right with making this choice. But parking is a REAL concern. At the Kapolei Fair the parking was well planned and filled with lots of people to direct parking. I'd be willing to pay for contrtolled, lighted parking.

If you want to eliminate the opportunity to attract a large volume of people and educate and expose them to agricultural and live farm exhibits who would not do so otherwise, then go ahead and eliminate the carnival attractions. What you will end up with is a much smaller turnout of individuals limited to the interests you present. No shortage of funds yet you choose this route?

it is actually a farm fair now. Not a way for E.K. Fernandez to rob the children of Hawaii and get away with it.

I like the farm fair concept vs the concrete Aloha Stadium fair (noise and heat). It was good at Kapolei, a real farm fair. Not having a lot of animals and blue ribbon judging of various homemade food and craft items (like they do at mainland farm fairs) will not make it as enjoyable. Why can't a permanent area be made for events such as the farm fair and the "Aloha Stadium concrete" fair.
Still say that Kapolei area was great. Lots of parking, bus lines, cool grassy area for animals (vs hard hot concrete).
Nevertheless I will go to Bishop Museum to see it this year.

Many thank to the Star-Bulletin for this article, the Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation and Dean Okimoto. Been hearing and reading a lot lately about buying locally grown produce but my grocery shopping habits were limited to Star Market, Don Quijote and Safeway. Saw this article online this morning, looked at the Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation website and learned that there's a weekly farmers' market at KCC which isn't too far from where I live. Rushed over there and enjoyed it tremendously, got some great veggies and I appreciate the fact that they're all locally grown, the prices were comparable or lower to what I have found at the supermarkets and will probably be going there every Saturday now to pick up some vegetables. Many thanks to the Star-Bulletin for this info and to the Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation and mostly to the people here on O'ahu and the Neighbor Islands who grow our food.

Glad a state has finally realized what the Fair is SUPPOSED to be about. I hope there are some farmers left next year after farming is tightly regulated.

Illegal acts of the USDA have caused farmers to sue. PLEASE HELP so you can eat next year

PLEASE HELP US DEFEND FARMERS RIGHT TO GROW FOOD:
The Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund: The Fund defends the rights and broadens the freedoms of sustainable farmers, and protects consumer access to local, nutrient-dense foods. Concerned citizens can support the Fund by joining at farmtoconsumer.org or by contacting the Fund at 703-208-FARM. The Fund’s sister organization, the Farm-to-Consumer Foundation (farmtoconsumerfoundation.org) , works to support farmers engaged in sustainable farm stewardship and promote consumer access to local, nutrient-dense food.

Grassroots...all over again. Buying local help our farmers and helps the local people to enjoy Hawaii...eating local, supporting the farmers, growers of fresh flowers, ...now we need our own dairies again...so support your local growers....go locals....