The only natural foods cooperative in Hawai`i!

Kokua Market Wish List

We would LOVE to hear from more of you. What is on your Kokua Market wish list? Please let us know here. Looking forward to learning what's on your mind.

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Kokua Market on March 15, 2010 at 1:20pm

Thanks Ann for sharing your thoughts. I have them noted :-)

Ann Chun said:

I would love to see at least some of the specials advertised in the newsletter, especially since I don't shop at the store very week. I might shop more often if I know what's on sale.

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Permalink Reply by Joannie on March 16, 2010 at 10:20pm

After listening to tonight's panel discussion (following the showing of Food Inc), I gained a better understanding of Kokua Market's role in Hawaii's health and sustainability.

A few days ago I shared that I would also like to see Kokua Market carry more meat and seafood items. After tonight's discussion, two questions came to mind:

1. I'm aware of cattle and chicken (or at least, egg) farms in Hawaii. How about pig farms?

2. What percent of locally grown meat and seafood is sold to restaurants, and to markets? For example, the North Shore Cattle company is mainly distributed to restaurants and farmer's markets. That's why we don't see them in the supermarkets.

Perhaps the meat industry is just not big enough in Hawaii for Kokua Market to carry them? Leslie from Kokua's Board also shared that the market deli used to carry local meat but it wasn't popular.

How about seafood then? I think it's easier to obtain local fishes, but perhaps it's best to get them through Chinatown? Just wondering.

Anyway, if Kokua is going to have to ship in meat and seafood to meet demand of the owners, then that's what it is, but I would like for our market to keep their priority on local produce/foods. There are plenty of other markets to get meat and seafood from.

Thanks!

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Permalink Reply by Kokua Market on March 16, 2010 at 10:31pm

Thanks for sharing your thoughts about sourcing local and organic items and for all of your support of Kokua Market! Will have to find out for you about pig farms and seafood items. The store does carry local beef in the freezer section. As I understand, it was the fresh meat (like deli sliced meat) that wasn't as popular. I'm going to ask the General Manager and get back to you as soon as I can! Hopefully some others may chime in here too. Thanks again for coming to the Food, Inc screening.

Joannie said:

After listening to tonight's panel discussion (following the showing of Food Inc), I gained a better understanding of Kokua Market's role in Hawaii's health and sustainability.

A few days ago I shared that I would also like to see Kokua Market carry more meat and seafood items. After tonight's discussion, two questions came to mind:

1. I'm aware of cattle and chicken (or at least, egg) farms in Hawaii. How about pig farms?

2. What percent of locally grown meat and seafood is sold to restaurants, and to markets? For example, the North Shore Cattle company is mainly distributed to restaurants and farmer's markets. That's why we don't see them in the supermarkets.

Perhaps the meat industry is just not big enough in Hawaii for Kokua Market to carry them? Leslie from Kokua's Board also shared that the market deli used to carry local meat but it wasn't popular.

How about seafood then? I think it's easier to obtain local fishes, but perhaps it's best to get them through Chinatown? Just wondering.

Anyway, if Kokua is going to have to ship in meat and seafood to meet demand of the owners, then that's what it is, but I would like for our market to keep their priority on local produce/foods. There are plenty of other markets to get meat and seafood from.

Thanks!

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Permalink Reply by kim kido on April 19, 2010 at 4:23pm

The latest Honolulu Weekly had a pie chart breakdown of the different ag activities going on in the state and pig farming was something like 1 or 2%...so probably hard to find, but I would buy local pig from Kokua if it were stocked.

I have more things to add to the wish list :)

This local made lilikoi jam (it is the best ever!):
http://www.honomujams.com/products/hj_pf001.html

Hanaoka Farm's Tahitian Limeade

and

GuS (Grown up Soda) http://drinkgus.com/who.html

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Permalink Reply by Nick Blank on May 8, 2010 at 6:23am

I feel we should consider not offering bottled water and perhaps even plastic bags. Bottled water goes against our mission statement of "promoting sustainable living in Hawaii". We should, in my opinion, be proud to offer alternatives like filter pitchers and stainless bottles and filtered water. The dichotomy preaching "buy local" and then trying to sell water shipped in from around the world, brought to us by burning lots of fossil fuels, seems silly to me.
What do you think?

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Permalink Reply by Kiyomi Smothermon on July 8, 2010 at 8:41am

Hi Nick,
I completely agree with you on this point. Not only the distance they traveled to get here, but I would love to see less packaged goods sold at Kokua in general, especially plastics! Say NO to plastics!

Nick Blank said:

I feel we should consider not offering bottled water and perhaps even plastic bags. Bottled water goes against our mission statement of "promoting sustainable living in Hawaii". We should, in my opinion, be proud to offer alternatives like filter pitchers and stainless bottles and filtered water. The dichotomy preaching "buy local" and then trying to sell water shipped in from around the world, brought to us by burning lots of fossil fuels, seems silly to me.
What do you think?

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Permalink Reply by Kiyomi Smothermon on May 27, 2011 at 9:48pm

I used to rely on bulk rice bran oil, but it was taken off a few months ago, to my great disappointment. I don't know of any store that I can get cooking oil in bulk other than olive oil at Kokua market. Is there any way you can carry more oils in bulk? At least one another kind of oil that is suitable to general cooking such as canola, corn or rice bran?

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Permalink Reply by Kiyomi Smothermon on August 23, 2011 at 7:59am

Hello - top of my wish list is still rice bran oil. I understand that there was a problem with the distributor. Recently I learned that Aloha Tofu uses rice bran oil to make their 'abura-age,' deep fried tofu. yum! ~ and they get all that rice bran oil in big jugs. How about get that from the same distributor? I appreciate having olive oil in bulk (you are the only one who does this on the island, as far as I know), but olive oil is not for all cooking as you know, and that's where rice bran oil comes in. We need both! Thank you in advance for looking into this.

btw, thank you for adding apply cider vinegar in bulk section. This is great!

Thanks again!

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Permalink Reply by rheta yesterday

I would love to see an expanded baby/toddler food section. I can understand if there isn't enough of a population to maintain a larger baby section, though. The HappyBaby company seems to have the ground covered in terms of organic ingredients, BPA free packaging, cold pour packing, made in the USA, and not just making fruits the main ingredients to their foods.

When I do make my own baby food, I am always hunting for organic, chemical free chicken products to mix with the wonderful organic veggies and fruits at Kokua. I agree with the others who posted that a larger meat selection would be great from local farmers.

By the way, I love the featured products table in front of the doors. It allows me to taste items that I have not tasted before. It's a great idea to expose us to the other great Kokua products.