The excitement of seeing so many fruits on a pair of leaf segments was overpowering for Po Yamamoto on Saturday during the Kauai County Farm Bureau Tribute to Past Kauai Farm Fairs and 2025 Fruit and Vegetable Show held at the Kukui Grove Center.
The display of eight pink dragonfruit clinging to its leaf was submitted by farmers Taworn and Preeda Panyamee of Aloha Fresh Fruits and was judged to receive a blue ribbon and Best in Show honors. Another submission by Aloha Fresh Fruits, “Rollinia sp.,” was the winner of the special 2025 Judges’ Choice award.
Aloha Fresh Fruits is a regular vendor at the weekly Pau Hana Market, which meets on Monday afternoons at the south parking lot of Kukui Grove, starting at 3 p.m.
Laurie Ho, president of the Kauai County Farm Bureau, said there were a total of 34 farmers and “backyard gardeners,” many from the Pau Hana Market, and the Kauai Culinary Market at The Shops at Kukuiula, that participated in the Fruit and Vegetable Show.
“Each participant was challenged to bring 10 of their best and most beautiful fruits and vegetables,” Ho said. “Collectively, the Kauai Farm Bureau, along with co-sponsors Matson and Ulupono Initiative, put up nearly $2,500 in prize money to those who participated. There will be another photo opportunity when the participating farmers from the Pau Hana Market receive their premiums.”
A red-edged lettuce grown and submitted by Gregg Moore of Moore Greens was judged the blue ribbon, Best in Show, and 2025 Judges’ Choice in the vegetable category.
“This is the Moore family I’ve known since kindergarten, hanabata days,” said Rachel Secretario, who emceed visitors through the variety of exhibits, exhibitors, and vendors that filled the shopping center with browsing shoppers. “I know Mrs. Moore from kindergarten.”
The microgreens entries by Moore Farms attracted the attention of Christina Martinay, the teacher for the Future Farmers of America program at Kauai High School, who was busy distributing free seedling starters. Martinay paused the distribution to take count of the ribbons earned from her students’ entries.
Other exhibitors included the Hawaii Tropical Flowers &Foliage Association, which featured a team of floral designers working with tropical blooms and foliage to create designs that were auctioned off through live bidding.
Kauai Community College put their newest culinary arts department’s chefs, Lizbeth Paddock and Nalani Kaneakua, to work at the Chef’s Demonstration, and the Boys &Girls Club of Hawaii entertained the families with a variety of carnival-style games and activities.
The Kauai Bonsai Club shared the space with the Hawaii Tropical Flowers &Foliage Association, with their members’ exhibits and a specimen being worked on by two people.
Keala Lambert of Lambert Farms, who vends at The Kauai Culinary Market at The Shops at Kukuiula, said she had a lot of fun, and Ho said the Moore Greens Kauai family was pleased.
Source: The Garden Island
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