Big Island farmers' markets and farm visits

I won't bore you with all the million farmers' market photos that we always take, except for this one, because it's especially unique. This is Sandwich Isle Bread Co's levain, the best locally-made bread I've had on the islands (of course, there are stories of Chris Sy's levain fit for Japan's emperor, but I haven't tried it...yet). The best part is the wood-fired, dome-shaped oven on wheels that allows Kevin Cabrera (the baker who calls himself a "yeast-wrangler" among the cattle wranglers of Waimea) to bake bread on site.

I love traveling with like-minded foodies. In this case, Laurie Carlson, president of Slow Food O‘ahu. With some time on our hands, we went to see the attractions: KTA, a local supermarket chain in Big Island known for its commitment to sourcing locally. It didn't disappoint. Here, behind the poke counter, the seafood man breaks down a yellowfin tuna brought in early the same morning.

Again, Laurie and I are of the same mind...we wonder if we have a pot big enough in our vacation rental to throw this fish head in. Unfortunately, our dining cards are fully booked for our stay, so we have to leave it behind.

A visit to Mauna Kea Tea in Ahualoa. Big Island agriculture seems to be betting on tea being the next Kona coffee. The green tea and oolong tea from Mauna Kea Tea is extremely light, though fragrant, and the tea farm one of the tidiest farms we've seen.

A friend of ours works on Jan Dean's Maluhia Farm and Hawaiian Homegrown Wool Co. as a sheep-shearer (how much more of a country job can you get??). Though Jan's main business is producing wool (for which we're actually eyeing wistfully for the chilly Big Island nights), she also keeps chickens.

We catch one of their hens in the midst of laying.

Unperturbed, she grants us a picture-perfect shot of her nest and freshly-laid egg.

For more pictures of the farm (check out our friend's new living space under the tarp!) and some fascinating pictures of chicken processing check out her gallery.