The Taro TattlerDepartment of Agricultural and Resource Economics

College of Tropical Agriculture and Human ResourcesUniversity of Hawaii

For Growers. Shippers. and Processors of Chinese. Poi.Dasheen andPacific IslandTarosfromHawaii

VOL. 4, NO. 3

basically a very small industry". Weguess a proper answer to that ques-tion would be that with hard worksmaller industries can become biggerones. As for the Taro Tattler, wewouldhope that our readers would have theability to see that this newsletter couldeasily be called the 6Singtt 6S113dte,the Coffee Communicator, the JaplIUlIJ romulsa:tnr, or the~{j1J~cu.&tu-. This isbecausewhen it comes tosources of information, marketingideas, business and production plan-ning, farm safety tips and the like, .

these concepts arebasicallyuni-

NoKaOi Foods (our ficticious company) launches a new product for 1993. This can is a nod atmaking Kulolo in old style cracker cans. Read all about it on pages 3 &4. DraWing byLeilehua Yuen, leltering by Miles Hakoda.

September-December 1992

we all need to start getting a lot morecreative in our thinkingand actions ....

One of those universal topics wediscuss in this issue is that of medicalinsurance for farmers and their fami-lies. We also bring you back in thekitchen with taro leaf recipes fromaround the world, and show you anew idea from our imaginary com-pany,NoKaOiFoods. Wealsotakealook at one of NaKaOi's concise one-pagebusiness plans for theirnew prod-uct-don'tyoucontinueyourbusinesswithout one like it! We also highlightthe book, ''These Roots Remain" inour Sources and Resources section. Thisbooktalks aboutPacificIslanders,theirfoods and the traditions surroundingthose foods-lots of taro stuff.

Finally, we wish you all a verypleasant and safe holiday season.Thanks to all those who have recentlycalled and sent cards to say they likethe Taro Tattler!

UPCOMING EVENTS

Chinese NewYears- Saturday,Janu-ary23,1993

Better get your advertising in theChinese language newspaper in allyour markets now well before the bigholiday - offering lower prices onvolume purchases during this timemayalso winyoua lot of new custom-ers. Call the Department of Agricul-ture if you need more Chinese tarobrochures.

Plant Tissue Culture Conference -Monday, March 22,1993

Tissue culture is a way that manygrowers of all types of plants, includ-ing banana's, flowers, ginger, (in the

1 The Taro Tattl er VOL. 4. NO.3 September-December 1992

VttaminA 0% • Vitamin C 12% • Calcium 4% • Iron 4%

READY TO MIX POI

Amount Per ServingCalories 120 Calories from Fat 0

19 Fat . 9 calories19 Carbohydrates . 4 calories19 Protein . 4 calories

16%

% Daily Value'less than 2"10

0%0%

less than 2"1010%

Total Fat 1 9Saturated Fa t 0 9

Cholesterol 0 mgSodium 8mgTotal Carbohydrate 31 9

Sugars 2 9Dietary Fiber 4 9

Protein 1 8

2,000 2,500Nutrient Calories Calories

Total Fat less than 6Sg BOgSat Fat less than 20g 2SgCholesterol less than 300mg 300mgSodium less than 2,4oomg 2,400mgTotal

Carbohydrate 300g 375gFiber 2Sg 30g

'Percents (%) of a Dally Value are based on a 2,000calorie diet. Your Dally Values may vary higher or lowerdepending on your calorie needs:

28% SOLIDS - 456g/16oz BagNUTRITION FACTS

Serving Size 1/2 cup (114g)Servings Per Container 4

Mandatory Food Labeling to TakeEffect May 1994-Workshop to beJanuary 25, 1993

Well its finally here! After yearsof haggling the Food and Drug Ad-ministration(FDA)has finallyreleasedits mandatory food labeling guide-lines. These guidelines will apply toall businesses withatleast$50,oooperannumin gross revenuescomingfromall food processing aspects of theirentire business. The example labelseen below is that for Ready to Mix

continued help on the Hawaii Taro-Quarterly Report of Taro Milled forPoi. In theNovember 10,1992releaseof that report HASS reveals that taromilling was up overall through Sep-tember 1992, was up 7 percent overthe same period the year before, andup 8 percent over the 5 year averagefor the same time frame. However,this good news will surely be affectedby Iniki and the fourth quarter reportof 1992 will most likely show a dra-matic decline in milling. Look for the1992 annual taro production reportaround late January1993.YoucancallHASS on Oahu at 973-9588 at thattime for a copy. And whileyou areonthe phone, let them know how muchyou appreciate their hard work.BACKTRACKING

Annual Production SurveyThe Hawaii Agricultural Statis-

ticsService(HASS)would like to thankthose who filled out the 1992 taroproduction surveys. They also askedus to thankthepoi processors for their

Apple Snail UpdateAccording to the Department of

Agriculture work is still continuingon the Apple Snail eradication pro-gram. Hurricane Iniki put a damperon research on Kaua i, but tasks arestill being accomplished. Stay tuned!

WindwardCommunityCollegeTaro .Festival aHitand Pa'i'aiPoi SystemsMakes it Debut

The August 15th, 1992Pacific Is-lands Taro Festival in Kaneohe was asmashing success. Not only was theweather great but, as usual, all in-volved pulled together to put on agreat day. ThanksgotheRoyFujimoto,Mitsue Cook-Carlson and all thepeople who donated their time andother goods. A special thanks toNanette Purnell for all of her hardwork.

Also making a splash at the festi-val wasVonnLogan and his companyPa'i'ai Poi Systems. Vonn has com-bined the famous Champion Juicerwith a steady supply a poi taro in aneffort to make poi more available. Geta demonstrationof the Juicerand howit can make poi and kulolo by callingPa'i'ai Poi Systems on Oahu at 293-1721or Kauai 822-7583.

Hana Coast, Inc. at 248-7769. Lastly,the people putting on this worthyeventarelookingfor somefinancial orin-kind support. If you can help outplease contact Maria Orr at 248-8920.

Call early to get plane and hotelreservations, as there are typically1,500visitors in the Hana/East Mauiarea on the average day.

Also, wordoutoftheHotelHana-Maui is that their restaurants are nowoffering taro chips, taro bread rolls,and taro leaf soup-we hear the tour-ists love it! They also say some of theinspiration to make these productswas provided by the Taro Project andinformation it has put out.

NaMamo: Today'sHawaiianPeople- Photo Exhibition

We just received a lovely invita-tion for a new photographic exhibi-tion at the Bishop Museum. AnneLandgraf, photographer, and JayHartwell, wordsmith, will be featur-ing pictures and words of a varietyaspects of today's Hawaiian people.Our invitation even has a picture ofClarence Kaona of Kauai harvestingtaro on the cover. Checkoutthisevent9am-5pm from December 24, 1992-April 4, 1993in the Hall of Discovery,Bishop Museum. Free.

future taro), and so forth are able toreducediseaseproblemsand get someregularity in their production. TheHawaii PlantTissue Culture Associa-tion is therefore holding a one dayconference to bring people up to dateon the state of the art and potential.The conferencewill beheld in Kailua-Kona at the King Kamehameha andthe fee is $25. You can get more infor-mationby callingRacheal Keolanui at959-0225on the Big Island.

East Maui Taro Symposium, Festi-val,and Lo'i Field Trips, March 26-March 28 1993, Hana, Maui

Wow, the taro festival idea hasreallycaughton! Over the Kuhio Dayweekend, the beautiful area of EastMaui willbe displayingitsownuniquehistory of taro and other aspects ofEastMauilife. MariaOrr, the festival'sorganizer, says the event is "To pro-mote taro and nativecultural values."On Friday, March 26th there will be ataro growing symposium, Saturdaywill be the festival itself, and on Sun-day, local taro growers, Kimo Wendtand PaulySinenciwill be hostingedu-cational taro lo'i field trips to Wailuaand Keanae .

ThefestivalwillopenwithchanterKeali'i Reichel and feature traditionalhula and mele talentfrom Hana. Therewill also be food vendersand artisansdisplayingtheirwaresthatday. Peoplewishing to sell food please contactLucinda Estrella (248-7222), andcrafterscan contactKanani Kahalehoeat 248-7781 for information. Thosewishing to display more cultural, en-vironmental and alternative technol-ogy itemspleasecall the Friendsof the

2 The Taro Tattler VOL. 4, NO.3 September-December 1992

NEW FROM NoKaOi FOODS

winning Maui Chip potato chip bag,mentions that their taro comes fromthe Big Island, and that it is cooked inpeanut oil. The bag also has somenutritional information,complementsof the Department of Food Science &Human Nutrition at the University.Chips Ahoy!

Breadfruit Chips-Chance IEm!Out of the University of Florida

comes a recipe for tasty Breadfruitchips. While we're sure you haveyour own favorite recipe, this is onefrom our friends from the East coast.Cutmaturebreadfruitinto 1.25mmslices,fryin soy (or other) oil at16SoC and saltto1.5%, then...EAT! Partial airdryingprior tofrying reduces oilabsorption from42% to26%. For more breadfruit reci-pes write Diane Ragone (one of themost knowledgeable people in theworld when it comes to breadfruit) atthe National Tropical Botanical Gar-den,P.O.Box340,Lawai, Kauai, %765.Ask for a copy of The Garden-Winter1992.

CHATTING CHIPS

Medical Insurance for the FarmFamily

Many farm families in Hawaii gettheir medical insurance benefits fromsecondary (or primary) jobs which arenot farming. Still other full time farm-ersand their families probablyhavenohealth insurance at all. While the rea-sons for not having insurance, despitethe great risk, may be many, the mostobvious reason is that it is relativelyexpensive. However, theHawaiiFarmBureau Federation (HFBF)may have areasonable solution for those farmerswith health insurance needs. WendellKoga, executive director of the HFBF,says that the Farm Bureau (which wasestablished in 1948) has "group meritrated" plans with HMSA for medicaland dental insurance for its members.These HMSA plans are based on theactual medical costs incurred by thegroup. While the cost may be compa-rable to other group plans, the HMSAPlan-4 has medical, drug, vision andchiropractic riders. Dental coverage isseparate, so you can have medical cov-erage with or without dental. Unlikemany group plans, however, the FarmBureau plan is fairly liberal with noprobation periods, deductibles, and soforth. HFBF also has a rider for theKaiserMedical Plan for those who pre-fer that carrier. Call the good folks atthe HFBF on Oahu (848-2074) aboutjoining this worthy group and aboutgetting on their medical plan.

More Taro GrindsIn the last issue of the Tattler we

treated you to a few new taro cormrecipes from around the world. As ourholiday gift to you we'd like to do thatagain, but also add a few taro leafrecipes this time--enjoy! Oh, for mostofthe corm recipes you can use eitherChineseor Poi taros,but it appears thatthe Chinese (and Samoan) taro leavesare thebest for the luau leaf recipes (seepageS).

NoKaOi Launches Another NewProduct

Our good, yet fictitious friend,Sanderson "Stickey" Poheoheo Jonescalled the other day to tell us about anew product he is launching at longlast. It is his nostalgic nod to old timekulolocookingand packaging(seepage1). Basically, for those who weren'taround in the last few decades, kulolo(thatCandyofHawaii's Kings, thattastyHawaiian Style Fudge), was/is oftenprepared somewhat like a cake mixand then poured into large, tall, ti leaf-lined cracker cans where is was thensteamed to perfection. (Ofcourse thepre-eontact Hawaiians didn't havecracker cans to make it in). WhileStickey realized he could notuseexactminiaturereplicasof theold Hilo stylebiscuitcansfor his kulolo, (because hewas just using the can for packaging,not cooking, thus the top had to be

TheMauiChip@Joins the Taro Chip completely open to allow a block of tiMarket leaf-wrapped kulolo to be inserted

The Maui Chip people over in cleanly), he felt that he could give hisKahalui have introduced their version customers a good product in the canof the taro chip. Their beautiful bag, he choose. And to give a professionalwhich is fashioned after their award look to the kulolo package, right off

SOMETHINGS TO THINKABOUT

Poi-28% solids. Togetmoreinforma-tion on this law you may want toattend a workshop on the NationalLabel and EducationAct1990,whichis being sponsored by crAHR andthe Hawaii State Department ofHealth. Dr. Janet McDonald of theFDA in California will be the fea-tured speaker at a meeting whichwill take place at the Pacific BeachHotel from 11:00am-1:3Opm, Mon-day, January 25, 1993. Cost of theworkshop is $15 which includeslunch. Lastday to register is January19th. Call Aurora Hodgson at UHat956-6564for moreinformationon thenew law and the workshop. -

The 10 P's of FarmingBud Kerr (see his newsletter,

Small Scale Agriculture Today, in theSources and Resources section) writesthat people are farmers for manydifferent reasons. He's put togethera list whichhe wants us to share withyou. Perhaps some of these reasonsapply to you and perhaps others canbe used to motivate up and comingfarmers:.:. Pleasure, to individual and fam-

ily.:. Profit, from business activity.:. Potential, for growth and devel-

opment.:. Perpetuation, of family assets

and resources.:. Prioritizingvalues to increaseef-

fectiveness.:. People, centered in frame of ref-

erence for production, finance,and marketing

.:. Perseverance, for survival dur-ing the lows

.:. Perfectionism, but open to newideas, changes, and improve-ments overtime

.:. Periscope vision (360° view), towatch the economy .and envi-ronment around you

.:. Pride, because people benefitfromseeingandexperiencingtheresults of their efforts, skills, andperformances

3 The Taro Tattler VOL. 4, NO.3 September-December 1992

the bat, he called Leilehua Yuen atYuen Media Services in Kona at 329-m7 (yes, she is real) for her talentedtouch. Wow! How about that guyStickey, smart ya?

You may be asking yourself whywe like to work with Stickey, wellfolks when themanhas a signoverhisdesk that reads, "There is no substi-tute for hard work," we know we'vefound the perfect partner. Oh, by theway, it wasanotherhard worker,Tho-mas Alva Edison, the inventor of thelightbulb,who spoke thoseverypow-erful words back in 1932.

NoKaOi's One Page Business PlanIn any business (farming, tissue

culture labs, food processing, handi-

crafts, non-profit, and so forth) if youdon't plan you will have a more diffi-cult timesucceeding-thatis ifthecom-pany even lasts 6 months. While noteveryone has the money to hire some-one to work with them on the plan(Department of Business, EconomicDevelopment & Tourism, Small Busi-ness Development Centers, Alu Like,and other business development pro-grams can provide some direction-give them a call) it is still very impor-tant to get some form of a plan downon paper-not just in your head. (Butdon't worry it is never too late to get aplan going.) So,with all of NoKaOi'simaginary success over the .last fewyears we asked Stickey to show ushow he started planning for the intro-

duction of a new product or line. Heisveryinterestedin helpingothersmallbusinesses and he also enjoys compe-tition so he felt comfortable sharinghis "secrets." He went to his file cabi-net and pulled out the following one-page business plan summary whichhe made back but just updated for1993. This plan is one of many he hasmade for each of his products: poi,kuloloandhisPacificlAsianbabyfoodline (see nextTattler for this one). Thissummary of course was backed upwith a detailed description of eachitem, but the real nuts and bolts of hisplan for success are here (see table).

NoKaOiCandy of Hawaii's Kings

Kulolo Products-Condensed Business Plan 1993

1. The Product(0 Traditional kulolo made of taro, coconut cream, and sugar.(0 Innovate by adding macadamia chunks and mixed dried Hawaii fruit to develop a three-product kulolo-line.

2. The Customer(0 15-70yearsold.:- $15K to $80K annual household income

3. The Competition(0 Chocolate-covered macadamia candy(0 Fresh made brownies & cookies

.:. Has contact or had contact with Hawaii

.:. Likes fudge-like products

.:. Mackinaw fudge

.:. Other kulolo products

.:. Sell to airport stores

.:. Sell to local stores

.:. Work with hotel chefs to include in picnic baskets

.:. Advertise in mainland "Voice of Hawaii" newspaper*

.:. Combine with other company's gift packs

4 • The Marketing Strategy.the 4P'sPrice.:- Calculate cost of production to determine minimum selling price.:- Establish price lists based on potential sales outlets and volumePlace(0 Sell to Hawaii hotels(. Sell at festivals, craft fairs(0 Sell at Las Vegas hotelsPromotion-:- Give free samples to media (wi company info)(. Advertise in OHA newspaper(0 Give tours of factory to clubs and other groups(0 Custom pack for fund raisersProduct-:- Innovative packing : plastic-wrapped 8 oz packages, and nostalgic 2lb miniature Hilo-style cracker cans (see pg. 1).•:- Caffeine and chocolate free .:. Product package designs traditional yet contemporary.:- Fun food .:. Evokes nostalgic feelings(. Can be sectioned and distributed easily .:. A traditional and tasty Hawaii product-:- High energy product

5 • NoKaOi's Goals for this product in next 12 months(0 Sell to 50 outlets by the end of 9 months .:. Break even first year on this product line-:- Enjoy business .:. Fully mechanize process by beginning of next year.:- Develop coordinated packaging, stationary. sales materials, invoices, business cards

* See Ian-May 1992 Taro Tattler for more information on this mainland newspaper.

4 The Taro Tattler VOL. 4, NO.3 September-December 1992

Taro Grinds II

3/41b

1tbsp1/2lb

2 cups1/2tsp.7 cups

TARO LEAF RECIPES

onion , finely chopped to each cupof coconut creamsa~ to tasteCoconut creama lemon's juice to each cup ofcoconut cream

1/2

Ingredients1 small

Antidote for itching

External itching-Wash area with a cold waterand sail solution .

MethodCut fish into 4cm (2 inch) pieces. Prepareclean, medium, young taro leaves as forPALUSAMI (see above) . Put a piece of fish oneach leaf. Sprinkle with salt, pepper , and 1tbsp finely chopped onion. Wrap up the fishand nnecessary, fix leaf with a toothpick orsasa. Pour over 2 cups coconut cream . Coverand bake at 1500C (300°F) for 3/4 hour or untilthe fish is soil . Serve as desired.Pacnjc Islands Cookbook , Susan Parkinson &~eggy Stacy, Pacific Publications , 1977.

IngredientsFish Fillets (Walu, Tuna, Cod)Taro LeavesSaltPepperOnionCoconut Cream

FISH COOKED IN TARO LEAVES-Fiji

PALUSAMl-5amoa

MethodUse only young, fresh destemed taro leaves orsubstitute spinach leaves. Put about 6 halves(or whole leaves if small) of taro leaves on topof each other in the palm of your Iell hand (ifyou are right-handed.) Making sure outer leafis the biggest of all. Cup Iell hand and withfingers of right hand, press down in center sothat the leaves form a cup. Then ladle in about1/2 cup of the coconut mixture. Fold togetherleaves at a the top of the cup to more or lessseal in the liquid. Then seal into a cuppedpiece of foil. Bake at 350 degrees for about 1/2hour. When cool, remove foil and serve withtaro, breadfruit , etc .Fish Head SouP and Other Tales, Bonnie &Chris Sauer, U.S. Peace Corps-WesternSamoa , March 1976.

Internalltchlng-5prinkle sail in mouth andthen spit out. Repeat. Rinse with cold water.

MethodMe~ and combine buller and lIour in asaucepan . Add coconut milk slowly and let themixture thicken over a low fire . Add dicedshallots and taro leaves (with stems and veinsremoved.) Add sa~ and pepper to taste.Simmer for 2-3 minutes and serve.Papua New Gujnea Cookbook, AnneMacGregor , The Jacaranda Press, 1977.

5 cups2-3tbsp

Ingredients (serves 6)2 cups taro leaves3 tbsp butter or margarine1 small bunch young shallots (spring

onions)coconut milk1I0ur

TARO LIP SUP (Taro Leaf Soup)-Papua New Guinea

taro leavesbutteroilonion, mincedgarlic cloves , crushedokra, trimmed and slicedfresh chili, seeded and mincedsprig fresh thymeminced fresh chiveshomemade chicken stockcoconut milksail and freshly ground blackpeppercrab meat, thawed if frozenTrinidad Pepper Sauce (optional)

turkeysaltbacon ,choppedchopped onionsdiced, cooked taro(7 1/2 oz) seasoned stuffing mixchopped green onionschopped celeryminced parsleyground sagebutter or margarine, melledbrolhShortening

1/21b

Ingredients1/21b1tbsp1 tbsp121/41b111tsp.4 cups1 1/4 cups

CALLALOO SOUP: CRAB AND TARO LEAFSOUP-Caribbean

MethodWash the taro leaves, drain and finely shred.Heat the butter with the oil in a large saucepanover medium heat, add the onion and garlic andcook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally , unlif softand golden . Add the okra, chili , thyme andchives and cook for a further 5 minutes, stirringconstantly . Stir in the taro leaves and cook for 3minutes, turning the leaves to ensure they areevenly cooked. Pour over the stock and coconutmilk and season with sail and freshly groundblack pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, lower theheat, cover the pan and simmer the soup for 30minutes. Stir in the crab meat and cook for 5minutes, until heated through. Taste and adjustthe seasoning , adding a lillie pepper sauce ifdesired . Serve immediately in warmed soupbowls.Caribbean Cooking by Judy Bastyra, ExeterBooks,1987.

NOTE: Taro leaves must be cooked beforeeating- -do not eat raw leaf or stems.

MethodRinse and drain turkey . Lightly sail neck andbody cavities. In a skillet, fry bacon; removebacon and fry onions in drippings. Drain,reserving 1/4 cup of the drippings . Combinebacon, onions, taro, stulling mix, green onions,celery, parsley, and sage. Stir in butter , broth,and the reserved drippings . Stuff turkey . Rubskin with shortening. Roast in electric oven at3250F for about 3 1/2 to 4 hours, or until meatthermometer registers 1850E. Makes 8to 12servings.A Hundred years of Island Cooking , Pat Rea &Regina Ting, Hawaiian Electric Company, 1991.

11b1 cup4 cups1 pkg1 cup1 cup1/2 cup1/2tbsp1/2 cup3/4-1 cup

Ingredients12-14 1bs

TURKEY WITH TARO STUFFING-Hawall

Ingredients (serves 2)3/41b taro root (1 piece)1/4 tsp. kosher sail1 tbsp Scotch or bourbon .1 tbsp soy sauce2 tsps Oriental sesame oilBig pinch cayenne1 medium garlic clove, peeled and flallened

(or minced, if you like more garlicflavor)top round of beef or lIank steak,sliced very thin on the diagonalpeanut oilChinese cabbage , washed, thencut into 1-inch pieces

Ingredients1/2 kg sticky rice washed1/2 kg sugar1 cooked taro corm cut into small

piecesthick coconut milksaltwater

MethodBoil sticky rice with water until done. Mix withsugar and stir unlif thickened. Cook thickcoconut milk with sail. When serving, spooncooked milk on top of sticky rice and taro.Author unknown

STIR-FRIED BEEF, TARO, AND CABBAGE-US Mainland

WET STICKY RICE WITH TARO (Kao-Neau-Paek·Plueak)-Thailand

MethodPeel taro and quarter lengthwise ; cut eachquarter across into 1/16-inch slices. Set overboiling water on a steamer rack; sprinkle withsajt. Cover; steam taro until tender , about 15-20minutes. Combine Scotch , soy sauce, sesameoil, cayenne , and garlic . Add beef and toss.Marinate for 15 minutes or more, tossing nowand then. Heat a wok over moderate heat ; pourpeanut oil around rim and tip to distribute. Addgarlic clove from marinade and toss for amoment. Add meat and brown slightly, tossing .Add cooked taro and cabbage and tossconstantly until cabbage is crisp-tender - about 2minutes. Remove whole garlic, if you are usingil. Serve at once.Uncommon EmUs& Vegetables ACommonsense Gujde , Elizabeth Schneider,Harper & Row, 1986.

MethodMix shrimp, grated coconut, pepper, fish sauceinto a pan, stir fry over heat until shrimp turnsred, put fresh red chili, lemon grass for a while.Put into a container . Set aside. Steam or boiltaro unlif done, peel, and mash. Blend mashedtaro with rice 1I0ur. Shape the dough into balls,lIallen each piece into circle, fill with the abovemixing, fold over into a triangle shape. Fry invegetable oil unlif golden brown . Serve witheither sweet and sour or hoi sauce.Author unknown

Ingredients1 small taro2 cups rice 1I0ur1 cup shrimp, chopped1 cup grated coconut

sugar, fish sauce, chopped lemongrass, fresh red chili , pepper,vegetable oil

TARO TARTS WITH SHRIMP FILLING (Karng-Kau-Plueak)-Thalland

5 The Taro Tattler VOL. 4, NO.3 September-December 1992

GETTING MECHANIZED

Weve told you in earlier Tattlerissues about our dryland taro planterand harvester,but this time wed liketostir your imagination with a machinewhichmayhelpwithpost-harvestwork.The vegetable washer shown here isfromTewManufacturing(716-586-6120)ofPenfield, New York. Whilethereareother companieswhichput out similarmachines(call us forthosecontacts),weoffer Tew's machine here as just oneway tocleanyour taro prior to packingor processing. We feel this step is veryimportant toreduce moldand increaseshelflife and final-product flavor. Basically allyou do is pour the taro onto the con-veyerand itgoesintotheboxwhere it issprayedandwashedwithbrushes-kindof like a car wash. The washing is acontinuous process where you wouldthen collect the clean taro (in a cleanbag/container) as it comes out of theother end of the box. The machineshown herecando potatoes,eggplant,squash, mini pumpkins, and so forth.WeknowoftarofarmersinHawaiiwhoareusing this machinetoday. Thepriceof this particular unit is about $2,400

plus shipping.

• •These Roots Remain-Food Habits inthe Islands of the Central and EasternPacific Since Western Contact, byNancy Pollock, 1992. This is the mostcomplete book on traditional Pacificisland foods probably ever written-awesome! It emphasizes taro, bread-fruit, manioc/cassava and yarns, andhowtheycametotheislands,how theyused to becooked,where they fit intoeach islands' food chain, about tradi-

tionalfeasts,andagreatdealmore.Somereallygreat picturesincludinga walloffoodfromFijiin the1870's. ThisUniver-sityof Hawaii Pressbook sellsfor$32.

Small-Scale Agriculture Today, BudKerr,Editor.This informativequarterlynewsletterfrom the USDA giveslotsofinformationaboutagricultureand busi-ness.WriteBudat OSSA,USDA-esRS,Suite 342, Aerospace Building, Wash-ington, DC 20250-2200, Tel (202) 401-4640, Fax(202) 401-5179. Therearealsoagreatnumberofcropfactsheetsputoutby that office-just ask.

IN THIS ISSUE OF

The Taro Tattler.:. East Maui Taro Festival.:. More Taro Recipes from Around the World.:. Nutritional Labeling.:. One Page Business Plan.:. Machine to Wash Taro

For more information please contact:The Taro ProjectDepartment of Agricultural & Resource EconomicsGilmore Hall 115University of HawaiiHonolulu, HI 96822Attn : Jim Hollyer, editorPhone: (808) 956-8800 Fax: (808) 956-2811

Reference to a company or product name does not implyapproval or recommendation of the product by the College ofTropical Agriculture and Human Resources, University ofHawaii.

@Printed onrecycleable paper

•TO:

The Taro ProjectDepartment of Agricultural & Resource EconomicsGilmore Hall 115University of HawaiiHonolulu, HI 96822Attn: Jim Hellyer, editor

6 The TaroTattler VOL . 4, NO.3 September-December 1992.