Penny Levin ask that I post this on the food web.
 Lucianne DeNaie is the contact person for Maui on Aug 25. Penny suggested that
all of us that were involved in the design conference weigh in on this
meeting. The input from these island meetings will be part of a rural
summit action plan, to be held in conjunction with the Hawaii ag.
leadership foundation.  The ag. leadership of Hawaii is a collective of
conventional, Organic and GMO folks who go through a leadership training
in agriculture visiting numerous farms on all of the islands and some
in the mainland over a two year period.

Aloha,
As a
continuation of the rural convening held at UH-Manoa back in April,
Hawaii Rural Development Council in coordination with the Federal
Reserve Bank of San Francisco and Hawaii Ag Alliance will be conducting
rural convenings at the following locations and dates:

Hawai`i Island
Contact: Richard Dickie Nelson (322-2280; alihilani@hawaii.rr.com)
Saturday, August 21
Waikoloa Marriott Hotel
9:00 AM – 12:00 PM (Lunch to follow)
 

Kaua`i
Contact:  Caren Diamond (826-7577; kaimanacd22@yahoo.com)
Tuesday, August 24
Hanalei Community Center
5:30 PM – 9:00 PM (dinner included)

 
Maui
Contact: Lucienne DeNaie (572-8331; laluz@maui.net)
Wednesday, August 25
Maui Tropical Plantation Cafe (Central-West-South Maui meeting)
Honoapiilani Hwy  in Waikapu
11:00 AM – 2:00 pm (Lunch included)

 
                                                         Wednesday, August 25
Camp Ke’anae YMCA Cafeteria (East Maui meeting)
6 PM to 9 pm (Dinner included)

Moloka`i
Contact: Malia Akutagawa (553-8209; malaku@hotmail.com)
Thursday, August 26
QLCC, Kulana O`iwi
6:00 PM – 9:00 PM (Dinner included)

The meetings are free and open to the public. Refreshments will be provided.
 

The Hawaii Rural Development Council (HRDC) seeks your input, concerns,
success stories, and ideas on issues related to rural communities in
Hawai`i. State Rural Development Councils nationwide are gathering input
to be presented to Partners for Rural America and the USDA. This is an
opportunity for Hawaii to voice our concerns and successes locally to
build on a local and national action plan to promote enhance rural
development strategies.

A facilitated discussion will occur around the following questions:

§   What are the successes and challenges facing our local rural communities?
§   What is unique and different in Hawaii? What can we share with the nation?
§   Where do our rural communities stand on issues related to:
 

1) Local, sustainable agriculture and regional food systems,

2) Alternative energy development,

3) Community economic development, and

4) Rural broadband

§   How can government (local, state, and federal) help our rural communities?
 

The
results of these convenings will be incorporated in an Action Plan to
be developed at the State Rural Summit to be held on September 24,
2010.  Please see:

http://www.hawaiiagconference.org/2010/ALFH_FarmFair_ad2new.pdf

for more details on the Summit, to be held in conjunction with the Hawaii Ag Leadership Foundation