Local food challenge is now a 4-week event

Now in its third year, Kanu Hawaii’s Eat Local Challenge grows from a weeklong to monthlong event. The challenge, which kicks off today, calls on participants to eat locally grown food to support a more sustainable, secure food system in Hawaii.

Last year, more than 1,500 people took part; numbers are expected to grow this year.

The challenge is organized by weeks: week 1 focuses on the food system; week 2, growing food; week 3, where to get local ingredients and local meals; and week 4, the challenge itself.

Businesses are partnering with Kanu for the event. Foodland and Whole Foods are spotlighting locally grown items, while Down to Earth is offering 15 percent off some local produce. Eateries such as Zippy’s will offer dishes made with locally produced food.

The event launches today at 4 p.m. at the Hawaii Farm Bureau’s farmers market at Blaisdell Center. Five chefs will prepare dishes made with locally produced food. Each chef will be paired with a farm.

They include Town chef Ed Kenney, paired with MA‘O Organic Farms, who will also cook Shinsato Farms’ pork; Mark Noguchi of Hee‘ia Pier and Deli, with Kuahiwi Ranch and using Wow Farm tomatoes; Andrew Le and Martha Cheng of The Pig and the Lady, with Ho Farms; Sean Priester of Soul, with Pit Farm; and Kele Smith of Kahuku Na‘ono, with Kahuku Farms.

Mayor Peter Carlisle will also attend the event.

Other happenings:

» Schools of the Future conference (7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Sept. 8, Sheraton Waikiki Resort): Supporting the challenge for students in the classroom.

» "Making Local Food Affordable," a forum, 6 to 8 p.m. Sept. 20, Kapiolani Community College

» "Eat the Street — Food Truck Rally Eats Local," 4 to 9 p.m. Sept. 30, parking lot at the corner of South and Pohukaina streets

» Whole Foods cooking demos (schedule to be announced), featuring such chefs as Noguchi, Le and Hoku Kupihea (of Downtown@HiSam).

» Down to Earth cooking demos: For details, visit http://new.downtoearth.org/news/2011-08-17/kanu-hawaii-eat-local-challenge.

For more on events, visit www.kanuhawaii.org/challenge/events/?id=16.