After a brief respite from rain, Kauai and Oahu can expect another bout of unsettled weather starting today.
A trough of low pressure over Oahu and Kauai was expected to shift northward overnight with the approach of a cold front from the west, the National Weather Service reported.
“Shower chances will increase Monday night with the arrival of the deeper moisture, with unsettled weather expected Tuesday through Thursday over the western end of the island chain, particularly Kauai,” the weather service reported. Increased humidity and vog are also predicted until tradewinds return around Thursday.
HAWAII ISLAND
3 schools on the Big Isle now serve fresh, local food
HILO >> Three Hawaii schools are beginning to serve fresh, local food as part of a new program that aims to gradually incorporate more fresh and locally produced food into school meals.
Keaau High School, Kalanianaole Elementary School and Keaukaha Elementary School are piloting the new farm-to-table program.
To implement the idea, food service staff at each school began requesting local items such as island-raised beef and produce from current vendors as much as possible. They next hope to forge ties with local growers and producers to buy from them directly.
Keaau High School will host an invitation-only, farm-to-table taste and sample event Dec. 1 to illustrate the concept for local vendors, farmers, lawmakers and agriculture industry members.
Eventually, Keaau hopes to serve up to 50 percent local items on each menu, the Hawaii Tribune-Herald reported.
Every public school in Hawaii participates in the National School Lunch Program, a federal program that reimburses schools for lunches served each day as long as they adhere to established U.S. Department of Agriculture nutrition guidelines.
Some schools have said that meeting those federal guidelines — while preparing food students will still eat — can be challenging. Keaau and several other Hawaii public schools began offering students multiple menu entree choices this year in hopes of increasing participation.
Keaau’s pilot program is still “in its infancy,” Vice Principal Ron Jarvis said. Staff members are working to configure quantities needed and when certain items might be available contingent on the season, he said.
Preparing fresh items also can be more costly and time-consuming. For example, forming fresh-beef patties by hand takes longer than preparing frozen or canned items.
Local food still must adhere to federal nutrition standards, and buying local also can be more expensive, said Lynn Hiratsuka, supervisor of the School Food Services Branch.
