Kailua farmers market forced to relocate

This Sunday morning the Kailua Town Farmers Market will hold its last event at the Pali Lanes parking lot under the cool shade of the monkeypod trees.

“It’s the heart of the community, and Pali Lanes is going to be gone in a week,” said Pamela Boyar, who manages the market and three others across the island. “It’s really sad to me. The farmers market is the community food source.”

“I get about 1,500 people come through on a Sunday” buying fresh produce, she said. “It’s really a travesty.”

She said a California survey showed people spend about $60 per “buying agent,” meaning an individual, family or group at farmers markets, so with 1,200 buying agents, that comes out to $72,000 among all the 62 vendors. Boyar says she doesn’t get a percentage of the money earned, but makes her money by charging the vendors a small fee.

Her vendors are the ones who will lose out, as will the area boutiques, shops and larger businesses, which she says make $3 to every $1 spent at the farmers market, she says.

Pali Lanes has been home to the market for the past 2-1/2 years after spending 6-1/2 years at Kailua Elementary School. Boyar rents the space from 8 a.m. to noon once a week from Pali Lanes, which leases the building and parking lot on Hekili Street from Alexander &Baldwin.

A&B said in a written response to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser’s questions: “Pali Lanes, LLC has terminated its ground lease of the property (which includes both the building and the parking lot) so it, along with its tenants, like the Farmers Market, will no longer have use of the site after June 30. We know that many Kailua residents enjoy the Sunday market so we are hopeful the owner will find a new location.

“Alexander &Baldwin will get full access to the property on July 1 and will initiate an assessment of the property condition with safety as a top consideration before continued use of any areas. We have no plans for the site at this time beyond conducting the assessment.”

Boyar says it will hurt the 15 farmers who rely on the farmers market for their income and who have crops in the ground, planned for harvest for the weekly market.

Bruce Campbell, who owns MA Farm, a salad farm, in Hawaii Kai, grows seven kinds of lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers and okra.

“When you farm you got to plan ahead. We have crop in there for Kakaako (Farmers Market) and Kailua. If we don’t have a place to sell it, it would make it difficult for our farm to continue.

“We were shocked they gave the farmers only three weeks’ notice.”

A couple of farmers sell only through Kailua, he said.

Waimanalo farmers Haley Miyaoka, 25, and her partner in Ahiki Acres and in life, Matt McKinnon, 34, and his sister, Christy McKinnon, primarily grow organic vegetables.

Half their revenue comes from the Kailua farmers market and the other half from selling to restaurants in Kailua and in town.

“Our mission is to serve Kailua and Waimanalo first,” said Miyaoka, who does not want to try selling at other farmers markets. The Thursday evening farmers market in Kailua draws folks interested in ready-made food. “Although there are farming stands there, I know we wouldn’t do as well,” she said.

Enchanted Lake resident Megan Le Bars, 53, who is one of Ahiki Acres’ regular customers at the Kailua market, said, “Basically, whatever she’s got, we eat.” That includes mixed salad greens, arugula, lettuces, different kinds of kale, carrots, beets, tomatoes, microgreens, Swiss chard, spinach and onions.

She typically spends $100 a week on produce, and has been a farmers market shopper for 25 years. Le Bars said there are environmental implications as well as health reasons to buy local and healthy.

She said, “You feel like you’re tasting real food.”

As for the Pali Lanes location, she says, “it’s perfect, with ample parking. … I like the shade under the trees there. … It’s such a great spot. It’s going to be really sad they’re going to have to move.”

Boyar says she’s optimistic she‘ll secure another location in Kailua by July 11.