Molokai Farmers Market Returns

Photo by Léo Azambuja

By Léo Azambuja

For several decades, the Molokai Farmers Market was a weekly fixture on Saturday mornings along the strip of Ala Malama Avenue across the street from the Molokai Public Library. The market, closed since the COVID-19 pandemic, reopened last week. 

“The Molokai Farmers Market is a place where the community can come if they have vegetables in their garden that they want to sell,” market manager Tylor Tanaka said. “It’s just a place where everyone can come and kind of convene and enjoy one another’s company, and kind of bring that life back into Kaunakakai.”

The market’s focus, he said, is to get farmers back in the market and put more locally grown produce on the table, but all vendors are welcomed, including food vendors and artisans, similar to the old farmers market that thrived for so many years.

After the COVID-19 pandemic ended, different markets popped around Molokai, but never in the middle of Kaunakakai. Tanaka said vendors kept asking him to bring the market back to the heart of town.

“Even some of the small business owners were asking if they could bring life back into town, because it just gets so dead (Saturday) morning,” Tanaka said.

In the inaugural market last Saturday, there were 16 vendors selling produce, crafts and food. Tanaka said there are already 22 registered vendors, and there is still room for more. For the first three months, vendor fees will be waived. Then there will be a $25 fee per weekend.

Leialoha Kaleikini was selling eggs for Kamakani Farms, owned by Cameron and Jaqueline Hiro. 

“We’ll be here every Saturday to sell the eggs,” Kaleikini said, adding the Hoʻolehua farm has more than 400 hens. The locally produced eggs, sold at affordable prices, were on offer on medium and large sizes, and there was a choice of brown or white eggs.

Kiana Kali sold healthy baked goods from Ala Ekolu Homestead, a family-run bakery. They had pizza twists, guava and apricot bars, brownies, apricots twists, pumpkin stuffed cookies, and a popular jalapeno and cheddar bread.

“Auntie Amber sold her bread too. She had a lot of bread, and everybody loved her bread, 10 out of 10,” Kali said.

It was a hot morning, with barely a cloud in the sky. For five bucks a pop, people could cool off with a Braddah Pop — ice pops made with li hing mui seed — sold by Kahea Maliu.

Kenny Adachi and his wife Solana were selling Double Squeeze, a freshly squeezed lemonade that can also be found at their Native Built clothing store in Kaunakakai.

“The Double Squeeze comes from our twins. So, twice as sour, twice as sweet,” Adachi said, pointing to his twin children, Kiai and Waihani, calling them the “lemonade twins.”

The Adachis also had kava for sale in 12-ounce bottles, either plain or candy-flavored; strawberry, watermelon, orange dream or lemonade.

Echoes of Home sold tastefully created Molokai-related goods; hats, engraved cutting boards, pillows, wooden spoons, and cup holders. Business owner Mollie Loo said the idea is like taking something from Molokai wherever you go.

“It’s kind of being an echo of where you come from,” Loo said. 

Jenn Pupuhi and Kaulananapua Dudoit own Mauka Elua Makai, a shell-jewelry business. They are a “dying breed” of people who hand-collect shells and hand-make crafts to support their families and the island in general, Pupuhi said.

Dudoit lives in Moʻomomi, and Pupuhi lives in Hālawa. They get together often to go shelling. They exercise and make jewelry that helps them sustain their families. It’s a 180-degree turn from when the original market was held across the street.

“We used to be customers of the old market, and we used to spend a whole lot of money over there. We got pretty excited when they were bringing the market back to town,” Pupuhi said, laughing. 

Mama Munchies’ owner Margaret Makekau, better known as “Auntie Lepeka,” sold out all her beef stew and fried rice early in the day. 

“We have only desserts left,” she said, showing her fruit salads, cookies and cornbread.

Lacey Phifer, owner of Leiala Kine Mea, sold jewelry made with pearls and bamboo, sandalwood and milo beads. The bamboo beads were dyed with ʻōlena. But if jewelry wasn’t your thing, you could purchase an ʻōlena soap bar or a jar of ʻinamona to add to your ahi poke. 

There were a few picnic benches spread on the lawn for the community to sit down, eat and enjoy the music. Tanaka said they have plans for cultural workshops once a month. 

The Offices of Tylor Tanaka worked closely with Molokai Public Library branch manager Mia Langer Ritte and the County of Maui Office of Economic Development to make the comeback possible. The market is sponsored by OED. 

Alaska Airlines also sponsored the market’s reopening, and two round-trip airline tickets — anywhere Alaska Airlines flies — were given away during the market Saturday. 

“Thank you, Alaska Airlines, for supporting and donating those tickets,” Tanaka said.

The market will run every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Vendors can go to www.molokaifarmersmarket.com to apply for a space.