Hawaii Dept. of Ag promotes "Buy Local for the Holidays"

'TIS THE SEASON TO BUY LOCAL FOR THE HOLIDAYS!!!

NR12-13 October 22, 2012

Free Make-and-Take Floral Arrangements Features Spectacular Flowers

Plus a Message to Help Protect Hawai`i

Honolulu – The Hawai`i Department of Agriculture (HDOA) wants to help consumers get into the spirit to Buy Local for the Holidays!   This unique floral event will be held on:

Sunday, November 4, 2012
9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Pearl City Cultural Center and adjacent Pearl City High School Multipurpose Room,
2100 Ho`okiekie Street, Pearl City

The event is FREE to the public and will feature local floral designers creating gorgeous holiday arrangements using only locally grown flowers and foliage.  Besides watching the professionals, the public will also have an opportunity to make-and-take their own local arrangements using their choice of flowers and foliage – for free.  In addition, there will be a local wreath-making contest beginning at 11:30 a.m. and Hawai`i nurseries will have plants for sale and 200 lucky people will get a free local potted plant.
The event is part of HDOA’s Buy Local, It Matters campaign, which encourages consumers to support local farmers and growers by making conscious decisions to buy local whenever possible.  In addition, this particular event emphasizes that by buying local, we can also reduce the amount of imported flowers, thus reducing the amount of invasive plant pests and diseases entering our state.
“It’s really amazing to see people have fun while using locally grown flowers to make beautiful arrangements,” said Carol Okada, manager of HDOA’s Plant Quarantine Branch.  “We invite everyone, including women, men and keiki, to come down and make their own local creation.”
HDOA and the local nursery industry will provide hundreds of locally grown flowers and foliage including:  anthuriums, orchids, protea, heliconia, ginger, bird of paradise, palms and much more.

“The nursery industry in Hawai`i relies on the strong support of the local community,“ said Russell S. Kokubun, chair of the Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture. “Purchasing locally grown florals also helps to reduce the amount of imported products that carry hitchhiking pests and plant diseases into our state.”
Floral designers participating in the event include:  Alluvion Inc., Pearl City Florist, Fujikami Florist, Flo Min Florist, Ambiance Today and more.
Once an invasive pest or disease becomes established in Hawai`i, it may have a devastating impact on Hawai`i agriculture by causing damage to crops and is often costly for the state and growers to control.  Invasive species may also harm Hawai`i’s unique ecosystem.

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To view the Buy Local for the Holidays Flyer, click here.