Humane, Sustainable, and Local:Hawaiian Style

BULLY’S BURGERS  

 On a remote road in Ka’naio Maui HI, at the foot of the mountain of Haleakala, there is quite literally a burger joint...actually more of a shack!  Sandwiched between the craggy terrain of the mountainside and the ocean waves pounding on the volcanic rocks, there it sits on the edge of the unpaved highway.  This was the dream of Louis “Bully” De Pointe Jr. - to sell 100% homemade local beef burgers right off his ranch, Triple L. Unfortunately "Bully" died before he realized his dream so his wife Paige, children, and grandchildren made it happen.  “Bully” De Pointe, described as a “bull-riding cattle rancher” was a true cowboy or as they are referred to in Hawaii Paniolo, but without a doubt at Triple L Ranch he was committed to pasture raised, pasture finished beef and in keeping it local, and this is the tradition continued by his family.   The beef in the burgers is supplied by the cattle that wander on this tough terrain surrounding the burger shack, and it has been suggested that perhaps a beef connoisseur might be able to taste the volcanic minerals in the meat – referred to by gastronomes as terroir - meaning that the geography, geology and climate of a certain place, interact with the plant's genetics, infusing it with the taste and flavour of the region,  which in this case is passed on to the animals that eat the plants. Not having sampled the beef (it doesn’t feature on my vegan plan) I can’t attest to the terroir in the beef, but it is available for purchase on-line so you could test it for yourself… but I think I can pretty much guarantee that it won’t taste nearly the same grilled in Missouri or Georgia as it will grilled on the edge of an old lava flow in Maui – that’s where you will taste the terrain, the terroir. After all it’s about keeping it local.  So for a great day out – take a tour of the Triple L Ranch, horseback style, take in the breath taking rugged scenery on this side of the island, then finish off with a burger and a beer at “Bully’s”– this truly is 'farm to table' …no mistake.                                                                                                                                                                                                  
The tragedy is that Triple L Ranch is referred to as one of the “Last Free Range Frontiers” in Maui, and it really is – ‘Big Agricultural’ producers have got a huge foothold in the agriculture of Maui and the other Hawaiian islands – open field testing of GMO crops is already in full swing (with the blessing of government) and much of the meat is imported from CAFOs (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations) on the mainland. 

This latter aspect is especially sad given the fact that the Hawaiian Islands have a rich history in ranching and Paniolos (cowboys).   It all got started in 1798 with five black longhorn cattle brought to Big Island by a British naval explorer Captain George Vancouver. The cattle were in such poor condition when they were brought ashore that the then King, Kamehameha I, declared them kapu (taboo) and allowed them to freely range the island.  Well life must have been good for those longhorns from thereon because they multiplied…and they multiplied, and began to overrun the Hawaiian range.  With the arrival of horses in 1803 and an abundance of free-roaming cattle, Mexican vaqueros (expert horsemen) were contracted onto the island to help round up the cattle  - they arrived with boots and saddles (and ukuleles) and taught the locals to ride horses and rope cattle – and ranching began.  Apparently, thanks to the vaqueros, Hawaiians were roping cattle before the ‘Wild West’ cowboys over on the mainland.  A hearty trade in beef, tallow and hide ensued with the trading ships that visited the island and beef ranching became lucrative.   The history of ranching in the Hawaiian Islands has a variance from island to island, but the gist is the same: once upon a time ranches dominated the islands, and meat was local and profitable; but now apart from the odd ranch here or there ranching is in now only to be found in the annals of Hawaiian history records, and is no longer a viable market.  Most working ranches rely on agri-tourism to stay in business.                                                                                                              
Today with the 1.5 million residents on the eight main islands and a steady inflow of tourists demanding meat why has there been a dramatic decline in beef ranches in Hawaii?  In my opinion it’s a difficult one to pinpoint – I can suggest three possible reasons – one is the boom of the sugar industry in the 1900s, and the commercialization of pineapple plantations in the last century. However the flaw in this argument, as I see it, is that sugar and pineapples are grown on the flat lands of the islands and there is still a good few thousand acres of rough territory that is unsuitable for growing crops but is perfect for ranching.  The second reason is modernization bringing with it urbanization, the growth of the tourist industry, and the decline of the true Paniolo. The third and undeniable reason is that many folk want food cheap and fast - when one sees the huge queues of tourists and locals waiting for tables at the Cheesecake Factory at Waikiki, Oahu, one realizes that many people aren’t interested in local, they want uniformity with the same menu and same prices that they can get from Milwaukie to Boston, the kind of uniformity that only factory meat can provide.  

                                                                        

MERRIMAN'S RESTAURANTS
As in many other States in the USA there is a glimmer of hope, some folks are getting savvy and passionate about locally grown and there are pockets of like-minded individuals in the islands who want to turn agriculture around. One such individual is Peter Merriman; over the last twenty-five years he has been influential in the ‘farm to table’ movement in the Hawaiian food scene though his chain of local sustainable restaurants, from his pizza place on Big Island to his fine dining in Kapalua on Maui.  As mentioned previously for the last few decades pineapples and sugar have dominated the agricultural landscape and the majority of fresh produce is shipped into the Islands from the mainland. Chef Peter saw such a wasted potential in the rich volcanic soils of the islands and along with a group of other like-minded chefs encouraged farmers to start growing fruits and vegetables by guaranteeing them a market – ‘farm to restaurant'. 

Merriman's Kapalua, Maui

Ninety percent of the food served in Merriman’s restaurants is locally raised or grown. On the face of it this seems exemplary but, without under mining Peter Merriman’s commitment, why shouldn’t it be this way given the richness and diversity of the soil, terrain and geology of the Hawaiian Islands, and not forgetting the perfect growing climate.

Mr. Merriman’s commitment to healthy local food doesn’t end in the kitchens of his restaurants, he is also a philanthropist in the Hawaiian community - he is the pioneer of the Hawaii Regional Cuisine Movement, he offers the Merriman’s Culinary Scholarship for would-be chefs, and for over 25 years has been dedicated to giving back to the local communities, donating to multiple non-profit organizations through charity dinners, gift certificate donations, fundraisers and participation in local charity events.                             
We need many more Peter Merrimans…but even more we need responsible consumers, who demand sustainably and locally grown produce  - if we provide the demand then the market will follow  - guaranteed!                                                                                                                                   

                                                                   ~~~~~~~~~~~~

AFTERWORD: the Hawaiian Islands are a place of natural beauty but are sickeningly becoming a concrete pile of ugliness.  Like many places of natural beauty people tear up what nature has bestowed, to replace with concrete, in the case of the Hawaiian Islands, big hotels, strip malls and fast food restaurants. The islands of this planet are playgrounds for those who can afford it and in the case of Hawaii badly exploited by the USA government - first by the military when the small island of Kahoʻolawe was used as a bomb testing ground in WWII, and today by biotech companies conducting open filed testing of GMOs. 

There seems to be an attitude in our culture that just because ‘we can we do’, and leave a detritus of exploitation and ruin in our wake. 

I hope we awaken before it’s too late and realize that this earth of ours has finite resources and that we have a duty to protect and regenerate what we have for future generations. 

Keep it local, keep it sustainable…and always keep it humane!

                                                                                                                                    ~ THE ACTIVIST