If you’re like me, you either 1) procrastinate, so you’re just starting to think about Christmas gifts, or 2) intend to do Christmas shopping but end up buying things for yourself. (Mostly the latter.) I always begin the season with the best of intentions, but now with less than a week left until Christmas, it’s time to get serious. Why not pick up your stocking stuffers or gift basket items at the farmers’ market?
If you haven’t been to a farmers’ market lately, there’s a lot more going on than tomatoes and plate lunches. Many vendors sell locally made gift items, sometimes in beautifully packaged sets, and the best part is that everything is edible! Or maybe the best part is actually that a lot of them will let you sample before you buy.
Here’s what I found last Saturday morning at the Kapiolani Community College Farmers’ Market. Keep in mind that some vendors alternate weeks, so you may see a slightly different set of treats this week. KCC’s is a Hawaii Farm Bureau-sponsored market, which means all ag products and a majority of ingredients in prepared products must be locally sourced. If you’re busy Saturday, other Farm Bureau markets are Wednesday evening in town at Blaisdell Center (4 to 7 p.m., free parking in the Blaisdell lot and structure) and Thursday evening in Kailua in the parking lot by Longs Drugs (5 to 7:30 p.m.). See the weekly tip sheets here and by following @HNLfarmers on Twitter.
Remember to bring your own shopping bags, and bring cash (some vendors accept credit cards, others don’t). And get out there — it’s Christmas crunch time!
Farmers' market gifts (2 of 12)
You can buy coffee grown around the Hawaiian islands, then roasted here on Oahu by Koko Crater Roasters. Free samples! The 100% Maui coffee has a nice depth. And they can do custom labels too.
