Fundraising gets tougher and tougher each year as the economy stays tight and budgets get cut. That’s why the PTSA for Kaiser High School started a farmers market. The idea is that the community can benefit from locally grown and made items while supporting the school at the same time. The money earned comes from the fees for the tables at the market.

PTSA member Linda Lau came up with the idea and found out that the Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation (HFBF), who governs the big farmers markets around Oahu, actually had a surplus of vendors who were on wait lists. The HFBF allowed Lau to contact them, and the idea became a reality. The Kaiser Farmers Market began last month and is offered every Tuesday from 4pm-7pm on the lower high school campus down by the fire station. “Although Kaiser’s farmers market is not sponsored by The Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation, we will adopt some of the guidelines to support agriculture in Hawaii by providing a venue for farmers to sell locally grown food products and flowers to provide a service to the community,” says Lau.  The guidelines of the HFBF are strict in making sure that all items sold are 100% Hawaiian grown. No mainland produce or flowers are allowed under any circumstances. Even prepared foods should use locally grown items in the menu, such as eggs, meats, fruits and vegetables. 

The funds raised from this ongoing event are meant to support the costs of training for the International Baccalaureate (IB) program that Kaiser has been awarded. In March the PTSA organizes a “Fun Day” event, where vendors who sell items other than produce and flowers can take advantage.