Big Island Brewhaus Becomes 2nd Blue Zones Project Approved Restaurant in North Hawaii

Big Island Brewhaus crafts award-winning beers and while the restaurant’s food is well-crafted to match, its menu recently received a little makeover with the help of Blue Zones Project^® in North Hawaii.

“We wanted Big Island Brewhaus to become Blue Zones Project Approved because so many of the Blue Zones ideals - eating locally-grown foods, making time for family and friends, and relaxation - are directly in line with our goals,” said Jayne Kerns, co-owner of Big Island Brewhaus along with her husband, Tom. “If our little community gathering place can help make our community, our ohana, healthier, why wouldn't we make the effort to do this?”

On Monday, July 25, Big Island Brewhaus celebrated the achievement with a ceremony at their Waimea (Kamuela) restaurant. During the event, guests met the owners, toured the restaurant, and sampled the restaurant’s roasted tomato soup featuring locally-grown tomatoes and herbs.

Big Island Brewhaus achieved Blue Zones Project Approved™ status by successfully completing the Blue Zones Project restaurant pledge, a free tool from Blue Zones Project that provides research-backed guidance on how to improve the dining experience. The pledge process includes adopting and supporting best practices for promoting well-being, such as:

• Sourcing foods and produce from over 20 local farms and suppliers such as Kekela Farms, Mamane Bakery, Big Island Bees, and Tropical Dreams Ice Cream.
• Having an on-site garden supplying the restaurant with fresh herbs, tomatoes, and even hops for their brewery.
• Promoting "Meatless Mondays" with a unique, locally-grown plant-based special every week.
• Creating a fun and appetizing keiki menu that offers at least one entrée that meets the Blue Zones Healthy Dish Guidelines.

Photos courtesy of Susan Chouinard

The mission of Big Island Brewhaus includes sourcing foods in a sustainable way and supporting local vendors. The Kerns work with local farmers, ranchers, fi­shermen, bakers, bee keepers, and artisan cheese and ice cream makers to bring customers the freshest products available in Hawaii.

Big Island Brewhaus also has a daily commitment to using products with minimal environmental impact: all of its fresh fi­sh is line caught with no bycatch, the local grass-fed beef is hormone-free, and the produce served is grown by local farmers as much possible. The restaurant’s spent grain and food waste is fed to local cows and pigs, taking care to reduce and recycle, and long before it was a law, Big Island Brewhaus has been using only compostable straws and to-go packaging. The restaurant is also in the process of adding solar to decrease their dependence on diesel-generated electricity.

“Tom and Jayne are finding many innovative ways to make healthy choices easier here in North Hawaii,” said Dena Smith Ellis, Organization Lead for Blue Zones Project - North Hawaii. “Big Island Brewhouse is a great example of a socially conscious business that is committed to making an impact on the well-being of the community it serves.”

Congratulations to Big Island Brewhaus! Mahalo for helping our community "Live Longer, Better!"

Blue Zones Project^® Community Celebration in North Kohala

First Honokaa, then Waikoloa, and now North Kohala! Blue Zones Project has been on the road, touring communities in North Hawaii and giving friends, families, and neighbors a chance to experience Blue Zones Project, as well as discover the Power 9 principles. Join us at our last pit stop to learn more about making healthy choices easier in our community, and check out our amazing line-up of performers and fun activities, including:

Local Entertainment

• Opening Performance by Hula Halau O Mana`olana O Kohala, Kumu Hope Keawe, and John Keawe
• Aikido of Kohala
• Ryukyukoku Matsuri Daiko – Taiko Drumming
• Local ukulele artist Brad Bordessa

 Move Naturally

• KARES (Kohala Animal Relocation and Education Service) dog adoption
• Zumba by Jessica Morgenstein
• Walking Moai (hui) sign-ups
• Blue Zones Project smoothie bike

 Plant-Slant Kitchen

• Healthy cooking demos by Kahua Pa`a Mua featuring a green papaya/veggie salad, homemade dressing, topped with baked salted kale and pipi kaula
• Turmeric -Tulsi Tea (olena and holy basil) and farm fresh snacks by Hawaii Institute of Pacific Agriculture
• Fermentation presentation on how to make the highest quality probiotics by Donna Maltz

 Kids’ Zone

• Bounce house
• Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts hands-on activities and games
• Kohala 4-H petting zoo

Mahalo to North Hawaii News for coverage of this very special event! Read the article here.

For more information on the Blue Zones Project North Kohala Community Celebration, contact Sue Dela Cruz at bluezonesprojectnorthhawaii@healthways.com or 808.564.4762. 

Volunteers and Blue Zones Project Team Up to Spruce Up Mala`ai Garden 

Volunteers engaged in purposeful work on June 25, and devoted a few hours with Blue Zones Project to help spruce up Mala`ai: The Culinary Garden of Waimea Middle School.

Holly Sargeant-Green, Mala`ai Garden Coordinator, was on hand to help coordinate the clean-up.

From weeding herb beds, to trimming the hibiscus hedge, wood chipping, and painting the tables that students use while doing class work - the crew worked hard to keep this beautiful garden from becoming over grown while students are on summer break.

Before	After

Holly was very grateful for the help, saying what the volunteers did in just a few hours would have taken her weeks of her summer vacation to get the garden ready for back-to-school. Mahalo everyone for volunteering your time to help keep Mala`ai beautiful!

Another volunteer opportunity to help tend this one acre organic outdoor living classroom is set for Saturday, July 30, from 9 a.m. to noon. Help is needed with the following: crop chopping, native berm care, garden ben beautification, picnic table painting, path clearing, and compost turning. Mala`ai will provide a light garden lunch. To RSVP, contact Holly at 987-0092. 

Volunteering is a rewarding way to make a difference in your community. Research shows volunteering equals a healthier you, and adds up to 7 years to your life!

We have many volunteer opportunities with Blue Zones Project. If you are interested, please contact Sue Dela Cruz at Susan.DelaCruz@healthways.com or call 808.564.4762.