State Farm Fair
Food is always a big draw at the Farm Fair. Kids competed
in a watermelon-eating contest at last year's event.

Meal worm treats,
roach races all part of
Farm Fair fun

Annual event showcases
farming and fun

By Nadine Kam
Features Editor
Star-Bulletin

IT was going to be the largest milk shake ever made, according to event consultant Lauri Yanagawa, with 10,000 pounds of donated bananas already peeled, pureed, refrigerated and shipped to Oahu from the Big Island for the world record attempt. There was pineapple, and milk reserved too, all waiting to become a 5,000 gallon thirst quencher tomorrow, at the opening of the Hawaii State Farm Fair.

But alas, in this lawsuit-happy age, the question of liability -- should people somehow fall ill from a sip of the shake -- was raised, and the idea was scrapped. To compensate for the loss, there will be a banana-eating contest opening night. (Not the same ones, now destined to become banana bread.)

And, every day, there will be the usual country market, orchid and plant sales, livestock exhibits, petting zoo, games, demonstrations and food booths to keep you from crying over this unbuilt milk shake for too long.

For instance, how about sampling cookies made from meal worms? That'll be a treat offered by the University of Hawaii Entomology Department at noon Aug. 7.

Jennifer Carder, a graduate student with the department said of the cookies, "Kids love 'em, especially the girls."

FARM FAIR What: Hawaii State Farm Fair Where: Aloha Stadium When: 6 p.m. to midnight week days, and 11 a.m. to midnight Saturdays and Sundays through Aug. 8. Cost: $2.50 for adults; $1.50 for keiki ages 5-12; under 5, free. Reduced admission is $1.50 between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Also, free admission for one with an empty Pepsi can Aug. 2 and between 6 p.m. and midnight Aug. 8; free admission for two with an empty half-gallon carton of Meadow Gold or Viva Milk Aug. 4; free admission for a family of four with an empty 20-pound bag of Diamond G rice Aug. 5. Call: 848-2074

"The first cookie I had probably didn't have many meal worms in them, but the second, I could definitely feel a different texture, kind of light and fluffy."

The department's true insect connoisseur though, is research entomologist Robert Woodrow, known for having eaten some of his study subjects, termites, which he says have little flavor.

"Hawaii isn't all that great place for eating bugs. We don't have really tasty insects here, like the big beetle grubs they have in Southeast Asia."

Meal worms, he said, have an unusual flavor, "but nothing objectionable."

The taste tests are meant to introduce children to the benefits of bugs, and cultural differences that allow some people to consider bugs delicacies and others to be repulsed.

Why, the thought of beetle grubs seems to put Woodrow into a swoon. "They're like shrimp," he said.

All crustaceans, insects, centipedes, and spiders fall into the phyllum arthropoda, and for that reason, those allergic to seafood or bee stings should avoid eating insects. Woodrow adds, "If you have allergies, it's not a good idea to try something you don't know."

In addition to the insect tasting, the entomologists will also be hosting cockroach races, which Carter said often "creates a big scene because sometimes they get away."

Some of the roaches are lab pets, but Carter said, "We plan to get some wild ones because they're really fast and they're more fun."

Other Farm Fair highlights this week are:

July 30 Fri.

6 p.m. -- 4H Swine Showmanship and 4H Beef Showmanship and Market Steer shows.

6:30 p.m. -- Bernard Kratky and Nathan Hashimoto of UH-Hilo talk about non-circulating hydroponics.

8 p.m. -- Dough Schafer gives a basic vanda orchid culture demonstration.

July 31 Sat.

First 2,000 kids at entry gate receive a free Pokemon poster.

11 a.m. -- 4H Market Lamb Showmanship and Show.

Noon -- Scarecrow building contest.

1 p.m. -- 4H Dairy Heifer Showmanship and Show.

5:30 p.m. -- 4H livestock parade.

6 p.m. -- 4H fashion show.

6:30 p.m. -- Learn to make leis with dendrobium orchids with Stan and Jean Takemoto.

7:30 p.m. -- Chef Sam Choy demonstrates cooking with Hawaii aquaculture.

Aug. 1

2 p.m. -- Chef Kelvin Ro demonstrates cooking with beef.

6:30 p.m. -- Lei-making with dendrobium orchids. Also, flower arranging with dendrobium orchids at 8 p.m.

7 p.m. -- Hawaii's Finest Floral Designer contest.

7:30 p.m. -- Henry Kapono performs.

9:30 p.m. -- Pure Heart performs.

Aug. 2

6:30 p.m. -- Hawaii Bromeliad Society offers information on general bromeliad culture.

7:30 p.m. -- Forte performs.

8 p.m. -- Hands-on corsage making demonstration.

9:30 p.m. -- Dis Guyz performs.

Aug. 3

6:30 p.m. -- Hawaii's Strongest Men Exhibition. Also, jujitsu demonstration by Egan Inoue and the Hawaii "Baywatch" cast signs autographs.

10 p.m. -- The Krush performs.

Aug. 4

6:30 p.m. -- Brian Joy talks about backyard ponds. Also, Brownskin, Imua and the HyperSquad Dancers perform.

7:30 p.m. -- Bob Kern talks about tropical fish.

8:15 p.m. -- Kevin Mulkern talks about water lilies for tubs and ponds.

Aug. 5

6:30 p.m. -- Kid's Bingo with Hari Kojima.

7:30 p.m. -- Hawaii's Rising Stars: Chefs of the Future, students from Kapiolani Community College's Culinary Institute of the Pacific give a demonstration.

9:30 p.m. -- Na Leo Pilimehana performs.

Click for online
calendars and events.