POM: Banyan Court Mall, Honolulu

The People's Open Market (POM), was founded in 1973 to provide fresh produce to citizens at a reduced rate and to provide a place for the farmers to sell their merchandise.  I think this is a project of the city and county of Honolulu because I found the information on their website, and the POM staff regularly inspect the sites, and survey the retail markets to ensure that the POM prices are reasonable.

The third thing they wanted to do was provide a place for people of the neighborhood to get together and socialize, which is probably why most of the people we encountered this morning walked.
We went to the original POM site -- the Banyan Court Mall at 800 N. King Street. It runs on Saturdays from 6:15 am - 7:30 am. That is so bizarre to me, but I guess if you want the POM to travel around to different neighborhoods, it can't be open all day.  At 8:15 am - 9:30 the POM moves into Kalihi by Kalakaua Intermediate. This is the largest of the POMs so maybe we'll check it out next week.

The same tips apply at this "farmer's market" as the other farmer's markets we frequent. Look around first to see what people are offering, check prices, check quality, bring your own bag and bring small cash. I usually put a $10 limit, but that's just me.

We normally see the same things, but some of the farmers brought things that I don't usually see: pipinola greens, kalamungai leaves for chicken papaya, and some other fast spreading greens that looked like pipinola but it was more delicate with small yellow blossoms.
I didn't quite spend my $10 because I don't know how to use the Filipino veggies including bitter melon, and we're not really into tropical fruits: papaya, mango, sad looking, wish it was from Hilo lychee. . .
Manoa lettuce - 2 heads, looks like hydroponics  $1
Bag of carrots - 6 count $2.50
Green onions (we cut off the bottoms and planted it in our little side of the apartment area (it's not a yard) - $1
Sweet potatoes- 6 count $3
Onions, round - 4 count $2

This POM is between Kaumakapili Church and St. Elizabeth Church. I actually found parking on the street, but it looks like people can park at Kaumakapili Church. I'm wondering if the quality of the veggies goes down as the day progresses because they offer 5 POMs in the Honolulu-Hawaii Kai area on Saturday with Hawaii Kai's POM happening from 1 - 2 pm.

Anyone have a favorite POM they go to?

Comments

  1. Our pipinola plant has been growing crazy. I gave away about 9 young fruits to people at the VCA meeting. We have been trimming the shoots every few days, steaming them, and putting some shoyu and sesame oil and enjoying them.

    Have fun at the POM.

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  2. I like shoyu mayo, but not so healthy eh?

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