HONOLULU — This March public school cafeterias statewide were offered the opportunity to serve green eggs and ham fried rice for breakfast using locally grown green onions. 

I kēlā me kēia lā, hāʻawi ke Keʻena Hoʻonaʻauao o ka Mokuʻāina ʻo Hawaiʻi (HIDOE) ma kahi o 26,000 mau ʻaina kakahiaka - a i ʻole 4.6 miliona i kēlā me kēia makahiki kula - e hōʻoia i ka hoʻomaka ʻana o nā haumāna i kā lākou lā me ka meaʻai e pono ai lākou e nānā, aʻo a holomua. Ke hōʻike ʻia nei kēia meaʻai kakahiaka nui ma muli o ka National Read Across America Week a me ka National School Breakfast Week, i hana ʻia i ka pule mua o Malaki. 

Local bunching onions, a variety of green onions known to have a juicier stalk and stronger onion flavor, along with spinach colored this fun Dr. Seuss-inspired dish. An estimated 145 pounds of local green onions will be distributed statewide to serve the 78 participating schools.

Manaʻo nā haumāna a me nā mākua o Moanalua Elementary i ka ʻike hou aku i nā meaʻai kūloko i kā lākou meaʻai kula. 

"Manaʻo wau he mea maikaʻi ka hoʻohana ʻana i nā meaʻai kūloko i kaʻu meaʻai no ka mea a laila hiki ke ʻoi aku ka hou," wahi a Erin Nishimoto i ka papa ʻehā. “E ʻoi aku ka ʻono no ka mea he ʻono kūʻokoʻa ka loaʻa ʻana o ka meaʻai hou."

"E kōkua ana ka hoʻohana ʻana i nā meaʻai kūloko i ke kula, kōkua i nā haumāna ʻē aʻe e ola olakino, a kōkua i nā haumāna e aʻo i ka ʻai ʻana i kā lākou mau mea kanu," i hoʻohui ʻia ai ka papa ʻelima ʻo Judah Logan. 

ʻO ka manaʻo o ka ʻoihana mahiʻai i ke kula e hoʻoikaika i ka hoʻomau ʻana i ka meaʻai ma Hawaiʻi a e kūlike me Kanawai 175, e kālele ana i ka hoʻomaikaʻi ʻana i ke olakino o nā haumāna me ke kākoʻo ʻana i nā mahiʻai kūloko. 

“He mea kōkua nui ia i ko kākou poʻe mahiʻai Hawaiʻi a e aʻo hou i nā keiki e pili ana i ke ʻano o nā mea i komo i loko o kā lākou meaʻai pū kekahi, a e hoʻohauʻoli iā lākou i nā meaʻai ʻē aʻe o ka ʻāina,” wahi a Kristyn Nishimoto makua ʻo Moanalua Elementary. 

Charis Logan, another Moanalua Elementary parent, agreed. “It’s great that we can support local and that the kids get fresh ingredients. That’s awesome.”

ʻO nā kula aupuni o Hawaiʻi ka mea kūʻai nui loa o ka mokuʻāina i nā huahana meaʻai, e lawelawe ana ma luna o 100,000 mau meaʻai haumāna i ka lā. Ke hoʻomau nei ka 'Oihana i ka hana pū me nā mea kūʻai kūloko a puni ka moku'āina e ʻike i ke ʻano o ka hoʻonui ʻia ʻana o nā huahana kūloko hou ma nā kula āpau i ka wā e hiki mai ana.