Meet local author, Eric Saperston

Live in Wonder! On Saturday, February 25th from 1-4, Maui author, Eric Saperston will be signing his book "Live in Wonder" at Mana Foods. Eric is a world-renowned speaker, author and film director. He lives on a Swiss-Family-Robinson-Style tree house on a 13 acre organic farm on Maui. Eric travels the globe inspiring the world to live in wonder.

After college, Eric Saperston bought a 1971 Volkswagen bus, took his golden retriever Jack and set out to follow the Grateful Dead and work a ski season in Aspen. While on the road he called up some of the most powerful people in the world and asked them out for a cup of coffee.

The reason: to find out the values they lived by, the struggles they endured and what advice and counsel they would give to others to better prepare themselves for the road ahead. The results: a development deal with Walt Disney Studios, an award-winning film The Journey, a speaking tour, an apparel line and this book you now have in your hands.

Live In Wonder: Quests, Quotes & Questions To Jumpstart Your Journey
invites you to ask yourself and others the questions, be inspired by the quotes, doodle, draw or write in it like a journal. Leave it on the coffee table, put it in the bathroom, gift it to a friend or take it on a road trip.

Wherever you go, may this book be your travel companion to anyplace worthwhile.

Book Signing today

Today, Thursday, February 16th from 11:30 - 1:30, Maui author, Andrew von Sonn is signing his books "If Not Now, When?" and "The Money Rebellion."

If Not Now, When? is filled w/cartoons and words about life, identity, perspective, and our current monetary system. Using gentle satire, Andrew Von Sonn holds a mirror to personal alienation, cookie-cutter lives, and the rat race mentality. He beckons us to explore our real lives by delving into a sense of absurdity. Using this absurdity, we can break down our self-limiting paradigm and embrace what is real and true.

The Money Rebellion is a satirical look at money and taxes. It's about an alternative computer banking system that challenges the status quo and the powers that be. Its purpose is to communicate a conceptual picture of "money" and "money systems," and offer some possible future alternatives. It's also filled with plenty of cartoons and laughs.

Andrew Von Sonn, Founder and Director of Mayflower Unlimited, is a lawyer, writer, cartoonist, and father based on the north shore of Maui in the Hawaiian Islands. He graduated UCLA School of Law in 1970 and is licensed to practice law in California and Hawaii. Earlier in his career, he was a starting linebacker in the National Football League.

Mana Foods Plans Extensive Renovations in Paia

Mana Health Foods, Inc. - the long running natural foods grocery and health products store in Paia – plans extensive renovation, according to store manager Theresa Thielk.
The sprawling establishment, which began in 1983 as a 400 square foot juice bar with a single worker, now has 110 employees. It has expanded over the years into an eclectic assortment of adjoining buildings and property.
Thielk said improvements to all areas will begin as soon as county permit processing is completed.



Read the rest of the article Photo and article by Susan Halas

Trick or Treat!

Check out these Organic Treats for your keiki.
And if you're looking for other ideas, try Agave or Honey stix, Chocolate Bites, fruit leather, fruit chews, juice boxes, barrettes, cookie cutters, toothbrushes, etc.

Sustainable Halloween

Halloween is second only to Christmas in spending. Consumers spend over $2.5 Billion during Halloween. That's a whole lot of candy, costumes, decorations, and party goods.
Ideas for a sustainable Halloween celebration include: buying your costume at a thrift store, having a costume swap with other parents, making your own decorations out of pumpkins, popcorn, decorated cardboard, sheets for ghost etc.
For more green ideas, visit Sustainable Baby Steps.

Did you know?

Saffron, made from the dried stamens of cultivated crocus flowers, is the most expensive cooking spice.

Mana Foods in Glow magazine

Our produce manager, Ryan Earehart, is featured in the August 2011 issue of GLOW, a Japanese magazine. I wish I could read Japanese, anyone want to translate?

Tropical Beauty

You can buy fresh tropical flowers & leis right here at Mana Foods!

Kids Nutrition

A healthy child is a happy child! Check out the new Kid's Kit from Garden of Life, which contains 1 chewable multi and 1 chewable DHA at a super good price!

Green Lunchbox

Lunchopolis: the garbage-free lunchbox, now available at Mana Foods
Help eliminate the 3.5 Billion + pounds of lunch box garbage is generated every year: juice boxes, water bottles, aluminum foil, and plastic bags.

Kerplunk: Kids water botles

Kids just can’t get enough of the bright, colorful designs Kerplunk Kidz™ bottles and sippy cups. They’re fun, durable and most importantly, chemical free so you don’t have to worry about toxic chemicals.

Think Local: Madre Chocolate

Locally made in Honolulu, Hawaii, Madre Chocolate, is made with cacao purchased directly from an organic farm cooperatives in Mexico and Hawaii and crafted in small batches. The processing preserves a high level of healthy antioxidants and provides a rich delightful flavor. Try unique flavors like Chipotle Allspice and Hibiscus.

Eco Packaging for Liquid Laundry

Using, 66% less plastic than the typical 100 oz bottle, Seventh Generation is using a paper shell for its newest 4x concentrate liquid laundry detergent. It is made from recycled paper (70% cardboard and 30% newspaper). The bottle can be recycled or composted and comes with complete instructions on how to break it down for recycling.

Vog & Cane Burning Homeopathic Remedies

Vog or cane burning getting you down? There are now Hawaii specific homeopatic remedies available in our vitamin room. For a limited time, when you buy a VOG relief remedy, you will get a Ko Ahi (cane burning) remedy for free. While supplies last.

Homeopathy is a form of alternative medicine in which practitioners treat patients using highly diluted preparations that are believed to cause healthy people to exhibit symptoms that are similar to those exhibited by the patient. The basic principle of homeopathy, known as the "law of similars", is "let like be cured by like." It was first stated by German physician Samuel Hahnemann in 1796.

Earth Day contest winner

Congratulations to Lisa who won a year's worth of FREE Seventh Generation products. Thanks for loving Mana Foods and the Earth!

Think Local: Evonuk Farm tour

At Evonuk Farms a local fresh fruit, veggie, and herb producer they have been supplying their island fresh produce for over twenty years, Walter Evonuk and his wife are taking over the reigns from his father Ed Evonuk. They are producing the largest local selection of herbs and spices on the island.

Their farm has a huge Photovoltaic Array which helps to power all the buildings and refrigeration on the farm. They also raise bananas, pomegranates, avocados, citrus, Sapotes, and other fruits to compliment their veggies like lettuce, eggplant, beans and radishes.

Think Local: Wahkimba's Farm tour

A little higher in Haiku we stopped in to visit Wahkimbas Farms where most everything is done by hand, He saves all his own seeds (a very tedious and time consuming process). His main tools are a pitch fork and a machete. His Rasta Salad mix has a big following and each leaf is hand cut with scisors and selected to go into the very special mix which is different every time and not dominated by lettuce like most mix. Wahkimba has a knack for producing high quality delicious produce. His two acres are extremely diverse growing sugar cane, bananas, taro, sweet potatoes, yacon, cassava, radish, daikon, herbs, greens, corn, peanuts, poha berries, carrots, and many others all hand done with very low inputs he makes his own compost fertilizer a more traditional sustainable approach to farming than the over mechanized standard that relies heavily on imported fertilizer and seeds.

Think Local: Haiku Organic Farm tour

Out in Haiku we stopped in and checked out the large fields of Organic Salad Mix from Haiku Organic Farm were they are working hard to bring affordable organic bulk salad mix to our bins. A small Family Farm they are a very consistent supplier for us and their mix is priced right and well received by our customers. Dealing with the birds and working to find the perfect organic fertilizer hasn't been easy but they have stuck with it and are really pumping out the produce now.

Think Local: Charlie's Farm tour

Right up the road in Paia we stopped by and checked out Charlie's Farm were he is producing sugar cane, taro, and a whole lot of great Bananas, Charlie is a natural, as he has been growing food since he was a kid and it shows. His bananas are abundant plump and beautiful, and produced less than a mile from Mana Foods.

Pictured: Austin, Charlie, Mason and Victor

Think Local: Hana Fresh Farm tour

Our trip to Hana to visit Hana Fresh was very inspiring. Rocky soil and lots of bugs in Hana haven't made it easy, but they have stepped up to the challenge and are one of the premier organic farms on Maui. Producing some of the finest fresh tomatoes, lettuce, and veggies that you have ever seen, Hana Fresh has made a great name for themselves. They have fruit trees, bananas, papayas, along with many fields of fresh greens and cherry tomatoes, spread around with several very nice greenhouses to help with the bigger tomatoes and delicious cucumbers, their commitment to diversity is amazing. They are always trying out new rare varieties.

Our customers Love Hana Fresh Produce and are always clamoring to get their hands on something new and different. A local non profit - Supporting Hana Fresh is a no brainer ( High Quality, Super Fresh, Local, Organic, and supports the Hana Health Community Center.

Cheryl, Gary, and Sam at Hana fresh