Although many traditional Hawaiian dishes are meat- or fish-based, innovative chefs have created plant-based alternatives.  Our latest installment of Talk Story provides links to dozens of vegan recipes. … Common Ground Collective has published Fresh from the Fields: Your Ultimate Guide to Maui County's Farmers Markets. … Maui Food Not Bombs will offer a free vegan meal at Paia Bay on Thursday, April 20 at 5:45 pm.

Like most people throughout the world, most people who live on Maui are not vegan. Is veganism incompatible with traditional Hawaiian culture?  We turned to an unlikely source for an answer, which appears in the latest Talk Story.

Earth Aloha Eats, which operates vegan food trucks in Kahului and Lahaina, has opened a café in Kihei at 1881 S. Kihei Rd., #111, 808-830-0105 …  Food Not Bombs Maui has resumed offering free vegan meals once a month at Paia Bay … Maui's Best 14 Spots To Eat If You're Vegan is one website’s appraisal. Are these the 14 best places?  Our Vegan Food Guide lists many additional options, so you can make your own list.

“As a vegan cafe, people turn to us for a more healthy alternative to a traditional diet,” says Hempy’s Shake & Wake. “We use high quality, organic ingredients from reliable and trusted sources. Our foods are created with single ingredients, and no processed foods.” 291 Hookahi St. #109 Wailuku, HI 96793, 808-250-4722 or 808-250-8876.

David Raatz, a vegan Maui attorney and Deputy Attorney for County Council Services, was featured in Maui Times for donating part of his liver to save the life of a child … Vegan restaurant a’a Roots was profiled by KHON TV. … Vegan food truck Papio’s Place has moved to South Maui Gardens, 30 Alahele Pl., Kihei … Vegan Maui Garden Grove Café has created new kids’ corner in the outdoor seating area … Recently the Vegan Society of Hawaii presented a Zoom talk by Dr. Dean Ornish, “A Unifying Theory for Lifestyle Medicine.” It proved to be one of VSH’s most profound health-related presentations in recent years.

Without much fanfare, a number of relatively new outlets like Maui Garden Grove Café, Sprout Vegan Café, Niu Life Kitchen, Rainbow Kitchen and Papio’s Place have expanded Maui’s vegan dining options, alongside established vegan or largely vegan enterprises like a’a Roots, Earth Aloha Easts, Choice Health Bar, Moku Roots and Maui Kombucha. Speaking of Papio’s Place, this month it relocates to South Maui Gardens, 35 Auhana Rd., Kihei.

On Sunday, October 16 at 12 noon, the Vegan Society of Hawaii will present a free, live online Zoom presentation by T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D., “Why is Nutrition So Confusing for So Many?” The Zoom link is here. More information is here.

The Vegan Society of Hawaii will present a slideshow and cooking demonstration on healthy eating featuring Colin Zhu, DO, DipABLM, on September 1 at 7 p.m. at the J. Walter Cameron Center. For the cooking demonstration, Dr. Zhu, known as the Chef Doc, will prepare Asian Style Tofu Lettuce Boats and Yogurt Grape Pops.

According to the Agricultural Fairness Alliance, “The Farm Bill unfairly allocates the majority of Americans’ taxes to livestock farmers and livestock feed farmers. This is not only unfair to plant based farmers, but also to plant based consumers, plant based food companies and plant based restaurants.” AFA seeks your support in fighting for change.

Leilani Farm Sanctuary is an island paradise for rescued animals where compassion for all living beings reigns. Located on eight lush acres of pure love, this non-profit sanctuary on Maui saves animals destined for slaughter or orphaned after hunters took their mothers. Volunteers are welcome. (Photo of Charlotte courtesy of Leilani Farm Sanctuary.)

Common Ground Collective (CGC) promotes food security and economic opportunity through assistance with education and capacity-building. Since 2017, CGC has worked with residents, businesses, and community organizations to build the infrastructure to create a new backyard-to-market supply chain for the regional food system. (Photo from Common Ground Collective.)

The Maui chapter of Chilis on Wheels regularly provides vegan meals or snack packs in Kihei, Lahaina, and Kahului to the unsheltered and delivers donated produce boxes to anyone in dire need. More information may be found at www.instagram.com/chilisonwheelsmaui.

3 Easy Plant-Based Recipes Your Family Will Love is a free, online class presented by Blue Zones Project Hawai’i on Friday, March 25, 12 noon – 1 pm. Free. Registration required. The Vegan Climate Summit 2022, an online event, will be held Friday, April 22, 2 -5 pm HST. More information here.

Small initiatives can produce big results. A case in point: in 2021 the Common Ground Collective harvested 42,000 pounds of produce that would otherwise go to waste and donated 28,000 pounds to feed residents in need. … Save the date: Second Annual Vegan Climate Change Summit, Friday April 22, 2022. More information here.

HAWAII SCORES FIRST VEGAN HOTEL, Volcano Eco Retreat, on the Big Island. It is part of the Heart Core chain, which describes itself as “a collection of carefully selected planet and vegan-friendly boutique hotels and retreats that strive to set an example in an industry ripe for disruption.” More info here. … CLIMATE IS THE FOCUS OF VEGANUARY 2022: Veganuary’s Head of Communications, Toni Vernelli, says: “Although changing our diets is crucial to cutting greenhouse gas emissions, it can seem daunting. Signing up to Veganuary makes it much easier as our free pledge is full of helpful tips and advice, including a seven-day low carbon meal plan highlighting simple swaps that slash the carbon footprint of classic British dishes.” More information here. Watch the campaign video.

Surprisingly, there are no upscale 100% vegan restaurants on Maui. Vegan diners choose from vegan cafes, vegan food trucks and restaurants with vegan options that vary widely in quality.

Common Ground Collective has harvested more than 35,000 pounds of food for the year 2021 to date through its foster farming program. More than 10,000 pounds have been given to unsheltered people.

Ground broken for new community garden: The Common Ground Collective has partnered with Haiku House to establish a new community garden. The Haiku House Common Ground Garden will showcase a new way for commercial landowners to support Maui's food insecure by increasing the supply of locally grown food for homeless people, struggling families, at-risk youth and seniors. Donations of garden tools and cash are welcome, as are volunteers. To make a financial contribution, visit https://www.commongroundcollective.com/donate. For more information, concerns or questions, please call (808) 856-0906 or email is cgcmaui@gmail.com.

Rainbow Kitchen is Maui’s newest all-vegan food truck. We ordered the burrito bowl, and it’s wonderful. We look forward to trying other items and beverages, such as the bruschetta toast, mochi waffles and fries, mini macro bowl, intriguing teas and more. Rainbow Kitchen is at 2250 Hana Highway in Haiku, the yellow food truck at Maliko Country Farms. If you are driving east on Hana Highway, it’s on the right just before Maliko Gulch. Hours are Tuesday – Saturday, 7 am – 2 pm. If you are planning a stop, it can’t hurt to call 808-500-2885 to confirm it’s open.

Shaping our future: Maui County government could do the right thing by increasing support to independent, plant-based farmers and reducing or eliminating funding for initiatives that promote animal agriculture. One of the most important decision-makers in local government is Councilmember Shane Sinenci. He proposed the new Maui County Department of Agriculture that will begin operations on July 1, 2022.