Brynn Foster

Name Brynn Foster

Social Media @voyagingfoods, @hawaiiantaropowder

Age 48

Town/Moku Kaupo

Island maui

Leadership Category Mālama ʻĀina - Environmental Sustainability

Nominated by Dora Nakafuji

Share with us a little about yourself and what you do.

Aloha, I am Brynn Foster, founder of Voyaging Foods. Food Entrepreneur, small farming advocate, ocean lover and supporter for home makers who want to nourish their home, family and community.

I started making gluten free, refined sugar-free, teething biscuits in my kitchen from home-made flour I made from Kalo. I couldn't find what I needed at the grocery store so I made it myself.

I love the process of making food products inspired by our ancestors.

Why is the work that you do important to you? The community?

I make canoe plant flour more accessible and available and that is important to me. Everyone should be able to eat more Kalo, 'Ulu and 'Uala at every meal. Land and food is priceless and it is our birthright to eat healthy, clean food grown in these islands.

Share with us the qualities of leadership you admire and how you express those in your life.

The qualities of leadership I admire are when you feel the leader is your equal. Leadership is best when you know when to lead and when to follow and it is a give and take, more of a reciprocal relationship not someone who should be worshipped. The qualities of leadership I admire is humbleness, humility, integrity and uniqueness. I express these qualities by always knowing what my true north is.

Who has inspired you to do the work that you are doing?

I was inspired by my great-grandmother, Harriet Wahineaea Kaho'opi'i Baldwin who introduced me to Kalo through a cookie as a young girl. She planted this "seed" in me which sprouted after I had children and reconnected with this plant in a lo'i during a fieldtrip with my toddler. I started to learn the issues surrounding water rights and land issues making growing Kalo very challenging.

Hawaii is importing more Kalo than grown. This makes zero sense when you learn that our ancestors were experts in growing Kalo. Our blueprint that offers solutions to our world's greatest issues are found in indigenous knowledge and that includes our Kanaka Maoli. It is disrespectful to my ancestors to not head the call, especially once you hear it. The fact that growing our indigenous and endemic plants also help mitigate our climate crisis is just another reason to put all the money in the state's budget towards small family farms. Currently, the State of Hawaii has less than 1% of the budget going towards agricultural projects, let alone regenerative farming that is truly the answer to so many issues.

What is one word that describes something you are excited about for the lāhui?

Aloha 'Aina - fearless aloha

What is one word that describes a pressing issue that is facing our lāhui?

disconnection, old-narratives