Marine AgriFuture's sea asparagus is a popular item in specialty stores and some fine-dining restaurants, but the crunchy vegetable has yet to find its way to the plates of the general public.

Owner Wenhao Sun hopes to change that when he presents his sea asparagus at the annual Made in Hawai'i Festival that runs Aug. 17-19 at the Neal Blaisdell Center Exhibition Hall and Arena. Marine AgriFuture will be one of 420 exhibitors from six islands who will be displaying their local products.

Sun produces about 300 pounds of sea asparagus a week at his Kahuku aquaculture farm but said he has the potential of selling 800 to 1,000 pounds, if the demand were there. The sea asparagus can be found in local health-food stores, Don Quijote, Marukai and military commissaries, as well as Alan Wong's, Roy's and Sam Choy's, but has yet to take off as a food staple.

At next week's festival, Sun's booth will feature fresh sea asparagus, a sea asparagus salad and a pickled sea asparagus. He believes once people sample the vegetable and realize how nutritious it is, they will want to eat it regularly.

Marine AgriFuture has been growing sea asparagus for about two years. Sun describes it as a crunchy seaweed that has a natural, salty taste similar to ogo.

"Anything new takes time to introduce to the market," Sun said.

Dick Botti, president of festival organizer Hawai'i Food Industry Association, said Marine AgriFuture is typical of a small local business that hopes the festival will be their ticket to growth. The purpose of the festival is to promote Hawai'i products to consumers, as well as wholesale and retail buyers.

"It's turned into a small-business incubator where people that have an idea that's created in the garage and don't have any way to jump-start it to be in a venue where a lot of people come in and a lot of buyers come in to look at the products and want something unique from Hawai'i that's made in Hawai'i," Botti said.

The vendors pay $500 or $600 for a booth, and Botti estimated that sales at the three-day festival will be $1.5 million to $2 million. He said the festival has become so popular that there is a waiting list of vendors hoping to participate.

"It's turned into a very positive program that promotes the state, promotes the Hawai'i products, brings in tourists, consumers and commercial buyers, to go ahead and look at everything at one time in three days," Botti said. Last year, more than 35,000 people attended the festival, he said.

For Janis Tanga, the Made in Hawai'i Festival has helped her to expand her business since she first entered the show in 2002. When Tanga Co. first started, she was selling a mochi puff mix, but she has since added a line of flavored sea salt and will introduce a flavored sugar at the upcoming show. Tanga sells her products under the brand name "for J's."

"The success of the business is somehow linked to the Made in Hawai'i Festival," Tanga said. "It's a great trade show, and we enjoy doing it. It's the best way to get your product out there."

Tanga said sales for her company have gone up about 30 percent each year since becoming a regular at the festival.

Reach Curtis Lum at culum@honoluluadvertiser.com.