News 2010
Island Naturals teams with The Kohala Center
December 14, 2010
Island Naturals Market & Deli joins with The Kohala Center to say happy holidays by offering a 10 percent in-store discount to everyone who becomes a member of the center’s Circle of Friends now through January. The introductory membership offer includes the one-time discount, participation in a drawing for a $300 Island Naturals Market shopping spree, and special rates for The Kohala Center’s learning events that take Friends on tours of sustainable farms or introduce them to the unique flora, fauna, and landscapes of our island
» read more
Click here to view the article online.
Used with permission from Hawaii 247
Planting seeds of good health
By Colin M. Stewart
December 10, 2010
Waimea school's 'Crop Share' aims to make fresh produce accessible A stroll through Waimea Middle School's Mala'ai culinary garden can start your stomach rumbling. Artichoke. Green beans. Tomatoes. Lemongrass. Onions. Arugula. Chili peppers. Cucumbers. Sunchokes. Spinach. Cilantro. The list goes on and on. As one of the largest and most ambitious school gardens on the island, Mala'ai has helped spark a movement to emphasize sustainability and farming practices in daily lesson plans across the state.
» read more
Used with permission from the Hawaii Tribune-Herald
Kaiser supports produce exchange program
December 9, 2010
Kaiser Permanente has presented a $5,000 grant to The Kohala Center to support the establishment of a surplus fresh produce exchange program – called Crop Share – at Malaai Garden: The Culinary Garden at Waimea Middle School. Crop Share provides the opportunity for community members to bring surplus produce from their farm or garden to exchange with other community members.
» read more
Click here to view the article online.
Used with permission from Hawaii 247
5 more Cabinet members named
Abercrombie taps two Maui County finance officials to lead the state tax department
By Derrick DePledge
December 5, 2010
Gov.-elect Neil Abercrombie yesterday filled more slots in his Cabinet, turning to the Maui budget director to lead state tax policy and the former state Senate vice president to handle agriculture. Abercrombie nominated Fred Pablo, Maui budget director, as director of the state Department of Taxation... He also added Guy Kaulukukui, associate director for strategic partnerships at The Kohala Center, a Big Island research group, as deputy director of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources.
» read more
Click here to view the article online.
Used with permission from the Star Advertiser
Back to basics
Chefs challenge youths to plant gardens and think fresh, not processed, when it comes to food choices
By Joleen Oshiro
December 1, 2010
Children faced with challenge have existed since the beginning of time. But fundamental health issues plaguing today's youth are unprecedented: Obesity and diabetes, once rare in children, are epidemic. While a variety of factors come into play, diets of processed food and sedentary lifestyles are two of the largest contributors to the phenomenon. These have not only affected children's physical well-being, but their knowledge and awareness of fresh food, their connection to the natural world - and, by default, the health of the planet.
Click here to view the article online.
Used with permission from the Star Advertiser
School gardens
'The garden echoes what happens in the classroom'
by Lisa Marie Dahm
November 28, 2010
With hands deep in the soil, students at Kona Pacific Public Charter School in Kealakekua spend time twice a week in their 6,000-square-foot garden. Their garden teacher, Barrow Hutchison, is right there with them, teaching them everything from planting and harvesting to building a shed. They even learned how to build an electric fence to keep pigs out. It might seem like innocent fun, but beyond learning to grow and even eat eggplant and squash, the students are applying what they've learned in math, science, reading and social studies in a hands-on way.
Used with permission from West Hawaii Today
Save energy, lower your electric bill
November 15, 2010
The Kohala Center and the county Department of Research and Development invite Hawaii residents to participate in a free residential energy efficiency workshop. “How to Save Energy and Lower Your Electric Bill” will be offered 5:30-8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 9, at Tutu’s House in Waimea. Since no two households are exactly the same and can differ greatly from one another, this workshop will help participants evaluate possible energy saving measures for their own home.
» read more
Click here to view the article online.
Used with permission from Hawaii 247
Free CFL bulbs available in Hilo, Kona (Oct. 16)
October 14, 2010
The Kohala Center, Hawaii Energy, and the County of Hawaii invite the public to pick up free Compact Florescent Light (CFL) bulbs and energy efficiency information in Hilo and Kona from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Oct 16, while supplies last. Some 1,700 bulbs will be given away on a first-come, first-served basis in front of the Hilo Walmart and outside of KTA in the Kona Coast Shopping Center and Safeway in the Kona Crossroads Shopping Center.
Click here to view the article online.
Used with permission from Hawaii 247
Free CFL Bulbs
October 12, 2010
The Kohala Center, Hawaii Energy, and the County of Hawai‘i invite the public to pick up free Compact Florescent Light (CFL) bulbs and energy efficiency information in Hilo and Kona from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, October 16, while supplies last. Some 1,700 bulbs will be given away on a first-come, first-served basis in front of the Hilo Walmart and outside of KTA in the Kona Coast Shopping Center and Safeway in the Kona Crossroads Shopping Center.
Click here to view the article online.
Used with permission from Guava Bee
Checkup for Kahalu‘u: Study looks at health of bay
By CHELSEA JENSEN
September
25, 2010
Kahalu‘u Bay is a unique place that affords oceangoers the opportunity to experience a marine habitat like no other in the state, marine biologist Kaipo Perez III said Friday in Keauhou. "This is a very special place and because of that it has always attracted a lot of tourists who come here for snorkeling, which has raised the community's concern regarding sustainability of the area," said Perez, who has spent the past nine months studying the bay. "It is a really rare place to have the ability to go out and within knee-deep water see coral."
Used with permission from West Hawaii Today
Native plant presumed extinct; found at Parker Ranch
September
2, 2010
A Hawaiian plant species that had not been seen in a century and which was presumed extinct has been discovered on Parker Ranch lands in the Kohala region. Staff from The Nature Conservancy made the discovery earlier this summer in an upland rainforest on the slopes of Kohala volcano.
Click here to view the article online.
Used with permission from Hawaii 247
Garden teachers cultivate new ideas
Big Isle conference draws instructors from across Hawaii
By MELISSA TANJI
August 22, 2010
A single harvest of corn yielded many lessons for Sacred Hearts School students last week. After picking hybrid Indian corn from the school garden, the students were counting kernels that came in yellow, blue, dark brown and a rainbow of other colors. "Today we were doing math with corn. Corn math," science enrichment teacher Ed Mahoney said Thursday.
Click here to view the article online.
Used with permission from The Maui News
An outdoor education
Outdoor science education program for island students
August 18, 2010
Island students and their teachers will have the chance again this year to leave the classroom and study firsthand ahupua‘a (watersheds) of Hawai‘i Island. The Kohala Center is recruiting teachers for its second year of HI-MOES--Hawai‘i Island Meaningful Outdoor Experiences for Students, an innovative hands-on science-based program that focuses on bay and watershed education in ahupua'a of the Kona coast, Kohala Mountain and Hilo Bay.
Used with permission from Big Island Weekly
Have I Taught You Well Enough? Instilling an Environmental Ethic.
August 11, 2010
Have I taught you well enough? Spoken softly by Kumu Pua Case, these powerful words left a strong impact on the circle of teachers standing in the foothills of the Waimea mountains in the summer of 2010. Have I taught you well enough to make the decisions for the future of our island? Have I taught you well enough to make the decisions on where, what type and how much development? Have I taught you well enough to make the decisions on land use and resource use?
Click here to view the article online.
Used with permission from Nature Talks
VIDEO: Hawaiians net fishing knowledge at Lawai‘a Ohana Camp
August 1, 2010
Video by David Corrigan
15 island children and their families enjoyed a hands on Hawaiian fishing experience at the Lawai‘a ‘Ohana Camp this week. The camp attracted families from across the island for the free, four day event. The local fisherman learned how to make and use a throw-net, prepare and rig a bamboo pole, identify fish, monitor water quality, clean and cook fish, and practice sustainable fishing methods.
Click here to view the video online.
Used with permission from bigislandvideonews.com
Lawaia Ohana Camp promotes sustainable fishing practice
August 2, 2010
The first of its kind family fishing camp gave more than a dozen youngsters something special to write about when they get that dreaded back-to-school assignment: What Did You Do This Summer? Last week, 15 Big Island youth ages 10 to 15 and their families were invited to camp at Kaupulehu Interpretive Center at Kalaemano, a historical fishing area to learn about sustainable approaches to preserving and managing Hawaii’s marine life.
Click here to view the article online.
Used with permission from the Hawaii247.com
Green lessons from Mauka to Makai in Hawaii
By Ramon Lorenzo Luis Rosa Guinto
August 2, 2010
It was 5 a.m. and, while the sun was still asleep in the horizon, the Kilauea—the world’s most active volcano—continued to emit a grey sulfuric miasma. As part of native Hawaiian protocol, we poured on the a’a lava an herbal extract as an offering to Pele, the volcano goddess, to seek her permission to enter the crater. We sang a song chronicling the birth of the eight major Hawaiian islands, a hymn that seemed to please the deity. We also chanted E ala e to the sun until it “woke up” and emerged from behind the clouds.
Click here to view the article online.
Used with permission from the Philippine Daily Inquirer
Smart by Nature: School garden teachers gather in Waimea
July 16, 2010
Dozens of school garden teachers are gathering this weekend on the Big Island for the 3rd annual Hawaii School Garden Teacher Conference. The conference at Waimea Middle School’s Malaai Culinary Garden runs through Sunday, July 18 and features guest speakers from Center for Ecoliteracy, a Berkeley, Calif.-based company focused on the education for sustainable living.
Click here to view the article online.
Used with permission from the Hawaii247.com
Hawai‘i County Study Ties Health to Agriculture
July 2010
Hawai‘i County is one of five sites in the U.S. selected for a Health Impact Assessment. The Kohala Center has received a $150,000 grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and The Pew Charitable Trusts to develop the Health Impact Assessment of the Hawai‘i County Agricultural Development Plan recommendations.
Used with permission from KauCalendar.com
Territorial land laws and issues to be examined in a new book
UH doctoral scholar Iaukea refers to writings of her ancestor
June 30, 2010
University of Hawaii doctoral scholar and Mellon Hawai‘i Fellow Sydney Iaukea has signed a contract with the University of California Press to publish a book based on her 2008 doctoral dissertation, "E Pa‘a ‘Oukou: Holding and Remembering Hawaiian Understanding of Place and Politics."
Used with permission from the Hawaii Tribune-Herald
Environmental scholars from Asia study island sustainability
June 22, 2010
A group of 20 undergraduate scholars from Burma, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand visited Hawaii Island June 2–8 as part of a U.S. Department of State-sponsored innovative environmental leadership program hosted by the East-West Center.
Click here to view the article online.
Used with permission from the Hawaii247.com
Need for Seed
by Chelsea Jensen
June 20, 2010
Maintaining Hawaii Island's agricultural diversity is dependent on residents sharing seeds, and the Hawaii Island Seed Exchange provides the venue for people to do
just that.
"The seed exchange is a time for everyone to come together and exchange seeds from different parts of a island and learn about the work that each other is doing," said event coordinator Nancy Redfeather. "We need to preserve agricultural diversity because it's important to keep a lot of varieties of food going because that contributes to the health of agriculture overall."
Used with permission from the West Hawaii Today
Here's a bright idea
4-Hers to switch bulbs -- new for old -- in Waimea
June 17, 2010
The light switch is on.
Take five incandescent lightbulbs to the Mealani Research Station in Waimea Saturday and trade them for five free compact fluorescent lightbulbs. Each family can turn in five of the old-style bulbs for five of the new
energy-saving lightbulbs.
Used with permission from the Hawaii Tribune-Herald
Creating healthier communities by managing ag
By Roger Harris & Diane Koerner
June 16, 2010
How can the island best develop its agricultural industry?
After two years of analysis and review, the 2010 Hawaii County Agricultural Development Plan has been approved by the county's Research and Development Department and is now ready for formal review by the Hawaii
County Council.
Used with permission from Big Island Weekly
Historian Noelani Arista lays out aspects of her groundbreaking research on first contact between
Euro-Americans and Hawaiians
June 9, 2010
Noelani Arista has received the prestigious 2010 Allan Nevins Prize from the Society of American Historians, a rare nod to a native American historian doing groundbreaking work on native history.
Click here to listen to the interview online.
Used with permission from Noe Tanigawa of Hawaii Public Radio
James Takamine Named Hawaii Community Federal Credit Union CEO
By
Hawaii Community Federal Credit Union
June 9, 2010
Big Island of Hawaii – The Hawaii Community Federal Credit Union Board of Directors has named James M.K. Takamine as its President and CEO. Takamine was previously the Hawaii Island Regional Executive with American Savings Bank.
Media release courtesy of Hawaii Community Federal Credit Union
School of the Soil
By
David Thompson
June 2010
Pua Mendoca knows who's been nibbling holes in the leaves of her taro, eggplant and basil. Mendoca is the kumu kahua mala, or school garden instructor, at a charter school in Hilo called Ka ‘Umeke Ka‘eo. The culprits nibbling on the leaves? They're the Chinese rose beetles that recently discovered the school's raised vegetable beds. But Kumu Pua, as the children call her, has a plan to end the beetles' schoolyard feast. It involves worms and kindergartners.
Click here to view the article online.
Used with permission from Hana Hou!
Kohala Center joins a national race to help our keiki stay healthy
By
Beth-Ann Kozlovich
May 28, 2010
HONOLULU—The Kohala Center on Hawaii Island will partner with The Center for Ecoliteracy in California and Kaiser Permanente on a July conference to help teachers help kids grow gardens and healthier bodies—and maybe teach their parents a thing or two.
Click here to view the article online.
Used with permission from The Hawaii Independent
Mellon-Hawaii fellows named
May 18, 2010
Two Big Island scholars have been selected as 2010 Mellon-Hawaii Doctoral Fellows in recognition of their commitment to the advancement of scholarship on Hawaiian cultural and natural environments, Hawaiian language, history, politics and society.
Used with permission from the Hawaii Tribune-Herald
Kekaha boy awarded Mellon-Hawai‘i Fellowship
May 13, 2010
Keao NeSmith has been selected as a 2010 Mellon-Hawai‘i Doctoral Fellow in recognition of his commitment to the advancement of scholarship on Hawaiian cultural and natural environments, Hawaiian language, history, politics and society, a press release states.
» read more
Click here to view the article online.
Used with permission from The Garden Island
Big Isle trio awarded BELL Rhode Island scholarships
May 10, 2010
The Kohala Center congratulates its three 2010 summer scholars — Megan Saks, Alyssa Evans, and Roya Sabri.
Saks and Evans will travel to Narragansett, R.I. to participate in the BELL (Brown Environmental Leadership Lab) Sustainable Development Program.
» read more
Click here to view the article online.
Used with permission from Hawaii247.com
Hawaiian scholars scoop top US fellowships to study at Waikato
May 10, 2010
In a New Zealand first, two Native Hawaiian scholars have won top US awards to complete their PhD studies at the University of Waikato.
The prestigious Mellon-Hawai’i doctoral fellowships are supported by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and Kamehameha Schools, and are each worth US$40,000 (NZ$56,000) for the 2010-11 academic year, starting in September.
» read more
Click here to view the article online.
Used with permission from the University of Waikato
Native Hawaiian scholars awarded Mellon-Hawaii Fellowships
May 9, 2010
Five Hawaiian scholars have been selected as 2010 Mellon-Hawaii Doctoral and Postdoctoral Fellows in recognition of their commitment to the advancement of scholarship on Hawaiian cultural and natural environments, Hawaiian language, history, politics, and society.
» read more
Click here to view the article online.
Used with permission from Hawaii247.com
Student scientists riding HI-MOES
By Karin Stanton
May 9, 2010
The future of Hawaii’s natural resources looks like it might be in good hands.
For the better part of a year, hundreds of West Hawaii middle and high school students have been studying bay and watershed ecosystems through HI-MOES (Hawaii Island Meaningful Outdoor Experiences for Students) and finally got to share the findings of their research projects last week at a science conference in Kona.
» read more
Click here to view the article online.
Used with permission from Hawaii247.com
Making a Difference the Hawaiian Way
May 7, 2010
Visitors and Island residents received a special treat this morning thanks to the Kohala Center’s Cindi Punihaole.
» read more
Click here to view the article online.
Used with permission from pacificislandparks.com
Nature, uninterrupted:
West Hawaii students examine various ecosystems
By Carolyn Lucas
May 5, 2010
Sofia Boucher's poem about Puu O Umi flawlessly captures the essence of nature thick with possibilities to wonder about, investigate, explore, discover and express.
Used with permission from the West Hawaii Today
The story of seed -- a living treasure
by Nancy Redfeather And Janis Wong
April 11, 2010
When you buy a packet of spinach seeds at the store and bury a handful in the soil, do you see the seed as a living, renewable and sustainable agricultural treasure? As possibly an heirloom to be lost?
Used with permission from the West Hawaii Today
Here's how to save seeds from your garden
by Russell T. Nagata
University Of Hawaii At Manoa, College Of Tropical Agriculture And Human Resources, Hawaii County Administrator
April 11, 2010
Whether you obtain seeds from the display rack at your favorite garden store, by perusing seed catalogs in either printed or electronic versions, or from friends and relatives, you may one day have a need to save seeds from your very own garden.
Used with permission from the Hawaii Tribune Herald
The story of seed far from finished
Visiting experts to trace epic saga at public talk on April 16
April 6, 2010
The story of seed -- from the wild to the engineered -- will be the focus of a free public lecture from 5:30-7 p.m. Friday, April 16, at the Outrigger Keauhou Beach Resort. The program will precede the Hua Ka Hua-Restore Our Seed Symposium.
Used with permission from the Hawaii Tribune Herald
Magazine Taps Hamabata as Up-And-Coming Leader
April 2010
Matt Hamabata, executive director of The Kohala Center, has been selected by Hawaii Business Magazine as one of Hawai‘i's next generation of movers and shakers.
Used with permission from the Kona-Kohala Chamber of Commerce
The story of seeds to be told
March 24, 2010
The story of seed — from the wild to the engineered — is the focus of a free public lecture from 5:30–7 p.m. Friday, April 16, at the Outrigger Keauhou Beach Resort preceding the Hua Ka Hua—Restore Our Seed Symposium.
» read more
Click here to view the article online.
Used with permission from Hawai‘i County News
Farming internships--Growing a green career
March 24, 2010
By Roger Harris And Diane Koerner
Reports have come out that farming will be the hottest green job for the next decade. Just how can our children tap into this job market?
Here on the Big Island, we have a need for local food sustainability that could be met by the growing crop of potential farmers who have been inspired by their school gardens, where they connect with the source of their food, grow it, harvest it and eat it themselves.
Used with permission from Big Island Weekly
Fears Come True
Varroa mite quickly spreading
March 21, 2010
by Chelsea Jensen
Beekeepers of all sorts know they must find a way to coexist with the destructive parasite as varroa mites continue to spread across the Big Island.
Used with permission from West Hawaii Today
Wood Show brings in $5,000 for Kohala Watershed Partnership
March 12, 2010
By Special to West Hawaii Today
After tabulating nearly 300 votes made by the public during the recent Wood Show at Harbor Gallery, the People's Choice award-winner has been determined.
Perry Policiccio, of Hilo, has won the award for People's Choice for his entry titled "Life is Like a Bowl of Cherries." The piece was also purchased by a collector from California.
Used with permission from West Hawaii Today
In Brief - Schools
Waimea school garden receives award
March 10, 2010
By Local Sources
Malaai: The Culinary Garden of Waimea Middle School formally celebrated its fifth anniversary March 3 by accepting a prestigious Cooke Foundation Beautification Award for the organic garden which was once a Parker Ranch pasture. The award included a $5,000 gift to the school to help sustain the classroom garden.
Used with permission from West Hawaii Today
Aftershocks: Psuedo-Tsunamis and Food Insecurity in Hawai‘i
March 7, 2010
By Eric Holt Gimenez
A couple of my young and highly talented friends were winding down in the wee hours after their snapping GO LIVE! REAL FOOD performance in Waikiki when they got the news of the Chilean earthquake. They 'stood fixated on the flat screens, drinks in hand' as real time images of Chilean destruction were quickly followed by an official tsunami warning and a barrage of historic Hawaiian newsreel footage documenting the devastating tidal wave that hit Hilo back in 1947. After ordering an evacuation of coastal areas, the government advised people to stock up on a weeks worth of food. This is when hip-hop artists Jennifer Johns, Erwin Thomas and Lynnete Kaid learned a sobering fact:
There are only 3-5 days of food reserves available on the island. The land of lush tropical forests, sparkling waterfalls and deep, rich volcanic soils imports over 85% of its food. It is materially impossible for everyone to "stock up" on a week's food in Hawai‘i.
» read more
Click here to view the article online.
Used with permission from The Huffington Post
Revitalizing the land of plenty with affordable housing
March 2, 2010
By Emily Lo
Hawaii Island is caught in a Catch 22 situation.
Although the island boasts a fertile landscape that can easily support a broad range of agriculture, 85-90 percent of food consumed is imported from the mainland.
» read more
Click here to view the article online.
Used with permission from MIT News
20 For the Next 20
March 2010
By Jerry Burris, Cathy Cruz-George, Shara Enay, Dennis Hollier and Jason Ubay
Hawaii Business Magazine has chosen 20 people who will play a role in impacting Hawaii's future over the next 20 years.
...Colleagues describe Matthews Hamabata as the “then what?” guy because he has the brains, connections and vision to turn big ideas into reality.
» read more
Click here to view the article online.
Used with permission from Hawaii Business
Former Yale professor Matt Hambata named as one of 20 up-and-coming leaders
February 26, 2010
Cross Campus 2.26.10
Former Yale professor Matt Hamabata was named by Hawaii Business magazine as one of 20 up-and-coming leaders.
Click here to view the article online.
Used with permission from Yale News Daily
Hawaii Business names Hamabata up-and-coming leader
February 25, 2010
By Janis Wong
Matt Hamabata, executive director of The Kohala Center, has been selected by Hawaii Business magazine as one of Hawai'i's next generation of movers and shakers.
Hamabata is profiled in the magazine's March issue, "20 For The Next 20," as one of 20 up-and-coming leaders.
Used with permission from the Honolulu Advertiser
February 17, 2010
Media Release
The Hawaii Tourism Authority is awarding more than $180,000 to Big Island-based programs aimed at perpetuating the Hawaiian culture.
The grants are among $600,000 spread statewide among 27 projects that are receiving the funds, the HTA said in announcing recipients of the Living Hawaiian Culture Program.
Used with permission from Hawaii Tribune Herald
February 9, 2010
Media Release
On Jan. 18, in honor of Martin Luther King (MLK), Jr., and his commitment to community service, doctors and staff from Kaiser Permanente joined hands with students, teachers, and volunteers to work in three school gardens around Hawaii Island.
“This is our way of giving back to our community,” said Dr. Jeffrey Tolan, Family Practice Physician at Kaiser Permanente’s Waimea Clinic.
Click here to read the article online.
Used with permission from Hawaii 24/7.org
February 3, 2010
By David Corrigan
The Pelekane Bay Watershed Project is moving along here on the dry, leeward side of Kohala Mountain.
The Kohala Watershed Partnership recently took local media for a closer at the effort which is being funded with a $2.69 million federal stimulus through a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration coastal restoration grant.
Click here to read the article online and view the video.
Used with permission from Big Island Video News.com.
A Pelekane Bay kind of day
February 2, 2010
By Karin Stanton
What can $2.69 million in federal stimulus money buy? For the Pelekane Bay watershed restoration project, it means six fence builders and six nursery workers, as well as a field operations leader and a field technician working to build miles of fencing, transplant thousands of native plant species and weed out invasive species. It's a job for a laid-off construction worker, steady employment for a long-time plumber and career inspiration for a recent high school graduate excited about conservation. The program, run through The Kohala Center's Kohala Watershed Partnership, also means a job for a laid-off relative, and the encouraging of partnership volunteers to apply for the short-term, full-time jobs.
Click here to read the article online.
Used with permission from Hawaii 24/7.org.
Stimulus money means jobs, watershed restoration
January 20, 2010
By Erin Miller
What can $2.69 million in federal stimulus money buy? For the Pelekane Bay watershed restoration project, it means six fence builders and six nursery workers, as well as a field operations leader and a field technician working to build miles of fencing, transplant thousands of native plant species and weed out invasive species. It's a job for a laid-off construction worker, steady employment for a long-time plumber and career inspiration for a recent high school graduate excited about conservation. The program, run through The Kohala Center's Kohala Watershed Partnership, also means a job for a laid-off relative, and the encouraging of partnership volunteers to apply for the short-term, full-time jobs.
Used with permission from West Hawaii Today.
Volunteers at work
Kahakai Elementary garden gets a helping hand
January 19, 2010
By Erin Miller
The earthy smell of freshly turned soil mingled with the spicy, pepper scent of just-plucked basil Monday morning, as volunteers from Kaiser Permanente descended on the school's garden for weeding, pruning and picking.
Used with permission from West Hawaii Today.
Farmers swap seeds, knowledge
January 6, 2010
By Alan D. Mcnarie
Hawai'i gets most of its food from somewhere else. And even when farmers or gardeners grow fruit or veggies here, their plants probably still started their lives elsewhere.
"Here in Hawai'i, as home producers and market farmers, we really have to buy our seed from somewhere else," says sustainable gardening activist Nancy Redfeather. "Most organic market farmers in Hawai'i buy their seed from Johnny's, which is in Maine."
In recent years, interest has grown in changing that fact.
Used with permission from Big Island Weekly