November 2021—Trey Yoshizumi started Olakino Hawai‘i in 2020 as a beginning farmer with a mission to provide fresh microgreens and vegetables to Hawai‘i communities. A practitioner of aloha ‘āina and a successful young mahi ‘ai, Trey carefully tends to his pea tendrils, sunflower sprouts, and root veggies as they grow naturally in Waimea’s fertile soil. […]
November 2021—Meet “Old Brooks,” a large slicing tomato that offers a tangy and complex flavor perfect for burgers, sandwiches, salads, soups, and sauces! This prolific, indeterminate heirloom tomato is grown and its seeds harvested at Nāmoku, our demonstration farm in Honoka‘a. Old Brooks thrives in Hāmākua’s demanding growing conditions, holding up against blossom end rot, […]
November 2021—Three generations—kūpuna, mākua, and kamali‘i—from numerous ‘ohana across nā moku (all districts of Hawai‘i Island) recently came together for a day at Nāmoku to mālama Hāloa. Following COVID-19 safety protocols, guests helped to harvest and clean all 183 varieties of kalo in our collection. We harvested more than 1,200 pounds of i‘o (taro corm) […]
November 2021—‘Īlio (dogs) are beloved members of many of our families, and they too can support and drive change in our local food system. Our team has recently supported Lava Paws and Pawniolo Pets, two raw pet food companies who are helping our four-legged companions eat better while reducing food waste by turning organs and animal parts […]
November 2021—Designed as a place-based framework of desired learning outcomes for the Hawai‘i Department of Education, Nā Hopena A‘o, or HĀ, can also guide Hawai‘i-based businesses in deepening pilina with their place and local communities. To us, Ho‘āhu Energy Cooperative Molokai was a perfect place to introduce the HĀ framework. They serve Molokai’s renewable energy […]
November 2021—In celebration of #GivingTuesday, we are humbled to announce that Kona Earth has selected The Kohala Center as its nonprofit partner. New owners Joanie and Steve Wynn believe in giving back to the community that sustains them and wanted to support a local organization working to protect and heal Hawai‘i Island’s ecosystems. Through their recently […]
November 2021—As part of our ongoing forest regeneration efforts, we set intentions for the ahupua‘a of Kawaihae to grow its own native forest plants. Earlier this fall, the first “home grown” koaiʻa, ʻaʻaliʻi, ʻilima, and ʻāweoweo raised in our new greenhouse in Kawaihae were recently outplanted, returning home to Kawaihae. Our efforts to grow native […]
November 2021—Nearly 600 acres of native cloud forest on the upper slopes of windward Kohala Mountain are now completely fenced, protecting this high-yield watershed from one of its greatest threats: feral pigs. Over the past several years, in collaboration with Kohala Watershed Partnership partner and private landowner Laupāhoehoe Nui LLC, we built a perimeter fence […]
November 2021—We are grateful for the mo‘olelo and ideas shared by the kupaʻāina of Niuliʻi as important guides for future hana to preserve the pūhala (hala trees) and surrounding ‘āina entrusted to us by the community. Spending time in the ancient ulu hala (hala grove) to clear invasive weeds and lauhala (hala leaves) buildup around […]
November 2021—Our sunscreen dispenser program at Kahalu‘u Bay and Beach Park has provided a proven model for community members and policymakers seeking to protect Hawai‘i’s reef ecosystems by making reef-friendly, mineral-based sunscreen more readily available to beachgoers. Earlier this month, this model was implemented at a Hawai‘i state park with the launch of a mineral-based […]