Lā Kalo: Strengthening pilina with Hāloa

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) that yielded more than 3,000 huli of our kūpuna kalo (heirloom taro varieties), all of which were given to ‘ohana or replanted. We then prepared and planted huli in a new, significantly larger plot to fulfill a long-desired outcome for i‘o and huli to feed families and communities across nā moku for years to come. Please reach out to mahi‘āina supervisor Ka‘iana Runnels for information about future Lā Kalo and our Ōhāhā Mahi ‘Ai agricultural training and education programs.