Community gardeners practice what they eat

KANEOHE—The sun was just starting to dry the dew from the leaves in the garden. A dozen folks were already busy pulling weeds, composting the soil, and harvesting their produce. A light trade wind ruffled the leaves, and, behind all, the Pali stood sharp and clear in the early morning air. As I stood in the Kaneohe Community Garden I marveled at the beauty of the setting and the dedication of the gardeners who where working their tiny plots of land.

I had reached this small piece of paradise by turning mauka on Keaahala Road as I drove into Kaneohe Town and immediately turning right onto Pahuwai Place, just past the Kaneohe Civic Center Playground. It’s a very steep and narrow paved road. Just above the ball field, I found a parking lot. I entered through a six-foot high cyclone fence that protects the little garden.

The City and County of Honolulu has a network of ten community gardens spread across the island. In general, they rent small plots for less than $20 per year to people who want to get their hands dirty and put fresh produce on their tables. As one gardener put it, “I get out and get some exercise and I eat what I grow.”

In Kaneohe, the garden plots are 7 by 14 feet.

Participants in the Kaneohe Community Garden meet every month on the last Saturday at 8:30 a.m. The gardeners all sat around a small pavilion having coffee and pastries to conduct the business of their group. At this meeting, a master gardener from the Urban Garden in Pearl City was talking to them about dirt. Not all soils are the same. Particularly in Hawaii, our soils tend to have the nutrients leached out and lack the nourishment needed to grow a good garden. Composting with chicken manure is a good way to build up the soil. Nematodes can be a problem. Certain varieties of chrysanthemum will actually eat nematodes. 

In addition to maintaining the soil, bugs, and slugs are always a challenge. Young children are always fascinated by bugs. One child turned up a Hawaiian blind snake while digging compost and called excitedly for others to come look. The blind snake looks like a large earth worm with a slick, reddish-brown skin. It’s the only native snake in Hawaii. You can always tell what it is by how fast it moves.

Some gardens require more work than others. The Community Gardeners in Waikiki must contend with the arid climate, nematodes, bugs, and a sandy soil. The Kaneohe garden by contrast is lush and green. Most of the gardeners here are from Kaneohe, but some come from as far away as Ewa Beach.

In spite of the challenges of the location, any serious gardener can get good results. In a community garden, however, it’s important to know that you have to contend with bugs raised in the weeds of less conscientiously maintained garden plots nearby. That prospect does not deter many.

Green thumb Sky Miyamoto summed up why he thinks his gardening is important. “I grow heritage tomatoes that haven’t had all their rich flavors bred out of them,” he said. “My tomatoes are locally grown and vine ripened. You cannot ship a vine ripened tomato from the mainland.” Miyamoto owns a construction company. He raises his tomatoes in his yard and volunteers to help at a school garden at Waikiki Elementary School.

Gardens in Hawaii range from a container on a lanai to that of small farms. Lydi Morgan of the Hawaii Farmers Union helps people grow food at all levels. She works primarily with private land owners. When she sees a vacant lot, she contacts the owner to see if they are interested in having people clean up the weeds and trash in order to set up a community garden on their property. Morgan also inventories fallow farm land and helps land owners find farmers who want to work their land.

The ultimate goal for Morgan is to reach out to gardeners to help them raise their food. I met her at the Waikiki Elementary School Garden. She was busy composting and helping school leaders enrich the soil in a kindergarten class’s garden.

You don’t have to be a seasoned green thumb to raise your own food. It just takes a little initiative and some good knowledge.

For a garden plot in Kaneohe, contact Stuart Ball at [email protected] or call him at (808) 247-5380. More information on the County Community Gardens can be found at http://www.honolulu.gov/parks/hbg/crgp.htm or by calling Community Garden Coordinator Nathan Wong at (808) 522-7063.