The new Hawi Farmers Market is bringing back their known & lively market. In its new location at the entrance of Kohala Village HUB just right across the street from their previous home. Hawi Farmers Market partners are working to bring back the atmosphere of community, collaboration & unity that North Kohala prides itself on.

One crafty solution to the challenges of gardening in the rocky substrate of Hawai'i Island is to use containers. Ocean View resident Velvet Replogle has had success in her organic garden, by doing just this. At an elevation of 4,300 ft, Velvet grows a variety of fruit, vegetables, herbs, and flowers in large plastic containers. The country girl from British Columbia and long time Hawai`i resident sat down with HHFN to share tricks of the trade she’s learned from 35 years of gardening.

Sixteen years ago Velvet and her husband John began planting fruit trees on their Ocean View acre. Situated in a kipuka, the site is dense with native vegetation. “I’ve been vegetable gardening on our property for 8 years, and I now use containers because the 'ohi'a roots invade the beds.

Dried kernels are roasted and manufactured by processors and industrial users into a wide number of products featur­ing whole or half kernels that are unsalted, dusted with fine­ly ground confectionery salt, or flavored. Chocolate-coated kernels have become a major product. Second grade and broken kernels (pieces) are used in confectionery products such as brittles and candies or diced for use as garnishes, ice cream, sherbets, cakes, and pastries. Kernels are also milled into a premium nut butter and the oil is extracted for use in food and cosmetics.

On Saturday, May 1, 2010, the Mala'ai Culinary Garden at the Waimea Middle School hosted a workshop entitled, “Cooking from the Garden.” The workshop promised that participants would learn some tasty, healthy recipes and eat delicious food right out of the garden—and did we ever!

The director and mainstay of the garden is Amanda Rieux who at one time worked with Alice Waters' Edible School Yard in Berkeley, California for four years. The workshop was the fifth in a series presented by the garden this spring and was skillfully facilitated by Amanda, Matilda Tompson and Cerila Balberde with the assistance of Alethea Lai.

Kaiao Garden is a community food-sovereignty effort that began in 2006. We are located in downtown Hilo behind the Boys and Girls Club. The vision of this 1½ acre garden is a gathering place, a kauhale. The garden supports efforts to feed people, teach kids and adults how to plant and harvest food, practice healthy eating, cook creatively outdoors, heal body and mind, create nature-inspired art work, build structures for meetings and workshops, and educate all who share the following Hawaiian values:

On April 10th, 2010, the Hawai'i Island Landscape Association (HILA) hosted a meeting at the Kona Outdoor Circle Education Center featuring guest speaker Dr. Diane Ragone, Director of The Breadfruit Institute at the National Tropical Botanical Garden (NTBG) on Kaua‘i.