Food sustainability and food security were in the spotlight Saturday during the 10th Revitalize Puna event.
The Puna Food Summit focused on food systems in the district. The event at Billy Kenoi Pahoa District Park featured a panel discussion and dozens of displays by nonprofits, businesses and government agencies, many of them offering free resources and literature about all things agriculture.
According to Jennifer Myers, Hawaii County disaster recovery communications specialist, it was the largest “activate Puna” event yet, with about 600 registered attendees and more than 1,000 free plant starters given out before the end of the day.
“We want to talk about sustainability and food security in Puna, because we are doing great on our own, but how much better will we do if we do it all together?” Myers asked. “The whole idea is that we are connecting all the way from growers to (consumers) and sending people home with food plants that a year from now could be shared with everyone else.”
County Councilwoman Ashley Kierkiewicz moderated the panel, which included Laua‘e Kekahuna from Maku‘u Market; Gary Rosenberg, founder of Seeger Institute at Eden Farms; Mariah Williams, owner of Poke Market; Tim Rowan, president of Malama O Puna; and Iopa Maunakea, executive director of Men of Pa‘a.
“At Maku‘u, we touch one ohana, or one person at a time, and we’ve found that impacting one can make all the difference,” Kekahuna said. “Our programs teach self-sustaining methods from keiki to kupuna, and we’ve seen that you really need a village to ho‘omau (persevere) through life challenges.”
Maunakea echoed the sentiment while speaking about his work through Men of Pa‘a.
“The rule of thumb that I’m learning and that you can take everywhere is that if you malama yourself first, you can malama others,” Maunaea said. “When people take care of themselves, that benefits their families, which ultimately betters the community. We grow people just like we grow food.”
Williams spoke about feelings of shame that were associated with locally grown foods during her youth, and how important it is to remove the stigma for keiki today.
“It’s important to engage keiki. They need to grow the food, cook the food in order to want to eat the food,” Williams said. “It takes putting it in the cafeteria, growing it at home, taking the potato out of a soup and putting ulu in. We won’t see a big change in our food systems and the way we eat if we don’t incorporate children.”
All of the panelists spoke about the importance of education, especially for children, who will continue to pass on the knowledge and appreciation of local foods to future generations.
Rowan led the creation of the Black Sands Keiki Garden to give kids in the Black Sands subdivision a way to get excited about growing food by learning through experience.
“Prices at the store are crazy, so the timing is perfect for this. People just need to know how to get started,” Rowan said. “If you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.”
Kids meet at least once a month at the garden to learn about various topics, such as how to spot bad insects and what to plant in different seasons. They also can go to the garden anytime to check the progress of their plants, or to just hang out.
“They are truly gaining so much knowledge,” said volunteer Jessica Wilkes. “They have planted everything, they love to use art to make all the signs, and they are comfortable in the space. We want them to know that if they are hungry, there is a place to get food.”
Wilkes hopes more subdivisions can replicate the model, and Rowan is currently working with the community in Nanawale to start a garden and combat food insecurity in the area.
“This is something that can be done in every neighborhood, and our goal today was to bring the garden and inspire people to think about it for their area,” Wilkes said. “There’s always background work to do, but if it’s something you feel good about, then it’s worth it.”
Several nonprofits and agencies talked with attendees about specific needs and provided information about courses, programs and grants available to residents. Growers also gave out plant starters and advice for starting or maintaining a garden.
After retiring, Puna resident Bill Miller decided to grow food plant starters as a hobby that would ultimately help neighbors. He distributed over 600 starters during the event Saturday.
“People ask me what I do or who I’m with, but I’m just me,” Miller said. “I decided to grow starters when I got bored in my retirement, and it made sense to bring all these here to give to whoever needs them.”
The idea of creating connections and a collective network in Puna was reiterated throughout the event by the panelists, organizations and individuals as the most effective way to ensure future sustainability and shared abundance.
“In most of human history, people have worked collectively to support communities, and it’s only recently that we’ve seemed to have forgotten that,” Rosenberg said. “Conversations with neighbors about everyone’s needs and contributions, and also trusting and working with one another is the foundation we need for a better future.”
“I am so inspired by what the panelists had to share,” Kierkiewicz said. “We have experts and hidden gems in the Puna community, and we need to bring folks together in spaces like this to share and make connections. We’re still here. Folks maybe thought (Revitalize Puna) was a one and done, but we consistently show up because we are on to something here.”
More information about Revitalize Puna is available on its Facebook and Instagram social media pages, and at recovery.hawaiicounty.gov/revitalize-puna.
Email Kelsey Walling at kwalling@hawaiitribune-herald.com.