Where We have Been & Where We Are Going
Aloha from Food Security Hawaii,
You have not heard from us for quite a while, and for that, we apologize. Yet, in light of our current tragedy, and all the work we have in development we felt a need to communicate with you. We care about our future food security, and we are committed to doing everything we can to regenerate our current agriculture and food systems.
In this newsletter, first and foremost, on behalf of our BOD, staff, and volunteers, I want to cast a loving blessing on our entire community, and particularly those who were affected personally by the Lahaina and Kula tragedies. Our community is stepping up in all ways, as we continue to show up and ask, “What can we do”? This will be an ongoing question accompanied by fervent action for many months, maybe years to come.
With our hearts full and our boots on the ground, here is a very brief update on what we have been up to in the last couple of years, and what is already in place for future development.
With the help of Maui County, we finished our Ohana Gardens project last year. We planted many gardens in homes across the island. Our biggest challenge to planting these gardens, and keeping them thriving was the condition of our soil. As many of you might know, our soil is dead for the most part, devoid of the microbes that give it life, and thus the plant’s life too. Despite the challenge, we achieved our goals and learned a lot, which gave birth to our new projects, also funded in part by Maui County.
The Need For Heathy Soil
The outcome of the Ohana Gardens project revealed the need for healthy microbe-rich soil. The lack of rich soil and the need for regeneration led us down another path to create microbe-rich inoculants.
We recently received another Maui County Grant from the County of Maui’s Office of Climate Change, Resiliency and Sustainability (CCRS) to assist with Mau’s New Green Building Material Project to research the feasibility of not only microbial-rich inoculants, but also researching our ability to grow hemp and bamboo, as ecosystem healers, and alternative local building materials.
Both of these projects, as you well know, are more vital to our community than ever. They are also giving birth to other dynamic community efforts to restore and regreen our island.
Please stay tuned.
If you are interested to read more about us, please explore the rest of our website. If you are passionate about our food supply and ecosystem restoration we gratefully receive donations of your interest and funds.
Please stay on our mailing list, send referrals and interest out to others to join us, and find us on social media.
Susan Teton Campbell, Director of Communications, Food Security Hawaii