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.

Have you ever wondered how the next generations will learn about where their food comes from? Or who will teach our kids how to grow their own food? Did you think that perhaps parents and families would teach their children these things? Think again: all evidence demonstrates that over the past century fewer and fewer parents even know where their food comes from or what a healthy diet is, let alone how to grow a backyard vegetable garden.

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.

Part 1: Infrastructure

What it takes to grow a "locally grown" crop is more than just a geographical location. "Local" also applies to the resources that go into the crop's production and distribution. These two tomatoes were both grown on Hawai'i Island, but one was grown using a vast amount of off-island infrastructure and imported resources and the other relied only on local and sustainably produced resources.

Mangosteen is primarily consumed as a fresh fruit. The fruit is common delicacy and often referred to as the “Queen of Fruit” in Southeast Asia. The volume of production is increasing in Thailand and fruit is now being processed into value-added products such as jam, candy, and wine. In traditional communities, the fruit pericarp (rind) was used as an antibacterial agent and for curing diarrhea. The use of the fruit rind and or whole fruit as a medicinal/nutri­ceutical beverage has been a recent trend in western societ­ies. Mangosteen extracts and processed products have now entered the worldwide health food and nutritional supplement market. The timber, dark red in colour, is used when available in cabinet making and where a heavy durable wood is required.