Kekaha Community Garden: Growing Community Through a Garden
In the tiny little town of Kekaha, far on the west end of the island of Kaua‘i, a visionary preacher, church congregation and small group of dedicated gardeners have banded together to start the Kekaha Community Garden. While one intention is to create a place where locals can grow fresh, healthy, affordable food, the underlying philosophy is really to grow a stronger more connected community. The setting is quite informal (you might wonder, what could be formal in a garden -- but gardens and landscapes like homes, churches and public buildings have their own sense of place, and spoken or unspoken rules of order). In Kekaha Garden there is a sense that all are welcome. On Sunday evening when we entered the gate I was instantly greeted by a very large well-mannered dog and a few children gathering tomatoes and exploring the bounty.
Kekaha is a small community of a little over 3,000 people scattered over about 1 square mile. St. Paul's Church is set in the midst of houses on one of the residential streets surrounded by a large yard. Pastor Mary, her husband and leaders of the Church started thinking around seven years ago “what can we do to give back to the community?" The question came up again when economics took a down turn and they decided to offer a bit of land for a community garden. The garden was launched on 6500 square feet tucked in behind the church. Today it is surrounded by a solid fence, while fruit trees, compost bins and donations of mulch line the edges.
Diane Rosenkranz stepped in at this point. She is a dynamic leader who has organized the garden grants, mission and vision, and the path for the future. Kekaha is in dire need of local affordable healthy food. There is no grocery store in the town and as you can imagine the food costs, notorious in general throughout Hawai‘i, reach some all time highs in the westernmost community of the country. Diane organized a task force to launch the garden and create a setting conducive to this small, diverse community.
Currently the Kekaha Gardeners meet from around 4:30 - 6:30 PM on Sunday evenings when the temperature has cooled. It’s a great way to unwind from the day and connect with neighbors and make new friends. Weeding, harvesting, composting and taking home food are some of the activities, and all are welcome. Please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information about the garden and the plans for the future. Kekaha Community Garden is set up to welcome friends, family, and children. It’s a peaceful setting to end the weekend so ride your bike over, pull some weeds and share in the harvest!
Colleen Carroll is an urban forestry and environmental educator. She has written the first Directory of Sources for Native Hawaiian Plants, and Growing an Educational Garden at your School: A Study of the Hawaiian Experience. Colleen created NatureTalks to connect people with nature. Her style of educating is as a storyteller for gardens and gardeners. This report is reprinted with kind permission from Colleen’s NatureTalks blog.