Waimea, known for ranching and farming, is an upland community poised on the saddle between the Kohala Mountains to the north and Mauna Kea to the south. Wind is a constant companion in the Waimea area, but rainfall, elevation and soils are quite varied.On Saturday May 18, Māla'ai: The Culinary Garden of Waimea Middle School hosted "Home Garden Tour of Waimea from the Wet Side to the Dry Side." The aim was to show people good examples of the diverse ways we can grow food in our home gardens in the distinctly different environments around Waimea. Our group met up at the Waimea Middle School garden and got examples of critical factors to look for in any garden. Folks on the tour were encouraged to look for several things besides elevation and annual rainfall, including inherent strengths and challenges at each site, as well as soil fertility strategies and how much care each garden requires on a daily basis. We then visited three gardens, examples of interspecies systems, intensive food growing, and permaculture techniques for gardening on very dry land.

Tray of tomatoes packed and ready for shipping from Hamakua Springs.Earlier this month I was fortunate to be able to participate in a "preview" of an agricultural adventure tour on the Hilo side of Hawai'i Island. The Hilo Grown Tours, which start in June, are supported by the Hawai'i AgriTourism Association (HATA), the County of Hawai'i and the Hawai'i Tourism Authority.

Our group met in the lobby of the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel where we were greeted by Lani Weigert, HATA Executive Director, and Benson Medina, who served as our guides for the day.

Madre Chocolate cofounders Nat Bletter (left) and David Elliot (right) demonstrate the art of chocolate making in one of their classes.With several national and international awards won in 2012, Madre Chocolate has earned its self-ascribed tagline, “Hawai‘i’s best bean-to-bar chocolate.” Cofounder Nat Bletter sums up the company’s business philosophy as, “Hawai‘i-made chocolate will never be competitive on quantity or price, so our primary focus is on quality and originality.” As an ethnobotanist (one who studies the complex relationships between plants and people), Bletter first started making chocolate on a dare from a friend to put his academic knowledge into practice. His initial experiments were enthusiastically received by friends, family and colleagues, inspiring him to continue professionally. Now Nat’s official title is “Chocolate Flavormeister” for the company, with cofounder David Elliot taking on the role of production manager. Both Bletter and Elliot had long experience in Mexico and Central America before putting down roots in Hawai‘i. This bicultural context explains the company’s two distinct lines of bar chocolate, “Xocolatl,” incorporating Mexican flavors and inspired by traditional chocolates of Central and South America, and “Kokoleka,” made from Hawai‘i grown cacao and incorporating a distinctly Hawaiian flavor palette. In addition to these two regular lines, the company makes limited edition flavors, as ingredient availability and creative whim allow.