Hawai‘i Wisdom — January 2017

Kalalau Community Garden

‘Ai no i kalo mo‘a

“One can eat cooked taro.”

The work is done; one can sit at ease and enjoy himself. Source: ‘Olelo No‘eau, by Mary Kawena Pukui

The kalo, or taro, seen here has yet to be harvested and thoroughly cooked. But the work that went into restoring and maintaining the taro patches is nothing short of remarkable. These patches are part of a meticulously tended, large community garden hidden deep in Kalalau Valley. Besides many taro patches, the garden has several vegetable crops, herbs and fruit trees. It’s not a secret that the garden exists, but it’s not easy to find it. Its narrow, almost imperceptible trail is not marked by any signs. You’ll have to ask around in Kalalau once you get there.