A partially mature Shiitake mushroom emerges from a koa log.

Have you ever accidentally kicked over a log while wandering through a forest, and noticed the white mass of cobweb-like fibers running across the ground? That's mycelium. Only one cell-wall thick, yet capable of supporting more than 30,000 times its own weight, mycelium wend their way through nearly all healthy land-based ecosystems. Given the proper conditions, mushrooms can emerge from these fungal fabrics.

Long marginalized in Western culture, mushrooms are gaining greater recognition for their outstanding benefits to human and ecological health. As keystone organisms, fungi play a primary support role in the recycling of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and various minerals.

South Kona Green Market located at Amy B.H. Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden in Captain Cook.

We first featured the South Kona Green Market (SKGM) in the December 2010 issue #23 of the HHFN newsletter. The Sunday market recently relocated to its original home, the Amy B. H. Greenwell Ethnobotanical Gardens in Captain Cook, and also celebrated its 5th anniversary.

Visible and easily accessible from Mamalahoa Highway and with plenty of parking all around, the number of vendors has grown from approximately 78 members and 35 vendors to 200 members and 80 vendors. The market is self-funded by membership participation and weekly vendor fees.

Quiche with a purple sweet potato crust, perennial vegetables, herbs, and goat cheese worked for dinner and lunch.

A few weeks ago, Lauryn Rego of Maui realized she was spending all her time focusing on things she didn't like. Her off-work hours were spent protesting pesticide spraying and fighting against genetically modified crops. She wanted to focus on something positive, and do something to support the "people doing it right" in Hawai'i - the farmers growing and selling organic food locally.

So Lauryn decided to start an eat local food week and challenged her friends (and anyone else) to join her. I saw it on Facebook and decided to jump on board.

For what solid reason do I know this plant is not useful here? What do I know about this plant I am labeling a weed

Conversations with the Most Poisonous Plant in the World

Change the way you look at things,
and the things you look at change.
~Wayne Dyer

Recently, I took part in starting a small agroforest on a section of cleared property. I prepared the newly excavated landscape, pulling any unwanted existing plants, then applied what I thought was a good layer of mulch. Next came the planting of young fruit trees, along with supportive shrubs and edible ground covers. Wiping dust and soil from my forehead and hands, I walked away crossing my fingers for a good combination of rain and sunshine. I revisited this area day after day, monitoring and watering as needed. Very quickly it was easy to see little green castor beans (also known as castor oil plant) sprouting all over, their dormant seeds having been awakened by the disturbed soil.

John Mood has lots of PP seedlings available. $1.50/seedling unspotted, or $4.00 potted in 3 in. pot. Also they are going into the fruiting season, so seed will be available in large quantities. 

Contact John at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

In 2008, the residents of North Kohala stated a strong desire in its Community Development Plan to "Keep Kohala, Kohala." As a historically agricultural community, part of "Keep Kohala, Kohala," is to develop a community life rooted in sharing and bartering from individual homesteads that grow food and animals, as well as gathering from the communal mountains, gulches and ocean.

Most of the land in Kohala is agriculturally zoned. The sentiment of Kohala residents is generally that they would like to see agricultural land used for agriculture, not luxury subdivisions and/or "gentlemen estates."

In service of this sentiment, the community has a strategy to promote and support a community of diversified agriculture and the goal to "produce 50% of the food it consumes."