May 17, 2019
This episode of the Ground Shots Podcast features a conversation with Paul Massey and Rob Cruz of the Kaua’i Food Forest.
The Kaua’i Food Forest is a community-based subtropical food ecosystem located on Kaua`i’s north shore in the ahupua`a (watershed) of Kalihiwai, a project born from the collaboration of three nonprofit organizations: Regenerations Botanical Garden, Mālama Kaua`i, and the Sanctuary of LUBOF. Regenerations is responsible for leading the ongoing design, planting, and maintenance of the forest.
According to the Kaua’i Food Forest website: (which I suggest you peruse for plant lists, more photos and backstory of the project!):
[The Kaua’i Food Forest] is creating a constantly evolving, radiantly healthy forest ecosystem with nutritious delicious fruit and other food items as a major output. The forest is intended to serve as an educational demonstration site, where community members from Kaua`i and beyond can learn and innovate subtropical agroforestry techniques and management through practical hands-on experience. In addition, the forest is a renewable source of biological diversity for reproduction, distribution, and conservation.
Paul Massey is one of the founding stewards of the Kaua’i Food Forest, the director of Regenerations Botanical Garden, a organization whose mission is to support the conservation of threatened plant diversity for the benefit of all life by designing, building, and implementing inclusive and sustainable community-based stewardship activities. Paul hosts a radio show called ‘In the Garden, On the Farm’ on KKCR Kauaʻi Community Radio.
Rob Cruz is one of the founding stewards of the Kaua’i Food Forest, dedicates his life to creating and refining human scale food ecosystems and sharing with those willing to learn.
We recorded this conversation at the community house by the food forest one evening as dusk settled in on the island.
Read the blog post and my photo diary of the food forest, here.
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In this conversation, we talk about:
the food forest as a community ran agroforestry project
various plants they are experimenting with at the food forest in their guilding design and grass replacement
a few nitrogen fixing trees and tending techniques
agroforestry in Hawai'i and on the island of Kaua'i specifically
're-culturing' and the educational component of the food forest
the concept of creating easy and accessible food culture
the uniqueness of saving seed on an isolated island
the food forest as a living seed bank
the importance of seed saving
importance of preserving rare and endangered plants in their own ecosystems
canoe plants and the importance of vegetative propagation
the concept of being a 'guerrilla planter' who plants food everywhere, you don't need your own land
the influence of colonization on Hawai’ian land connection and Hawai’ian ecology
the future of the Kaua'i food forest
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Links:
Cultivariable website mentioned on the podcast
Kaua’i Food Forest facebook page
Regenerations Botanical Garden
Kaua’i Food Forest’s website: http://www.kauaifoodforest.org
Paul's radio show: ‘In the Garden, On the Farm’ found at http://kkcr.org/
Rob on Instagram: @rob_cruz
View the Kaua’i Food Forest hashtag: #kauaifoodforest
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Theme music: 'Sweat and Splinters' by Mother Marrow
Support the recording of Mother Marrow's new album! Their kickstarter is here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mothermarrow/mother-marrow-records-an-album
Additional Music: JaSoFuChi by Trevor Thorpe. Find his music at: https://hawksviewstudio.bandcamp.com
Produced by: Opia Creative