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Hi'iaka's Healing Herb Garden : Column Index : 2006 : September
Coming Soon...
October Seed Exchange Promises Free Goodies and Tons of Fun
Plus: Great New Noni Book
If you missed the first East Side Seed Exchange last October, here's your chance to get in on the free giveaways and fun that will take place at the second annual Seed Exchange on Saturday, October 7th at the La`akea Community near Pahoa.
Sponsored by Know Your Farmer Alliance, this annual exchange and gifting of seeds, plants, keikis, fruit trees, and other gems enables everyone to share the abundance of their gardens with like-minded eco-farmers and gardeners interested in creating a vibrant local food economy and an ecological growing community.
If you don't have seeds or plants to share, don't worry-this is not like a potluck where you're sometimes frowned at if you don't bring food! The exchange is about getting people started growing their own food and sharing the abundance with others. There will be lots of information available from growers, who will give away starts and seeds of their favorite varieties, as well as advice about how to grow them. There will also be a panel of farmers and a talk story session at the end of the exchange.
Saving Seeds Is Important
When we save and share seeds, we are promoting biodiversity, which is simply the growing and continuation of naturally occurring, old-fashioned, or "heirloom" varieties of fruits, vegetables and other plants, many of which have been lost because of the commercialization of the farm and food industry. Biodiversity might sound a little like "bioengineering," but the two could not be more different. Biodiversity is a term that is finding its way into common usage today as people learn about the wonders of nature and the diversity that she provides us. Keep in mind that only non-hybrid varieties of plants will reproduce true to form: if you buy F1 hybrids from many seed companies, they represent the combination of two different varieties of the same plant that have been purposely "married" to produce an offspring that has the characteristics of both parents. So if you have grown something like "Early Girl" tomatoes, the seeds might produce different looking fruit from the plant you grew. The web site www.gardening.wsu.edu tells us that "the seed from a hybrid has a different mix of the parent plants' genes and usually produces less desirable plants. An open-pollinated variety (or heirloom) holds on to the parents' characteristics generation after generation. This is important if you want to save seed."
Get Started Saving and Sharing Now!
It's not too late to start getting ready for this great event. Save seeds from your favorite food plants and trees, check out your garden for possible cuttings, divisions and keikis, and come to La`akea on October 7. I'll be there with seeds of some of my favorite herbs and veggies: ashawaganda, nioi, Anaheim and Ancho hot peppers, purple bell peppers, some great fruit fly-resistant large tomato seeds that popped up as a weed by my chicken coop, and some Hawaiian natives like the pua kala prickly poppy and the lovely white scented Hibiscus waimeae from Kaua`i. I've got extra "cigar" mango trees potted up, as well as some kaffir lime and Meyer lemon tree keikis. I'll also be selling copies of my new book, Super Simple Guide to Creating Hawaiian Gardens. I'll print out the instructions for starting seeds and give those away as a handout to everyone who wants one.
Among many others who will be sharing the bounty of their gardens will be Nancy Redfeather, who is bringing kale and collard seeds from her garden on the Kona side. She told me that she will also be bringing her Tahitian Squash, dried beans, (white, black, red, etc.), and other gems from her refrigerator. She'll also be sharing seeds of the University of Hawai`i Supersweet corn #9 that she has saved for over 15 years.
The Schedule of events follows:
7:30: set up
8:30: opening ceremony
9:00: exchange
11:00: workshop
12:30: gathering, social time, bring a lunch and talk story.
If you would like to participate, bring your own table, chairs and umbrella if needed. For more information and directions, contact Know Your Farmer Alliance at 936-7040. Or go to La`akea's web site at www.permaculture-hawaii.com.
New Noni Book to Check Out
Congratulations to Hilo plant pathologist Dr. Scot Nelson and his co-author Craig Elevitch on the recent publication of their book, Noni: The Complete Guide for Consumers and Growers. It is truly complete and includes topics that cover history, lore and ethnobotany, nutrition and chemistry, a consumer guide with information about how to make noni products and recipes (including three from yours truly), how to propagate it, grow it, manage it, and control pests and diseases. It's written in a reader-friendly manner, yet includes important scientific information. This is certainly a wonderful addition to the literature on medicinal plants, and one that I recommend you consider adding to your library.
Here's a "teaser" recipe for you to try:
Purple Paradise Noni Fruit Smoothie
1 cup frozen cherries
1 cup frozen mangos
1 cup frozen blueberries
1 banana
3 heaping tablespoons of vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup soy milk (vanilla flavored)
3 tablespoons noni juice concentrate
Place ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Serve immediately. You can experiment with in-season fruits for different flavors and colors. Serves 2-3.
This book is 104 pages with many color photos. It was published by Permanent Agriculture Resources in Holualoa and can be ordered through its web site, www.nonithecompleteguide.com. Or call 324-4427. The cost is $19.95.
October Seed Exchange Promises Free Goodies and Tons of Fun
Plus: Great New Noni Book
If you missed the first East Side Seed Exchange last October, here's your chance to get in on the free giveaways and fun that will take place at the second annual Seed Exchange on Saturday, October 7th at the La`akea Community near Pahoa.
Sponsored by Know Your Farmer Alliance, this annual exchange and gifting of seeds, plants, keikis, fruit trees, and other gems enables everyone to share the abundance of their gardens with like-minded eco-farmers and gardeners interested in creating a vibrant local food economy and an ecological growing community.
If you don't have seeds or plants to share, don't worry-this is not like a potluck where you're sometimes frowned at if you don't bring food! The exchange is about getting people started growing their own food and sharing the abundance with others. There will be lots of information available from growers, who will give away starts and seeds of their favorite varieties, as well as advice about how to grow them. There will also be a panel of farmers and a talk story session at the end of the exchange.
Saving Seeds Is Important
When we save and share seeds, we are promoting biodiversity, which is simply the growing and continuation of naturally occurring, old-fashioned, or "heirloom" varieties of fruits, vegetables and other plants, many of which have been lost because of the commercialization of the farm and food industry. Biodiversity might sound a little like "bioengineering," but the two could not be more different. Biodiversity is a term that is finding its way into common usage today as people learn about the wonders of nature and the diversity that she provides us. Keep in mind that only non-hybrid varieties of plants will reproduce true to form: if you buy F1 hybrids from many seed companies, they represent the combination of two different varieties of the same plant that have been purposely "married" to produce an offspring that has the characteristics of both parents. So if you have grown something like "Early Girl" tomatoes, the seeds might produce different looking fruit from the plant you grew. The web site www.gardening.wsu.edu tells us that "the seed from a hybrid has a different mix of the parent plants' genes and usually produces less desirable plants. An open-pollinated variety (or heirloom) holds on to the parents' characteristics generation after generation. This is important if you want to save seed."
Get Started Saving and Sharing Now!
It's not too late to start getting ready for this great event. Save seeds from your favorite food plants and trees, check out your garden for possible cuttings, divisions and keikis, and come to La`akea on October 7. I'll be there with seeds of some of my favorite herbs and veggies: ashawaganda, nioi, Anaheim and Ancho hot peppers, purple bell peppers, some great fruit fly-resistant large tomato seeds that popped up as a weed by my chicken coop, and some Hawaiian natives like the pua kala prickly poppy and the lovely white scented Hibiscus waimeae from Kaua`i. I've got extra "cigar" mango trees potted up, as well as some kaffir lime and Meyer lemon tree keikis. I'll also be selling copies of my new book, Super Simple Guide to Creating Hawaiian Gardens. I'll print out the instructions for starting seeds and give those away as a handout to everyone who wants one.
Among many others who will be sharing the bounty of their gardens will be Nancy Redfeather, who is bringing kale and collard seeds from her garden on the Kona side. She told me that she will also be bringing her Tahitian Squash, dried beans, (white, black, red, etc.), and other gems from her refrigerator. She'll also be sharing seeds of the University of Hawai`i Supersweet corn #9 that she has saved for over 15 years.
The Schedule of events follows:
7:30: set up
8:30: opening ceremony
9:00: exchange
11:00: workshop
12:30: gathering, social time, bring a lunch and talk story.
If you would like to participate, bring your own table, chairs and umbrella if needed. For more information and directions, contact Know Your Farmer Alliance at 936-7040. Or go to La`akea's web site at www.permaculture-hawaii.com.
New Noni Book to Check Out
Congratulations to Hilo plant pathologist Dr. Scot Nelson and his co-author Craig Elevitch on the recent publication of their book, Noni: The Complete Guide for Consumers and Growers. It is truly complete and includes topics that cover history, lore and ethnobotany, nutrition and chemistry, a consumer guide with information about how to make noni products and recipes (including three from yours truly), how to propagate it, grow it, manage it, and control pests and diseases. It's written in a reader-friendly manner, yet includes important scientific information. This is certainly a wonderful addition to the literature on medicinal plants, and one that I recommend you consider adding to your library.
Here's a "teaser" recipe for you to try:
Purple Paradise Noni Fruit Smoothie
1 cup frozen cherries
1 cup frozen mangos
1 cup frozen blueberries
1 banana
3 heaping tablespoons of vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup soy milk (vanilla flavored)
3 tablespoons noni juice concentrate
Place ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Serve immediately. You can experiment with in-season fruits for different flavors and colors. Serves 2-3.
This book is 104 pages with many color photos. It was published by Permanent Agriculture Resources in Holualoa and can be ordered through its web site, www.nonithecompleteguide.com. Or call 324-4427. The cost is $19.95.
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