Growing Community Through A Garden: Kekaha Community Garden

Just imagine what kind of world we would have if everyone grew gardens instead of lawns.

Leez, Kekaha community gardener

Everyone is welcome to chip in and help. Pastor Mary's
daughter picks some tomatoes for an afternoon snack.

In the tiny little town of Kekaha, far on the west end of the island of Kauai, a visionary preacher, church congregation and small group of dedicated gardeners have banded together to start the Kekaha Community Garden. While one intention is to create a place where locals can grow fresh, healthy, affordable food the underlying philosophy is really to grow a stronger more connected community. The setting is quite informal, you might wonder, what could be formal in a garden? Gardens and landscapes like homes, churches and public buildings have their own sense of place, and spoken or unspoken rules of order. In Kekaha Garden there is a sense that all are welcome. On Sunday evening when we entered the gate I was instantly greeted by a very large well- mannered dog and a few children gathering tomatoes and exploring the bounty.

Kekaha Garden, on 6500 sq feet behind St. Paul's Church

Kekaha is a small community of a little over 3,000 people scattered over about 1 square mile. St. Paul's Church is set in the midst of houses on one of the residential streets surrounded by a large yard. Pastor Mary,  her husband and leaders of the Church started thinking around seven years ago “what can we do to give back to the community?" The question came up again when economics took a down turn and they decided to offer a bit of land for a community garden. The garden was launched on 6500 square feet tucked in behind the church, today, it is surrounded by a solid fence and donations of mulch, fruit trees and compost bins line the edges.

Leez, Barb and Loretto

Diane Rosenkrantz stepped in at this point. She is a dynamic leader who has organized the garden grants, mission and vision and the path for the future. Kekaha is in dire need of local affordable healthy food, there is no grocery store in the town, and as you can imagine the food costs, notorious in general throughout Hawaii, reach some all time highs in the westernmost community of the country. Diane organized a task force to launch the garden and create a setting conducive to this small, diverse community.

Currently the Kekaha Gardeners meet from around 4:30 - 6:30 PM on Sunday evenings when the temperature has cooled. It’s a great way to unwind from the day and connect with neighbors and make new friends. Weeding, harvesting, composting and taking home food are some of the activities and all are welcome. Please contact Diane Rosenkranz for more information on the garden and the plans for the future. Kehaha Community Garden is set up to welcome friends, family, and children. A peaceful setting to end the weekend so ride your bike over, pull some weeds and share in the harvest!

NatureTalks offers presentations geared to engage community in urban greening, our newest talk is titled, the Power of Plants to Transform Communities based on the book, It's About More than Trees. Visit NatureTalks for more information.