Winter has arrived and with it we are seeing epic forces of nature all across Hawai’i. From torrential rainfall ushered in by big gusty winds and thundering lightning storms to Mauna Loa’s stunning eruption and amazing lava flow, all across Hawai'i we are experiencing the big changes of Lonoikamakahiki season and today Winter Solstice is upon us. Winter Solstice is the celestial event when the sun marks its southern point along the equator at the Tropic of Capricorn before once again aligning to the North and steadily delivering growing warmth and daylight upon the Earth. During this transiti ..read more

The ,,U.S. Drought Monitor is jointly produced by the ,,National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the United States Department of Agriculture, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Map courtesy of NDMC. Severe Drought Predicted for upcoming Winter/Rainy Season As we look into Hawaii’s climate and food future, we may be asking ourselves, how will the changing climate affect my ability to grow food or seed and what types of adaptations will be needed to create resiliency in my gardens or orchard? How is climate change in the Pacific affecting H ..read more

The Fall Round-up of Crops Grown at Kawanui Farm in Kona - Summer 2023 We have just passed the Fall Equinox and it's a good time for a brief reflection on this summers garden here at ,Kawanui Farm in Mauka Kona. I am also very interested to know how your garden grew this summer - which crops did well, what you thought was tasty, and also what challenges you had. There is a comment section at the bottom of this Blog and I hope many of you will comment and share with me the 'best things about your summer garden 2023'. I know everyone is interested in what does well where! Here in Kona, our rain ..read more

It’s not too late to create Summer Abundance from your garden to table….and here’s how! It’s early June, and maybe you haven’t had time to plan or plant your summer garden yet. No worries, it’s not too late for those yummy table veggies we love to grow. If you live on any of the Hawaiian Islands, summer is a great time to grow many crops that like a bit more heat and longer daylight. One of those crops is corn! All our Corn varieties are on Sale Right Now! If you’re not familiar with planting sweet, pop, or flour corn in the summer this might be the perfect time to plant a few blocks of them ..read more

Invasive species, plants and insects that have found their way into Hawaii’s ecosystems have been on my mind a lot lately and Hawaii Seed Growers Network customers have been reaching out with questions. I’d briefly like to share what I’ve learned, and then share some ideas how we can become more akamai about the whole topic of invasive species in Hawai'i. The long list of invasive species in Hawai'i includes insects, birds, animals, plants, and microorganisms. The culprits are many. We are dependent on globalization and the movement of products from distant lands to Hawai'i for almost everyth ..read more

Yes, it’s still winter! But recently we passed the mid-point between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox that was known in ancient times as Imbolc...a time when the forces deep within the Earth are beginning to stir… you know that dreamy time before you awake. Perhaps you are feeling the urge to clean up your gardens and start seeds for this next round of growing. As the light begins to grow you are in tune with that impulse. There is still time to plant cool season crops in Hawaii. The nights are cool and will be cool for the next few months. We are getting some rain and storms that a ..read more

Hau'oli Makahiki Hou to you all and may the New Year bring good health to you and your family, your gardens and orchards! Here at Kawanui Farm in mauka Kona, Winter is the time to help the grapes rest before they start their new growth cycle in the Spring. Gerry usually waits until early December to help the vines drop all their leaves, as some of them will naturally do that and others want to keep growing new leaves throughout the winter. It wouldn't be a good idea to let them continue growing because they will all be pruned way back in February, and giving them a little rest time before pru ..read more

Gerry and I hope your summer is going well, that you are planting foods that you love to eat, enjoying the sunshine, and perhaps taking some time off to be with friends and family. We wanted to share a few updates about what is happening in the Vineyard this Summer. Below is a photo of Tamiami one of our older varieties ( 7 years old) in early June. Gerry is removing bunches from the vine for various reasons like the bunch is small, or growing in the wrong place, or too many small grapes, etc. Spring growth in all the varieties this year was vigorous and many varieties began flowering and set ..read more

Our 2 year SARE Farmer/Rancher Research and Education Project is drawing to a close. Included in this Blog is a Summary of our Grape Research and Education project at Kawanui Farm over the past 7 years, and another chance to order our 56 page Booklet "Growing Table Grapes in Subtropical Hawaii Using Organic Practices" and take our end of year Survey! See end of Blog. Humans have been eating and cultivating grape varieties for thousands of years. Grapes have provided an essential food world-wide producing wine, juices, fresh and dried fruit, all with a high nutritional profile making it a supe ..read more

December 2021 The change of seasons is upon us as cooler weather and more rainfall in most of the state signal the beginning of our most productive gardening time. Weather changes are already happening from Ka’u to Hanalei. In Kona, during the first week of October, after 2 years of continuous rain, one day it just stopped - the sun came out and it hasn’t rained at all, until today. This week there was a blizzard on Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea with much needed rainfall here in Kona, and I can hear my broccoli and cabbage plants drinking in the cool rain during the cooler nights. Gardeners in Hawai ..read more