‘Ohana Garden and Grindz is Growing

UH CTAHR Molokai Extension News Release

‘Ohana Garden and Grindz is a virtual garden to table program designed for Molokai families by CTAHR-Extension Agents Jennifer Hawkins and Heather Greenwood-Junkermeier. The project has been funded in recent years by the County of Maui Office of Economic Development. Jennifer, Heather and a team of Extension Agents from across the state were just awarded a $350,000 grant from USDA to continue the project on Molokai and expand to Kauai and Hawaii counties! 

‘Ohana Garden and Grindz offers youth and their families a chance to work together to develop their skills in the kitchen and the garden. Participating families receive gardening and cooking kits, participate in weekly online workshops to learn how to grow plants and cook healthy meals at home, and complete at-home assignments in their garden and kitchen. Keiki and their ‘ohana plant beans, lettuce, tomatoes and other vegetables and use their harvest to prepare local recipes such as Aunty Jennifer’s Famous Somen Salad. Families with keiki between the ages of 9 and 13 are eligible for this free program!

Chef Angel from Molokai has been an instructor with the program from the beginning and is an important part of its success. The next four-week program begins on Wednesday, July 6 with an in-person, socially distanced workshop at the UH-CTAHR office in Ho’olehua. At that workshop families receive their garden and kitchen kits, learn about all the tools in each kit, and begin weeks of fun and hands-on activities. After the first in-person workshop, all others are on zoom and meet Saturday mornings through July 28. 

Please contact Jennifer Hawkins for more details and to sign up: jhawk@hawaii.edu or 808-567-6934.