Plants and Pollinators were a feature of the Outdoor Classroom Exhibit at Taste of School Gardens. Photo credit: Mieko Photography.
In this Issue:

The Heart of Taste of School Gardens

Taste of School Gardens was a great success, raising over raising $58,000 to support our programs, with over 325 guests in attendance. Mahalo to all who came to our signature event!

MauiNow video journalist Kaiora Bohlool covered Taste of School Gardens and created a piece which gets to the heart of the event - where outdoor classrooms, nutritious food and Maui's finest chefs converge in one magical night under the stars. Kids Inspire Cuisine at Taste of School Gardens.

Photo Credit: Mieko Photography

Happening in the Gardens

Last month 5th graders at Kamali'i Elementary School learned about "Patterns in Nature." The lesson taught how many different patterns occur in nature, such as in a bee hive honeycomb, tree branches and leaf veins, and how humans use patterns to build things.

Students put that knowledge to use to build a helpful structure for their garden..

Pole beans in the nursery needed to be transplanted into the garden, and they needed something to attach to, in order to support their vertical growth. The students built a "bean-teepee" to support the plants. The teepee is in a hexagon pattern, made up of 6 triangles. Students used a large triangle to map out the positions the 6 poles needed to form the teepee. Once in place, they bound the poles at the top to form the complete teepee structure.

When the teepee was complete, students cleared the mulch, amended the soil and planted the bean starts around the outside of the teepee. We can't wait to see it full of green vines and beans!

Things to Plant in April
For the gardeners in all of us – A Kitchen Garden in Kihei Maui presents a helpful list of things to plant in April. See their website for great gardening tips!

Volunteer With Grow Some Good!

April 1st
Lokelani Intermediate School
1401 Liholiho Drive
Saturday, April 1st
8:30 - 11:30

It may be April Fool's Day, but the April 1st Work & Learn Day at Lokelani Intermediate School is no joke! Join us this Saturday at a special "school farm" TLC Day!

Come dig-in to the fun as we finish spring seed planting and clearing and roto-tilling in of additional growing spaces in the school's 1/2 acre "school farm". We have plenty of garden vegetable seeds to share too!

Other special projects include completing work on several 5 foot long vermicompost bins (worm farms!) so they can be distributed to schools across Maui, reorganizing the tool shed, moving the vegetable and native plant nurseries to final location on the "farm". And as always...plenty of beautiful bark mulch to be distributed around the "farm" to mark our pathways, help control weeds and retain moisture, of course.

This Saturdayʻs workday is sponsored by Lokelani Future Farmers of America club. Join us and meet some of our outstanding students.

April 8th
Kihei Elementary School
250 E Lipoa St Kihei, HI 96753
Saturday, April 8th
8:30 - 11:30am
This Saturday the focus will be on cleaning up and preparing the taro patch, as well as regular garden maintenance. Also, a representative from the Hawaii Department of Health will be on site to share information about preventing the spread of the Zika Virus.

April 22nd
Kamali’i Elementary School
180 Alanui Ke'ali'i, Kihei
Saturday. April 22
8:30 - 11:30
Join us on Earth Day! We have some fun garden improvement projects include mulching of the paths, some weeding, and cleaning up the compost area.

Our garden care days are always a lot of fun and a great way to learn about organic gardening from people in the neighborhood. Check our website and Facebook page for upcoming events. If you have questions please email volunteer@GrowSomeGood.org or call (808)215- 9228.

Special Projects for Your Group
Want to share the joy of the gardens with your team? We can set up a fun and educational work day just for your group. Garden projects are great for youth organizations like sports teams and service clubs, as well as community groups and businesses. We can always use a hand in the gardens, and it’s a great way to spend time with your team. Please contact volunteer@GrowSomeGood.org to get involved.

Zap Zika!

The Zika virus spread like wildfire throughout Latin America in 2016. As the weather warms up, we can anticipate the continued spread of this mosquito-borne illness which can cause birth defects and serious neurological problems. We have also recently learned that Zika may cause male infertility and heart problems in adults.

In the U.S., most of the confirmed Zika cases were in people who had traveled to areas where the virus was circulating. But there were two places--Texas and Florida-- where the virus was spread locally by mosquitoes.

The Hawaii State Department of Health has therefore embarked on an educational campaign to prevent Zika from taking root in Hawaii. Health educators will be reaching out to Grow Some Good garden coordinators and families to spread the following messages:

For personal protection: prevent mosquito bites by using EPA-registered repellent
Do what you can to control mosquitoes at your workplace and at home
Remind medical providers to test for Zika in people with symptoms who have traveled recently
Avoid unprotected sex with a person who has traveled to a place where Zika was circulating, even if they do not have symptoms.

There is no doubt that “it takes a village” to fight against Zika virus! Please do your part to get rid of standing water where mosquitoes like to breed!

Learn more at our upcoming Work & Learn Day at Kihei Elementary School on April 8th.

Makena Golf & Beach Club Sponsors Kamali'i Elementary School

Makena Golf and Beach Club stepped up in a big way to support Kamali’i Elementary School’s school gardens with a $4,000 donation, becoming a Primary Sponsor of the gardens. This donation represents a match to the school’s PTA funding that is currently helping to support the program. This sponsorship will ensure continued funding for program needs such as garden equipment, garden educators and supplies for special projects.

The Makena Golf and Beach Club is currently being developed by Discovery Land Company, whose core philosophy is to celebrate the natural character and spirit of each property, developing communities focused on tradition and family. Discovery is committed to supporting charitable non-profit organizations focused on children in the communities where DLC operates.

Mahalo for supporting Grow Some Good at the Kamali’i School Garden!

Support Grow Some Good

Your tax-deductible donations provide schools with soil amendments, seeds, starts, mulch, garden tools, program coordination, curriculum support and much more to keep our gardens growing. For more information on donations and volunteer opportunities, visit our website. Your donations are always appreciated by our keiki farmers!

Dinner Series
Don’t miss any upcoming events! Join our special mailing list just for food events by clicking on the link below. We have lots of fun things planned for the months ahead.
Sign Up for ‘Restaurant Fundraiser Series: Grow Some Good’ Invitation List!