July–August 2022

Hawai‘i Island’s Community Magazine The Life |

July – August Iulai – ÿAukake

2022

ARTS Sharing the Art of Palm Craft with Sylph Nightbloom CULTURE Ipu Stories—From Seed to Stage SUSTAINABILITY For the Love of Hawaiÿi Island Beekeepers

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KeOlaMagazine.com | July - August 2022

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KeOlaMagazine.com | July - August 2022

The Life Hawaiÿi Island’s Community Magazine July – August | Iulai – ÿAukake 2022

Arts

Sharing the Art of Palm Craft with Sylph Nightbloom

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By Mālielani Larish

Community

HAKA: The Hawai‘i Animal Kuleana Alliance

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By Mālielani Larish

Culture

Journey from the Land of Hibiscus

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By Jan Wizinowich

Ipu Stories—From Seed to Stage

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By Nancy S Kahalewai

Sustainability

Casa de Las Palmas: Hilo’s Sanctuary for Rare and Endangered Palms

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By Sara Stover

The Many Hands, Feet, Wings, Paws and Hoofs of Lili House Farm

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By Nancy S Kahalewai

By Stefan Verbano

Front cover: Blind Shepherd, a painting by Alexander Rokoff.

Table of contents: Songbird, a painting by Alexander Rokoff.

Read more about the artist on page 57.

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For the Love of Hawai‘i Island Beekeepers

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The Life

Hawaiÿi Island’s Community Magazine July – August | Iulai – ÿAukake 2022

Ka Wehena: The Opening Pua Kalaunu

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By Kumu Keala Ching and Kumu Pa‘akea Akiu

Medicinal Plants from the Garden Unlock the Power of Lemon

By Brittany P. Anderson

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Business Talk Story with an Advertiser

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Island Treasures

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Jade Painting, LLC

Ginger Sandell

Local Food The Ono Hua Moa: The Delicious Chicken Egg Recipe for Dutch Baby

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By Brittany P. Anderson

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Featured Artist Cover and Table of Contents Artist Alexander Rokoff

Ka Puana: Closing Thoughts 807: He ma‘ono ia i ka pono

Mary Kawena Pukui. Olelo Noeau: Hawaiian Proverbs and Poetical Sayings

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To Our Readers Aloha Barbara, I read the January-February 2021 Ke Ola article about Rotary Club’s planting peace poles and I suggested it to Reverand Jiko at Daifukuji temple in Honalo. The board approved it, and after much ado, it’s now planted! At the celebration upon its completion, the sangha made origami cranes that were hung all around the pole. Cranes were donated and a plaque to the ancestors is at the bottom.

Thank you Barb and crew for your inspiration!

Much aloha to you!

Barbara Bosz, Kailua-Kona

Aloha Barbara and Tanya, I’m a long time subscriber and frequent visitor to the island. I love the meaning of Ke Ola [The Life] so much, I had it tattooed on my arm!

Congratulations on the success of the magazine, keep up the great work.

Debbie Belsher, Lake Forest, California

Aloha pumehana, Tanya Yamanaka and Barbara Garcia Ke Ola Magazine recognizes the use of the ‘okina [‘] or glottal stop, as one of the eight consonants of (modern) Hawaiian language; and the kahakō [ā] or macron (e.g., in place names of Hawai‘i such as Pāhoa). Ke Ola Magazine respects the individual use of these markings for names of organizations and businesses.

Socialize with us :

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We love getting your letters to the editor of 50 words or fewer. Story ideas and submissions are also welcome. We accept email and submissions through our website.

KeOlaMagazine.com HIeditor@KeOlaMagazine.com keolamagazine.com/suggest-story-idea/ keolamagazine.com/write-letter-to-the-editor/

KeOlaMagazine.com | July - August 2022

We are inspired by people in this issue’s stories. When you read these stories, you’ll understand why. Our first story, about Hawai‘i Animal Kuleana Alliance, is incredibly touching. Syndi and Alessandra are passionate about the welfare of animals and nothing stops them from their mission. From a modest Facebook group created during the 2018 Lower Puna lava flow to help rescue and foster animals being left homeless or farmless when their owners evacuated, to the creation of an official nonprofit corporation, it proves the power of what even a couple of people can do when they find something important that needs to be done and do it! We know many people are grateful for these two women and their entire team of volunteers.

Another farm animal-themed story in this issue is the Lili House farm in Volcano, which has also rescued and nurtured many abandoned animals. Stories about other types of farming, including bees, ipu, palm trees, and even palm leaf craftwork fill the pages of this issue. Another fascinating story along a different theme is about how Koreans immigrated to Hawai‘i Island. This story was suggested to us by Harvey Tajiri, and we are happy we were able to publish it. We are always accepting new story suggestions, so if you are aware of someone or something interesting, please send us an email to HIEditor@KeOlaMagazine.com or via our website story suggestion link on the contact page so we can add it to our database. We are currently scheduling stories for 2023.

Thanks to the support from all our advertisers, both long-time and new! We may sound like the proverbial broken record; however, we can never be complacent in acknowledging that without our advertisers, there would be no Ke Ola Magazine, which compels us to remind all our readers to please support them, at a minimum by thanking them for valuing Hawai‘i Island’s only community magazine to reach you (because we all know it works!) and even better, if you can, by purchasing something from them or hiring them for their services.

We are already working on our September-October issue, with a keiki (children) theme. If you or anyone you know is a professional artist or photographer living on Hawai‘i Island, please help us spread the word that we are accepting artwork submissions for that issue until July 20. We have a special email list that we use to send out notices of the themes and deadlines for each issue. If you would like to be added to that, you can subscribe to the list by going to our website’s art submission tab and filling out the form at the bottom. We typically send out one to two emails every two months.

Enjoy your summer!

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Pua Kalaunu

Na Kumu Keala Ching lāua ‘o Kumu Pa‘akea Akiu ‘Ae, Pua Kalaunu Kaulana nā pua, pua kalaunu Kui ‘ia ia lei puni ke aloha Aloha palena‘ole e Lili‘uokalani He ali‘i nō ia, ‘Onipa‘a ē ‘Onipa‘a ē, ʻOnipa‘a la, ‘Onipa‘a e Lili‘uokalani ē ‘Ike ‘ia ia nani, pua kalaunu Kihikihi nā lima pa‘a ia pua He pua poni, He pua laha‘ole He pua aloha nō, ‘Onipa‘a ē Kupu maila ia pua, pua kalaunu Hali‘a ‘ia ia ali‘i piha ka ‘i‘ini He leo kaulana, he leo ha‘aha‘a He leo ahonui nō, ‘Onipa‘a ē Kaulana nā pua, pua kalaunu Kui ‘ia ia lei puni ke aloha Aloha palena‘ole e Lili‘uokalani He ali‘i nō ia, ‘Onipa‘a ē He mele nō e Lili‘uokalani

Famous flowers, crown flower Sewn garland surrounded with aloha Unconditional love to Queen Lili‘uokalani Indeed, a chiefess, steadfast always Firmly standing, tolerantly accepting Established indeed, Queen Lili‘uokalani Beauty is observed, crown flower Five edges firmly presenting flower Purple flower, colorful flower Lovely flower, firmly standing Within this flower, crown flower Remembered chiefess filled with desire Famous voice, humble voice Patience voice, established indeed Famous flowers, crown flower Sewn garland surrounded with aloha Unconditional love to Queen Lili‘uokalani Indeed, a chiefess, steadfast always A song indeed, Queen Lili‘uokalani

‘O ka pua kalaunu, he pua kaulana iā Lili‘uokalani. ‘Ike ho‘i ka nani o ia pua lā, ‘elima mau kihikihi i pa‘a ‘ia ke kahua ola o ia ali‘i nei.

He ‘i‘ini kona e hō‘ike a‘ela i kona aloha ā ‘onipa‘a mau i kona ‘ike Hawai‘i ola. He aloha nui kō Hawai‘i iā Lili‘uokalani ē! E nā Hawai‘i, ho‘omana‘o kākou i kō Lili‘uokalani ‘ike Hawai‘i ā ‘onipa‘a mau.

Queen Lili‘uokalani’s favorite flower, the crown flower. Observe the beauty of this flower with five edges holding a strong foundation of this chiefess. Her desire to present her passion and compassion firmly found in the Hawaiian knowledge of life. Hawai‘i loves Queen Lili‘uokalani!

To Hawai‘i, remember Queen Lili‘uokalani’s steadfast insights for Hawai‘i.

For more information on Kumu Keala and Nä Wai Iwi Ola, visit: nawaiiwiola.org

: HAKA

By Mālielani Larish

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oving hastily, Syndi Texeira lifted her neighbor’s dog, an 80-pound pit bull mix named Bear, into a vehicle for transport out of Leilani Estates. It was May 3, 2018, and the police and civil defense had informed residents of the Leilani subdivision that they needed to evacuate immediately.

Bear’s owner was extremely grateful for Syndi’s help because she could not move Bear’s hefty frame on her own. She silently said goodbye to her home and left, not knowing if she would ever see it again.

On that day, steaming ground cracks in the subdivision had burst forth with lava, ushering in a four-month-long display of Kīlauea Volcano’s innate power to transform a verdant expanse into an archipelago of powerful lava fissures. Syndi and other volunteers continued to ask residents if they needed assistance with evacuating their pets. During those first 24 sleepless hours, they safely removed 20 animals from Leilani, including dogs, cats, rabbits, goats, and chickens.

Little did they know that this fateful night in 2018 was just the beginning of an extraordinary effort that saved more than 1,000 hurt and displaced animals; it was a night that eventually led to the creation of a permanent emergency rescue organization, the Hawai‘i Animal Kuleana Alliance.

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The 2018 Kïlauea eruption created a terrifying backdrop for this goat in lower Puna. photo courtesy of Joseph Anthony

Central Hub for Animal Rescues As the sun rose on the second day of the intensifying eruption, another group of concerned citizens convened online to help the animals and humans in the hot zone. In an attempt to provide a centralized communication platform, Alessandra Rupar-Weber and Malia Becklund started the Hawai‘i Lava Flow Animal Rescue Network (HLFARN) Facebook group. This group served as an online hub where the community could coordinate animal rescues from areas impacted by the eruption.

Syndi Texeira, Laurie Lyons-Makaimoku, and three other women volunteered to serve as administrators for the group.

The core HLFARN admins worked tirelessly to ensure that the needs of the rescued animals were met once they were safe, whether that involved transport, placement in vetted foster

The Hawai‘i Animal Kuleana Alliance homes or sanctuaries, placement in temporary pastures for farm animals, or the provision of food and veterinary care.

Many of the rescued animals were reunited with their original owners, but sometimes owners had to leave the island or were no longer in a living situation that allowed them to care for their pet’s needs.

In partnership with county, state, and private groups, the Hawai‘i Lava Flow Animal Rescue Network saved pets and farm animals from the Kīlauea eruption and provided for their long-term well-being with the financial backing of a successful GoFundMe campaign. Ultimately, community volunteers formed the backbone of the efforts to help animals and their owners.

“Without volunteers, none of this would have been possible,” says Laurie. “A tight-knit community of dedicated individuals quickly formed, with people from all walks of life coming together to perform rescue missions, drive their trailers, deliver food, provide animal care, and so much more. The bravery, fortitude, and compassion that these animal lovers showed were truly remarkable.”

Alessandra, who has promoted animal welfare in Hawai‘i for the last 10 years, recalls that she only slept a few hours a night during the first two months of the eruption because demand for coordinating support services for the animals mushroomed so quickly, and the local animal organizations were simply not equipped to handle the magnitude of the

unfolding natural disaster.

Once the eruption ended in September 2018, HLFARN admins and volunteers continued to work until the end of the year, supporting fosters, locating permanent homes for animals, and assisting with supplies and transport.

Stories of Success Amazing stories emerged out of the animal rescues. One handsome black pit bull puppy, who was sighted on the lānai of an abandoned home in an area landlocked by lava, had to be removed by helicopter in coordination with people from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), who had arrived in early June to lend their expertise.

Although HLFARN administrators were unable to locate the dog’s original owners, they found the dog a wonderful new family. The family’s young son embraced his new dog, christening him “Pimple” in his effort to say the word “pit bull.”

Syndi and another volunteer even took a boat to the Pohoiki area in search of a three-legged dog named Sweetie, whose owner had lost a home to lava. Although they did not find Sweetie, they did encounter a dog and cat that they were able to rescue.

KeOlaMagazine.com | July - August 2022

Protecting All Animals from Mauka to Makai Alessandra, Syndi, and Laurie’s past experiences with animal rescues, combined with their unwavering love for all of our island’s animals from mauka to makai (upland to seaside), motivated them to form the Hawai‘i Animal Kuleana Alliance, or HAKA. Syndi serves as the executive director, Alessandra is the compassion care coordinator, and Laurie serves as the communications coordinator. HAKA became a legal nonprofit in June 2019, towards the tail end of another monumental

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Some of the dedicated Hawaiÿi Lava Flow Animal Rescue Network volunteers wear masks to protect against volcanic fumes in 2018. photo courtesy of HAKA undertaking. After finding out that a dairy in ‘O‘ōkala was about to close, the group organized the rescue and rehoming of more than 400 cows from the shuttered dairy.

In one recent miracle story, HAKA’s collaborative network of care transformed the life of a down-on-her-luck dog who

KeOlaMagazine.com | July - August 2022

Syndi Texeira helped reunite Bruce with his cat Toby after they were separated by the 2018 Kïlauea eruption. Bruce is a local artist whose wooden carvings grace Pohoiki Beach. photo courtesy of Syndi Texeira

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was sighted wandering around the town of Kea‘au by a HAKA volunteer. The honey-hued female had an unsightly growth hanging from her mammary glands. A couple had already scooped the dog up and surrendered her to animal control by the time that Syndi drove around Kea‘au in search of her. Syndi contacted animal control staff, who were happy to learn that HAKA could help address the dog’s plight. Within minutes of arriving at HAKA, a volunteer foster dad came to pick up “Mila,” as she was now called. HAKA arranged two surgeries for Mila to remove the large growth and found her a new foster mom, who started to train her and lavish her with love. Eventually, HAKA found the perfect “forever home” for Mila, where she melted the heart of her new owner.

KeOlaMagazine.com | July - August 2022

Abandoned on a länai during the 2018 eruption, Hawaiÿi Lava Flow Animal Rescue Network administrators found ‘Pimple’ the pitbull a wonderful new family, who still care for him to this day. photo courtesy of HAKA

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The Hawaiÿi Lava Flow Animal Rescue Network organized transport and a foster home for “Koa, the Lava Horse.” photo courtesy of Harry Durgin

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April 29, 2022, World Pet Day, Pahoa Animal Hospital. photo courtesy of Syndi Texeira “It takes an enormous ‘ohana [family] of people who give their all to transform the life of a dog like Mila,” Alessandra says. “Mila was not housebroken, she was not leash trained, but that’s the wonderful thing about animals: they know what love means, and they know what it means to be in a wonderful home. Mila adapted very fast.”

In addition to coordinating disaster and emergency rescue assistance for animals, HAKA continues to be an online hub that provides integrated services and cooperative caretaking networks for island pets and farm animals. In the near future, HAKA hopes to revive a monthly pet food pantry, build upon relationships with local organizations, and secure the equipment, volunteers, and training necessary to conduct even the most advanced animal rescues. Alessandra gives the example of a calf who was stuck in a ditch in Hāmākua for four days because no one had the necessary equipment for her rescue. She envisions a future in which HAKA could respond to a situation like this immediately.

HAKA founders also see a drastic need for emergency HAKA partnered with Aloha ÿÏlio Rescue. photo courtesy of Aloha ÿÏlio Rescue KeOlaMagazine.com | July - August 2022

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veterinary services on the island and hope to establish an emergency veterinary center. Syndi points out that, even for pet owners who are established clients of a veterinary center, emergency pet services are difficult to obtain after 10pm or on weekends.

Syndi reminds people that veterinarians are working very hard in what can often be a thankless job. “We need to show appreciation for them,” she says, affirming that her beloved bulldog, Rachel, is still alive today after being rushed to surgery late one evening.

HAKA members helped organize the rescue of 400 cows from the shuttered ÿOÿökala Dairy in 2019. photo courtesy of Karen Bell Silva

KeOlaMagazine.com | July - August 2022

Regina, Alessandra, Deb, and Syndi at a Kona event in 2018. photo courtesy of HAKA

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Reflecting on the Past to Prepare for the Future Using the lessons learned from the 2018 eruption, HAKA is passionate about getting people prepared for the next eruption or natural disaster. Syndi says that the field rescues she participated in during the eruption were “heartbreaking, you saw dead animals everywhere.”

The HAKA ‘ohana believes that our animals deserve better.

With preparation and early proactive intervention, the process of evacuating people and their animals during an emergency can proceed more smoothly and efficiently. As part of that essential preparation, HAKA is currently registering residents into a Disaster Animal Rescue Enrollment (DARE) database.

In order to register, residents simply need to fill out a quick online form, which will help secure the assistance that owners and their animals will need during an emergency or disaster.

HAKA is also currently recruiting volunteers to help in future emergencies as rescuers, foster homes, and transport drivers (with and without large trailers). In addition, HAKA seeks volunteers anytime who would like to assist with events or outreach, or who would like to give animals love as foster parents or permanent homes.

“We are in a state in this world that we need to take care of each other,” Alessandra says. To that end, HAKA is dedicated to demonstrating “compassion, kindness, and care for animals and people.”  For more information: linktr.ee/808HAKA facebook.com/groups/hakaohana/

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Journey from the Land of

By Jan Wizinowich

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lthough not native to Korea, the hibiscus has long been its national symbol. Probably originating in India, the hibiscus is easily transplanted, and endowed with adaptability.

It most likely made its way north through China into Korea, where it was adopted as an emblem of the Joseon dynasty (1392–1910), and as the national symbol of the Republic of Korea (1948). It has long been a symbol for the endurance and prosperity of the Korean people. Perhaps the attributes of the hibiscus were carried in the hearts of Korean immigrants who arrived in Hawai‘i, a native home of hibiscus.

Between 1903 and 1905, when the first officially sanctioned Korean immigrants arrived in Hawai‘i, their homeland was in flux—a pawn in global political events and heading towards Japanese occupation in 1910. They approached their new situation with hard work and the hopes of the restoration of the land of hibiscus.

Koreans make up one of the smallest immigrant groups on Hawai‘i Island, and much of their lives and accomplishments live in shadow. University of Hawai‘i at Hilo English professor Seri Luangphinith, author of The Paths We Cross: The Lives and Legacies of Koreans on the Big Island, is setting out to change that. What started out as a catalogue for a 2017 Korean art exhibition became a book that captures an array of the history, culture, and experiences of Koreans on Hawai‘i Island.

The project emerged out of a request from the university’s students to add Korean studies to the humanities curriculum. Seri began to study Korean with Korean language teacher Hanna Kim, who introduced her to the unique work of Korean artists.

Two of those artists, Hae Kyung Seo and Byoung Yong Lee, were featured in a 2017 Korean art exhibit at the East Hawai‘i Cultural Center.

Hae Kyung Seo began developing her unique style of calligraphy from the age of seven. Through many years of exploring various forms, her art is now a combination of calligraphy, poetry, and inkwash paintings to depict Korean history, among the first in Hawai‘i.* After earning a degree of fine arts from Hongik University in Seoul, Byoung Yong Lee left to study at the Pratt Institute in New York City. In 1994 he moved to Hawai‘i Island where he engaged in community activism, notably the restoration of the Korean immigrant graves at ‘Alae cemetery in Hilo. Byoung Yong Lee’s more contemporary expressionistic artwork provided a contrast with the more traditional art of Hae Kyung Seo, but also created a synergy of cultural roots.*

Lives Well Lived When Seri began interviewing people, the project grew exponentially. “Every interview yielded two or three more people to contact,” said Seri. As well as the interviews, Seri scoured scholarly articles, books, local community publications, newspaper clippings, oral histories, archives of Lyman Museum, the Plantation Museum, and the main Hawai‘i State

A few of 400 plus rubbings of Korean gravestones collected and transcribed by Seri. photo by Jan Wizinowich

Hibiscus to Hawai‘i Island Archives, unearthing the rich tapestry of Korean lives.

Probably the most well-known Korean immigrant was Syngman Rhee, prominent Korean national and eventual first president of the Republic of Korea. During his time in Hawai‘i, he worked tirelessly to improve the lives of Korean immigrants through education and enterprise, while helping to organize the Korean independence movement in Hawai‘i. Rhee created the Korean Christian Institute, a coeducational boarding school on O‘ahu, which provided opportunities for the children of plantation workers to improve their lives through education.

On Hawai‘i Island, Rhee helped to start Donjihoe Investment Company and Dongji Chon (Comrade Village) just south of ‘Ōla‘a (Kea‘au area) where they harvested lumber, made charcoal, and farmed. “The charcoal factory was just one of several unassuming businesses run by Korean nationalists in the 1920s,” said Seri.

In the late 1940s, with funds from the closure and sale of Korean Christian Institute and funds from the Dongji Investment Company, Inha Technical College in Incheon was opened. Highly rated, it continues to provide education for Koreans and Korean Americans, specializing in engineering and physical sciences.

The original 7,000+ Koreans in Hawai‘i began a legacy of hard work and innovation. Soon Koreans began leaving the

plantations to begin businesses in Hilo. There was a Korean drugstore on Front Street (now Kamehameha Avenue) owned

by Park Bong Soong, a shoe store owned by Parls Nails Hun on Volcano Street, and a hotel owned by Choy Hung Choon on Front and Richardson.* Husbands of many picture brides tended to be older and so the women often outlived the men, and became the backbone of the community. Over the course of her life, Harry Kim’s mother, Ya Mul Kim, undertook a poultry business, a lauhala weaving venture, and started the beloved Kea‘au Kimchee Factory.* Working in the ginger fields until 2003, Yeon Boon Kang and her husband Shin Mook Kang went on to start businesses of their own. Yeon started H and K Lunch Shop and Shin created an organic piggery based on waste management techniques developed in Korea.* Overcoming many obstacles, Moon Soo Park earned a medical degree as a pathologist and went on to found Clinical Laboratories of Hawai‘i. Just before he retired, while on medical missions in Southeast Asia, he encountered the natural farming techniques of Master Han Kyu Cho and hosted several workshops, enabling Hawai‘i Island farmers to develop sustainable agriculture, which became known as Korean Natural Farming.*

KeOlaMagazine.com | July - August 2022

Hae Kyung Seo’s art was featured in a 2017 Korean art exhibit at the East Hawaiÿi Cultural Center. photo courtesy of Seri Luangphinith

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Memorial created by Korean artist, Byoung Yong Lee, marking the Korean section of ÿAlae Cemetery, Hilo.

KeOlaMagazine.com | July - August 2022

photo courtesy of Seri Luangphinith

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Another well-known Korean son is Judge Ronald Ibarra. His Korean mother, Young Hi Lee, was born at Kehena Ranch, where her father worked planting corn. When Ronald was young, the family moved to a coffee farm in Captain Cook.

After much hard work and two law degrees, he became the first administrative judge of Korean descent to be appointed on Hawai‘i Island.* Look to the Ancestors Amidst doing oral history interviews, Seri began digging through old newspapers and public records of Koreans in the Lyman Museum archives. “Then, on a hunch, I started looking at Korean cemeteries because I knew that Japanese and Chinese immigrants recorded hometowns and families on their graves and sure enough the Koreans also did the same thing.”

The ‘Alae cemetery slopes down to the highway just north of Hilo town. In the center is the perfect canopy of an African shower tree. Just behind the tree is a large obelisk engraved with the Hawaiian version of Arirang, a Korean national song.

The obelisk, created by Byoung Yong Lee, commemorates the lives of the Koreans who came to the island before him and

marks the Korean section of the graveyard.

The grave markers of this and other island cemeteries, many abandoned, provided Seri with clues that contributed to the picture of the lives of the Korean immigrants. The gravestones list parents, spouses, siblings, children, hanai (adopted) relationships, and close friendships, as well as village of origin, social standing, and political stance. Additional insights were gained by searching out the origins of the use of a particular style of Chinese characters as well as Giwon, a traditional method of recording time derived from the legend of Dangun.

The photo of the gravestone of the Chueng family sparked an unexpected connection with a descendent of a Korean immigrant family. On New Year’s Eve 2021, Seri got a surprise email from Gary Chong, who had found his grandfather’s gravestone in the book. Seri had learned of the graveyard located in an abandoned coffee field in Hōlualoa through the Reverend Gyo Mun Kim of the Korean Methodist Church in Kona, whose book first documented some of the graves.

Stories Continuing to Unfold A chapter of The Paths We Cross: The Lives and Legacies of Koreans on the Big Island relates the journey Seri and her fiancé took to Korea to search out the ancestral graves and villages recorded on gravestones of the Hawai‘i Island cemeteries. This is a story that is just beginning to unfold.

Since the 2017 publication of the book, Seri has continued to research for the next volume, which she hopes to Hölualoa Cemetery gravestone of Gary Chong’s grandfather’s grave. photo courtesy of Seri Luangphinith

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Mainstreet Hilo circa 1918. After leaving the plantations, Korean immigrants were able to create businesses that served the Hilo community.

KeOlaMagazine.com | July - August 2022

photo courtesy of Lyman Museum

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have published in 2025. A cornerstone of much of Seri’s investigation has been following the stories told by the gravestones of Korean immigrants, found in several grave sites around the island and this and other emerging information is evolving into the next volume of Hawai‘i’s Korean story.

“Researching graves in particular gave us a glimpse into the past to a time when Korea was still a unified peninsula known as Joseon, when Jeju Island was once still part of Jeolla Province and when Seoul was called Gyeongseong—these became a starting point in our later quest to track down and photograph more than two dozen hometowns of the first generations of immigrants as recorded on their headstones,” said Seri.

For Seri, as a daughter of Japanese and Chinese immigrants, these projects are a heart quest. “That’s why the stories of

Koreans resounded with me—they remind me of what my father’s countrymen suffered. I empathize with Korean history and have learned what occupation and war can do to a people and culture. When a country unravels like that, the traumas are lingering. There are stories I will never be able to tell, what people had to do to survive.”  For more information: seri@hawaii.edu

References: * The Paths We Cross: The Lives and Legacies of the Koreans on the Big Island.

From the Land of Hibiscus: Koreans in Hawai‘i pacifichorticulture.org/articles/the-hibiscus-revolution/

By Brittany P. Anderson A young boy reaches his hand into a branch of shiny green foliage, palming a bright yellow, slightly oblong fruit. The tree sways as he tugs to release the object of his desire. Bringing his hand from the evergreen leaves, the child holds his prized lemon above his head and runs to deposit it in his mother’s lap. He is beyond thrilled to repeat these steps until the tree is stripped of its low-hanging fruit.

Lemon trees are a staple for many Hawai‘i Island residents.

They provide shade in the home garden, and even just one tree can supply an abundance of fruit. The uses for lemons in the home are astounding—from supporting health to cleaning furniture, it’s no wonder lemon trees are a popular addition to the island yard.

Horticulturalists generally believe that the lemon developed from a natural cross between the citron and sour orange.

The citron is described in fourth-century texts as a medicinal fruit, with the pith (white layer under the yellow skin) being the portion utilized for its healing properties.

Lemons were first grown in the Mediterranean, and spread throughout the Middle East by the 12th century.

They landed in California with the Spanish in the mid1700s. Don Francisco de Paula Marin, a man of many talents, is credited with bringing the lemon to Hawai‘i in the early 1800s.

A surplus of lemons dropped in one’s lap by an eager child is quite the blessing as the uses for the sour citrus abound. For starters, there are a considerable amount of health benefits contained within just one lemon. The peel, also known as the rind, contains naringenin, which has been shown to possess antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties. Naringenin is also being studied as a treatment for Alzheimer’s disease.

The compound that gives lemon its citrusy smell is owed to d-limonene, which is recognized as aiding in digestion and ulcer prevention. Limoncello, an Italian lemon liqueur, is made from lemon peels soaked in clear distilled alcohol with sugar. The drink is usually served chilled as an afterdinner digestivo (digestive) to aid in the digestion of a large meal. Think of it as an after-dinner version of water with lemon.

Perhaps lemons are most known for containing vitamin C. Adding a wedge of lemon to a cup of hot tea gives your body an extra boost to help fight off seasonal colds. Most plants and animals make their own vitamin C, but humans and a handful of others don’t. Scurvy, a once-common disease caused by lack of vitamin C, afflicted long voyage sailors exploring the world.

The prescribed cure for the sailors? A daily dose of lemon juice.

Adding a slice of lemon peel with the pith in bone broths and

soups is a great way to get lemon’s health benefits without the sour aftertaste. Lemon’s usefulness doesn’t end there—it’s a powerful cleaner that can take the place of harsh synthetic chemicals, making for a healthy home and body.

Lemon juice contains citric, ascorbic, and malic acid and has a pH of 2–3. Because of these acids, lemon juice can be used as a powerful cleaner in the kitchen. Add a tablespoon of lemon juice to your dishwasher before running it to help get rid of stinky buildup along the bottom. You can also pour 1/4 to 1/2 cup of lemon juice into your washing machine (directly or in the bleach dispenser if you have one) to freshen whites instead of using bleach.

Who doesn’t love the fresh lemony smell of a clean house?

You don’t need a synthetic lemon scent if you use fresh lemon

juice to clean your home. Rather than using chemicals, mix one part lemon juice, one part vinegar, and two parts water for tile floors. The disinfectant properties of lemon juice and vinegar make for a universal and safe household cleaner.

Hawai‘i Island is home to several varieties of lemon, including Meyer, Eureka, Jambiri (locally called “rough-skin lemon”), and Ponderosa. But for many island residents, they simply call their tree a “backyard lemon.” There is a myriad of ways to use lemons to support whole-body health, whichever variety you stumble upon or have dropped off at your home by the bagful from a friendly neighbor.

By Mālielani Larish

W

ith a luxurious green palm frond perched on her lap, Sylph

KeOlaMagazine.com | July - August 2022

Nightbloom gives the opening instructions to the workshop participants gathered around her.

“Lift the first two palm leaflets up,” she says as she demonstrates, “so they look like a bug’s antennae.” Matching her movements and following her guidance, the attendees soon fall into a comfortable working rhythm, busily weaving and chatting as they delightedly observe their baskets taking shape. On this misty afternoon in Orchidland Estates on Hawai‘i Island, the guests—all of whom are brand new to coconut palm weaving—are here to make a three-tiered basket chain. A lighthearted atmosphere fills the room as the students relax into the process.

In addition to offering workshops around the island, Sylph creates custom palm craft made to suit her client’s specifications.

A self-taught weaver, palm weaving has empowered Sylph and enriched her life in many ways. She loves passing on that sense of empowerment to her students, who learn a life skill that is sustainable for the planet and inherently satisfying.

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Workshops for Every Level Sylph offers seven levels of workshops— from beginner to advanced—and every student receives a link to a private followup instructional video so that they can review every step of the process. Sylph began to teach palm weaving in 2013, and held her first workshops on Hawai‘i Island in 2017. Her students benefit from her attentiveness, precise guidance, and wise advice.

“She has taken the time to break down the skill in order to teach it,” says Eric Wolf, who has attended Sylph’s weaving workshops. Eric himself is a long-time teacher of earth skills who works as a licensed clinical social worker at Root 2 Rise Counseling in Hilo. Eric and Sylph both value the therapeutic benefits of

Sylph Nightbloom invented this flap-purse shoulder bag woven from palm in Kaimü. photo by Ahrubi Arcturi

strength, flexibility, and beauty to the forefront in a new form.

That synergistic relationship between the weaver and the frond is part of what makes weaving so magical.

The Tree of a Thousand Uses As the students’ hands engage in quiet dialogue with the fronds before them, Sylph’s partner, Ahrubi Arcturi, offers the workshop participants freshly-opened coconuts for sipping.

It is no wonder that the coconut is revered throughout the coastal tropics; every part of the tree boasts a multiplicity of uses. Researchers believe that the modern-day coconut palm originated somewhere in Malaysia, where the tree is indeed known as “the tree of a thousand uses.” Palm weaving has been practiced throughout the tropics for millennia, and each

Sylph demonstrates how to weave a tiered basket chain from a palm frond. photo courtesy of Sylph Nightbloom weaving. The cool, leathery feel of the leaflets, the fresh scent of the fronds, and the coordinated hand movements help the weaver cultivate a mindful awareness that can foster a sense of calm and ease.

Because every frond’s leaflets bring different lengths, widths, and spacings to the table, Sylph says that a successful weaving experience is “like a dialogue between the weaver and the frond.” Instead of trying to force expectations onto the frond, the weaver works synergistically with it, coaxing its inherent Lani Ishle Yi Park’s daughter wears a hat that her mom wove at one of Sylph’s workshops. photo courtesy of Lani Ishle Yi Park

Sylph’s daughter, Ever Lightbloom, dons a “ten-gallon” hat in Sayulita, Mexico. photo courtesy of Sylph Nightbloom

Cherished Palm Craft Sylph loves that her students often send her photos demonstrating how their finished weaving projects have

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region possesses its own traditional techniques and forms.

In ancient Hawai‘i, coconut palm fronds were plaited into fans, balls, and loose mats for thatching canoe sheds. The fibers of the coconut husk were pounded, cleaned, and plaited to form a strong cord favored for lashing canoe parts.

Interestingly, coconut palm cultivation was not as widespread in Hawai‘i as it was elsewhere in the Pacific, partly because Hawai‘i is located a little too far north to provide optimal growing conditions for the tree. Around Hawai‘i Island, coconut groves descended from ancient plantings are found at Honu‘apo, Hōnaunau, Kailua, Hawi, Waimanu, Waipi‘o, Hilo, and Puna.

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become cherished and functional parts of their homes and lives. She gets just as excited about her projects as her students, especially because she has a flair for experimentation and innovation.

Sylph has invented her own palm baseball cap, functioning pinwheel, yoga mat tote, flap-closure backpacks, and shoulder bags—and she is always experimenting with adding new twists to well-loved designs. Her house contains a delightful collection of the 50 (and continually expanding) palm projects that she makes. The overhead light illuminating her living room filters through a palm lamp shade embellished with koi-like braids.

Using a triaxial weaving technique, Sylph crafted the finelywoven palm medicine pouch that she wears. An exquisite little honu (green sea turtle) made from micro-woven palm leaflet strips rests on the table.

Palm creations are practical, durable, and gentle on the earth. Sylph hauls her laundry in a large cylindrical basket made of palm, and when she needs to outfit herself for an adventure, she can fit her gear into a spacious palm backpack and choose from five different palm hat styles. One of her sturdy palm carrying bags, which is reinforced with a two-ply bottom, accommodates five full water bottles.

Bringing a broad-brimmed, closed-top hat to the table, Sylph explains that it was the first design that she learned to weave.

“Basically, this craft saved my life,” she says.

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A Passport to Freedom In 2013, Sylph and her family were living in Belize in an off-grid community with no internet connection, and Sylph was desperate to make enough money to leave the not-so-ideal living situation.

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While strolling along a sandy beach on her day off, Sylph noticed a local man wearing a vibrantly green palm hat. She immediately sprinted after him, and gasping for breath upon catching up with him, asked if he could show her how to make the A classic calabash bowl woven by Sylph Nightbloom. hat. photo courtesy of Sylph Nightbloom “I didn’t make this hat,” he replied, adding that the weaver of the hat had recently left the country. A little crestfallen, but still determined, Sylph asked if she could borrow the hat for a brief period. In exchange for a dollar, Sylph had one hour to inspect the hat. Armed with a mental blueprint, Sylph invested all her free time in the following two weeks into trying to duplicate the hat. After 20 attempts, each of which required harvesting a large frond and whittling down the great rib to make it flexible, Sylph finally succeeded in duplicating the hat.

“When you learn something like that by trial and error, you don’t ever forget how to do it,” she says.

Next, Sylph attempted to make a tiered basket chain after noticing one hanging in the kitchen of a local family. After

receiving permission to study it, she successfully produced the first tier of the chain within 15 minutes of laying her hands on a frond.

Sylph wondered if she could make enough money to support herself and her family by selling the two palm craft items that she had taught herself to weave. After leaving Belize in favor of neighboring Mexico, she got a chance to find out.

Sharing a Sense of Empowerment With the help of a good Internet connection in her new home in Mexico, Sylph admits that she went “hog wild” looking up new palm craft projects. She also borrowed the classic University of Hawai‘i publication entitled What Are Fronds For? from a Mexican library and mastered every project contained therein. Her business in Mexico blossomed, and she began to offer weekly palm weaving workshops in addition to selling her crafts at local markets.

“This whole journey has been about empowerment for me.

I started out thinking I needed a teacher to show me how to do something obscure and challenging, and discovered that I could find helpful resources, or figure it out by myself,” says Sylph.

She was able to pass on that sense of empowerment to her very first weaving student, who was a teenage boy in Mexico. She knew that the boy’s father would balk to see his son weaving. When Sylph sat down with him and guided him through his first palm project, it was evident that weaving came naturally to him.

“It was great to see him grow confidence in his actual self, instead of trying to be something that somebody else expected him to be,” she says. “I love to see my students, many of whom have never made any crafts with their own hands, discover that they can weave something beautiful and useful.”

Eventually, Sylph decided to return to the US on one condition: that she could continue palm weaving. She had dreamed of living in Hawai‘i since the age of four, so moving to the islands was a natural choice.

For more information: facebook.com/sylphnightbloom spiralsylph.com References: What are Fronds For? Arbeit, Wendy. University of Hawaii Press, 1985.

Native Planters in Old Hawaii: Their Life, Lore, and Environment. Handy, E.S. Craighill and Handy, Elizabeth Green.

Bishop Museum Press, 1991. pp. 173–174.

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Circling Back to Gratitude Back at the workshop, Sylph adds the finishing touches to her tiered basket chain by carefully “inch-worming” the length of each woven leaflet along its path, thereby achieving a tighter weave.

Embracing the topmost basket between her hands, she inhales the pleasing scent of the verdant frond, saying, “This material and this art inspire so much gratitude in me.”

The students admire each other’s basket chains, marveling at how unique every person’s finished project is. There is a palpable sense of accomplishment in the room, and one of the students asks: “When is your next workshop?” 

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By Sara Stover

On an unassuming country road outside of Hilo, perched above the ancient waters of Waiākea Stream, grows a menagerie of rare and endangered palms. Before you even step foot onto the grounds of Casa de Las Palmas (Spanish for House of the Palms), stately palm trees usher you back in time to old Hawai‘i.

As you cross a smaller stream by way of a carved arch, wander along the moss-covered lava rock walkways, and inhale air perfumed with the scent of orchids, you’ll lose all sense of time and place. A jurassic garden where magical creatures are seemingly beyond the next majestic tree, clad in the ruffly, velvety-soft leaves of Hainan, China’s Alpinia rugosa (tropical shell ginger), you’ll suspect you are returning from another world when you emerge onto the lush lawn at last.

Built to be the late Jerry Hunter’s private retreat, the nearly seven-acre paradise still exudes a sense of serene seclusion. An acclaimed nurseryman, Mr. Hunter established Hilo’s Palms of Paradise Nursery as growing grounds for Rancho Soledad, his California nursery. In collaboration with designer Brian Lievens, he worked to transform this upper Hilo farmland into the botanical dreamscape that Casa de Las Palmas is today. Until his passing in 2012, Mr. Hunter’s garden remained largely a mystery to the public. In 2017, Irene Francis and Lars Woodruffe purchased Casa de Las Palmas from the estate of Mr. Hunter.

“It was love at first sight!” Irene says enthusiastically.

Irene and Lars live on the property, hosting exclusive events.

Accompanied by Master, their ebony cat, the couple also leads private tours under verdant canopies of palm leaves and past exotic waterfalls and a shimmering koi pond. Koa, the oneeyed rooster, often joins the revelry, while Marcus, their ginger cat, naps on the lānai.

“The Johannesteijsmannia altifrons is from Malaysia, Borneo, Sumatra, and Thailand,” says Lars, pointing to a palm by the

front door that boasts large, triangular leaves. To hear him explain how many consider this very palm to be one of the largest in a private garden, it’s easy to assume that Lars has been studying tropical plants for decades. In reality, everything he and Irene know about the flora is what they’ve learned living at Casa de Las Palmas.

Mastering the Art of Palm Care New Zealand natives, Irene and Lars spent over 30 years working for the television industry in Auckland, London, New York, and Singapore before they heard the call of Casa de Las Palmas.

The couple moved to Hawai‘i Island intent on being stewards of this East Hawai‘i legacy garden, a job that began with clearing the overgrown trails and making major repairs around the garden home, and evolved into a hands-on learning experience.

“It’s been like climbing up the side of Mt. Everest! But we’ve been fortunate to learn from the best,” says Irene of the help they’ve received from the Hawai‘i Island Palm Society, a group of palm enthusiasts who promote the use of palm trees in private gardens and the general landscape, and perpetuate rare and endangered palms by sharing seeds and plants.

“Casa de Las Palmas’ original master gardener, Cristabol, has also been instrumental in teaching us the art of palm care,” says Lars, affirming that he and Irene follow Cristabol around the garden during his weekly rounds.

“And we spend our evenings studying books about palm trees,” says Irene, explaining that there are around 2,600 species of palms, all of which are one of three shapes. Pinnate palms, like the coconut, have feather-like leaflets that are Stately palm trees and lush anthurium welcome visitors to Casa de Las Palmas, ushering you back in time to old Hawaiÿi. photo by Patrick Stover

KeOlaMagazine.com | July - August 2022

Irene and Lars explain how many of the garden’s fascinating palms are from Madagascar, including this towering Marojejya Darianii. photo by Patrick Stover

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completely separated from each other. Palmate palms have adjacent leaflets or leaf segments that are joined laterally and fan out like the palm of a hand. And costapalmate palms have leaves that land somewhere between pinnate and palmate in shape.

“This palmate is a Kerriodoxa elegans, from the island of Phuket in Thailand,” notes Lars before revealing that the underside of this black-stemmed palm is reflective.

Preserving Exotic and Endangered Palms Irene and Lars work tirelessly to maintain Casa de Las Palmas’ original glory, lending their own artistic talent to the property’s improvements. Today, this private estate is available for garden tours, film shoots, wedding photography, and as a romantic location for exclusive events, small weddings, and vow renewals.

Catching the eye of some of the world’s most renowned photographers, the vibrant property has been featured in Vogue Mexico and Jason Dewees’ book Designing With Palms,

and been the site of a Nike photoshoot and Love Island film shoots.

More importantly, Casa de Las Palmas is an international sanctuary for the preservation of endangered and rare palms, including the Pelagodoxa henryana, which is considered critically endangered.

“Originally from the Marquesas Islands, it’s now almost extinct there,” laments Lars. “At one point there were fewer than 12 adult trees on the islands.”

Discovered in 2005, the Tahina spectabilis is faring slightly better for now, with close to 100 trees in the wild. Fortunately, Irene and Lars were able to grow three of this Madagascar palm from one of the first batches of seeds distributed.

Madagascar stands out as the source of an array of rare and fascinating palms, including the garden’s towering Marojejya darianii and the Dypsis mananjarensis, which is commonly called the “mealy bug palm.”

“See the white, waxy powder on the leaf sheath? It looks like a mealy bug, but those are actually the palm’s scales!” says Irene, clearly impressed by a plant clever enough to divert the attention of actual predators by presenting itself as diseased.

In another colorful corner of the garden stands the spiny Aiphanes horrida. Hailing from South America, this palm is armored in intimidating spikes for protection. Although not deadly, a brush with its spikes comes with extreme pain and a 100% chance of infection.

“Learning these Latin names is definitely a brain teaser,” Lars admits, before launching into an effortless, eloquent introduction to the Borassodendron machadonis. “This palm’s seed is the size of a large grapefruit. It’s undoubtedly the

RS-81952

PROPERTIES CHANTEESHIROMA@GMAIL.COM

Palms aren’t the only flora that seem to grow bigger at Casa de Las Palmas. Here, the Anthurium Cupulispathum are so enormous Lars’ head is easily enveloped in its leaves. photo by Patrick Stover

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biggest seed in our garden!”

First planted in the 1980s, rare palms from Indonesia already soar overhead, the tallest being Sulawesi’s Pigafetta filaris, standing 100 feet tall. And palms aren’t the only flora that seem to grow brighter and bigger at Casa de Las Palmas.

Here, the Anthurium cupulispathum are so enormous that a human head could easily be enveloped in its leaves.

KeOlaMagazine.com | July - August 2022

In one corner of the garden stands the spiny Aiphanes Horrida, a palm armored in spikes for protection.

“Learning the Latin names is definitely a brain teaser,” admits Lars. photo by Patrick Stover

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Reaping the Benefit of Hard Work The ability for Casa de Las Palmas’ plants to flourish can be attributed to the work that Irene and Lars lovingly pour into the garden’s care, paired with an ideal tropical climate. The rainy Hilo weather that the palm trees adore, however, comes at a price. Thriving in the presence of damp, warm conditions, fungus and mold are a threat to the palms.

“To help fight both, we try to give the palms more light and air by pruning all the plants,” Lars says. “We also fertilize, mulch, and weed.”

General maintenance also includes hauling away 1,500 to 3,000 pounds of green waste, which Irene and Lars do every week. In turn, much of the green waste is converted to mulch, which the couple then uses to gradually build the garden’s soil back up. It’s an unending cycle that is not without its challenges.

“The hardest part of owning a huge, tropical garden is the fact that there is never nothing to do!” Irene asserts, before conceding that the hard work is rewarding for many reasons.

“The palms’ crowns provide shelter for birds. And the plants’ flowers and fruit attract honeybees searching for food.”

Throughout the garden and across the globe, palm tree preservation and restoration are catalysts for change. The

seed of South America’s Phytelephas aequatorialis, or ivory nut palm, is being used as a humane substitute for jewelry once made from elephant’s ivory.

“Perhaps the best part of owning a garden like this is the ability to empty your mind by working in it,” offers Lars. “And those magic moments of finding something new growing or flowering, and the journey of figuring out what it is!” he says of the many plants that self-seed.

Guardians of the Garden Globally, the main threats to the palm come from loss of habitat by burning and logging for construction, as well as harvesting the trees for palm heart and destroying them for agricultural land.

What’s especially problematic is that almost all palms only have one growing point. As such, they can’t be propagated using common techniques. The palm tree can only be grown from seed, so when the top is cut off for any reason, a new branch or tree will not grow in its place and the palm will die.

It’s assuring to know that at Casa de Las Palmas, the palms are safe from dangers that might otherwise threaten these enchanting plants. And as stewards of the garden, Irene and Lars intend to keep it that way.

“We are certainly grateful to be the current guardians of this beautiful place,” exclaims Irene. “I also think we are all guardians. Every time we visit a beach or take a walk, our responsibility is to leave a place as we find it, so the next person on that path gets to enjoy it as we do!”  Irene and Lars live on the property, hosting events and tours, accompanied by Master, their cat. Here, the palms are safe from danger and the husband and wife duo intend to keep it that way. photo by Patrick Stover

For more information: houseofthepalms.com

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By Nancy S Kahalewai

KeOlaMagazine.com | July - August 2022

hat do Arthur the mini-donkey, Wilma and Fred the African desert tortoises, and Tommy the American heritage turkey have in common? They all get to roam and graze on a carpet of sweet grass on the fertile soil of Lili House Farm. The bunnies at this petting farm would agree and add that tender weeds, edible flowers, and vegetable scraps from the garden and kitchen complete their menu. Katie the pig isn’t too fussy, but she and her siblings are very grateful for any and all leftovers.

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On a misty spring morning, there were eight Nigerian dwarf goat kids frolicking in the petting zoo pasture under the watchful eyes of their goat parents. Last January, four females birthed four sets of twins—all within three days of each other!

Two of the four kunekune pigs are from the same litter, and there are two generations of turkeys. To keep the peace, Mr. Tom, the grumpy patriarch turkey, is kept separated from the younger five.

Wilma and Fred, the desert tortoises, are each 53 years old

and the other two tortoises, named Flash and Dash, are 15.

There were dozens of Peking and Muscovy ducks roaming about, three of which are the newest arrivals to the farm, and also plenty of chickens and cows a few pastures over. At this petting farm, the goats like their necks scratched, the bunnies love to cuddle, and Arthur thinks he should be the center of attention at all times. It was enchanting to watch the visiting

children joyfully interacting with them all, with their parents joining in on the fun, too.

Located a few miles above Volcano Village at an elevation of 4,000 feet, owners Kainoa and Danielle Iranon open their farm to visitors (10am–5pm, by advance reservation) most days of the week. The 20-acre farm was named after Lillian “Lili” Rodrigues, Kainoa’s maternal grandmother. It began about

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35 The whole family having a fun moment in the pasture. photo courtesy of Tricia Marie Photography

Daughter Kiana with a young bunny in the petting zoo. photo courtesy of Lili House Farm five years ago when the couple moved to Hawai‘i Island from O‘ahu—a move they and their six children do not regret. They acquired the land from Kainoa’s father, remodeled the house, and continued home-schooling the youngest children.

Kainoa has built an array of hobbit-like structures for the farm animals—many of which had been abandoned or rescued at one point—and nurtured them back to health. Some were given to them by other farms or families who could no longer care for them. It wasn’t long before everyone in the family had found their contributing roles and responsibilities in their new rural lifestyle.

Danielle, inspired by English-style gardens, created her own version of one and, with Kainoa’s help, designed an outdoor patio for hosting “country-style teatime” that she describes as a bit like an upscale picnic. She was also inspired by her Within the main petting zoo pen, goats, turkeys, tortoises and ducks wander around freely.

KeOlaMagazine.com | July - August 2022

photo by Nancy Kahalewai

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travels to Scandinavia, where the couple became engaged, and New Zealand, where she fell in love with the custom of English morning and afternoon tea traditions. “The farm tour and tea inspiration was my wife’s,” Kainoa proudly explains, “and she is a fantastic baker. She envisions it, and my sons help me build it.” That explains the grass and flowers actually growing on the roofs of the animal shelters, and the whimsical but practical nature of the entire farm. “People kept stopping along the road to take pictures and asking to pet the animals,” he recalls.

They occasionally invited friends and family in and, in true Hawaiian style, it was only fitting to offer them refreshments.

“Everyone loved it, so we were inspired to make it a small business. It seems everything my wife does turns to gold. I’ve learned to trust her intuition.”

Eldest son Isaiah led part of the tour while sharing the reasons he loves living here. “There is so much space and more personal freedom than in the city!” He was only 16 years old when they moved from Hawai‘i Kai to Volcano’s mauka farmlands where Kainoa was born and raised. Now he is enrolled at the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo, studying administrative justice (law enforcement).

His younger brothers help with the tours, too. Aurelius, who is 11 years old, provides daily food and water to the rabbits (a cross between checkered, California, and New Zealand breeds). He is learning how to play guitar and learned his first song “Blackbird” (by the Beatles) from a family friend and his 17-year-old brother, Tryton. Mostly self-taught, Tryton has been playing guitar, including slack key, for about a year and a half. He also excels in math and sciences, and is considering a career in engineering. Valor and Legend (seven and nine

Katie watches and waits patiently for someone to come up to the fence and feed her a treat. photo by Nancy Kahalewai

years old, respectively) have a tree fort in the forest above the pastures, and assist their older siblings in the tours and farm chores while learning about animal husbandry.

As the aroma of freshly baked scones and bread wafted in the air, we were all called to come and eat. In proper English

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Arthur the mini donkey believes he is the star of the farm. photo by Nancy Kahalewai

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fashion, the tables were set with fine china, dainty tea cups, and cloth napkins. The menu includes a variety of freshly baked breads and scones, hand-shaken butter, strawberry rhubarb jam, and a full coffee bar. White tea and māmaki are included in the many teas offered, and daughter Kiana, who is currently finishing her history major at University of Hawai‘i at Hilo, serves as the main barista, and sets the tables with fresh flowers. Kiana also has a love for gardening and helps alongside her mom to lovingly care for the blooms in the garden all Owners Danielle and Kainoa standing at year round. The family plans to the grand entrance of the family flower soon build a greenhouse as one of and vegetable garden. their next projects. photo by Nancy Kahalewai After tea came a visit to the vegetable and flower garden that is fenced in and strictly off-limits to the animals. Along the meandering paths are beets, squash, rhubarb, chards, onion chives, tomatoes, potatoes, zucchini, and a medley of fresh herbs such as rosemary, thyme, cardamom, and basil.

All these were interspersed with a variety of flowers including nasturtiums, German chamomile, ranunculus, daisies, dahlia, cosmos, snapdragons, and lilies—all grown organically from seed. But the stars of the show are the stunning traditional English roses, richly

fragrant and complex like only prized heritage and heirloom varieties can be.

Kainoa and Danielle have always wanted to raise their children with as much hands-on learning as possible. “With homeschooling on the farm, we can incorporate many practical learning skills that are hard to learn in traditional school settings—things like growing, caring for, and harvesting our own food, watching animals give birth, interacting socially with adults on a regular basis, and being part of a team that needs everyone’s important contributions in order to work well,” Danielle explains. “In addition to academics, the children learn to handle money and take responsibility over certain chores, learning new skills along the way. We’ve seen firsthand how learning this type of responsibility helps build their confidence. We like the idea that in homeschooling they grow naturally into the people God created them to be, not just the people we think they should be. It’s truly a joy to see their natural gifts and talents unfolding before our eyes as they learn and grow in an environment that we try to make as encouraging and supportive as we can.”

Kainoa agrees. “At dinner time, we share our stories about

Feeding the chickens and collecting their eggs is tasked to young Valor and Legend. photo courtesy of Lili House Farm what happened and what we learned on the farm. We all help each other recognize the blessings and problem-solve our challenges that come with every day. So the children are getting an education that also inspires them. I see the effects on them as they grow in joy and gratitude.”

As the main tour guides, Kainoa and his sons have fun sharing their farming stories with visitors. The benefits of

spending time outdoors and building family self-sustainability provide never-ending adventures and learning opportunities for all. They have witnessed many people soften and open up in the peaceful and emotionally grounding environment of the farm. “Especially during this pandemic, we have had many medical professionals come here to unwind.

It is like a refuge for them, and sometimes they actually broke down and cried.”

Kainoa reflects some of the ways that neighboring farms and ranches are working together and sharing resources. He believes this is the season for making alliances. He welcomes people who come up the driveway, and his children help to assist and greet them. Indeed, it takes a village—we all need community to thrive and survive.

“Whenever I wonder if I should do this or that,” he confided, “I rely on our family values. They are our inner compass, and build respect, honor, and kindness.

Living aloha is always its own reward. If it feels, looks, or sounds like the voice of aloha, I want us to be part of it.”  For more information: thelilihousefarm.com

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KeOlaMagazine.com | July - August 2022

The Ono Hua Moa: The Delicious Chicken Egg Recipe for Dutch Baby

Local Food

By Brittany P. Anderson

Pennsylvania Deutsch community as a “Dutch Baby,” this simple recipe comes together quickly and is excellent for breakfast or brunch. You could also easily dress it up for dessert.

I serve my Dutch Baby with a generous helping of semihomemade blueberry lemon yogurt and drizzled it with honey for a summery brunch version.

Ingredients 5 Tbs butter 1 cup flour Pinch of salt 6 eggs 1 cup milk Blueberry and Lemon Yogurt High-quality plain yogurt of your choice 1 cup frozen blueberries (or berry of your choice) Zest from half a lemon Method Put butter in a 9x13 dish or 10-inch cast-iron skillet and place in oven to preheat at 425F. In a bowl, mix flour, eggs, milk, and salt until smooth. Pour mixture into heated pan and bake for approximately 30 minutes or until puffed and golden brown. In the meantime, mix yogurt with frozen berries and zest then place in refrigerator until Dutch Baby is done. Allow it to cool slightly before serving in slices, with a generous helping of blueberry yogurt, and garnish with more lemon zest.

KeOlaMagazine.com | July - August 2022

A clamor of loud cackles and squawking erupts from the pasture. The flock of egg-laying hens continue their vocal display for the next 15 minutes letting everyone know that an egg has been laid. Just as they seem to quiet down and settle into foraging, another hen emerges from the nesting box, pausing to shout her accomplishment, raising the flock in a boisterous round of celebration.

Hawai‘i Island used to be relatively self-sufficient in egg production. In the 1980s, the state of Hawai‘i produced 85 percent of the eggs for the local market, with more than 20 commercial growers. Over the past several decades, however, the state’s egg industry has struggled, cutting local egg production nearly in half.

The good news is backyard egg producers and small farms are making up for the loss of commercial growers. Hard shells, rich golden yolks, and fresher eggs are all benefits of purchasing local eggs straight from the source.

Imported eggs take around three weeks to be transported from mainland distribution centers to Hawai‘i Island grocery store shelves. If you’re purchasing eggs from a small local farm or neighbor, you’re getting a much fresher product that hardly had to travel.

Eggs come in many sizes and colors. Different breeds of chickens lay different colored eggs, however, the shell hue does not influence its flavor or the color of the yolks. When a hen lays the egg, it is covered in something called the bloom— it’s a protective layer that prevents bacteria from getting inside the egg. The bloom can also alter the color of an eggshell giving it a purple, pink, or even grey tint. In the United States, the bloom must be washed off for eggs to be sold.

Springtime is when hens are prolific layers. Even in Hawai‘i, egg production is seasonal. Some hens lay more eggs than others, but generally, a hen will lay somewhere around 150– 200 eggs per year. If the weather is too hot, egg production slows, and when days are shorter in the winter months, it stops altogether.

Besides being delicious, eggs also have high nutritional value and are easy to incorporate into a meal. Think of the yolk as a pantry stocked with all your fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K. The yolk also has all of the choline, lutein, and zeaxanthin you need to keep your eyes and memory healthy. It’s also packed with protein. If the yolk is your pantry, the egg white is your refrigerator, supplying more protein, potassium, Vitamin B2, and selenium.

Contrary to popular belief, the egg yolk does not turn into a chick. The egg yolk functions as the primary food source for a growing chick, while the egg white, called albumin, is an antimicrobial cushion keeping things in place while also serving as a backup food source. Even if a rooster fertilizes an egg, a chick will only start to develop if it reaches a specific temperature. Gathering eggs daily helps to ensure that no chick develops within an egg destined for an omelet.

Eggs are versatile in the kitchen for savory or sweet dishes and can be eaten at most any time of day. Known in the

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KeOlaMagazine.com | July - August 2022

By Nancy S Kahalewai

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here are few things as unique as the feel, shape, sound, texture, decoration, source, and even lineage of a Hawaiian ipu drum. Pahu (drums) are part of the bedrock of traditional Hawaiian hula traditions, dancing, and chanting—thus oral storytelling itself.

Ipu refers to the gourd or fruit of the Cucurbitaceae (squash) family Lagenaria siceraria. Although not edible, this gourd was so valuable to Polynesian culture that it was one of the original voyaging canoe plants of Pacifica, where its bowl shape was very handy at sea for serving food, holding bait and fish, catching rainwater from the sails, or bailing out water from the canoe hulls. The historical uses of this plant’s fruit include diverse purposes such as water vessels, storage containers, rattles, and ceremonies.

For centuries in the Hawaiian Islands, the decorated bowl-shaped ipu ‘umeke was also inverted for use as a ceremonial headdress, while the double ipu heke drums became invaluable as percussion instruments for ‘oli (chanting) or hula kahiko (ancient hula). Also used are the smaller ‘ulī‘ulī gourds for rhythmic accompaniment.

All steps of growing, cultivating, pollinating, harvesting, cleaning, decorating, playing, sharing, and overall appreciation of ipu drums are full of meaning, as well as challenges. For example, the weather may ruin entire crops and the bugs love to bite the fruits, which ruin the development of the gourds.

Establishing Relationships In Kona, Keauhou farmer Kalim Smith calls this whole process “from seed to stage.” For him it is a very personal and intimate journey that includes knowing where and who the seeds came from, how to save and plant seeds, noticing if they grow happily or not, where in the garden they thrive, if they need water or more shade, and basically deeply observing them for at least nine months as they ascend the trellises he builds over them.

Ipu seed stocks are valued and shared based on the desired sizes and shapes, as well as their source. Kalim prefers to plant his seeds directly into the soil.

Because Kona is so rocky, this includes adding mulch and a bit of animal fertilizer. “It’s very hard to transplant young plants as their roots are so sensitive and timing has to be just right,” he says. “I also like to hand pollinate my plants.”

Once mature, the gourds are harvested, cleaned, and prepared for their next destination and purpose. Kalim is known for his ipu heke, which for him includes matching the shapes and sounds with the kumu hula who chooses his A single gourd growing. photo courtesy of Kalim Smith

Young Hawaiian gourds growing on the farm in Keauhou. photo by Nancy Kahalewai

Mo‘olelo (Origin Stories) Ipu gourds and their seeds have collectively developed their own legends and mo‘olelo over many generations. Kalim’s own gourd-growing journey began in the vicinity of San Diego, California, where he was born and raised. His father is from Tennessee, and was stationed at a San Diego military base.

A retired Navy Chief, Kalim’s father is of Muskogee

Creek ancestry and was a leader in the Native American community of Tennessee for many years. He took Kalim to the family farm as a child to see the farming heritage of the mid-South. Lighter than pottery or metal pots, Kalim’s father’s family used gourds to carry water until recent times. Growing up near many reservations in the southwest, Indian elders and the late Dale Phillips, his hānai father and tribal ceremonial leader of the Cocopah Nation, took him to tribal gatherings and taught him how to make ceremonial gourd rattles that were filled with native palm tree seeds.

For five years now, Kalim and his wife, kumu hula Lily Kahelelani Lyons Alohikea-Smith, have been living and growing gourds, animals, and food on the six-acre farm and property of Hālau Ka‘eaikahelelani where they reside in mauka (upland) Keauhou-Kona. The farm was very overgrown with walls of invasive plants when Kahelelani’s hālau acquired the lease, and right away they began clearing and planting. The property also has a tropical fruit orchard of mature trees including starfruit, starapple, lychee, abiu, mountain apple, jackfruit, ice cream bean, white guava, dwarf wi apple, avocado, and mango.

Living here feels very natural and sacred to them. Kahelelani and her sisters have family roots on this Keauhou ahupua‘a

KeOlaMagazine.com | July - August 2022

drums, and personal delivery of the ipu from his hands into theirs.

He also has developed amazing relationships with the Hawaiian black pigs, starting with “Beefcake” who he caught and hand-trained in one day with the calming help of one of his tame ranch pigs. Now half a dozen of these native heritagebreed pigs live on the farm, eating farm scraps and fallen fruit.

Other wild Hawaiian pigs roam through occasionally, yet seem to have an unusual relationship with the farm. “They rarely bother my gourds,” notes Kalim. “Unbothered by my presence, sometimes they pass right by me as if they know I respect them.” He compares harmonic relationships on the ‘āina to the legends of Lono’s deeply nurturing relationship with agriculture, the kukui tree, the gourds, and the pigs.

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Small bowls made from rare gourds discovered growing wild and now being propagated on the farm. photo by Nancy Kahalewai

(ancient land parcel) that connect them to Queen Keōpūolani and her son, Kauikeaouli, Kamehameha III. “Queen Keōpūolani was my ancestor’s cousin and gave birth to the king just below the farm at Keauhou Bay,” Kahelelani explains. “I am a senior descendant of my great-grandfather, hereditary Ali‘i (High Chief) Alfred Unauna Alohikea who was a composer and state representative for Kaua‘i. It is not only a personal calling to accept and embrace this kuleana [responsibility], but a wonderful and sustainable lifestyle that we truly cherish. I am supposed to be here. I felt my kūpuna [ancestors]; then later I gradually grew to understand it.”

The farm is the location of after-school hula classes on

KeOlaMagazine.com | July - August 2022

Kalim at home with ipu heke destined for the stage. photo courtesy of Kalim Smith

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Wednesdays, and Kalim teaches the children about the farm and how to grow food. After class the children pick fruit to enjoy from the orchard, taking some home to their families each week.

Kalim adds, “We are using natural, indigenous methods of living and growing on this ‘āina, and following the traditional

Kalim visiting Aunty Momi Greene and her ipu pawehe at the craft fair, Merrie Monarch 2022. photo by Nancy Kahalewai

ways of the kūpuna who guide and shed light on our ongoing purpose and activities in life.”

As well as sharing seeds and learning how to grow ipu gourds, the ways to tattoo and decorate them is another whole topic, and in this way the mo‘olelo deepens and is perpetuated generation after generation.

KeOlaMagazine.com | July - August 2022

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After hula practice, the keiki savor the orchard’s fresh tropical fruits. photo by Nancy Kahalewai

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Many Mentors Kalim’s mentors also included his late grand-aunt and uncle, Aunty Donna Mae (Hopkins) Jensen, remembered as the “Ipu Lady” of Waimea, and her husband Uncle Roy Jensen. “The genealogy of how I was trained is that my grand Aunty Donna and Uncle Roy first asked me to grow large Hawaiian style ipu.

After bringing a successful crop back to them, they then taught me to make ipu heke. Years later they gave me the permission to teach, which I have been doing for years now with students from all around the world,” he recalls. “My relative from O‘ahu, entertainer Kama Hopkins, encouraged us to grow ipu as a family. I also have received seeds from other growers and have been fortunate to find many ipu growing in the wild.”

Another mentor of Kalim’s is Aunty Momi Greene, who took on the challenge of farming on six acres of lava. Along with planting 800 commercial plumeria plants for flower lei, she got started growing gourds with her first 40 seeds from nowretired Dr. Bruce Kaimiloa Chrisman. Thanks to his research A lidded ipu ÿumeke notched and decorated by Kalim. photo by Nancy Kahalewai

The students in the after-school Mauli Program of Hälau Kaÿeaikahelelani. photo by Nancy Kahalewai emerge as the carved areas darken.

The fermented pulp and liquid are then cleaned out.

Traditionally, the gourds are taken to the beach where the crusty exterior is hand cleaned with seawater and scrubbed with damp sand. Filling them with seawater for one week to help minimize bugs and mold precedes drying them out thoroughly for several weeks.

Deep Dedication The journey from planting to finishing gourds takes a good year of care and dedication that is “like raising a child,” as one kupuna remarked. Ipu farmers, artisans, dancers and musicians share a deep appreciation for this humble plant.

From seed to stage and beyond, this is an inspirational part of a culture where their own roots thrive and where they can cherish the intimate traditions of pre-contact Hawai‘i.  For more information: facebook.com/ipufarm facebook.com/momi.greene

KeOlaMagazine.com | July - August 2022

and dedication, he invited local farmers to help restore ipu growing in Hawai‘i in the 1980s with assistance from Bishop Museum, where 400-year-old ipu drums are housed.

“Ipu don’t like to grow in containers,” Momi learned as one of these early farmers, “as their roots hate to be bound. Once they start to flower, I pollinate by hand. The female and male flowers grow right next door to each other on the vine. It’s an amazing plant.” An artist of Hawaiian, German, and Maori descent, Momi also learned how to decorate ipu in the lost Ni‘ihau method. Dying the gourd is done from the inside out— an almost forgotten ipu pawehe (tattoo method) endemic to the Hawaiian Islands.

The gourd is picked while still green, yet after the leaves and vines have dried out. Momi cuts a small opening and removes the stem and seeds. Artistic patterns and traditional designs are created by peeling (like an apple) and carving the young, green skins before they are dry and brown. Then dark dyes such as coffee or brews from tree barks are added inside the gourd where they remain for about a month. Through osmosis, the dyes permeate from the inside to the outer skin wherever the skin has been removed. Thus, the contrasting patterns

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Jen Rasmussen, founder of Paradise Nectar Apiaries, inspects a top-bar beehive frame loaded with honeycomb. Jen has written books and taught numerous classes on Hawaiÿi Island about pesticide-free, “intuitive” beekeeping. photo courtesy of Jen Rasmussen

ince the dawn of agriculture, honeybee

keepers have braved the swarm in search of that coveted golden nectar.

The sound of an open hive is intimidating—a buzzing roar which connects with some ancient, instinctual human sense that simply yells: run!

But beekeepers learn not to fear this hair-raising sound, to stand firm against the barrage of stingers, and in time they learn a sort of dance—to pull out frames, shake off bees, harvest honeycomb and restack hive boxes with a gentle, graceful yet deliberate flow.

The raw products they’re after— honey, pollen, beeswax and others— have played a vital role in the evolution of human society, their use dating back to ancient times when Egyptian pharaohs like Tutankhamun were buried in tombs lavished with, among other treasures, jars of honey.

Island Beekeepers’ Uphill Struggle Although bees have the potential to play a leading role in a greener, healthier, and more ecologically diverse Hawai‘i Island, beekeepers today nonetheless face threats to their way of life from seemingly every corner.

A decade ago, a perfect storm of invasive bee diseases converged on the island, bringing pests like Varroa mites and small hive beetles, along with the insidious, hard-to-kill microscopic fungal parasite Nosema ceranae. Researchers estimate that these combined threats killed 55% of honeybees on the island in a single year—more than 2,500 colonies in 2010.

Jen Rasmussen had just started getting into beekeeping at the time, and out of the 40 hives she tended that year, she lost 36. While other beekeepers leaned into chemical pesticide-

KeOlaMagazine.com | July - August 2022

Local Beekeeping Hope “Bee” Anderson gives the beehive frame a firm shake and a sticky blob of honey-covered bees drips off and falls to the ground. Most of them take flight all at once, instantly exploding into a chaotic, swirling cloud of blurred yellow stripes on black. The sound of their buzzing gets louder, and the air around Hope’s backyard apiary grows thick with the swarm.

Some of the temporarily displaced bees congregate in clumps on Hope’s bare hands and arms, while others creep up her shoulders and crawl across her back. She works shirtless, so there’s no cloth to trap and panic them into stinging. To the untrained eye it would appear that Hope, the beekeeper, is running the show. She is quick to reject this notion.

“Each hive is different,” Hope says. “They all have different expressions, different ways of doing things. So, it’s really about not being in the head but coming back to the heart, because

the moment I start to think that I know what I’m doing, they tell me otherwise. It’s like this constant, ‘I don’t know anything, just tell me what to do, show me the way.’”

Some of the harvested honey and beeswax will make its way into products for the company Hope founded as its “Bee Guardian.” She runs the business out of her Puna homestead—a verdant clearing in the middle of dense jungle that’s flush with planted food forests and seemingly endless bee forage. Its products include raw, hand-squeezed honey and sweetly aromatic candles made from single-filtered beeswax.

Hope sees getting more people involved in what she calls “pono [righteous] beekeeping” as a force for immense social good on Hawai‘i Island, from bolstering local food security to providing new livelihoods to creating more bountiful crop yields.

“By inviting more people to leave behind the commercial mentality and become backyard beekeepers,” she says, “we’re teaching people how to come out of their heads and into their hearts. That will have a huge impact; it’ll create more food sovereignty, and it is a cash crop. As long as we can bring awareness to the sacred and healing properties of honey, if people were more aware, there would be a huge seeking for this natural golden nectar. To make a movement like that on Big Island is impactful financially, it’s impactful on our spirit, it’s impactful on our food and on our biodiversity.”

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Closeup of a frame from one of Hope Anderson’s Langstroth hives about to be harvested. Bulging honey-saturated comb with capped hexagon shaped cells can be seen on the bottom. These types of frames provide a hard border for bees to gradually fill in, making for easy removal and replacement. photo by Stefan Verbano

based “solutions” to control these new, devastating invaders, Jen doubled down on her own organic beekeeping practices, which she sums up in one word: hygienic.

Her methods revolve around an astonishingly simple albeit highly effective disease management technique called “checkerboarding.” This is where, during hive maintenance, a beekeeper will place an empty frame in between two already established combs, creating a sort of old-new-old-new

checkerboard.

“By doing this it tells the bees that they need to make a new brood comb there to fill in the gap,” Jen explains. “It’s kind of like with humans, we change our sheets, we wash our dishes, we do these things to be hygienic.” In its simplest sense, Jen’s philosophy focuses on disease prevention rather than treatment.

“That’s what chemical beekeeping is all about; treating the symptom, not the cause,” Jen says. “And my beekeeping aspect is all about foresight—all about cause. What is it that I’m trying to avoid from happening rather than how do I deal with it once I have it? That’s what made it easier for me to deal with the kinds of things that got introduced to our area.”

Tragedy struck again several years later when Jen’s bee farm was covered by lava during the 2018 Lower Puna Eruption. Luckily, she and a team of friends managed to rescue the majority of hives beforehand, and after more than a year of bouncing around and trying to manage hives scattered across multiple East Hawai‘i properties, she and her family moved onto a nine-acre farm in the Wainaku neighborhood of Hilo and went to work rebuilding.

Unfortunately, a new threat started to crop up shortly after getting the apiary reestablished. Many of the farms

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Backyard beekeeper Hope Anderson squeezes a handful of honeycomb to extract the golden nectar while her roommate and assistant Charlie helps. They take great care to step around the mass of bees crawling on the floor whose wings are still too sticky to fly. A few hours later they will all have cleaned themselves and returned to the hive. photo by Stefan Verbano

KeOlaMagazine.com | July - August 2022

surrounding her plot were using large amounts of toxic herbicides for weed control. The bees started dying off again— at one point she lost eight hives in 48 hours after a heavy spray. Within two years of moving to Wainaku, her 67 hives had been reduced to 13.

“I had some hives where it was just boom, they went down, there was no chance,” she recalls. “They just brought in way too much of the poison. Then I had other hives that brought it in but they didn’t bring in so much that they couldn’t identify it. So, the more herbicide they got hit with in small amounts, the more aware they became that it was bad. Now they jail certain bees that obviously have poison symptoms, and they’ll dig out huge sections of their combs that you can tell have been contaminated.”

Such a dramatic and protracted loss left her feeling discouraged. On the other hand, the fact that the bees had figured out by themselves ways to mediate the herbicide’s harmful effects came as a glimmer of hope.

“There are certain hives that have fully identified these changes,” Jen says, “and now they’re trying to be proactive to get it out. That to me right there shows an amazing amount of intelligence and awareness.”

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Bee Defenders Harry Holm is the president of the Big Island Beekeepers Association (BIBA). After a few decades of little activity, BIBA began to ramp up its political ambitions partially due to the frustrations felt by small-scale beekeepers like Jen. These days, BIBA rallies support for prospective legislation that offers greater legal protection for beekeepers, including from threats posed by toxic spraying.

The group is also actively pushing reforms to County of Hawai‘i Ordinances related to beekeeping under the banner of its “Save The Bees Hawai‘i” campaign, which began a few years ago when a BIBA board member’s beehive became the target for the scheming of an unpleasant neighbor. “He ended up having to remove his hive,” Harry recalls, “and there were many others in the neighborhood who had hives, but he’s the only one who got complained about. That’s not right. That’s what kicked us off looking into it.” As the law stands today, honeybees can only be kept on land zoned for agricultural use.

“Our main goal is to make sure that wherever people have bees, that they are compliant with the law,” Harry says. “If you’ve got a hive, and you’re in a commercial or residential area, and you’ve been there for years, you don’t have to worry about a neighbor causing a problem like that.” BIBA recognizes that there are beekeepers here who’ve been operating on non-agricultural land for a long time, and it strives to educate the public and local lawmakers about how their bees benefit the island and how sometimes—like Harry says—they become victims of legal technicality.

After considering the hopes and frustrations of beekeepers like Hope and Jen, and the barriers faced by activists like

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Another frame of mature honeycomb from Hope Anderson’s hives, this one held up to the sun to show its golden, translucent hue. photo courtesy of Hope Anderson

Harry, it becomes clear that Hawai‘i Island’s bees need real, tangible legal protection. And for an insect which some scientists believe is responsible for 80 percent of the island’s food crop yield, our collective love of papayas, citrus fruits, macadamia nuts, coffee beans, passionfruit, and yes, honey, along with so many other tropical island delicacies, should be all the motivation we need to come to their aid. 

For more information: Hope Anderson: honeybeesensual.com Jen Rasmussen: facebook.com/buzzon4ever bigislandbeekeepers.com

Featured Artist: Alexander Rokoff The paintings featured on this issue’s cover and table of contents were both created by the same artist, Alexander Rokoff. The cover’s Blind Shepherd is about ‘aumakua (personal gods). Alexander explains, “To me, it feels similar to the Native American concept of a totem animal. The main subject is blissfully trusting in the goats to guide him as he herds them. The stubborn, playful nature of the goats coupled with the carefree stroll of the shepherd represents the power in joyfully trusting your path in life through all the ups and downs.”

He goes on to say, “The table of contents’ Songbird represents the dramatic duality, both thematically and pictorially, between dark and light, hard and soft, scarcity and abundance, sustenance and play. The saffron finch brings light and song to the harsh existence of the island goats.”

On this page, Alexander says, “The Feast of the Pheasants is a love story. The chivalrous male Kalij pheasant patiently stands guard while his mate enjoys the abundant fruits of the island.”

Alexander Rokoff was born in Santa Fe, New Mexico, into a creative family. He always made art as a child. His father was a cartoonist and he wanted to follow in his dadʻs footsteps, until he discovered the old masters.

As a young teen, Alexander’s path to pursue old world figurative oil painting became clear, although he took a rather circuitous route to where he is today. With the help of a devoted high school teacher, Alexander landed a full art scholarship at a university, however, after three semesters he became disillusioned, and dropped out.

After leaving art school, he embarked on a 10-year apprenticeship in a variety of disciplines under several different artists. He shares, “I created a plan: I would work for an artist, save as much money as I could, and between apprenticeships, travel to Europe, Mexico, Central and South America, where I would immerse myself in the culture and paint full time. I would often trade mural paintings with hotels and restaurants

for room and board. My apprenticeships consisted of working in a high-end custom furniture studio, two different steel sculpture studios, an etching and monotype printmaking studio and a three-year apprenticeship sculpting life sized figures in clay to be cast in bronze.

Finally, in Norway and France, I had the golden opportunity to work with the world-renowned figurative painter Odd Nerdrum. All the while I was attending life drawing groups wherever I could and endlessly drawing people in cafes, parks, everywhere. In 2003, I launched Rokoff Studio in Portland, Oregon, where I taught people everything I had learned along the way about old world oil painting. I ran the school until I relocated to the Big Island in 2018.”

“The Big Island feels to me to be the closest place to the garden of Eden from a painter’s perspective. I feel that all of my varied travels and experiences have led me here to do my best work. I find inspiration everywhere I look on the island. I’m as captivated with the landscape as I am with the flora and fauna. But for me, it’s really about the aloha spirit which emanates from the people here that really inspires me. I feel like I am just scraping the surface of what kind of paintings I will create here as I listen, see, and experience Hawai‘i.

For my magnum opus, I have designed a massive multi-panel oil painting devoid of temporal trends and politics. A painting for ‘eyes yet unborn’ as my dead painter friend Abu used to say.”

Alexander and his wife, Camille, relaunched Rokoff Studio at the Kona Inn Shopping Village as a gallery. Camille wears many creative hats and their skills dovetail together well.

Alexander says, “Camille’s ideas and vision for our business have given me more momentum and creative strength to push further into my work. Together, I feel we have only just begun the next chapter of Rokoff Studio on the Big Island. We sell original oil paintings, a wide variety of unique gifts, and do commission work of all kinds.”

For more information: rokoffstudio.com

Jade Painting, LLC

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Talk Story with an Advertiser

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Jade Painting recently opened their Hawai‘i Island office, although they’ve had fulltime workers here for more than five years. Started on O‘ahu in 1974, the founder, John Wyman, Sr. loved the Hawaiian Islands so much, that he started his own painting company, and it’s been expanding ever since.

While continuing under the direction of his sons, John Jr. and Victor, the Jade Painting family has grown to have offices on Maui, and now in Hilo. The Hawai‘i Island office has a full-time estimator, Stan Perreira, and their crew, led by Woody Nahalea, has been working in Waikoloa and Kona, as well as several projects on the Hilo side. They serve the entire island (and all islands) that need their services.

Specializing in private and commercial painting, Jade’s crew typical work begins with new construction, including exterior repaints of townhomes, and interior/exterior of hotel renovations, office buildings, warehouses, and other large buildings. In addition to C33 painting, Jade is also licensed to provide C31D sealants, concrete spall repairs, and C55 waterproofing.

Truly a family operation, the legacy continues with Carmalia (Lia) Wyman who has recently been promoted to vice president. About her family’s company, Lia says, “I am proud and blessed to carry on the legacy from my grandfather, uncle, and father, moving forward with great appreciation for the men and women that have, and will continue to, make this company great for years to come.”

Some of the projects that Jade Painting has completed on Hawai‘i Island are the Spectrum Building in Hilo, the Hale Kehau townhomes in Kailua-Kona, as well as D.R. Horton’s new construction, the second phase of New Wainani Estates.

Their staff are all trained and certified for the utmost safety, including lead awareness, scaffolding, fall protection, spraying, OSHA regulations, first aid/CPR, hazard communication, and much more. They also employ a full-time safety/quality control officer who visits jobsites. Each project has its own onsite foreman from start to finish to assure you will always know who is in charge and be able to contact them.

The testimonials on Jade’s website give glowing reviews. A recent one says in part, “I wanted to tell you again how much we appreciated Jade Painting. Your crew was excellent, with good communication skills and good attitudes.”

Besides their excellent work ethics, Jade Painting is known for giving back to their communities. Recently they volunteered to paint (including donating supplies) to several O‘ahu elementary schools.

With six employees on Hawaii Island, 20 on Maui, and 50+ on Oahu, Jade’s staff is ready to provide you with a commercial estimate that will meet your specific needs.

Jade Painting, Inc. Hawaii Island office 808.313.8000 jadepainting.com

Ginger Sandell Island Treasures

Ginger Sandell Fine Art GingeSandellFineArt.com

KeOlaMagazine.com | July - August 2022

How many people have you known who could create fine art as well as they “crunch numbers?” Ginger Sandell can do both, and do them well!

Fully retired from her CPA career in 2020, Ginger is finally able to focus all her energy on her first love, painting. She started drawing at the age of three, and painting in 1979. At that time, she was self-taught, and was able to earn some income from it, but as a single mom, she needed more.

In 1984, Ginger went back to school, receiving her bachelor of business degree at University of Hawai‘i at Hilo. She went on to get her certified public accountant license, and later, an MBA at University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. She started her own CPA practice in 2004.

Altogether, Ginger worked in the field of finance for more than 30 years. During that time, her art was on hold, because she was busy with her accounting business.

Some of her paintings were hanging in her office, and one day in 2010 a client asked if she had painted them. She answered, “Yes, but I’m not painting anymore.” Her client suggested that she join the West Hawaii Plein Air Painters, and she did.

“The paintings started pouring out from all these decades of being repressed. I realized I wanted to study art, so I enrolled in the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. I jumped into a master’s program online, while running my CPA practice.

I graduated in 2019 with my master’s in fine art,” Ginger says.

After retiring as a CPA, Ginger immediately got busy as a professional painter.

Originally, Ginger used acrylics—now she is painting with oils. She uses a technique called painterly realism. Ginger expresses, “I want to portray the beauty of the natural world.

I like to do that through my paintings. It’s so much joy to paint—it’s very meditative, almost like the past is gone, the future doesn’t exist, the only thing that exists is the canvas in front of me. I want to share my joy with others. Whenever I sell a painting, I feel joy in my spirit—my art goes off into the world, and the paintings give joy to the people who collect them.”

Most of Gingerʻs paintings are of nature. She loves light on water, and reflections, taking her own photos for reference.

Ginger reflects, “Creating art is a gift. I’m thankful for it.”

Ginger’s paintings are in Glyph Gallery in Hōlualoa and One Gallery in Hilo. She also has an online art store, and has an exhibition in San Diego in September.

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UA MAU KE EA O KA ‘ÄINA I KA PONO. The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness.

[Its sustainability depends on doing what is right.] Proclamation by Kona-born King Kamehameha III in 1843. Later adopted as the Hawai‘i state motto.

Publisher, Editor Barbara Garcia, 808.329.1711 x1, Barb@KeOlaMagazine.com

Operations Manager, Editorial Assistant

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Award Winning Realtor® Celebrating 18+ Years in West Hawaii!

Kelly Shaw 808.960.4636 Realtor Broker, R(B )-21516 ABR, e-Pro, CRS, GRI, CLHMS kelly.shaw@compass.com buyahomeinkona.com

KONA | HOLUALOA | KEAUHOU | SOUTH KONA

77-6418 NALANI STREET KAILUA KONA, HI 3 Bed | 2 Bath | 1,188 sf interior | 10,000 sf lot $899,000 | MLS 661993

64-5209 HOHOLA DRIVE KAMUELA, HI

KeOlaMagazine.com | July - August 2022

4 Bed | 3 Bath | 2,147 sf interior | 15,305 sf lot $1,150,000 | TMK 661332

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Character and charm abound in this charming ocean view cottage. Warm wood flooring and open beamed ceilings add to the welcoming ambiance. The open floor plan features an updated kitchen with granite counters and a large living room opening to the oceanfacing lanai. The bedrooms sit on either side of the home, offering space and privacy.

The property is ideally located just south of downtown Kailua Kona and only minutes away from shopping, restaurants, services, and beaches.

This special property was originally built in 1978 as a 1 bed/1 bath home. In 2007, the current owners transformed it into a welcoming four bedroom/three bath home (all permitted). It was remodeled with care and detail; updating the original space & integrating it seamlessly to the new addition. The home has a huge living room and open kitchen/dining room, ideal for entertaining. One of the two spacious ensuite bedrooms has a separate retreat/office. These rooms sits away from the remaining bedrooms & offers private entry from the exterior.

“Kelly helped us find a home that we love, in a very challenging market. We purchased the home from the mainland, and Kelly was exceptionally helpful, prompt and responsive throughout the entire process. She showed us a ton of homes throughout our search and was very patient with us. She found the house that we purchased before it hit the market, which allowed us to make an offer quickly and secured the home. We will use Kelly for a future home purchase or sale on the island, and would recommend her to anyone!” - Another Satisfied Buyer Compass is a licensed real estate broker and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only.

Information is compiled from sources deemed reliable but is subject to errors, omissions, changes in price, condition, sale, or withdrawal without notice. No statement is made as to the accuracy of any description. All measurements and square footages are approximate. This is not intended to solicit property already listed. Nothing herein shall be construed as legal, accounting or other professional advice outside the realm of real estate brokerage.