Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 28, Number 12, 1 December 2011 — MAʻO farms earns a visit from the first lady [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

MAʻO farms earns a visit from the first lady

ByTreenaShapiro First Lady Miehelle Obama took her "Let's Move" campaign to Lualualei Valley on Nov. 12 for a youth-led tour of MA'O Organic Farms and a lively roundtable discussion with college intems and mentors about nutrition and childhood obesity. More than just 0'ahu's largest certified organic farm, MA'O is the site of the Kauhale Youth Education and Entrepreneurship Initiative, a nonprofit school-community partnership that encourages Wai'anae youth to take an active role in revitalizing a community facing numerous socioeconomic challenges. Their work has gained attention from the White House. "I've heard about all that's been going on here for years and years," Ohama said. "I jumped at the opportunity to eome and not just see for myself, but also to allow the world to see what you all are doing." Kauhale's efforts on the Leeward Coast dovetail with Obama's nationwide effort to eliminate childhood obesity through education. MA'0's organic fruits and vegetables are featured in many of 0'ahu's top restaurants, but the 24acre farm grows more than quality produce. Its community-based programming develops youth leaders as well, opening up greater opportunities for out-of-school youth, sustainable eeonomie development, agriculture, heahh and Hawaiian culture. An internship program for high school graduates offers full-time community college tuition and stipends for students who work 20 hours a week at the farm. Obama's "backyard garden" at the White House produces 2,600 pounds of food annually

and offers an educational environment where children learn to eat and make connections to the food they consume from an early age. "That, in tum, opens up a broader issue of conversation about nutrition and heahh and movement - but also deeper issues of access and affordability, whieh are some of the primary causes of obesity," she says. "In underserved communities, kids aren't growing up with vegetables because there are no grocery stores. People don't have that connection." Despite the weighty discussion topic, Obama's friendly demeanor, bright smile and frequent laughter put participants at ease right from the start, when she commended MA'O for putting youth to work and offering them better futures. Lifelong Wai'anae resident Kamuela Enos, MA'0's Director of Social Enterprise and a member of the White House Commission on Asian American and Paeihe Islanders, says his roles have taught him the importance of responsibility and mentorship. Organic farming is a way to walk in the footsteps of Hawaiian ancestors, while still surviving in today's marketbased economy and standards-based education system, he says. "Challenges often face us in our community - whieh is called 'underserved' by the outside - but we know the inherent value of our assets: the land and the youth," Enos adds. Ohama encouraged the college interns to talk about the challenges they face in their families and communities. With a laugh, she prompts them: "Farming is not necessarily the hot thing to do, right? So what happens when you hang out with your boys and you tell them, 'I'm going to farm! I like arugula.' How does that work out?"

Derrick Parker, 21, concedes, "It's really not the most popular job." He doesn't hlame those who question his ehoiee because he knows easy access makes it easy to take food for granted. However, as an organic farmer, he gets to eat the food he grows. The University of Hawai'i-Mānoa student hopes to heeome a voice teacher (and obliged Obama's request for a song) but he doesn't plan to lose touch with farming. "It should be a way of life and not just work," Parker points out. "All of us that are here, we don't just work. This is, like, our life." Comparing planting seeds to raising children, Parker says, "You see that seed ... and you're continually nurturing it, weeding it every few weeks, making sure it grows well." So when he gets a ehanee to eat MA'0-grown produce at an "awesome restaurant" like Town, that is the ultimate reward, he says. Ed Kenney, Chef and Owner of Town and Downtown restaurants, has been a co-producer with MA'O for more than a decade and a board member for the past year. "As a Chef and a Director, I am given the task to, I think, tell the story of MA'O to 600 hungry people a day," he says. "And when you tell the story with food, and with this food, it's incredibly easy. When you taste this food, you're not just tasting a carrot, you're tasting this youthful enthusiasm, you're tasting youth leadership and mentorship. You're tasting food security and sustainability." Miehelle "Miki" Arasato, 21, hadlittle interest in farming or community engagement when she started interning at MA'O three years ago. "I eame to MA'O, then I realized, 'Oh, this is important and I have to make a difference,' " she recalls. "After I graduate, I want to repeat MA'O within our community or anywhere on this island. And I plan to do that by trying to (attain my goals in) environmental studies, agriculture and Hawaiian studies." Ohama says she believes youth leadership and mentorship programs like those at MA'O Organic Farms are key to helping people connect to the food they eat and make healthier choices. Continue to take your work seriously, she advises: "It's one thing to farm and to talk and to eat and to grow and to connect, but the next step to change requires your preparation. (It also requires) going to school and understanding the subject and understanding how what you do connects to not just the rest of the nation but the rest of the world. These issues are affecting communities all over the globe, and it's important for you to have the substantive foundation to back up your passion." ■ Treena Shapiro, afreelance writer, is aformer reporter for the Honolulu Star-Bulletin anel Honolulu Advertiser.

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MA'O Organic Farms welcomed first lady Miehelle Ohama to their 24-acre Lualalei Valley farm on Nov. 1 2, when she was in town for the Asia-Pacific Eeonomie Conference. Ohama, whose own garden at the White House produces more than one ton of food annually, said she "jumped at the opportunity" to visit the farm and showcase to the world the work they do. - Photo: Treena Shapiro