Blue 2 were once middleweight weed-pulling champs at Captain Cook. Don’t think they always enjoyed it. In fact, at times they disliked it, but they learned to thoroughly get the weeds up in order to counteract the strangling and destructive roots advancing up and over Cacao. There was certain inner comfort in knowing they could knock down any weeds that were snooty and overbearing toward Cacao. They were Michael H’s star weed-pullers. Michael H taught all his weed-pulling students to work with focus and to not back off until all roots were brought to sunlight. They were really very fast to learn. They were so good Michael H trusted them to try and rescue all 160 trees hidden under the snooty weeds.

Promptly, they found some Cacao that had given up the ghost, which increased their distaste for weeds. Finding the trees gave them a certain sense of satisfaction and so they continued grappling with the weeds until they uncovered 90 living and mostly-healthy Cacao.

When we first heard mention of a Fruit Orchard neighboring our new Greenhouse home, we were unsure what Marcy was referring to. All we could see were weeds and elephant grass as tall as Greta’s 5 ft 6 in shoulders on the plot of land called the Fruit Orchard. When Michael arrived he informed us that there were numerous fruit trees growing in orderly rows beneath the overgrowth. It was our job to rescue these trees from their entrapment under morning glory vines, hidden from sunlight. We gingerly removed the invasive species from the fruit trees and cleared the paths between them. We could not save all of the trees; many had died after being starved of sunlight and rain for months. The majority were resilient however, and had survived the deprivation. It was a hopeful sign that some had even born fruit during this period.

After clearing the weeds away it was still necessary to prepare the orchard for future upkeep. There were still large lava rocks covering the ground, making it impassible for the mower. To mitigate this problem, we used the larger rocks to construct walls connecting each line of trees. When we had completed this task we were satisfied that the land would be Manageable for Michael after we had left. After our work with Michael over the weeks, there is no longer any uncertainty about the land outside our Greenhouse. We feel accomplished as we enjoy the view.

       PT- Physical Training! Yea boy. Our program requires that at least three days a week we work out for at least an hour. Yea boyy. Yea! PT! We wake up on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday each week before work while the moon is still wide awake cackaling at us. As we strut our stuff down the ten acres of farm, we think this: ‘We’re ready. Bring it on. PT ain’t got nothing on us. Yea boyyy.”  

      Bam- we get down to the driveway. Bam- we start busting out our stretches lead by our two incredible PT coordinators. Without them the only streches I would be doing in a driveway  would be the ones getting my stomach ready for inhaling the several items off the McDonald’s dollar menu while I waited in the drive-thru in my car. BAM!-one-BAM!-two-BAM!-three- We count all the way  to fifteen for each stretch. We’re now feeling all loosey goosey. Time to run. Yea boyyyy.

        Where are we running today? I do not know. That is part of the thrill of PT- the element of suprise. Are we going to run to the stop sign all the way to the left? How about the one all the way to the right? Either one, we can be sure that we will stop at either the Painted Church(left) or the Peace Garden(right) and continue our workout there. Both of these places are beautiful to actually go into. The Painted Church may look like just a normal little church for the outside, but If one is to go into it-its painted. Tons of cool designs all over the place. It’s beautiful. So is the inside of the Peace Garden. It’s beautiful. Check them out it if haven’t already.

      After running for a while, you can be sure that it is nice to reach one of these destinations, although at this point we’re craving a little more workout. Our bloods flowing now and it’s not going to leave us hanging. S0 BAM!-pushups-BAM!-maybe some ab workouts-BAM!-lunges anyone?-BAM!-wall sits and plank contests. Oh yes. Oh yesss.

    Time to run back to the driveway. Once there time to stretch again. Our workout is coming to an end.  Good workout. No- Great workout. We stretch our glutes and the day must begin. Time for Eggos. Eggos- Yea boyyyyyyyyyyyyy~~~~

This experience was interesting. We worked 8 hours a day on the farm and put a pretty good dent in it.  I learned much about myself as well as plants that grow on the island. Michael is a great teacher and I really liked all the speakers we had come to tell us about things. The whale man was great.  I didn’t know there was a whale sanctuary that ever existed but it seems like a great thing to have. I mean the guy saves whales…awesome! The greenhouse living was interesting.  It was great and I have learned things.

Over the course of our nine week stay in Hawaii, the living arrangements became increasingly more home-y for the team. What was an all but empty greenhouse and bare frame “Visitor’s Center” is now, as we prepare to leave, a comfortably lived-in sleeping area and kitchen. Working with Bill during the first few weeks of the project, we helped to build two solar-heated showers next to the greenhouse. On hot days, the team enjoys hot showers. A few extra tarps and some rope helped us to create clothes lines and a changing room. Eventually,the weeds in one portion of the greenhouse were replaced with milkweeds, and we shared the space with the catepillars -and later butterflies- which came along inside the greenhouse. 

In the past month or so, the Visitor’s Center has become a busy kitchen area for the ten of us, with a propane refridgerator, stove and grill. We’ve become better at keeping our food bins sealed from the ants and other bugs, and cooking at night by propane lantern. The team has enjoyed using fresh avocados, bananas and papaya from around the farm.

On February 21, 2009 the members of the blue two team where given the opportunity to volunteer at the third annual Hawaii Avocado Festival. The festival took place at the Amy Greenwell Ethno-Botanic Garden which included live music, local vendors, a farmers market, and a avocado cooking contest. Primarily, the team helped the vendors get set up and get things situated prior to the event. Additionally, the team was given the crucial job of guarding the different varieties of avocado that had entered the contest. This was to ensure that the judges could do their job before taste testing was open to the general public. The team was then rewarded for their labors by receiving first dibs on the food once the judging had concluded. Many members of the team stayed until the bitter end and helped with tear down  as well as do general clean up. Overall, this was a very positive experience for the team and one that we will take with us long after we leave the farm.

Artie is a post office employee in Honaunau, HI. On Wednesday evenings he coordinates community dinners at an intermediate school roughly 25 minutes from the One Island sustainable living center on Painted Church Road. Once a week dinner is donated by various organizations including the Food Bank and the University of Nations to be served between six and seven. The primary target for these dinners are the low-income families surrounding the area. They hail from Marshall Islands where they were displaced by the government and transplanted to Hawaii to make a new life. The U.S. government deemed Marshall Islands a nice place to test sixty-six nuclear weapons and folks were forced to escape the consequences.  They live in a section of the Big Island with their own language, culture, and identity. The community dinners provide one solid meal a week and typically leftovers, a box of cereal or loaf of bread to take home.  The dinner is open to the public and one must sign up quite early in order to volunteer, for community members gobble up the chance quickly to be of service.

One fateful day, Jessie and Greta strolled into Artie’s post office. They asked him his plans for the evening, an attempt at simple small talk. It was Wednesday, and thus he invited the two ladies and their eight companions to join him at the school and enjoy a meal.  They obliged. It was an opportunity they were glad to not have missed.

Our AmeriCorps NCCC team has had many opportunities to work and play at the Amy B. H. Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden in Captain Cook. During our first weekend in Hawaii, we attended their monthly community volunteer day, where we pulled weeds and planted grass alongside the garden staff and local volunteers. On February 21st we helped with the setup and take-down of the third annual Avocado Festival, where we also got to sample many tasty treats and enjoy great music. The following week we were able to attend a poi pounding workshop where we learned the steps necessary to turn taro and ‘ulu (breadfruit) into poi; the food we made was then eaten at a luau that night which featured tradional Hawaiian dishes. We worked at the garden again during the Grow Hawaiian Festival on February 28, where we helped park cars and administer surveys about the event, and also had the opportunity to learn about Hawaiian culture and traditions. We are very thankful to Peter and the rest of the the garden staff for letting us spend so much time working and learning at such a wonderful place. Mahalo Amy B. H. Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden!