Tropical Edibles: Dreaming of an Island Eden By Lara Hughes
KeOlaMagazine.com | July-August 2018
The Dream
30
On the mauka (mountain) side of the Māmalahoa Highway on the slopes where Hualālai and Maunaloa meet overlooking Kealakekua Bay, you can find a garden vision brought to fruition. Hailing from different places around the globe and varying walks of life, the founders have one thing in common: a passion to help Hawai‘i Island become self-sustainable. The Tropical Edibles Nursery crew proposes to help Hawai‘i achieve sustainability, in major part, through the propagation of edible plants in residential landscaping. It is interesting to note that much of what we plant and grow in our yards does not produce food. The contingent of plant aficionados who make up Tropical Edibles Nursery would like to change that, and they share a sense of urgency in the work they do, especially when it comes to the well-being of the island community. As Momi Subiono, resident ethnobotanist points out, “If something should happen to the only two harbors that we have here, how is our island going to sustain itself?” In fact, with approximately 90 percent of our food being imported, the question becomes quite relevant. Momi is one of the part-time managers at Tropical Edibles Nursery along with Rayleen (Ray) Sopkin, their conservationist, and Maggie McDermont, the team’s agricultural specialist. Emmerich Grosch, originally from Germany, moved to Hawai‘i in 1967 and represents the rest of the team. He is the owner of Tropical Edibles Nursery and the biggest supporter of