The school bus doors swung open and in the blink of an eye, pastoral serenity was replaced by organized chaos as the army of chatting, laughing, and sometimes screaming 5th graders marched toward the outdoor exhibit booths at the Oʻahu Urban Garden Center.
The occasion was the rebirth of Agriculture and Environmental Awareness Day – on hiatus since the pandemic – and the adults were just as excited as the keiki. A long list of participating state agencies, non-profits, and stakeholders stood at the ready as CTAHR Extension and ASAO braved wave after wave of students from Kalei'opu'u Elementary School, Honowai Elementary School, Ka Waihona o ka Na'auao PCS, and Hookele Elementary.
The 460 students were treated to an info- and event-filled day of interactive, hands-on demonstrations on farming, climate change, water usage, agricultural inspection, how to build a healthy plate, and more. Interim Dean Ania Wieczorek gave a fun and rousing presentation on why growing food is important, especially in Hawaii, and especially when the amount of land used to grow our food is but a tiny fraction of the state.
Read the full ASAO News story.