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 5^th graders marched toward the outdoor exhibit booths at the Oʻahu Urban Garden Center.

CTAHR faculty and staff are excited to host their first Open House at the Oʻahu Urban Garden Center since the pandemic – and public interest is super high – so head over Pearl City this Saturday morning! UGC will combine the event with the popular “Second Saturday at the Garden” to provide a variety of educational exhibits and demonstrations for the general public. 

If you’re starting a home garden, make sure you add beans! Beans improve soil fertility, which helps crop diversity and sustainability in Hawai‘i. They’re highly nutritious—rich in protein, fiber, and the good carbohydrates. And beans don’t require much water or fertilizer, yet they’re fast-growing and produce heavy yields, especially if you’ve picked the right location.

For years, a dedicated group of volunteers called the Fruit Hui has maintained the research orchard at CTAHR’s Urban Garden Center in Pearl City. Harvesting over 200 pounds of fresh tropical fruit a week, the volunteers donate all excess fruit to the Hawaii Foodbank. The group of certified Master Gardener volunteers plans to continue to harvest weekly now that access to fresh food has become even more critical during the COVID-19 crisis.

CTAHR Master Gardeners are honoring a special tree and the scholar it commemorates at the Alice Ball Day celebration on Friday, February 28, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The site of the celebration on Friday will be the chaulmoogra tree by Bachman Hall, which a group of Master Gardeners have adopted and care for.