Media release from Waimea Middle School

To kick off a series of four delicious workshops to inspire home gardens and cooking fresh, healthy meals, Mala’ai: The Culinary Garden of Waimea Middle School is inviting Waimea school families and community friends to join two culinary experts – Chef Maria Peterson and Chef Dan Bobo – from 9 a.m. to noon this Sat., Feb. 23, 2013 in harvesting, cooking and tasting the fruits, vegetables, herbs and edible flowers grown by students in their school’s ¾-acre outdoor “living” classroom.

The workshop is free but an RSVP is requested by calling Mala’ai’s Executive Director Alethea Lai (989-7861) or emailing: alethea@malaai.org.

This week’s program will begin in the school garden, selecting and harvesting fresh foods and gathering fresh eggs, then cooking something wonderful. The idea is to help home gardeners discover new ways to enjoy the fruits of their labors, and be inspired to expand their gardens, and also how to enjoy fresh produce that can be found at Waimea’s weekly farmers markets.

This is the first of four workshops made possible thanks to a Richard Smart Fund/Hawai’i Community Foundation grant. Future workshops will include:

• March16 – Worm Composting for Delicious Home Produce. Join UH-Hilo’s Norman Arancon – whose expertise on worm composting was recently quoted in the New York Times — for a fascinating educational look at vermiculture. It’s easy and fun and this simple activity will help grow dream vegetables.
• April 20 – Herb Gardening Basics. Come and learn from Amanda Rieux, our Program Director, about how to grow both classic and traditional Hawaiian herbs. Growing herbs is easy and nothing tastes so wonderful as cooking with freshly harvested herbs.
• May 18 – Garden Tour of Waimea. Explore from Waimea’s “wet side” to the “dry side” and be inspired by what is possible in your own backyard!

Mala’ai workshop guests should bring weather protection for sun and wind and wear comfortable clothing. Gloves, tools for harvesting and cooking utensils and equipment will be provided.

Mala’ai school garden, now in its eighth year of working with Waimea Middle School 6th-8th graders, is a not-for-profit whose mission is to cultivate the relationship between students and the land through growing and sharing nourishing food in an outdoor living classroom. The work reaches beyond the boundaries of the garden to connect land stewardship, culture, health and pleasure with lifelong learning. Mala’ai is almost entirely funded through the generosity and active support of the community with grants, donations, special events and hundreds of volunteer hours each school year.

For information, call Alethea Lai (989-7861) or go to www.Malaai.org.