Do you have too many mangoes to eat? Too many lemons to squeeze? Had your fill of guacamole? Is your yard an open buffet for the neighborhood chicken population? Randy Roe of Wailua Houselots has created a long-needed system of
Do you have too many mangoes to eat? Too many lemons to squeeze? Had your fill of guacamole? Is your yard an open buffet for the neighborhood chicken population?
Randy Roe of Wailua Houselots has created a long-needed system of exchange for Kaua‘i residents who have too much of one thing and not enough of another. In hope of cultivating the spirit of “sharing our abundance” with fellow islanders, a new Web site is aimed at anyone who has a garden or fruit tree producing more than they can possibly eat alone. This free service provides Kaua‘i with our first community-supported agriculture, grass-roots trading initiative.
The idea for a non-profit, community service Web site was initially created by Randy Roe after spotting a neighbor’s citrus tree that was dropping perfect fruit only to rot on the grass.
“I saw the fruit on the ground and wondered if it wasn’t edible for some reason. I went over and knocked on the door. My neighbor handed me a bag and said I could take as many as I wanted,” said Roe. “They turned out to be Mandarin oranges and quite delicious. We juiced them all, gave more to friends and I started thinking about organizing some type of trading system.”
A few other experiences began to motivate Roe to solve what so many residents have done with their neighbors for years on a small scale.
“We also had this amazingly prolific star-fruit tree in our yard. I literally gave away 30 bags of the fruit last year, dropping them off at local fruit stands,” said Roe.
Abundance in green coconuts and Roma tomatoes from Roe’s garden soon pushed the amateur farmer to figure out a way to distribute his food.
He enlisted his son, Richard Roe, a professional graphic designer, to help create the descriptive and colorful Web site. Joined by local Web programmer Sonja Kass of Wailua Houselots, the team soon began to cultivate an easy-to-use Internet site that can serve the entire island in trading locally grown fruits and vegetables.
“This is not a business and as the administrator of the site, I make sure no one is trying to advertise or sell their fruit,” said Roe. “It feels good to give what you have to someone else, and trade for something that you don’t have.”
When the immense “food miles” for our supermarket produce reflect pollution, oil costs and off-island dependency, it only makes sense to organize our own resources so that we can become increasingly food sovereign on Kaua‘i.
“We obviously have plenty to share, the traditional practice of sharing this abundance should be re-ignited,” said Roe. “I also hope that this will bring people together. We don’t have anyone signed up from the West Side or North Shore yet, but I really hope it can be an island-wide resource.”
A retired geophysicist, Roe first visited Kaua‘i in 1974 on his honeymoon. Since then, Roe’s intention has been to return and live full time on the island. Buying his first home here in 1984, he has since lived in the Philippines and returned to Kaua‘i permanently two years ago.
“I feel like I’ve lived here for 20 years,” Roe said of keeping his heart here even during his extended absence in the 1990s.
“Sometimes it takes a fresh perspective to see what can be done,” Roe said of creating the community Web site.
As the country wakes up to the need for community-supported agriculture with localized distribution groups serving populations from California to Maine, it seems only natural that Kaua‘i join in this effort.
“Post what you have on the Web site or see what you can trade for your abundance. It’s a great way to meet new people and good for the community on the island,” said Roe.
The Web site addresses the basic rules for exchange, emphasizing that the giver should set the time, place, amount and method of picking.
“Some people might prefer to give you a bag and have you pick the fruit, some may rather pick themselves and not have people in their yards,” said Roe.
The conditions can be set by individuals and the only strict guideline is that no one can sell what they’ve been given or advertise for selling on the site.
“Localtarian,” the new identification for those who restrict their diet to locally grown and produced food including meat, fish, grains and vegetables, has been the buzz in “slow food” circles across the Mainland. People are increasingly becoming aware of the high costs associated with the transport of food.
One of the main consequences of “superfood stores” created after World War II was the substitution of local butchers, bakers and farm stands for a one-stop American shopping experience. Sixty years later, global oil and energy issues combined with the economic crisis faced by the American family farm is directly related to the food industry’s transport system.
Eating locally is important anywhere, but perhaps most especially on an island in the middle of the Pacific.
The Web site went live a few weeks ago and will be “as successful as people make it — I hope we can get a lot of people to participate,” said Roe.
The site is open to anyone who has something to offer or trade, those who want to eat locally grown fruits and vegetables and anyone who wants to “share the abundance.”
• Keya Keita, lifestyle writer, can be reached at 245-3681 or kkeita@kauaipubco.com.
