Common Ground Collective

🌿We are so excited to be installing one of the most diverse and intentional edible landscapes we've ever designed! And we want you to be apart of it!

🗓 On July 12th, we will be installing a thriving, multi-crop edible agroforestry orchard for a local community member, planting 20+ unique and native plants. Here's a glimpse at what we will be planting. 👉 Scroll through to see all the crops and their purposes!

👩‍🌾 Volunteer alongside our installation team and you'll learn how food-sovereign systems that actually work; from soil prep to plant placement to harvest planning, you’ll learn all about these incredible crops and trees that contribute to a thriving food system.

The more people who know how to grow their own food, the stronger we all become. Come learn with us!
✨Sign up at commongroundcollective.com/volunteer

🫶 Today is the day to introduce you to some of the friends we meet along the way.

🌱 Volunteer Opportunity coming up on Sunday, July 12th! Come work alongside Team CGC in Haiku for a day while learning how to develop a backyard food system!

We're transforming a local backyard in Haiku into a food-sovereign forest and we want YOU there!.. Join our crew for a hands-on installation day where you'll learn how we design, plan, and plant thriving edible landscapes using 20+ unique local crops. No experience needed, just bring curiosity and good vibes. 🤙

Sunday, July 12th
9:00am-12:00pm
A residence near Haiku Hill

Every skill you pick up is one you can take straight to your own backyard! 🌿

🌺👩‍🌾 Tag a friend who needs to get their hands dirty and sign up to volunteer at commongroundcollective.com/volunteer, you won't want to miss this opportunity!

🌞 Last week, Common Ground Collective had the privilege of presenting alongside Mālama ʻĀina to speak with an inspiring group of students participating in the Upward Bound Summer Program. .bound.maui

This summer’s theme is upcycling, and we were excited to share how sustainability and community stewardship are woven into the work we do every day at CGC. Students learned about our Foster Farm Program, which helps reduce food waste by harvesting excess fruit and getting it back into our community, as well as our Tree Installation Program and the long-term impact that planting food-producing trees can have for future generations.

As part of their summer challenge, students will be developing solutions-based projects focused on upcycling and creating positive community impact. We're excited to see what they create and how they might inspire more people to get involved in building a stronger local food system.

After the presentation, several students joined us in the community garden to get their hands dirty and learn alongside our team. We are so grateful for opportunities like this to educate and empower the next generation. Experiences like this inspire us to expand our educational outreach.

✨Are you interested in bringing a Common Ground Collective workshop or lesson to your school, summer program, or community group? From hands-on workshops in our community garden to sustainability education in the classroom, our team is excited to share our knowledge and help cultivate a more food-secure and resilient Maui!🌱🍊🌳

🌺 Send us a DM or leave a comment below to start the conversation!

🤙It's Wacky Fruit Wednesday and you're favorite guessing game is back!... Can anyone guess what type of banana this is?! 🍌

Here's a clue: unlike most bananas, this one grows UPWARD like this, in beautiful banana bouquet fashion! 🍌💐

Fun fact: These specific bananas aren't typically eaten raw unless you're looking for a very starchy, astringent surprise 😅... Instead, they're best enjoyed cooked!

Have you ever tried this banana strain before? What's your favorite way to prepare them? Drop your guesses and recipes in the comments below! 👇

🌈 The best kine a days are A Ho`olawa Kine A Days! We are so proud of this quarterly event and the Collective that brings this all together.

🌈 In the words of our own MC Queen & board member :
"Our Common Ground Collective board in collaboration with our awesome Friends of Twin Falls and Hawai'i Taro Farms created this kama'āina-only community gathering in May 2025, and it's been growing beautifully ever since. Big LOVE to trusty wizard Cody Azlan Quintana for sound and patience dealing with a true grassroots stage, & to my meadow besties Maile and Uta for all they do to make these days so smooth."

🌈 Mahalo to the incredible talent that graced the stage including songbird Myja Bayle with 'ukulele and hula, smooth Upcountry Hawaiian jams from Unko Richard Dancil of Keokea, and to the Maui Taiko drummers .taiko who lit up the meadow, where Yard Games Hawai'i set up to entertain us, and kalo presentations by Hawai'i Taro Farms taught us the best way!

💖 Extra love and mahalos to Maile, Uta, McKenzie & the whole Twin Falls & Wailele Farm families. It was extra sweet when awarded their scholarships to their new grads.

🌈 Mahalo to our Pukalani Superette 'ohana for your amazing ono plate lunches and ongoing support. Feeding our community is what it's all about, folks!

🌈 And thank you to our wonderful volunteers & community partners for sharing your energy & knowledge with us all: HCA Stream Water Testing, Pacific Birth Collective, Haiku Community Association, ‘Ohana Stron, & Maui Farmer Support Network! 💖

🌈 Save the date for the next kine a day on September 5th!

First Nations’ Native Agriculture and Food Systems Investments Scholarships support Native American, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian college students to ultimately better assist their communities with their food systems efforts.

Again this year, First Nations will award 20 to 25 scholarships in the amount of $1,000 to $1,500 each for the 2026-2027 academic school year to Native college or university students majoring in agriculture and agriculture-related fields.

Learn more and apply here by Tuesday, June 16, 2026, at 1pm Hawaii Standard Time (HST).

Native Agriculture and Food Systems Investments Scholarship | First Nations Development Institute ...

🌈 Tomorrow plans! Meet us in the meadow tomorrow for A Ho'olawa Kine A Day, a kama`āina only community gathering full of aloha in one of the most beautiful settings you can find!

Saturday, June 6th
11:00am – 3:00pm
Ho`olawa Valley at Wailele Farms (Twin Falls)

🌈Sweet island vibes will flow from the stage from Richard Dancil playing Hawaiian style country music, a soulful set by the lovely Myja Bayle, and the Maui Taiko Drummers will bring the beats to help you move your feet!

🌈We'll have neighbors serving neighbors free food, pa’i’ai workshops with Uncle Bobby and Hawai'i Taro Farms, giant yard games by Yard Games Hawai’i, and Wailele Farm’s nature trails and waterfalls are ready for exploring. Come enjoy a day with us rooted in the values of Ho’olawa: aloha ‘āina, malama, connection & collective resilience.

📢We still need afternoon Volunteers from 1-4pm! Sign up here:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C084AAAA822ABFFCE9-63857100-its #/

Carpooling encouraged & Hawai'i ID required!

🌿 Come join us for A Ho‘olawa Kine A Day this Saturday, June 6, at Wailele Farms at Twin Falls, for this free kamaʻāina community event and learn about the incredible work being done by organizations across Maui.

We’re looking forward to welcoming some of our community partner who will be joining us; Friends of Twin Falls , Hawai'i Taro Farms , Haiku Community Association , Pacific Birth Collective , ‘Ohana Strong , and Maui Farmer Support Network , who will be sharing their missions, programs, and the many ways we can continue supporting one another to build a stronger, more resilient community.

🌺Mahalo to all of our community partners, volunteers, and community members who continue to make these gatherings so meaningful. We are grateful to be part of such an inspiring network of people working toward a healthier and more abundant future for Maui.

🤙Come out, connect, learn, and let's have a Ho‘olawa Kine A Day together!
P.S. We still have a few afternoon volunteer spots available! If you'd like to lend a hand and be part of the experience, sign up at commongroundcollective.com/volunteer

🌿Come volunteer with us this Saturday, June 6th and help us put on a great A Ho'olawa Kine A Day at Twin Falls! We need afternoon shift volunteers from 1pm-4pm to help serve food to our community.

🌺Spend the morning exploring waterfalls and Wailele Farms' nature trails, connect with us and other local organizations, enjoy some live music and free food, then hop behind the scenes with us and help feed our neighbors at this Kamaʻāina only community event! Sign up at www.commongroundcollective.com/volunteer