Returning to Something Lost to Convenience

Story and Photos By Brooklyn Joy

“You eat meat, Brook?.. Well then, you gotta own it.”
Words from farmer Gary Rosenberg after seeing the look on my face when I was asked if I wanted to help butcher a pig, and I couldn’t argue with his point.
On the morning of July 2nd, a group of middle schoolers from Kamehameha School arrived at the entrance of Eden Farms ready to own it. They were enrolled in a summer culinary program rooted in cooking with locally sourced food. The meal plans were set— they just needed the pig.

Gary greeted them at the gate, offering some thoughts to chew on as they walked:
“Did you know less than 5% of our food comes from the ‘āina? The rest is imported. What happens if that gets cut off?” He continued, “There’s hogs all over the island. But even better than hunting them is raising them. The love that goes into raising a pig is better than anything you can buy at the store. It recycles so much more mana back into the bellies of the community.”

Gary, the steward of Eden Farms for over a decade, will tell you that whatever’s happening there is bigger than him—he simply stays listening for what it would have him do. Eden Farms strives to model solution-oriented living: animal husbandry, biodiversity, renewable energy, and sacred reciprocity. It’s now home to over a thousand free-roaming animals—horses, donkeys, goats, ducks, chickens, a couple of peacocks, and a lot of pigs. And it’s all based on one question, Gary keeps returning to: “How does this feed the community?”

The children began with a tour, starting at the greenhouse, each planting a seed of their own. Then Gary led them to a lush 1/8-acre plot bursting with papaya, avocado, banana, and coconut trees. “What if the whole island looked like this?” he asked. “Because food should be free.” When it came time, the half of the group that chose to witness the death of the puaʻa stood silently at the fence. There was a sweet stillness they held together here. Gary had earlier explained that butchering should be done with deep respect for the animal giving its life. “To be in reverence means that yes, we pray,” he told them. “But more importantly—it means we don’t waste it.”
Which got me thinking… should there be any difference between the two?

Those who could stomach it helped wash, skin, gut, and section the boar. Every movement was to be made with positive thoughts in the mind. “Just like with lei-making or cooking,” their kumu reminded them, “your energy enters what your hands touch.” The number of students who chose to handle the blade was impressive. Those who didn’t cut got to work on cleanup. In true Hawaiian spirit, everyone pitched in to help the whole. The day ended with a beautiful oli mahalo, Uhola ‘Ia—a chant of gratitude that graced every acre. One by one, the students extended hugs and mahalos to every adult who guided them throughout their day.

A couple of weeks later, we were invited to a lunch where the kids served dishes they had prepared using local ingredients, showing their families what they’d learned.
The pork was featured in two delicious dishes: homemade BBQ meatballs and Hawaiian lau lau. The food was fantastic, but the chefs’ pride was the best part.
It seems we are slowly returning to something that has long been lost to convenience, cultivating a relationship with our food that nourishes not only the body, but the spirit of community— a secret ingredient you can’t buy at the supermarket.

A deep mahalo to Eden Farms and the students of Kamehameha School for reminding us what it means to connect with our food and grow our tomorrow.

Eden Farms is offering a hands-on pig butchering workshop for adults (all ages are still welcome) that will follow a flow similar to the day with the students. It’s a very special opportunity to learn more about regenerative animal management, witness a wild yet controlled ecosystem of thousands of farm animals, and explore more of Gary’s genius. This kind of event is something that Eden Farms plans to implement into the community regularly. The first one— sponsored by Puna Rising’s A Moveable Feast —will be free. We look forward to sharing this enriching experience with you.