"ʻO kēia nō nā hana maikaʻi e kipaku ʻia aku ai ka wī mai ka ʻumeke aku a ke kanaka." - Stephen Desha, Moʻolelo Kaao no Kuhaupio ke koa kaulana o ke au o Kamehameha ka Nui

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Ka ʻUmeke ʻAi is the name of our traditional sustenance and regenerative agriculture initiative. The name, "Ka ʻUmeke ʻAi" can literally translate to a bowl (ʻumeke) for food (ʻai). However figuratively this term can be broken down into the words "ʻai" which represents sustenance in the form of crops such as kalo, ʻuala, ʻulu, etc. and "ka ʻumeke" as a reference to ʻāina as it is the container which holds the ʻai.  A traditionally Hawaiian concept of life is realizing that the sea and the land when maintained and stewarded properly, can contain all the food that we need to survive and sustain ourselves. Our program, Ka ʻUmeke ʻAi, is dedicated to restoring traditional, regenerative agricultural spaces in Kahaluu Kuahewa. Last year, through collaborative partnerships and community events, Ka ʻUmeke ʻAi produced 262 lbs of food crops for distribution. This work seeks to expand the cultivation and distribution of traditional food crops while restoring habitat for native species and removing invasive plants that threaten local biodiversity. Through community workdays, tours, and outreach, we engaged 1,091 individuals in 2025, providing direct access to traditional crops and Hawaiian practices that reconnect community with the ʻāina. This space serves as both a food-producing landscape and a cultural resource where kānaka engage with their heritage and learn Hawaiian agricultural traditions. Restoring the Kahaluʻu Field System advances food sovereignty and sustainability while reactivating the relationship between ʻāina, community, and culture for future generations, guided by our kūpuna.