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Portland Volunteers Harvested 300 Pounds of Kalo

Community members at Unity Farms gathered kalo leaves to support food access and preserve Hawaiian traditions.

Updated on Sept. 28, 2026 in Gardening

Bold vector illustration of large, fresh heart-shaped kalo leaves resting on a wooden garden table, conveying a sense of harvest.
Volunteers at Portland's Unity Farms harvested 300 pounds of kalo leaves this week to support local food security and preserve traditional Hawaiian culinary practices. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Volunteers at Unity Farms in Portland recently harvested over 300 pounds of kalo leaves from a community garden. This project, which began as an experiment three years ago, provides a local source of the traditional staple crop for area residents.

Why it matters

The initiative addresses food insecurity and health equity for the local Hawaiian community while helping to preserve cultural identity. This effort becomes increasingly vital as many native Hawaiians now live outside their ancestral homeland.

The garden spans a 400 square foot plot at Unity Farms, where organizers have also distributed 1,200 free kalo plants to the community. Kalo leaves typically retail for $4 to $12 per pound in the Portland metro area.

The players

Ka ʻAha Lāhui O ʻOlekona Hawaiian Civic Club

This organization operates the AloHā Resource and Community Center and promotes Hawaiian cultural heritage in Oregon.

Oregon Food Bank

This regional non-profit provides food and resources to individuals facing hunger across Oregon and Southwest Washington.

The details

Volunteers manage the harvest by carefully slicing the stems of the tropical plants, which are commonly used in traditional dishes like lau lau. The garden operates behind the Oregon Food Bank, serving as a cultural hub and a source of fresh food.

Timeline

  1. Three years ago, the initial experiment to grow kalo in the Pacific Northwest began.

  2. Late September 2026, volunteers successfully harvested the season's kalo crop.

  3. October 2026, potential reductions to SNAP benefits are scheduled to take effect.

Culture Shift

This project mirrors a broader movement among displaced populations to maintain cultural connections through traditional agricultural practices. It follows a pattern set by 2020 U.S. Census data which highlights that over half of native Hawaiians now reside outside of their home state.

The distribution of 1,200 free plants provides residents with a low-cost way to grow their own traditional food staples at home. This serves as a hedge against rising grocery costs and potential food insecurity as households face future changes to government benefits.

The takeaway

Maintaining agricultural traditions helps communities preserve cultural identity while addressing immediate nutritional needs. Residents can support these efforts by participating in local community gardening programs that prioritize food equity.

What happens next

Potential cuts to SNAP benefits are scheduled to impact the local community starting next month.

Further reading

Learn more about local food cultivation by visiting the Gardening section.

Source note: This article includes information reported by Opb.

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Is community-led local gardening an effective way to preserve cultural identity in your area?