This hands on workshop provides an opportunity to learn how to make delicious food and syrup out of Hawaiian Mesquite, also known as Kiawe. Over the course of four weeks (4 hrs instruction/day x 5 days/week), participants will get hands on experience and training in harvesting, preparing and processing Kiawe. Participants will get to take home flour and syrup at the end of our time together. Things we will cover:
+ harvesting techniques
+ sorting techniques
+ washing and drying techniques
+ processing flour
+ processing flour into syrup
We are passionate about multi-strata food forests intended for abundant food for consumption and sharing with neighbors. This workshop is specifically intended for people who want to make value added products out of this incredible dry forest tree that was brought to Hawaii in the 1800's as a food source.
This workshop is designed for:
* People in Hawaii who want to learn more about Kiawe and how to process pods into food.
* All ages and abilities--whole households are encouraged
* Those who are interested in learning about Kiawe's history here in Hawaii and its Native Country, Peru.
The workshop sessions are scheduled to 6 days/week beginning the week of August 16, 2026. We will determine the weekly schedule based on participant preferences.
The cost of the workshop is $1000 per person.
We have a few modest cabins and plenty of camping space with a communal kitchen.
The Trainers:
We have made it our lives' work to regenerate food systems with food forestry (agroforestry). Together, we have over 50 years experience and we have had the great privilege of working in many different environments in Hawaii and the Pacific region: from arid to wet, low to high elevation, rocky lava to deep soils, so that we are well-versed at methods and species used in many different situations.
Neil Logan has spent the last 20 years researching and writing about Kiawe, culminating in his recently published book, Legacy Legumes. He is a specialist in the research and development of natural products and the agro-ecological and socio-cultural contexts that support them. Neil develops whole systems that integrate information technology and agro-ecosystems. With agroforestry experience on three continents, in both arid and wet conditions, temperate to tropical, Neil is also trained in western herbalism, natural products development (25 years experience). From 2001- present, Neil is a teacher of agroforestry, horticulture, mycoculture and information technology via workshops, lectures, publications and presentations.
Sophia Bowart, BFA, MBA is committed to regenerating degraded lands using successional agroforestry and teaching such techniques to the world. After being introduced to this work by Ernst Gotsch, and her husband, Neil Logan, Sophia has been implementing successional agroforestry techniques on Mohala Lehua Farm in North Kohala, Hawaii since 2008. In addition to converting former pastureland into a diverse, multistory agroforest, she has been developing a range of value-added-products from the farm in order to offset the cost of planting and maintenance.
