Life was simple then, living with grandma and grandpa on the 10 acre banana farm in Maunawili. As a 5 year old child, I was blessed. I remember following grandpa through the jungle, barefoot with mud oozing between my toes, dressed in my home-made in Hawaii, organic shorts and shirt (usually created from the finest rice bags grandma could find). We had everything you could ever want. The fruits and vegetables were grown without the use of pesticides (the present-day terminology refers to it as organically grown). I thoroughly enjoyed the fruits of grandpa’s labor, and boy… did those fruits and vegetables taste oh-so ono. Life was good!
Life became more challenging when the family migrated to the Bay Area and became share crop farmers responsible for 10 acres of strawberries. The use of pesticides to protect our crops from invading insects was the norm. I vividly remember times where we held a white, powdery substance in our hands and cast it over the rows of growing strawberry plants. My older brothers would spray pesticides, many times without the use of a mask, while a crop duster would simultaneously dust an adjacent field. In those days (the 1950/60’s), the consequences for using pesticides were unknown and government regulation was practically non-existent. Gone were the days of picking fresh, wholesome fruit in open, clean air and drinking sweet water straight from the tap – now, with every strawberry we picked, we inhaled toxic powder and with every glass, we tasted chemicals in the water. Life had changed!
New information has revealed that pesticides have dramatically altered our environment and our health. I can’t say for certain, but I honestly believe that exposure to pesticides has contributed to the various forms of cancer exhibited in my family. And now, after so many years of exposure to harmful toxins (in the environment, on our foods, in our clothes), my family and I are trying to do all that we can to live a healthier lifestyle. We have begun to grow our own fruits and vegetables without the use of pesticides, we are raising worms for composting, and we are buying products that promote organic agriculture. We are not only concerned about our own family, but we’re concerned about your family too. So… we started on online store that is committed to offering products that are safe and healthy for your ‘ohana and are made from socially and environmentally responsible resources. At Organic Keiki (www.organickeiki.com) you can find natural, non-toxic toys and accessories, eco-friendly diapers and organic clothes for keiki and mamas.
Like the ancient Hawaiians, we strive to protect the future world our children will inherit and so our motto is Malama ‘Ohana and Malama Aina. Life has definitely come full circle!
Tags: E-zine, March 08, Newsletter article, reasons to go organic
