Frequent thefts frustrate volunteers at South Kona community garden

HONAUNAU — On a quiet road in Honaunau sits a beautiful community garden. At first glance it seems to be a peaceful spot of land providing local produce and herbs for residents of South Kona, however, something sad and unfortunate continues to plague the property.

On Tuesday, Chantal Chung, volunteer and Ma‘ona Project Manager for the Ma‘ona Community Garden, spoke out about her concern for the garden as a surge in thefts of various items and fruits regularly bombard it.

The garden, located on Honaunau Road, was established in 2007 and is run by volunteers who are mostly women and children. Since the beginning, Chung said, there has been an issue with theft due to squatters and drug traffickers.

Chung said the garden had a few “golden years” without any major problems. However, issues again started to crop up last year due to what she believes to be a resurgence of “ice,” or crystal methamphetamine, and increasing homelessness.

She added it was about six months ago that the homeless population near the Honaunau rodeo grounds, which is less than 1,000 feet from the garden, grew from three or four to 20 or 25.

“We can’t even keep hand soap here,” Chung said.

There is one porta-potty on the property, which remains locked at all times.

“It takes away from the forward progress we can make and it takes away from the community,” Chung said.

At least two police reports have been filed at different times. The most recent was in June when Chung said someone stole a broken lawnmower.

“Why would you take a broken lawnmower?” she asked.

According to Hawaii Police, a police report in 2016 indicated a solar power system was taken.

Just in the past few weeks, Chung said, someone came and beheaded about 50 of her taro plants. Stolen bananas is a weekly occurrence. Soursop is also taken frequently.

“Tourists love it, hence it gets stolen,” Chung said of soursop.

The stolen fruit becomes a larger issue when “unscrupulous vendors” buy it from these individuals, Chung said. It’s agriculture theft, which could be stopped if vendors required licenses from those they are buying the fruit from.

As far as securing the items on their property, volunteers are currently building two locking sheds. Chung plans to paint the sheds with gardening and social justice messages.

“So, as they’re breaking into it they’ll think about changing,” she said with a smile.

She also plans to install two trail cameras.

While Chung is frustrated, she has empathy. She said the people stealing from the garden or those who suffer from mental and drug abuse issues, which often times goes hand-in-hand.

“When they cut funding to social services, this is the product,” Chung said Tuesday at the garden. “Why are we not caring for these vulnerable populations? You’ve got people trapped and they can’t think past their immediate needs.”

Anyone who comes to the garden, she asks if they want to volunteer. While they always say “no,” Chung said there’s always that chance that one of them will say “yes.”

Chung also feeds those who live near the rodeo grounds. On Tuesday, she took over a chicken and ulu casserole.

“I get it,” Chung said. “It’s desperation. We’ll leave what we can and we contact charities.”

Ma‘ona Community Garden is project of the nonprofit organization Na Maka Papahanaumokuakea (NMOP). The mission of the organization is to maintain and perpetuate long-lasting relationships with the overall health of the islands: culturally, naturally, spiritually and physically.

“Ma‘ona supports community food systems, which integrate food production, processing, distribution and consumption to improve the environmental, economic, social and nutritional health of South Kona,” according to NMOP.