Seed Saving Citizens

Tomato Sampling

In order to select the best tomato from which to save seeds, we gathered them up and tested various categories such as taste, smell, texture, size, shape, etc.

Mala’ai was excited to participate in the UH CTAHR (College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources) citizen science project led by Glenn Teves, an amazing agriculturalist, in partnership with Seeds of Honua, a youth-led organization working toward creating a more sustainable and brighter future. This project gave our students the opportunity to see how science in action works. We grew and selected tomatoes and pigeon peas. The tomato seeds were a cross between an Indigo Kiwi and Komohana tomato. We grew 4 plants and tested them for flavor, appearance, disease resistance, and productivity. We then saved the seeds from the most desirable plant. It was super fun to see the variety of tomato types each plant produced! We will continue to grow the selected seeds for 6 growing cycles. By this time, the variety will be stabilized and should be well adapted to Waimea’s unique climate. We learned how to properly dry the seeds so we can share them with other students and the community. Saving seeds is so important for the future of our islands. It has been a critical part of our students' experience in the garden.