Common Ground Kauai

Common Ground Kauai is a mission-driven company based in Hawaii, USA, dedicated to promoting principles of health, sustainability and community.[1] The sixty-acre site is dedicated to creating a sustainable living environment that distributes place-based products, services and educational information. It operates out of what use to be the facilities of Guava Kai, once the world’s largest guava plantation.

Location

Common Ground Kauai is located in the foothills of the Namahana Mountains in the town of Kilauea, on the north shore of the island of Kauai.

Operations

The organization currently manages The Garden Café at Common Ground Kauai, a field to table restaurant that provides local seasonal, nutritious meals for breakfast and lunch. The mission of The Garden Café is to promote “wholesome, healthy, fresh meals.” The café is open from Tuesday-Sunday for breakfast, lunch and a weekend brunch.[2]

The Market at Common Ground Kauai offers fresh fruit and vegetables daily and grab and go locally produced meals and other food products. The agricultural operation at Common Ground Kauai supplies the restaurant and market with fresh, organic produce and gives tours that focus on Hawaiian history, permaculture and local organic growing techniques.

Early History

In 1977, with sugar cane gone, C. Brewer & Co. constructed large shallow ponds and began growing freshwater prawns in the area around what is now Common Ground Kauai. One hundred acres of land was graded and turned into shallow ponds that were filled with fresh water piped in from the Kalihiwai Reservoir. The business proved to be unsuccessful and ceased operation in 1979.

Also in 1977, C. Brewer & Company started a guava plantation. Over the next 29 years the guava plantation known as Guava Kai established 500 acres of guava orchards and managed more than 40,000 guava trees annually. Guava Kai built a guava processing plant to produce guava puree, which was frozen and put in 55-gallon drums for distribution worldwide. While many companies were not as lucky, Guava Kai and its orchards survived the island-wide devastation caused by Hurricanes Iwa in 1982 and ‘Iniki in 1992.

In 1996, Brewer sold the plantation land to Kauai resident John Ferry. Brewer continued the guava operation by leasing the land back from Ferry. Over time, Guava Kai became unprofitable due to its inability to compete with low labor costs in South America and Southeast Asia. Guava Kai decided to shut down at the end of 2006.[3]

Current

In 2007, Chris Jaeb purchased the operational core of Guava Kai, which included approximately 60 acres of land, the guava processing center, gift shop, snack bar and administration building. Jaeb launched Common Ground Kauai in 2008 to promote sustainability, community self-reliance, and personal health.[4] In September of 2010, Common Ground Kauai opened The Garden Café a field to table restaurant focused on creating highly nutritious meals from local organic ingredients at market prices. Jaeb sees Common Ground Kauai as a platform to promote products, services and events that support to the social, economic and environmental health of the community.[5]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Manta Common Ground Kauai Profile. http://www.manta.com/c/mt16582/common-ground-kauai-llc
  2. ↑ Urban Spoon. http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/37/1569861/restaurant/Hawaii/Princeville-Hanalei/The-Garden-Cafe-at-Common-Ground-Kauai-Kilauea
  3. ↑ Common Ground Kauai Net (2012). http://cgkauai.net/
  4. ↑ Video (July 4, 2011): "New Paradigm: Transparency, Openness and Co-Creativity - Chris Jaeb" posted at http://www.ovguide.com/chris-jaeb-9202a8c04000641f80000000011cade6
  5. ↑ Common Ground Kauai Net (2012). http://cgkauai.net/