Meet Your Producer: KZ Mālama ʻĀina

Abundance on an Acre 

In early 2018, Zan and Kāne had just moved into their new 1-acre parcel of land and began building their forever home and planting an orchard and garden. Only three months later, they were forced to evacuate due to the catastrophic eruption. Watching aerial footage from social media and the news, they checked on their property daily as the lava flows crept closer, hoping that their new home would be spared. When they finally got the all-clear to come back home, the only thing still green was a patch of kalo they had planted a few months before.  

With Fissure 8 towering nearby and the loss of months of hard work, Zan and Kāne set to work rebuilding. The dynamic nature of living in a lava zone helped guide them into what they are today: a vibrant, diverse oasis producing a wide variety of plants in their greenhouse and aeroponic towers. From medicinal to edible to decorative, they’ve got it all! 

When we asked why they chose aeroponics, Zan replied, “Because we would be utilizing what Puna has to offer best-rainwater, not soil. You can grow a lot with a little bit of space, and it helps to make things a little more manageable for a mom-and-pop operation.”   

In the future, the couple hope to turn their aeroponic towers into an aquaponic system with catfish to minimize their dependence on imported plant nutrients.  

KZ Mālama ʻĀina can often be found at Maku’u Market and their potted plants are often sold at Island Naturals, among other places.