Changing Course, Honolulu Is Now Planting Food In Public Spaces
Advocates envision free food for local commuters at rail stations and beyond.
September 30, 2025By Thomas Heaton, Civil Beat
(Thomas Heaton/Civil Beat/2025)
Honolulu Skyline passengers may notice something different on their morning rail commute: more than half-a-dozen planter boxes full of growing tomatoes, eggplants, scallions and sweet potatoes, among other edible plants.
Native kulu‘i, ‘ākia, ‘ohai, ʻākulikuli and kī can be found close by, planted on Thursday by a group of volunteers from the city and nonprofit sector as part of a nascent program aimed at making free food available in public spaces.
The planting represents a paradigm shift for Honolulu, and possibly the state. Local authorities have long avoided growing edible plants and trees because of legal fears – mostly liability — over things like falling coconuts, fruit theft or slippery mangoes on the ground.
