Campus Gardens

The campus learning gardens provide an opportunity for students in AG 230, Sustainable Agriculture, to practice and have hands on experience in not just growing their own food but also implement some known sustainable practices in soil management, pest and disease control and weed management among others. Since the class is open to all students in the university, students from different fields have the opportunity to work in a team to design, implement and manage a garden that features a chosen theme and workable sustainable practices. The gardens are also recipients of the composts produced by students in Ag 263 (Composting and Vermicomposting). In Spring, the gardens become one of the focal point of the Earth Day celebration with over 2000 K-12 students from all over the island come to participate. AG 230 students offer tours in their gardens throughout the celebration. In Fall, these gardens become a collaborative area for AG230 students and students in Philosophy taking a course in food ethics. The semester usually culminated with garden picnic sharing food harvested directly from these gardens. Students learn from each other as they they perform peer evaluation at the end of the semester.

Library Lanai Garden

This garden is one of five locations on campus. It can be found in front of the university library and grows a variety of annuals as well as fruit trees established by students in both AG 230 and Hort 352 since 2009. The fruit trees are now at their full bearing stage

Deborah Meleisea

Library Lanai Garden, AG 230 SP 2021


Evy Lemieux and Briana Ferrin

BSF Hydroponics Garden, AG 230 SP 2021

Elijah Robertson and Elizabeth Schmitz

Library Lanai Garden, AG 230 SP 2021

Black Soldier Fly Hydroponics

This prototyype was built by a student in Ag 230 in 2015 as a class project showcasing that a household of four can depend on a continuous vegetable supply using an integrated composting and hydroponics system. The composting is carried out by black soldier flies. The compost falls into a tub of water that is then pumped into garden beds. The system is solar powered. Design and details of the project can be accessed here: http://www.bsfhydro.com/

Andrew Curley

AG 230 Gardens, UH Hilo SP 2021

Brendan Boque

AG 230 Gardens, UH Hilo SP 2021

Greenhouse Gardens

A portion of the College of Agriculture building greenhouse is utilized to grow a variety of annual vegetables. These are grown in wooden raised beds showcasing that even n areas where soil is limited and household has limited space to grow plants, it is still possible to grow crops in containers.


Matthew Ideoka

AG 230 Gardens, UH Hilo SP 2021

Aspen Klein

AG 230 Gardens, UH Hilo SP 2021

Garden by Nowelo Bridge

This area sits across the Nowelo Bridge and the university dorms. A much larger area is now has established with a couple of rows of fruit trees and raised beds growing vegetables, pineapple, sweet potato and taro.