Dressed in a MA'O T-shirt, jeans and a plastic apron that practically swallows her whole, Mandy Qutal stands in front of a steel basin in the farm's wash room, gently cleaning greens headed for a Honolulu farmers market. She washes each leaf gently, her tiny hands barely big enough to grab more than six leaves at a time.

At 17, Qutal is the youngest of the 25 students attending the MA'O Organic Farms educational program this summer.

"I heard about this program from a few friends at school. I applied so that I could go to college," she said.

Her summer has been full, with classes two days a week, and farm work that begins in the early dawn on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. In return for her dedication, the program provides her with a paid scholarship to Leeward Community College, as well as a monthly $500 stipend.

A nonprofit organization, MA'O — an acronym for mala 'ai 'opio, which translates as "the youth food garden" — intends to build opportunities for Wai'anae and Native Hawaiian youth, while producing organic produce of the highest quality. But MA'O's goals fly higher than mere education or agriculture. It wants to change hearts and minds, and youth like Qutal are key to its intentions.

'EVERYONE IS SO NICE'

The Wai'anae mountain range casts a shadow on the farm in the neighboring valley, where five acres are being used to grow organic greens. Thin clouds fly quickly over the budding rows of lettuce.

In the foreground, five young workers laugh as they lift one girl up on the shoulders of another to pick a golden Haden mango. Their pockets bulge with freshly picked tangerines, stored away for an afternoon snack. As the girl on top passes down mangoes, the other three use their T-shirts as slings to carry the fruit — all working in unison to gather the day's harvest.

In the nearby farm building, Qutal continues washing. "I've made a lot of friends here. Everyone is so nice. We work in the field together and go to school together. We are even planning an outing," she says, as she moves a full bin of freshly washed greens to a shelf.

Qutal's mother is a cafeteria attendant at Wai'anae Elementary School, and her father owns a fire-safety business. With an older sister at Leeward Community College and a younger sister at Wai'anae High School, it was going to be tough for her family to help her with college.

Her eventual goal is a degree in fashion design. In exchange for her work at MA'O, and required courses on Hawaiian history and agriculture, Qutal got a head start toward her degree.

The payoff for MA'O? A program graduate who knows more about the roots of her community and the treasures of the land.

"I've learned a lot since I've been here. I've learned about different plants, how to take care of them, the history of this area, and I've made some neat friends," Qutal says shyly.

The executive director, Kukui Maunakea-Forth, walks into the room, smiling. "Hey, how you guys doin' — you OK?" she asks.

After a short conversation with a student, Maunakea-Forth walks to her office. On the outside wall, a dry-erase board lists suggested field trips — to Ice Palace, movie theaters and Hawaiian Waters Adventure Park.

In the small, windowless office, Maunakea sits on an office chair, poised to explain MA'O.

Maunakea-Forth and her husband, farm manager Gary Maunakea-Forth, established MA'O as part of the nonprofit umbrella organization Waianae Community Redevelopment Corporation. The title hints at MA'O's larger goal — to invigorate Wai'anae, inspire pride and sense of purpose.

Raised in Nanakuli herself, Kukui Maunakea-Forth says the operation is informed by the history of the area — as well as "the people, the economy, the social impact and our Hawaiian culture."

A LINK TO HISTORY

Before the fall semester started at Leeward Community College, MA'O students met regularly in a Wai'anae classroom to learn study habits, Hawaiian history and Wai'anae community history.

The MA'O course requirements are meant to link students with the history of their community.

Most of the students are Native Hawaiian. As they tell it, the program has become more than a gardening project — it's made them part of a movement toward local sustainability.

"What got me interested was justice. It's economic, cultural, social, it's the justice issues," Maunakea-Forth says. "We're doing this to help sustain the self-preservation of the Hawaiian people. Agriculture is part of our culture, we have that as our identity."

Her father was a farmer, on his own farm.

"He sold to Marukai market, and he grew whatever he could. My grandmother and I always maintained gardens for ourself," Maunakea-Forth says.

But economic conditions in the Islands haven't made it easy to survive by farming. MA'O is able to make a go of it, in part, because its programs are grant-funded. Its organizational budget is about $825,000, and less than half of that comes from ag sales. Other support comes from the state Office of Hawaiian Affairs, private donations and fundraising.

The farm is expected to grow during a three-year expansion period, helping to cover more costs for the education program in the future.

A state economic agriculture census for 2000 showed 655 Native Hawaiians employed in agriculture in the Islands, out of 38,000 ag jobs.

The same census showed an estimated $1.94 billion dollars in total statewide agricultural sales. Compare that to MA'O's output, which was about $294,000 in produce sales last year, and it's apparent that the operation is a drop in the bucket in terms of all-Islands agriculture.

But where the operation can make a difference is in mindset — and in the quality of its organic produce.

With the rise in gas and food prices, the push for local sustainability has become more apparent.

Support for agriculture has been a prime topic of discussion. As part of that effort, MA'O is working toward supporting an economy in Wai'anae.

"We want to affect more young people. We want to serve them because that's part of the cycle. The young people need to come back to the community and need to come back home to do the work," Maunakea-Forth says.

As the day continues, Gary Maunakea-Forth and some students gently stack freshly washed produce into a tall walk-in refrigerator.

A white delivery truck pulls up.

Keeping track of inventory, Gary writes up the weekly orders on a wall-mounted board. Students bag up produce for the next day's farmers market.

AGRICULTURE'S FUTURE

The delivery truck is off to buyer and cutting-edge Hono-lulu chef Ed Kenney, who runs Town and Downtown restaurants. Both restaurants are known for their commitment to local produce and environmentally sensitive processes.

Pulling up a chair at Town, wearing a spotless white chef uniform with matching white Crocs, Kenney expresses his appreciation for MA'O greens.

"Their produce is consistently of the highest quality," he says. "We will utilize anything that MA'O grows. Their organic farming practices result in superior product — always."

But it isn't only quality that influenced him. Kenney also notes the organization's impact on the local economy and the environment.

"MA'O is the future of Hawai'i agriculture — to connect people to the food they eat and the people they eat with. They are growing our next generation of growers," he says.

"When shortening the food chain, I've found that tilling the soil, planting a garden and harvesting the bounty is the ultimate connection to the land that one can experience. I encourage all to make this connection to the food we eat."

Back on the farm, as the day comes to an end, the students gather in a circle for their daily meeting. Mandy Qutal listens as her mentors recap the work done and lessons learned.

Soon, Qutal will begin college — another step in creating a future for herself.